February 26, 2025 • 8 mins
Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger joined John MacDonald live in studio for their regular catch up.
Community members of Christchurch’s red zone are outraged over their exclusion from a governance group overseeing the future development of the area – why have they been left out?
The age-old question of who has the right to a quiet night has reared its head once again. Inner city noise limits are being reviewed, but if the bars came first, should residents have to deal?
And Mauger has come under fire for voting against a roading plan around the new recreation centre – can he defend his thinking despite the project still going ahead?
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from news Talk.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Z'b Christ's Merefield Majors with us for a regular catch
up morning. Phil back here. You're doing good. So that
news just broken a few minutes ago that there was
going to be a referendum on a four year term
in Parliament. What's your reaction?
Speaker 3 (00:23):
So, I believe just walked and then you told me
I actually think it's a good idea myself. With three years,
you only just first year, you're getting your feet under
the table. You do one year's sort of work, and
then you're quietly making sure you can do it again.
So I think I think four would be good. I
really do, and I'd like to actually my personal view
is get it down into local government as well. But
(00:45):
it's next referendum and a couple of time, in a
couple of elections time. It's not straight away, is it.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Why would you like to see local government do the same.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
It just gives continuity with you know, it just gives
you more time to get things done for what you're doing.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
You know how you said when you became mere that
your number one job was restoring trust in the council.
How does that sit with your council? And you'll vote
as well not to have a representative from the core
group of people who have been working in the Red
Zone involved in this new Red Zone Oversight Committee. Slap
(01:19):
in the face.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
No, no, definitely not, they're not they know the the
new INTRAM Governance Group is just a governance group. It's
not a community project at community project level. All we
want to do is get big decisions made on where
all the infrastructures going, like where is the stop banks going?
Below that? Sweet?
Speaker 2 (01:40):
So why why not involve these people? They just want
one of them? Why couldn't you have done it?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
They will still be able to come along and present
to us, just like they do to a council. We
haven't had the.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
That puts them. Look, yeah, that puts them. That puts
them who have committed so much time of their lives
to the red zone. That puts them in the same
position as me, who's who has put none of my
life to the red zone. So that's a fab off.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
No, No, we have got to get make some decisions
on the beginfrastructure things. Things were not going as well
as some point people might let you know.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
So I'm not anti EWE being involved, but why is
e WEE involved in major infrastructure decisions.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
It's the Avon rivers at Red Zone corridor and they
have always been involved with the co governance from the
last group, and they're involved with this one. So they've
definitely got to be involved because a lot of it's
got to do with them. We're making one hell of
a lot of wetlands down there and they've got a
lot of interest in things.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Like that, so I've got to work with them. What's
your understanding in terms of Nitoho Area's preference that people
other than council and there we be involved because Mary
Richardson's quoted them use today is saying that it was
their idea not to involve these grassroots people. Sarah Templeton
before said to me she thought there was some confusion
(02:58):
about that on the day. What's your understanding.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Understanding that it's a governance group between three council people
on three nighterrary people to make decisions on I get
big interrastructure, but.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Was it their idea not to include other people.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
I'm not one hundred percent sure of that, but I
think come here from what I'm hearing, that's right, yes, yes.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
And how do you feel about the council being strong
armed by EWE in that way?
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Not at all as the only little but I do
know is that the system was not working that well
in the past to get decisions out right, So let's
get it up to a high level, decide where the
all the infrastructure is going to go and then throw
it down to the park rangers all of those guys.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Doesn't answer the question how do you feel about the
council being strong armed by no too?
Speaker 3 (03:45):
We haven't been strong armed by Natia, so why did
you agree with it? I agreed to have a governance
level with governor to governor to make a decision to
get things done because things haven't been getting done. We're
fourteen years down the track and we're still stuffing around
with some areas.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Why does the Crossis City Council want to do a
deal with Dunedin City City Council when it comes to water?
I mean, LORDI have you send start of the pipes
and you think they're bad here? Why do you want
to touch that?
