Labour’s record on Christchurch and Canterbury

Here’s how Labour is backing Christchurch and Canterbury:

We’re creating jobs and boosting the local economy

As part of our COVID rebuild and recovery plan, we’re investing in infrastructure projects across Canterbury that will create jobs, grow the economy and help us to build back better. This includes funding major cycleway routes around the region, along with the New Brighton Collective Recovery project, the final section of the Christchurch Coastal Pathway, the YMCA Christchurch Central City Development, the Christchurch Youth Hub, and more. You can read more about our COVID rebuild plan here.

We’re rebuilding the stadium, convention centre and Metro Sports facility

National left Christchurch’s rebuild stalled. We’re getting major projects like the stadium, convention centre and the Metro Sports Facility built, to support Christchurch’s economic recovery, ensure the city has the high-quality facilities it needs to host large events, and support jobs.

We’re supporting the ongoing earthquake recovery

Over the past decade, Christchurch has had to bear the brunt of the failure of the previous National Government, which charged EQC with carrying out a large-scale managed repair programme that it simply wasn’t able to do.

Over the past three years, we’ve taken a different approach to support Canterbury’s ongoing earthquake recovery. While we can’t reverse the damage that was done, we have taken significant strides to make sure the mistakes are never made again. This includes supporting people with over-cap, on-sold properties with the cost of repairs, committing to modernising EQC, putting in place a more people-centred claims system, and supporting the rebuild of the Christ Church Cathedral. 

We’ve also made it a priority to support young Cantabrians who are still living with the impacts of the earthquake. We launched our Mana Ake programme in every primary and intermediate school in Canterbury to provide mental health support, and ensure young people get all the help they need to grow up safe, healthy and happy. This programme has been so successful that we’ve now committed to rolling it out nationwide over the next five years.

We’re investing in health so all Cantabrians can get quality care

When we came into Government, we inherited a health system that had been significantly underfunded, and we have worked to begin turning that around by rebuilding and upgrading hospitals and health facilities right around the country, and investing in our neglected health services. In Canterbury, this includes funding new linear accelerator cancer treatment machines for the region, refurbishing child and maternity facilities in South Canterbury, relocating specialist mental health services to Hillmorton Hospital, and injecting $180m into the Canterbury DHB so they can get back to a sustainable financial footing.

We’ve also made doctors’ visits cheaper for many Cantabrians, boosted funding for PHARMAC so more people can access more publicly-funded medicines, and resolved Christchurch Hospital’s parking problems. All of these will mean more Cantabrians can get quality care, when and where they need it.

We’re upgrading almost every state school in Canterbury, and have rebuilt Redcliffs

We’re investing in the heart of our communities - our schools. We’ve given almost every state school in Canterbury a cash injection of up to $400,000 to pay for much-needed upgrades. This will not only mean safer, modern schools for our children and teachers, it will also create jobs in every community.

National wanted to close Te Raekura Redcliffs School. We backed the community and have reopened the school.

We’re improving roads to make journeys faster and safer

We’ve worked hard over the past three years to ensure Cantabrians can get where they need to go, and make it home safely. We’re also committed to making Canterbury’s transport network more sustainable.

For example, through the New Zealand Upgrade Programme, we’ve invested to upgrade Brougham Street, build a new two-lane overbridge from Rolleston Drive to Hoskyns Road, add two dedicated bus lanes to Halswell Road, build new pullover areas on state highways, and make intersections safer. These are just some of the improvements we’re making to the region’s transport network to keep Canterbury moving.

Want to know more about Labour’s policies? Find all the information you need to cast your vote on 17 October, and back us on Election Day with two ticks for Labour here.

Stay in-the-know with all of Labour’s policies and announcements in the lead up to Election Day by signing up to our mailing list here, and make sure to like and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.