Christchurch is growing quickly. Every morning, the same traffic choke points are reported on the radio, and anyone who travels into the city at peak times knows the pattern well. As Canterbury continues to be the fastest-growing region in the country, our transport challenges are increasingly visible and urgent.
More than 42,000 people have moved from the North Island to Christchurch since 2018. To the city’s west lies Selwyn, which is the fastest-growing district in New Zealand and expected to nearly double in population by 2055. Waimakariri, immediately to Christchurch’s north, is not far behind. These are fantastic signs of confidence in our region, but business-as-usual on our transport network isn’t set up to cope with what’s coming.
At the same time, tourism is surging again. December statistics show international visitors spent $2.1 billion between July and September, up 9.3% on the same period last year. Total annual visitor spend has grown to $12.3b, and international arrivals have reached 3.43 million, a 6.1% increase. Visitor numbers are now at 88% of pre-pandemic levels and the South Island, led by Christchurch, is experiencing a strong resurgence.