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Well that the government keen on us to do share
services stuff, so that's cool. The need and reached out
to us. It means that we will share things like
design and testing and stuff like that. There's no sense
having two designers swimming in the same stream when they
could be one designer doing it for both places. Had
nothing at all to do with the people laying the
pipes or the people on the ground doing doing changing
(04:34):
fire hydrants and things like that. So it's just sharing
the services to try and streamline it to see if
we can make a few savings here and there both
of them.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
We'd make more sense to do the same with Selwyn.
Why maud early wouldn't it?
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Well?
Speaker 3 (04:45):
No, why maker area doing doing their own thing? Sorry,
so I want are doing their own thing to a
certain degree. I'm not quite sure where we make our
area at, but we'll try it. If it doesn't work,
we'll go away from it. But they've reached out to
us and we're more than happy to work with.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Are you compelled to say yes?
Speaker 1 (05:00):
No? No? No?
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Is you going to give the go?
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Yeah too?
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Right?
Speaker 3 (05:04):
If you don't try things, you never know.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Noise limits, So there's stuff's going on about noise limits
in the central city. Who has the right to be
the noisiest The pubs and bars that were there in
the first place, or the people who have moved into
the area. Since very good question.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
It's like people moving by the airport and the noise ponit.
For that matter, we had a good briefing the other
day and some very good points were brought up. They
are in the staff are considering it. We are doing
a plan change. We have to because there's too many
loose bits lying around now. The stadium's there, and you've
got the old old areas like Soul Square had a
noise limit and other it had another noise limit. Just mess.
(05:38):
It's an absolute shamble. So the purpose is to support
vibrant nightlife within the four abs. So we've got to
go out and do some consultation and that will be
engagement in June. So everybody, please let us know. I
know it's going to be a sort of hot potato,
so to speak, but let us know.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
And will so you see your personal view, who deserves
to make the most noise the clubs and bars that
were there in the first place or the people have
moved in subsequently.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Well, I think you've answered your own question that the
people that were there first, as I said, like the airport.
But we've got to put it out for consultation and
let everyone have their say.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
So someone living in an apartment doesn't have ground to
complain about what might be going on at Ducks Central
or what might be going on at some station palace
or the stadium.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
They have every right to complain. And that's why we're
going out for consultation, to let people have their day.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
The part of Kori Wric Center at last, its due
to open this year.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Yes, we get the keys in August.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Right, how come you were against it's past? Anyway's going
to happen. But how from you were against the idea
of spending five million bucks on roading before the thing
was finished? Why did you want to wait until after?
Speaker 3 (06:46):
To be absolutely clear, I am not against an MCR
cycle route going down in Tigio Street.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
You know that.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
That's common sense. It's one of the busiest places. I
was against the cost of it. Yet another one point
two million dollars run onto it. It's five million dollars
for four hundred linear meters of road. And I was
against design and the positioning of the cycleway and how
narrow the road was. Peracuori gave us about three meters
(07:13):
of width of land and said here, use this to
your best advantage. I tried to get a redesigned last year,
but I was voted down. We have not got at
the council a bottomless bucket of money to keep putting
stuff out to all these cost blowouts.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Were you against it as mayor or were you against
it as middle candidate?
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Now I was against it for common sense. I can
just see, here's this piece of spear land. Let's use
it and keep the road wider. All the trucks that
can't the biofuel to the hospital are though the biggest
tructure can legally put on the road, and we're narrowing
the road down to three point five meters each side
of center.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
It's not good nuts. Is that the word you're trying
to find.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
There is a cleverer way, especially we've been given some
extra land that we could have made things awey bit wider.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
I see the work around stadiums ahead of schedule.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Yes, Yes, that the contractor is doing extremely well.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Yes, because at the time you were you in favor
of that being done before the stadium was open or not?
Speaker 3 (08:09):
I can't remember. I wasn't happy about the amount of
because what happened, that's right what happened. The government said
they'd back off on paying for it, and we were
gonna wear it ourselves. But we've decided it was decided
to go ahead with it, and it's good that it's done.
