Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger concedes he had been “naive” to promise below-inflation rates rises when he first ran three years ago, as he and his opponent Sara Templeton went head-to-head in a Q+A debate.
The mayoral election in the country’s second-largest city has seen progressive councillor Templeton running to replace the first-term incumbent. On rates, the two frontrunners have clashed on whether Government-mandated caps on increases are appropriate.
On Q+A, Mauger said he was “naive” to have pledged to keep rates rises below inflation when he ran for mayor in 2022, but was adamant voters could still trust him on the issue.
“That was naive of me, going in there thinking that it would be that easy,” he said.
“Once you get in there and you see how much our insurance premium is, and it’s going to get higher with those next two big buildings coming on. Twenty-five cents in every rate dollar goes on debt servicing.
“Just after I got in, interest rates went through the roof, and we’re in a cost-of-living crisis.”
Questioned why voters should trust him now, the mayor said, “I’m going to work harder to do it. I’ve learned a lot since.” Mauger also supported a cap on council rates.
When asked, Templeton was repeatedly hesitant to put a figure on how much rates could rise under her watch, eventually noting a forecast 10.5% average rise in the coming year. The mayoral hopeful has been firmly opposed to a cap on rates increases.
Transport in focus
Both candidates support mass rapid transit for the rapidly growing city, expected to gain 30,000 residents over the next decade, but differ on how exactly they want it delivered.
Mauger said he favoured so-called “trackless trams” — a rubber-tyred bus with a tram-like external appearance — proposing that the Greater Christchurch Partnership buy one to trial between Rolleston and Rangiora.
Meanwhile, Templeton said she supported light rail or bus rapid transit, emphasising the need for traffic separation and lamenting the Government’s withdrawal of $800 million initially indicated for the project’s first stage.
On cycleways, the mayor and former roads contractor Mauger said they were “very glorified footpaths” and advocated cheaper construction to extend the network further.
“It’s not rocket science to build them, but the way some of them are being designed and built blows my mind,” he said, suggesting some may be built to “Rolls Royce” standards.
“If we do them a lot cheaper, we can go a lot further with the distance.”
Templeton committed to completing the planned cycleway network, including the Te Aratai College Cycle Connection.
“There’s 180 kids biking to school every day to Te Aratai College on a four-lane, 60km/h road, and they’re being hit by cars, as are teachers. We have committed to that community that we’ll build that cycleway,” she said.
Both candidates eventually agreed the project would proceed under their leadership, though Mauger initially appeared more hesitant to the prospect.
Mauger on his relations with central govt
The mayor was also pressed about an apparent phone call he made to then-transport minister Simeon Brown in 2023, to suggest reallocating millions in Christchurch transport funding to East Coast communities recovering from Cyclone Gabrielle.
“The Government changed, and it wouldn’t have taken a rocket scientist to realise that that $78 million wasn’t coming, right?” Mauger said.
“I said, ‘Mate, these people are crying out for roads, bridges – you name it, they’re crying out for it. If you want to back off for a bit, instead of giving us some… just do that.'”
He added that there had been extra money allocated to the city’s roads in the time since.
The previous Labour government had allocated $78 million to improve the region’s buses, though Mauger contends he never brought up the figure in his call with Brown, adding that he believed there had been “misinformation” spread on the issue.
Templeton, a three-term councillor, accused Mauger of abandoning his advocacy role, saying the funding went to other South Island projects rather than Hawke’s Bay.
“That $78 million got reallocated to South Island projects. And the mayor’s role is to be a champion for Ōtautahi,” she said.
In the mayoral debate, the candidates also split on council asset management, with Templeton committing to retain strategic holdings, while Mauger left open the possibility of selling three specific council-controlled organisations.
For the full Q+A debate, watch the video above
Q+A with Jack Tame is made with the support of New Zealand On Air
