Our community outcomes capture what we aim to achieve in promoting the social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing of our community.

The Local Government Act requires all local government organisations to set community outcomes.

Our community outcomes take a whole-of-community view - we can't achieve the outcomes by ourselves. It will require empowering communities and collaborating with the government and other agencies.

In 2019, the Council refreshed its community outcomes – we have 18 community outcomes under four strategic themes. 

Strong sense of community

Our general sense of wellbeing and quality of life often depends on having caring and supportive networks. Good relationships between people in the neighbourhood build a sense of belonging in the community and promote social cohesion.

What this means for our district:

  • People have a strong sense of belonging and are actively involved in the life of Ōtautahi - Christchurch.
  • Communities are supported to undertake initiatives that make their local area a better place to live and visit.
  • Vibrant and resilient community and volunteer groups provide support, encourage participation and mobilise resources.
  • People have strong social networks and someone to turn to in time of need.
  • Appropriate services are available within local communities.

Active participation in civic life

Cities work best when residents are actively involved in shaping the city of the future.  Participation in community initiatives and wider city processes supports wellbeing.

The Council strives to give our diverse communities meaningful opportunities to have their say and contribute to decisions on issues important to them.  The Council is committed to continuing to build its governance partnership with Ngāi Tahu Papatipu Rūnanga, based on mutual understanding and respect.

What this means for our district:

  • People and organisations are listened to and valued.
  • Residents have opportunities to be involved in decisions that are important to them.
  • Community-led decision-making complements Council decision-making.
  • The Council establishes, maintains and improves opportunities for Māori to participate in decision-making.
  • Māori are involved in decision-making from the beginning, in areas of mutual interest, especially in significant decisions relating to the environment, social and economic recovery.

Safe and healthy communities

The Council has wide-ranging responsibilities for keeping our communities safe and healthy in both our built and natural environment. 

Community and individual safety have many dimensions, including feeling safe from crime.  Safe communities can give people a sense of belonging and being valued.

There are also many dimensions to community and individual health and wellbeing (physical, social, spiritual, mental and emotional). 

Partnership and collaboration with government and community organisations are critical to supporting healthy people and communities.  

Local leadership at every level and strong community networks are key elements in safe communities and they are also crucial to building community resilience.

The city needs to be well prepared for natural hazards and other shocks and stressors.  Working with residents to develop planning responses that are appropriate to each community is essential for helping us prepare for future challenges.

What this means for our district:

  • Ōtautahi - Christchurch has a safe and healthy built and natural environment.
  • Council services support and enable good public health.
  • People feel safe in their homes, neighbourhoods and the central city.
  • Community facilities and public places are safe, healthy, and welcoming.
  • People have active and healthy lifestyles.
  • The city is well-prepared for future challenges.
  • Our resilient communities have a good understanding of the city’s natural hazard risks.
  • Our resilient communities help us to respond to and recover from shocks and stressors.

Celebration of our identity through arts, culture, heritage, sport and recreation

Being able to participate in the arts, cultural or heritage activities, and/or sports and recreation are very important to individual and community wellbeing. 

Our individual and collective sense of identity and belonging is enhanced by participating in and enjoying these activities, which build connections with other people and to places.

The Council has a leadership role in making Ōtautahi - Christchurch a city where diversity is welcomed and celebrated.  The Council is also committed to a partnership relationship with Ngāi Tahu Papatipu Rūnanga which recognises that they are mana whenua for the Ōtautahi - Christchurch district. 

As mana whenua, Ngāi Tahu has the longest association with many places and resources in the district, including settlements, transport routes, gardens, urupā (burial grounds), and places of importance for mahinga kai (food and resources). 

What this means for our district:

  • Ōtautahi - Christchurch is an inclusive multicultural and multilingual city that honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi – a city where all people belong.
  • We recognise that Ngāi Tahu Papatipu Rūnanga are mana whenua for the Ōtautahi - Christchurch district.
  • We value diversity and treat all groups and cultures with respect.
  • Everyone feels welcome in the city and has a place or an activity where they can be themselves.
  • Our heritage is a taonga and should be collectively valued and protected, celebrated and shared.
  • Sites and places of cultural significance are respected and preserved.
  • Arts, cultural, sporting and recreational opportunities are available to all our communities.

Valuing the voices of all cultures and ages (including children)

The Council’s vision for the city is that Ōtautahi - Christchurch is a city of opportunity for all, open to new ideas, new people and new ways of doing things.  We want to be an inclusive, connected city. 

It is important to the Council to take an inter-generational approach to issues, prioritising the social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing of the community now and into the future.