So what you're going to do is now align that
with pei Curi.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
I'm just gonna let you do it. Very nice to
see it. Film Major with us every fortnight.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
For more from Category Mornings with John McDonald, listen live
to News Talk Said be christ Church from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from news Talk.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Z'b Christ's Merefield Majors with us for a regular catch
up morning. Phil back here. You're doing good. So that
news just broken a few minutes ago that there was
going to be a referendum on a four year term
in Parliament. What's your reaction?
Speaker 3 (00:23):
So, I believe just walked and then you told me
I actually think it's a good idea myself. With three years,
you only just first year, you're getting your feet under
the table. You do one year's sort of work, and
then you're quietly making sure you can do it again.
So I think I think four would be good. I
really do, and I'd like to actually my personal view
is get it down into local government as well. But
(00:45):
it's next referendum and a couple of time, in a
couple of elections time. It's not straight away, is it.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Why would you like to see local government do the same.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
It just gives continuity with you know, it just gives
you more time to get things done for what you're doing.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
You know how you said when you became mere that
your number one job was restoring trust in the council.
How does that sit with your council? And you'll vote
as well not to have a representative from the core
group of people who have been working in the Red
Zone involved in this new Red Zone Oversight Committee. Slap
(01:19):
in the face.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
No, no, definitely not, they're not they know the the
new INTRAM Governance Group is just a governance group. It's
not a community project at community project level. All we
want to do is get big decisions made on where
all the infrastructures going, like where is the stop banks going?
Below that? Sweet?
Speaker 2 (01:40):
So why why not involve these people? They just want
one of them? Why couldn't you have done it?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
They will still be able to come along and present
to us, just like they do to a council. We
haven't had the.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
That puts them. Look, yeah, that puts them. That puts
them who have committed so much time of their lives
to the red zone. That puts them in the same
position as me, who's who has put none of my
life to the red zone. So that's a fab off.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
No, No, we have got to get make some decisions
on the beginfrastructure things. Things were not going as well
as some point people might let you know.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
So I'm not anti EWE being involved, but why is
e WEE involved in major infrastructure decisions.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
It's the Avon rivers at Red Zone corridor and they
have always been involved with the co governance from the
last group, and they're involved with this one. So they've
definitely got to be involved because a lot of it's
got to do with them. We're making one hell of
a lot of wetlands down there and they've got a
lot of interest in things.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Like that, so I've got to work with them. What's
your understanding in terms of Nitoho Area's preference that people
other than council and there we be involved because Mary
Richardson's quoted them use today is saying that it was
their idea not to involve these grassroots people. Sarah Templeton
before said to me she thought there was some confusion
(02:58):
about that on the day. What's your understanding.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Understanding that it's a governance group between three council people
on three nighterrary people to make decisions on I get
big interrastructure, but.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Was it their idea not to include other people.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
I'm not one hundred percent sure of that, but I
think come here from what I'm hearing, that's right, yes, yes.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
And how do you feel about the council being strong
armed by EWE in that way?
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Not at all as the only little but I do
know is that the system was not working that well
in the past to get decisions out right, So let's
get it up to a high level, decide where the
all the infrastructure is going to go and then throw
it down to the park rangers all of those guys.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Doesn't answer the question how do you feel about the
council being strong armed by no too?
Speaker 3 (03:45):
We haven't been strong armed by Natia, so why did
you agree with it? I agreed to have a governance
level with governor to governor to make a decision to
get things done because things haven't been getting done. We're
fourteen years down the track and we're still stuffing around
with some areas.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Why does the Crossis City Council want to do a
deal with Dunedin City City Council when it comes to water?
I mean, LORDI have you send start of the pipes
and you think they're bad here? Why do you want
to touch that?
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Well that the government keen on us to do share
services stuff, so that's cool. The need and reached out
to us. It means that we will share things like
design and testing and stuff like that. There's no sense
having two designers swimming in the same stream when they
could be one designer doing it for both places. Had
nothing at all to do with the people laying the
pipes or the people on the ground doing doing changing
(04:34):
fire hydrants and things like that. So it's just sharing
the services to try and streamline it to see if
we can make a few savings here and there both
of them.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
We'd make more sense to do the same with Selwyn.
