Satisfaction with Christchurch council plummets to 15-year low

Christchurch ratepayers have delivered a damning verdict on the city council’s performance, with approval ratings at their lowest in 15 years.

Just 42% of 7038 residents surveyed were satisfied with the council’s performance – a drop of 7% on last year’s poll.

It marks a continuing trend of dissatisfaction since 2007, when the council had a 79% approval rating. By 2019 that had dropped to 62% and has continued to fall.

Public involvement in decision-making proved to be the area which left residents most disgruntled, particularly in the perceived lack of progress on some issues.

READ MORE:
* Christchurch City Council boss Dawn Baxendale gets $18,000 pay rise
* More jobs cut in management shake-up at Christchurch council
* Council needs to ‘lift its game’ as Christchurch residents voice disapproval

Overall, residents wanted the council to be more transparent about its decisions – an issue that has long been a thorn after an investigation in 2019 found the same concern.

Then, Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier branded the council’s commitment to be open and transparent as worthy of “serious concern”.

In the latest survey just 25% were satisfied with ratepayers’ influence on decision-making, and only 31% of respondents were satisfied decisions were made in the best interests of the city.

The sobering statistics were acknowledged by chief executive Dawn Baxendale, who said the council strongly recognised the need for improvement.

Among services ratepayers were most dissatisfied with were the condition of roads at 27%, the condition of footpaths at 35%, and storm water drainage at 44%.

Less than half of those surveyed were unhappy with there being chlorinated water, while 49% thought there weren’t enough affordable parking options in the central city.

Baxendale pointed to the pandemic as being part of the problem in delivering core services, with finances significantly impacted.

The council’s attention remained firmly focused on delivering basics like water, roads and transport, and doing them better, she said.

While those services were a core focus of the long-term plan, there was a need to be realistic that improvements to infrastructure would take time and significant budget commitments, Baxendale warned.

“We’re committed to owning and acting on these results.”

Linwood councillor Yani Johanson was not surprised the area had the lowest level of satisfaction at 50.1%, closely followed by Hornby at 50.2%.

Johanson said he had received repeated feedback that the “gold plating” of the central city was at the cost of broken infrastructure in suburbs like Linwood.

Roading and transport continued to be issues in the area, he said, and he could see clearly why residents were disgruntled.

He also believed the council needed to be better at being transparent.

Central ward councillor Jake McKellan believed the core message from the survey was around getting the basics right, and thought the political cycle might have played into the record low approval.

“The mayor is ultimately the face of council and that popularity tends to swing in a 10-year cycle. We are probably at the end of (mayor) Lianne’s (Dalziel) favour with the public.”

Dalziel was unavailable for comment.