What this means for our district:

  • Ōtautahi - Christchurch has resilient, inclusive communities that build positive relationships,  enhance understanding of human rights, and resist discrimination and racism.
  • All communities have equitable access to Council services and resources, and their voices are heard and valued.
  • There are tailored opportunities for diverse communities to have their say and to shape decision-making on issues they care about.
  • Barriers to participation are identified and removed, especially for under-represented communities.
  • Our children and young people have opportunities to be heard, and their views are valued.
  • The needs of current and future generations are taken into account in city decision-making.

Vibrant and thriving city centre

For Ōtautahi - Christchurch to thrive and prosper as a modern, sustainable, 21st-century city, it is vital that the central city is an attractive destination for people to visit, work and live. 

What this means for our district:

  • We have a central city which is:
    • the thriving centre of an international city.
    • a vibrant people-focused place - day and night.
    • a community with growing, liveable central city neighbourhoods.
    • a place where residents and visitors enjoy being.

Sustainable suburban and rural centres

A network of strong district and neighbourhood centres provide accessible services and facilities for communities and can be focal points for local economic activity.  As places for people, they are well-designed, accessible and safe.

What this means for our district:

  • People can meet most of their regular and everyday needs nearby.
  • Our centres maintain a good mix of social and economic uses around which new businesses investment is attracted.
  • People choose to spend time in their local centres, encouraging social interaction and participation that strengthens the community identity.
  • Communities and local businesses are encouraged to take leadership in building community loyalty to what’s on offer in local centres.

A well connected and accessible city promoting active and public transport

Our transport system supports community wellbeing and the liveability of the city and needs to be able to adapt to do this. 

The transport system must enable participation in economic and social opportunities; protect people from harm; support economic activity and be able to transition to low carbon transport options.

Active and public transport modes benefit Ōtautahi - Christchurch through reduced congestion and energy dependence, reducing demand for new roads and parking, and enhanced health and wellbeing through increased physical activity and greater social interaction.

What this means for our district:

  • Our transport network is reliable, safe and agile – able to adapt to and accommodate technological change, plus different and changing types of transport.
  • An increased proportion of journeys are made by active, public, or shared transport.
  • Residents have equitable access to public transport and cycleways across the city.
  • Everyone can more safely move around the city.
  • C02 emissions from transport are reduced.

Sufficient supply of, and access to, a range of housing

Housing is a key building block for individual and community wellbeing.  Well-designed maintained and located housing will improve social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing in the city. 

The Council recognises that access to good quality housing is a basic human right.

What this means for our district:

  • The city has a housing supply that can meet the diverse needs of current and future residents.
  • New and existing homes are secure, accessible, safe, efficient and healthy and include affordable options.
  • Well-designed homes and neighbourhoods provide a high quality of life for residents.

21st-century garden city we are proud to live in

Ōtautahi - Christchurch has a proud history as New Zealand’s Garden City. 

In the 21st century, we are finding new ways to express this identity, as our regeneration produces new greenspaces and we explore more sustainable approaches to city living. 

Having good access to nature and green spaces provides many benefits.  Maintaining access to gardens, parks, trees and open spaces is becoming more important as we accommodate more people and businesses in less space.

What this means for our district:

  • The community values and actively cares for our green spaces, which in-turn provide many benefits to the community.
  • Opportunities for  growing and gathering food, community gardening, and buying locally are available to our communities.
  • Our homes, neighbourhoods and commercial areas incorporate vegetation and open spaces.
  • People have equitable access to open and green spaces across the city and district.

Healthy water bodies

Water is a taonga, of fundamental importance to the life of the community and crucial to the health of the environment in which the community lives. 

The health of our water will be a key factor in setting the course for our environmental, social, cultural and economic wellbeing, now and into the future. 

Healthy water, from the source to the sea, is of critical importance to Ngāi Tahu, fundamental for the sustenance of Ngāi Tahu culture and spirituality.  Water is woven deep into the Ngāi Tahu identity.

What this means for our district:

  • Water is cared for in a sustainable and integrated way and in partnership with Papatipu Rūnanga and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu,  in line with the principle of kaitiakitanga.
  • Water quality and ecosystems are protected and enhanced.
  • An increasing proportion of our waterways support mahinga kai.

High-quality drinking water

Access to clean drinking water is fundamental to wellbeing – everyone needs to have access to clean water that is safe to drink. 

The long-term impacts of climate change are likely to affect the availability of water and demand on public water supplies. 

This is directly in line with the healthy water outcome and Papatipu Rūnanga Ngāi Tahu are committed to providing high-quality drinking water to all communities.

What this means for our district:

  • The Council aims to deliver safe drinking water to its residents without the need for residual disinfection such as chlorination.
  • Our high-quality drinking water is used appropriately, to ensure the long-term availability of existing water sources.
  • We protect our high-quality groundwater supplies from potential sources of contamination.
  • Christchurch residents value their high-quality drinking water.

Unique landscapes and indigenous biodiversity are valued and stewardship exercised

The city and district have unique environments and habitats that are nationally, internationally and culturally significant. The Resource Management Act entrusts us with responsibilities to maintain and protect our unique landscapes and indigenous biodiversity.