Why maud early wouldn't it?
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Well?
Speaker 3 (04:45):
No, why maker area doing doing their own thing? Sorry,
so I want are doing their own thing to a
certain degree. I'm not quite sure where we make our
area at, but we'll try it. If it doesn't work,
we'll go away from it. But they've reached out to
us and we're more than happy to work with.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Are you compelled to say yes?
Speaker 1 (05:00):
No? No? No?
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Is you going to give the go?
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Yeah too?
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Right?
Speaker 3 (05:04):
If you don't try things, you never know.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Noise limits, So there's stuff's going on about noise limits
in the central city. Who has the right to be
the noisiest The pubs and bars that were there in
the first place, or the people who have moved into
the area. Since very good question.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
It's like people moving by the airport and the noise ponit.
For that matter, we had a good briefing the other
day and some very good points were brought up. They
are in the staff are considering it. We are doing
a plan change. We have to because there's too many
loose bits lying around now. The stadium's there, and you've
got the old old areas like Soul Square had a
noise limit and other it had another noise limit. Just mess.
(05:38):
It's an absolute shamble. So the purpose is to support
vibrant nightlife within the four abs. So we've got to
go out and do some consultation and that will be
engagement in June. So everybody, please let us know. I
know it's going to be a sort of hot potato,
so to speak, but let us know.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
And will so you see your personal view, who deserves
to make the most noise the clubs and bars that
were there in the first place or the people have
moved in subsequently.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Well, I think you've answered your own question that the
people that were there first, as I said, like the airport.
But we've got to put it out for consultation and
let everyone have their say.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
So someone living in an apartment doesn't have ground to
complain about what might be going on at Ducks Central
or what might be going on at some station palace
or the stadium.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
They have every right to complain. And that's why we're
going out for consultation, to let people have their day.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
The part of Kori Wric Center at last, its due
to open this year.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Yes, we get the keys in August.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Right, how come you were against it's past? Anyway's going
to happen. But how from you were against the idea
of spending five million bucks on roading before the thing
was finished? Why did you want to wait until after?
Speaker 3 (06:46):
To be absolutely clear, I am not against an MCR
cycle route going down in Tigio Street.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
You know that.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
That's common sense. It's one of the busiest places. I
was against the cost of it. Yet another one point
two million dollars run onto it. It's five million dollars
for four hundred linear meters of road. And I was
against design and the positioning of the cycleway and how
narrow the road was. Peracuori gave us about three meters
(07:13):
of width of land and said here, use this to
your best advantage. I tried to get a redesigned last year,
but I was voted down. We have not got at
the council a bottomless bucket of money to keep putting
stuff out to all these cost blowouts.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Were you against it as mayor or were you against
it as middle candidate?
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Now I was against it for common sense. I can
just see, here's this piece of spear land. Let's use
it and keep the road wider. All the trucks that
can't the biofuel to the hospital are though the biggest
tructure can legally put on the road, and we're narrowing
the road down to three point five meters each side
of center.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
It's not good nuts. Is that the word you're trying
to find.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
There is a cleverer way, especially we've been given some
extra land that we could have made things awey bit wider.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
I see the work around stadiums ahead of schedule.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Yes, Yes, that the contractor is doing extremely well.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Yes, because at the time you were you in favor
of that being done before the stadium was open or not?
Speaker 3 (08:09):
I can't remember. I wasn't happy about the amount of
because what happened, that's right what happened. The government said
they'd back off on paying for it, and we were
gonna wear it ourselves. But we've decided it was decided
to go ahead with it, and it's good that it's done.
So what you're going to do is now align that
with pei Curi.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
I'm just gonna let you do it. Very nice to
see it. Film Major with us every fortnight.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
For more from Category Mornings with John McDonald, listen live
to News Talk Said be christ Church from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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