Canterbury Mayoral Forum showcases mid-term achievements

The Canterbury Mayoral Forum is proud to showcase the results of its leadership, advocacy and regional coordination for Canterbury communities at the mid-point of this local government term.

The achievements are set out in its mid-term report, available at www.canterburymayors.org.nz.

The report details progress made on achieving the aims of the Mayoral Forum’s Plan for Canterbury 2020-22. The key priorities laid out in the Plan are sustainable environmental management of our habitats, shared economic prosperity, better freight transport options, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and enabling the sustainable management of drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services.

The Plan for Canterbury was developed in 2020 in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and replaced the Canterbury Regional Economic Development Strategy (CREDS) led by the Forum since 2015.

Key achievements in the mid-term report include:

• oversight of the implementation of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy, and the establishment of an Essential Freshwater Steering Group to oversee a regional response to the Essential Freshwater package
• working with partner Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu to deliver the Canterbury Three Waters Service Delivery Review project to understand the probable impacts of the Government’s three waters reform on Canterbury councils
• mapping of Canterbury’s state highways for mobile blackspots, with the top ten blackspots agreed by Canterbury councils and emergency management agencies
• overseeing the delivery of a multi-year project to boost value-added production, with a focus on food, fibre, agritech and high-value manufacturing
• advocating for the community on the Government’s COVID-19 response, including unlocking funds for Canterbury councils from the Crown Infrastructure Partners’ shovel-ready fund.
• coordinating regional submissions on a range of government-led climate initiatives, and leading the launch of the It’s Time, Canterbury climate change engagement campaign
• meetings with ministers to advocate on transport, housing, spatial planning, and three waters reform
• setting up two regional councillor forums – the Biodiversity Champions and a group of councillors with an interest in climate change
• establishing regular dialogue with chairs of Canterbury’s papatipu rūnanga
• hosting a freight tour of key Canterbury freight facilities alongside the Regional Transport Committee.

Mayor Marie Black welcomed the release of the Canterbury Mayoral Forum’s mid-term achievements report.

As a member of the Forum’s Climate Change Steering Group and the Essential Freshwater Steering Group, Marie has been heavily involved in a large part of the work the Forum has undertaken this term.

“It has been a very busy but rewarding term so far – as the report makes clear, improved coordination and advocacy for Canterbury’s communities are two great successes of this group.

“Being able to join together with the rest of the region means a much greater chance of our voice being heard on issues that matter to us all, including three waters reform, COVID-19 response initiatives, climate change, and the future for local government,” says Mayor Black.

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