Our city and district are growing and changing and will continue to do so over the coming decades.

We need to make good decisions now to protect the things we value and cherish about our way of life. The way we travel is changing too and we need to plan for transport growth that makes it safer and easier to get around, reduces carbon emissions, and is sustainable, efficient, and accessible for all. 

We’re developing a draft transport strategy for the next 30 years of getting around. 

We have many challenges and some real opportunities ahead that we need to respond to. The draft strategy will identify the goals and actions we need to take to ensure we have a transport network that’s moving us all in the right direction. 

When finalised, the strategy will replace the 2012 Christchurch Transport Strategic Plan(external link).

Early direction

We’ve been working on this draft strategy since 2019 and have engaged with key stakeholders to get early direction.   

Several factors have impacted our timeline for completing this work, including the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in 2020, the 2022 local government election for Christchurch and Banks Peninsula, and the 2023 General Election and subsequent change in government.

Work on this project was paused until the adoption of the 2024-34 Long Term Plan and the publication of the Government’s updated Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport. 

We’re now focused on delivering this strategy so we can give certainty to our residents, strategic partners and to current and future funders. 

 

Other plans and work programmes

We've considered a number of key plans, programmes and policies throughout the development of Ōtautahi Christchurch Future Transport:

Christchurch District Plan 

The Christchurch District Plan is a plan to guide the way Christchurch is developed. 

The Plan includes a chapter on transport(external link)(external link). The chapter sets out the transport requirements for all activities that occur in the district. 

Capital works programme 

Each year the Council sets out a programme of capital work as part of its annual budget process. You can see what capital works are being planned for your area by looking through the latest Annual Plan or the  Long Term Plan(external link). 

Christchurch City Council’s Long Term Plan (2024-34)

Christchurch City Council’s Long Term Plan 2024 to 2034 (LTP)(external link) is our budget for the next 10 years.

It sets out what we plan to achieve over the next decade, and how it will be funded. It’s our commitment to delivering the services and infrastructure our city needs to thrive and an opportunity for everyone to shape the future of our city.

The Long Term Plan focuses on the big picture – our opportunities and challenges – and how we plan to manage them. 

$1.6 billion has been committed across our transport network in the current LTP, with $1 billion to be spent on roads, footpaths and road infrastructure renewals and replacements, $199 million on major cycling projects and programmes, and $101 million on bus infrastructure improvements.

The Greater Christchurch Spatial Plan

The Greater Christchurch Spatial Plan(external link) sets a desired urban form to ensure Greater Christchurch is future-proofed in the context of population growth and climate change.

Ōtautahi Christchurch Climate Resilience Strategy

The Ōtautahi Christchurch Climate Resilience Strategy 2021 is a blueprint for collective action and part of a wider conversation about how we work together to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. It has four Climate Goals for Christchurch, supported by ten Climate Action Programmes that outline what we need to do to achieve these goals.

To achieve our climate goals, we need the people and organisations of Christchurch and Banks Peninsula to work together to deliver the actions under our Climate Action Programmes.

Ōtautahi-Christchurch Planning Programme 

We have developed a framework to guide local area planning across the city that builds on and reflects the urban form outcomes defined in the Greater Christchurch Spatial Plan and other plans and strategies

This was endorsed by the Council on 6 November 2024.