Shirley-Papanui Community Board 1989-2010 - Christchurch City ...

HILLS RD
The Birth Of Community Boards
The Shirley-Papanui Community Board – An Overview
The most comprehensive reform of local government that New Zealand
has ever seen took place in 1989.
The number of local authorities was reduced from more than 800 to 87
and community boards were introduced.
There were 159 community boards then, though not every city in New
Zealand had them. They were charged with ensuring each parent territorial
authority knew and met its community’s needs.
In Christchurch, the reforms saw six territorial local authorities
disestablished (Paparua County Council, Waimairi District Council,
Riccarton Borough Council, Heathcote County Council, the former
Christchurch City Council and the Christchurch Drainage Board). These all
became a newer and much larger Christchurch City Council that - at that
time - had six community boards. This was increased to eight in 2006
when the Banks Peninsula District and Christchurch City Councils merged.
The Christchurch City Council welcomed its community boards
immediately, allocating them a budget for progressing local capital works
and for general community development. In comparison with other
areas in New Zealand, the Christchurch boards have always enjoyed a
significantly higher level of delegated authority.
Manager of Governance at Local Government New Zealand, Mike Reid said
the Christchurch boards have also always had a discretionary fund which
they can use to support community projects and services. Even in 2010,
not every board in the country has this luxury.
“The Christchurch City Council has always had a very constructive
relationship with its community boards, with effective communications
systems between the two parties. Mostly this is born from an underlying
philosophy that any decision that has implications for a neighbourhood
or community goes to the relevant community board. The Christchurch
boards are not just an after thought…they’re an active part of the decision
making process.”
Mike Richardson, who was chief executive of the Christchurch City Council
from 1993 until 2003, said that one reason for that was because council
staff always supported the boards.
“We had people like the late Don Hampton who was one of the Council’s
Group Managers, who were really strong advocates for the boards and
always pushed for them to be allocated more resources, support and
delegations…particularly after the 1992, 1995 and 1998 elections. This
found favour with different politicians for two key reasons: the first,
because of a genuine heartfelt commitment to democracy at the grass
roots level and the second, because of a belief that Councillors should
concentrate on strategic direction and leave smaller decisions to the
boards. Both of them valid reasons.”
“The [Christchurch community] boards were at the time [in 1989],
and still are, the envy of many other community boards throughout
New Zealand for the support they receive from Council and staff.”
‘The Community Boards of Christchurch, 10 years of service 1989-1999’
The Role Of Community Boards
The general purposes of community boards are set down in Section
101ZY of the Local Government Amendment Act (No. 2) 1989. They
are to:
• Represent and act as an advocate for the interests of the
community.
• Consider and report on any matter referred to them by the
territorial local authority, as well as any issues of interest to the
community board itself.
• Make an annual submission to the territorial local authority on
expenditure in the local authority.
• Maintain an overview of services provided by the territorial
authority within the community.
• Communicate with community organisations and special
interest groups in the community, and undertake any other
responsibilities delegated by the local authority.
With one of the largest populations of Christchurch city’s eight community
boards, the Shirley-Papanui Community Board represents around 60,000
people and almost 23,000 households.
Since 1989, this board has had many notable members. Garry Moore
served as a City Councillor on it from 1992-1998 before he was elected
Mayor of Christchurch, a position he held for nine years.
The late Graham Condon, a Paralympic champion and Christchurch City
Councillor served on it from 1995 until his tragic death in 2007.
Remarkably, Yvonne Palmer was on the board from its inception until
2010 when she stepped down. She chaired it from 1995 (except for a
period of 12 months from October 2008, when the position was held by
Megan Evans who subsequently resigned).
With more national awards than any of its nationwide counterparts,
this community board is recognised as one of the most innovative in
the country.
It was the first to partner with the Ministry of Education and see a
community playground built on Ministry land, it was the first to create
a dog park, it created and launched Neighbourhood Week– an event
now run by every other community board in Christchurch, it was the first
to hold a youth forum to find out what the community’s young people
wanted, and it was the first to listen to them and establish a youth centre
in Papanui.
But most importantly, it regularly recognises the efforts and contributions
of individuals and groups within its community with five awards operating
annually.
“Everyone will always think their board is the best, but the fact that
Shirley-Papanui has won more awards than any other community
board in the country proves it has the right to that title. I couldn’t
fault it.”
Myra Barry, Shirley-Papanui Community Board Member 1998-2007
The Shirley-Papanui Community Board’s population*:
• Makes up 17.3% of Christchurch’s entire population.
• Grew by 12.8% between 2001 and 2006 (the biggest increase of
any ward in Christchurch).
• Has a median age of 35.
• Identifies mostly with the European ethnic group (76.7%).
• Has only 7.4% of people who identify themselves as Maori
(nationally that figure is 14.6%).
• Has a median income of $24,900 (for those aged 15 and over).
• Mostly own their own home (64.2%).
• Pays a median weekly rent of $210.
• Is mostly made up of the ‘couple without children’ family type.
*These figures are based on the 2006 Census
Shirley-Papanui Ward
and Community Boundary
2007
0
WAIMAIRI WARD
RICCARTON-WIGRAM
WARD
GREYWACKE RD
kilometres
SAWYERS ARMS RD
2 4
COUTTS ISLAND RD
JOHNS RD
GREERS RD
BLIGHS RD
MAIN NORTH RD
PAPANUI RD
Prepared by the Monitoring and Research Team, CCC, May 2007
MAIN NORTH RD
RADCLIFFE RD
PRESTONS RD
WINTERS RD
CRANFORD ST
INNES RD
EDGEWARE RD
BEALEY AVE
SPREYDON-HEATHCOTE
WARD
NORTHERN MOTORWAY
SHIRLEY-PAPANUI
WARD
MARSHLAND RD
NORTH AVON RD
KAINGA RD
LWR STYX RD
LWR STYX RD
BURWOOD-PEGASUS
WARD
HAGLEY-FERRYMEAD
WARD
G:\Resources\Data and Analysis\BaseLayers\Wards\Christchurch City Ward Boundaries for 2007 Election Booklet.wor
The ward boundaries for
Shirley-Papanui stretch from
the mouth of the Waimakariri
south to Bottle Lake, inland to
Coutts Island and The Groynes,
and south to St Albans. The
community takes in Belfast,
Spencerville, Chaneys,
Casebrook, Redwood,
Papanui, parts of Merivale
and Mairehau.
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