CCHL must serve the People of Christchurch
A case for restoring democratic direction over our publicly owned strategic infrastructure

OUR CONCERN Christchurch City Holdings Ltd (CCHL) was set up in the 1990s to protect Christchurch’s strategic infrastructure from privatisation. The goal was arm’s length professional management of the operations, within a mandate of public ownership and serving the people of Christchurch. Instead CCHL has inserted itself into a governance role, ignoring Letters of Expectation issued by Christchurch City Council. They leave the infrastructure companies to their own devices – think Tarras airport, the DP World debacle and the LPC expansion. Increasingly, CCHL treats strategic assets as financial investments to optimise and recycle capital. Making money is their only goal. The alternative is public stewardship, something broader than conventional public ownership: We stop talking about ‘assets’ and start talking about shared infrastructure that sustains society across generations.   The governing purpose of CCHL (or its successor) needs to shift from managing a portfolio of commercial assets to stewarding strategic infrastructure systems, networks and natural monopolies; systems and services that sustain our shared and long-term capability, resilience, accessibility, community and environmental wellbeing, and economic prosperity.

A pattern that undermines public trust

•  A Corporate Coup: In 2021, Christchurch City Council (CCC), under Lianne Dalziel, asked CCHL to “to reflect after nearly 30 years, whether it’s original core purpose remains relevant and/or whether it could be enhanced to provide more support to the city…The Council sees this initiative as an opportunity to work together to ensure CCHL’s future direction is aligned to deliver our strategic priorities and community outcomes”.

This set off a train of events that put the review into the hands of Northington Partners Limited. In December 2022, CCHL’s purpose being redefined to “Clarify that CCHL’s core role and purpose is to deliver commercial-based outcomes for its shareholder.”

Community fightback stopped CCHL’s attempt to gain full ownership control in December 2023. Since then, patient organising work and the commitment of most Councillors, has seen CCHL’s marching orders, the Letters of Expectation revised to include a commitment to public ownership, strategic partnership with mana whenua and unions, support for collective bargaining, the living Wage and other  matters essential to a fair economy.

•  Council expectations are not landing. The February 2026 Letter of Expectation should guide and direct CCHL and its companies. By recommending the sale of Enable Fibre Network they have ignored their mandate to act consistent with public ownership.

CCHL does not show the public how those expectations were translated into enforceable subsidiary plans and monitored. Experience says they don’t. At Lyttelton Port Company (LPC) Mana whenua and the port unions have been actively shut out by the current management and Board. Contracting out is used as a threat despite instructions to maintain a directly employed workforce. At LPC and City Care, new starts are being offered individual contracts on higher pay without union membership.

•  A major port commitment went ahead without a public mandate people can scrutinise. CCHL approved LPC’s $821 million Te Awaparahi Bay expansion IN SECRET. Resource consent was obtained nearly 10 years ago using projections that never eventuated.

    Environmental reports are kept hidden, while a whole-of-the-harbour health impact evaluation has never been done. The full business case and its assumptions need independent public scrutiny.

•  The 92% ship figure is not a case for spending $821 million. LPC’s chief executive said 92% of container ships being built today are too large for the current port. 

    This is wrong and confuses numbers with vessel capacity. It does not show how many ships serving South Island trade cannot call, how much business Lyttelton is losing, or whether this project is the best answer. Publish the source, denominator, route data and alternatives before using it to justify the investment.

•  CCHL has not protected workers’ voice. Port unions report how management has acted unilaterally and warn of changes that seek to  weaken union representation and jobs. CCHL must do its job: insist on fair work, genuine union engagement and a transition plan before decisions reshape the workforce.

•  Enable is being considered for sale as a way to help pay for the port expansion. CCHL has committed about $300 million of equity to LPC’s $821 million project while recommending the sale of Enable’s ownership to finance this (and other secret plans).

KOA’s concern is that selling a proven fibre network will shift public wealth into a higher-risk project. CCHL acted against and ahead of its mandate by commissioning Macquarie Capital; the inaccurate staff recommendation that gave them authority to proceed (ie their draft Statement of Intent) is now subject of a formal complaint by KOA.

 

CCHL needs a mandate to protect civic wealth: reliable services, resilience, local capability, fair work, Te Tiriti relationships and long-term value for the whole community.  Macquarie Capital and Deloittes have no place in those conversations. Investment bankers can advise on valuation and financing. They should not define why public assets exist or whether ownership should be maintained.

Our conclusion: Council has reasonable grounds to declare no confidence in CCHL’s current governance and reassert control of strategic direction. This is a governance judgement, not an allegation of criminality or personal dishonesty.

 

THE WAY FORWARD Public stewardship for CCHL

We need a durable change in CCHL’s purpose and governance: Council sets the public mandate; a Commons Stewardship Council shares strategic oversight; professional operations managers run services at arm’s length under a clear mandate. 

We ask elected members to resolve:

1	Declare no confidence and make public ownership & stewardship CCHL’s durable purpose That Council declare no confidence in CCHL’s current governance and adopt the purpose of stewarding Christchurch’s strategic infrastructure and invested capital to be held in common for present and future generations. Press pause on the port expansion and the related Enable sale.
2	Put stewardship obligations before ‘making money’ That Council direct CCHL to prioritise maintenance and safety, fully funded depreciation and replacement, stable quality jobs, workforce participation and skills, system resilience and adaptation, universal affordability and access, and community benefit. Prioritise fair user charges without price gouging, to support the wider economy.
3	Establish a Commons Stewardship Council That Council establish a Commons Stewardship Council to develop, guide strategy and monitor CCHL’s public mandate, with representatives of the public, mana whenua, workers and unions, technical and ecological experts, and communities and service users.

 

WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR  Infrastructure exists to sustain society across generations. Yes, keep professional operations at arm’s length, but within a shared public stewardship mandate, in strategic partnership with Mana Whenua and the Workforce Unions.

 KEEP OUR ASSETS  •  PUBLIC MEETING HANDOUT prepared by Marney Ainsworth • 1 October 2026