The natural environment is important to both physical and psychological wellbeing, so actions that promote and protect our environment also support wellbeing.  In turn, people and communities with strong wellbeing also tend to be environmentally responsible in their behaviour. 

We support community ownership of and action to protect their local environment.

What this means for our district:

  • We exercise kaitiakitanga / stewardship in ensuring that our unique landscapes and indigenous biodiversity are protected and enhanced for future generations.
  • Mana whenua maintain their association with landscapes and places that are important to them.
  • People feel a connection with, and responsibility towards the natural environment.

Sustainable use of resources and minimising waste

The environment provides us with resources such as fresh air, clean water, food and materials that sustain our communities and economy.

Each person and organisation has a duty of care, to be kaitiaki/guardians - to use resource responsibly to ensure our current and future wellbeing.

In 2019 the Council declared a climate and ecological emergency and following scientific advice and community feedback, set a target of being carbon neutral as a city by 2045.  The Council aims to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as an organisation by 2030.

Waste is a significant issue because it places growing demand on natural resources, while litter and pollution can harm life. Creating a circular economy is vital, so resources can continue to provide benefits in a closed-loop waste-free system.

What this means for our district:

  • Each person and organisation acts to reduce their impacts on the environment and minimise greenhouse gas emissions and waste.
  • Ōtautahi - Christchurch will actively work towards being carbon neutral by 2045 and the Council will work towards net zero emissions by 2030.
  • Waste in all its forms will be avoided, reduced, reused and recycled or composted.

Great place for people, business and investment

A city which can attract minor and major economic activities and investments will be able to offer quality employment opportunities with an emphasis on sustainable, long-term practices, and overall better quality of life for its residents.

Sustainable economic development will help the city thrive and ensure this is a great place both for current and future generations. 

Papatipu Rūnanga Ngāi Tahu have long been committed to an intergenerational approach, setting goals based on the wellbeing of future generations. This is captured in the Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu mission statement, mō tātou, ā, mō kā uri ā muri ake nei – for us and our children after us.

We know that we will encounter future challenges and our ability to adapt and respond to these changes in a positive and constructive way will be critically important for our future prosperity.

What this means for our district:

  • Ōtautahi - Christchurch is regarded nationally and globally as a city that attracts people to do business, invest, study and live here.
  • Local businesses build the economic, social and environmental competitiveness of our city, delivering quality jobs and careers.
  • Our residents have access to an ideal balance between lifestyle and opportunity.
  • We value and encourage lifelong learning and skills development.

Inclusive, equitable economy with broad-based prosperity

A broad and inclusive economy unlocks the growth potential of disadvantaged communities and ensures everyone can share in the city’s prosperity.  

Stressors and challenges, such as rapid technological change and the impacts of a changing climate, may exacerbate existing inequalities.

What this means for our district:

  • Productive, sustainable growth improves the living standards and wellbeing of everyone in the community.
  • Inequality in the city is reduced.

A productive, adaptive and resilient economic base

Economic wellbeing helps us to achieve improvements in our overall wellbeing. 

Ōtautahi - Christchurch is part-way through an important period of change following the earthquake sequence and how we continue to adapt to this period of change will be important to our future prosperity. 

Ōtautahi - Christchurch has relatively low productivity by most measures and compared with cities like Auckland and Wellington.

We have experienced unique challenges that we must learn from and share the knowledge gained. We know that we will face future challenges as well as having to adapt to ongoing stressors, such as an ageing population, rapid technological change and the challenges of climate change.

A productive, adaptive and resilient economy is important to Papatipu Rūnanga Ngāi Tahu.  Ngāi Tahu are a resilient people with a proud history of commercial activity and trade.  This has developed since the Treaty settlements into substantial financial and commercial operations that annually contribute over $200 million to the South Island economy and provides the financial support for the tribe’s intergenerational journey.

What this means for our district:

  • We improve our share of the national economy.
  • The city economy is prepared for and can respond to ongoing stressors and future challenges.
  • The city economy is growing in key sectors such as high tech.
  • We work hard to rebuild our tourism offering and sector.
  • We realise the benefits of being a Gateway City to Antarctica.

Modern and robust city infrastructure and facilities

Infrastructure supports much of our daily lives; it enables service delivery and economic activity and is vital to individual and community wellbeing. 

Maintaining good quality city infrastructure and community facilities is a challenging task, due to the pressures of an ageing and urbanising population, financial constraints, changing technology, and other factors.

What this means for our district:

  • Critical infrastructure can absorb and adapt to stressors and shocks, and be resilient to the challenges of climate change.
  • Robust and right-sized city infrastructure supports sustainable economic growth.
  • Reliable infrastructure is essential for our wellbeing, ensuring we have high-quality, safe drinking water and waste is safely and sustainably removed and disposed of.