The Parks and Reserves Bylaw was adopted by Council on 4 June 2025. It comes into force on 4 September 2025.
The Parks and Reserves Bylaw 2025 will amend and replace the Parks and Reserves Bylaw 2016 and will take effect on 4 September 2025. In the meantime, the 2016 Bylaw remains in force.
View the Christchurch City Council Parks and Reserves Bylaw 2025 [PDF, 713 KB].
The purpose of the bylaw is to manage, regulate and protect the parks and reserves network from misuse or damage and to protect the public from nuisance and maintain public health and safety.
The bylaw works alongside other tools such as reserve management plans, maintenance and operational budgets and levels of service to help manage the parks and reserves network.
Following a 2008 review of the seven bylaws that then applied to parks and reserves within the Christchurch City territorial area, the Council adopted the Christchurch City Parks and Reserves Bylaw 2008.
The Parks and Reserves Bylaw 2008 was then reviewed and replaced by the Parks and Reserves Bylaw 2016 in a decision made by Council on 14 July 2016.
The initial resolution to amend the Parks and Reserve Bylaw 2016 was passed by the Christchurch City Council on 16 October 2024 and was confirmed, following consideration of submissions, by a resolution of the Council on 4 June 2025.
Council staff, community stakeholders and the public have reported throughout the review process that the bylaw was working well and that significant changes to it were not required.
The proposed new bylaw makes some changes to improve clarity, modernise it and update references to other legislation. It has some new and updated definitions, references, clause and explanatory notes and other points of clarification.
It also takes into account changes in technology, such as the uptake of electric scooters and electric bicycles, which have become more common since the bylaw was last reviewed.