Hon Gerry Brownlee

Minister supporting Greater Christchurch Regeneration

14 April 2016

Central City development plans going strong

Minister supporting Greater Christchurch Regeneration Gerry Brownlee says central city development plans in Christchurch are going strong.

“Today I joined the Prime Minister John Key in opening the first stage of the BNZ Centre, between Cashel and Hereford Streets, which has brought about 380 workers from eight different Government agencies back into the central city, with more staff from one more agency to arrive next month,” Mr Brownlee says.

“This major development is already becoming real hub of activity in the heart of the city, and will eventually have a mix of these Government tenants, private retailers and hospitality providers.”

The new development also houses Scorpio Books and the fast food outlets Wendy’s and Pita Pit. Still to come is popular Japanese restaurant Haachi Haachi, a café and a photographic studio.

Mr Brownlee says Government workers will also be part of the second stage of the BNZ Centre, which will accommodate the offices of ACC.

“The Government has invested heavily in the recovery of central Christchurch through the development of anchor projects, but it is also backing the central city by bringing back hundreds of public servants who will add to the overall activity and help support businesses,” Mr Brownlee says.

“I’d like to congratulate the developer, Nick Hunt, and thank him for being supportive of the vision the Government set out in the Christchurch Central Recovery Plan.

“We are building a superb new central city, but that can only be done successfully when Government and private interests have a common goal.

“Across the Retail Precinct and the wider central city, we are seeing a multitude of new commercial developments completed or underway, alongside public projects like the new Bus Interchange that opened last year.

“We know that in the core of the central city, three quarters or more of landowners have developments underway or firm intentions to redevelop.

“I’m pleased to see how much confidence private developers have put in the city’s Blueprint, and the regeneration of Christchurch going forward.”

The agencies working from the BNZ Centre Stage 1 are: Statistics New Zealand, New Zealand Transport Agency, Department of Internal Affairs, Te Puni Kokiri, Human Rights Commission, Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, and the Health Promotion Agency, with Creative New Zealand staff still to come.

Around 200 ACC staff are expected to move into BNZ Centre Stage 2 in early 2017, while about 550 Government workers are expected to occupy another new development, Grand Central on Cashel Street, by the end of next year.

Around 350 Government workers will also partly occupy a new development on the King Edward Barracks site that included the former central police station, with workers expected to move in in March 2017.

On top of these private developments with Government tenancies, another 1100 people are expected to be working nearby in the Government’s new Justice and Emergency Services Precinct when it is fully operational.

The Government tenancies are just part of the progress that can be tracked in the central city, with 80 per cent of the private and public land within the four avenues now completed, under construction or having confirmed plans.

Of the 20 per cent that remains, 10 per cent of the private property owners were unwilling to divulge their plans and 10 per cent say they are undecided.

An outline of that progress report is attached and can be viewed at https://cera.govt.nz/indicators

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