About Us

Regenerate Christchurch was established in 2016 to lead the regeneration of Christchurch. 

Regenerate Christchurch is focused on achieving the regeneration of a city that residents, business owners and investors desire. This is a hugely challenging task that requires the consideration of competing opportunities and the balancing of aspirations with affordability to achieve sustainable regeneration outcomes.

Regenerate Christchurch represents a fresh approach to the next phase of Christchurch’s on-going development.  Fundamental to this, is testing conventional thinking and promoting different ways of doing things to optimise and achieve outcomes.  

As a leader of Christchurch, Regenerate Christchurch will work with the community, business organisations and its partners to achieve regeneration outcomes. Regenerate Christchurch will be outcome focused and actively identify opportunities for Regenerate Christchurch and its strategic partners to achieve regeneration through using the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Act 2016 to its full potential.

Our Vision

Regenerate Christchurch is at the heart of leading our city from recovery to regeneration. We want Christchurch to be a vibrant city that has opportunities for people to grow, connect and thrive. Our contribution will be through Regeneration Plans and leadership that will transform Christchurch.

Our Approach

Regenerate Christchurch is committed to working with communities and businesses. We will provide opportunities for genuine community input and meaningful engagement, and be open to feedback.

The support of the broader community is critical to the success of Regenerate Christchurch.

To support the achievement of its vision, Regenerate Christchurch will:

• Be result driven
• Lead the timely, focused and effective delivery of regeneration outcomes by:
• demonstrating active leadership by working with others to develop, deliver and build understanding and broad support for regeneration strategies
• using the statutory tools (Regeneration Plans) to facilitate, support and expedite planning and regeneration activities, and
• providing information and advice on developing, advocating for and implementing strategies to support regeneration
• Prioritise regeneration activities to ensure effort and resources are focused on those initiatives that will achieve the best regeneration outcomes for the whole city
• Take a long term perspective to ensure we make a positive and lasting contribution for the future of the city
• Build strong, collaborative and constructive relationships
• Partner with the mana whenua of Ngāi Tahu hapu, Ngāi Tūāhuriri
• Ensure advice and decisions take account of different perspectives and priorities.

Our Board

We are overseen by a board of seven, with three members appointed by Christchurch City Council and four members appointed by the Minister supporting Greater Christchurch Regeneration, one of which is nominated by Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.

Sue Sheldon is Chair of Regenerate Christchurch. She currently serves as Chair of Freightways as well as a Director within Contact Energy and Real Journeys. She is independent Chair of the Audit and Risk Management Committees of both Christchurch and Auckland City Councils. Sue was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business in 2007 and has previously served as Chair of Chorus and Paymark and deputy Chair of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.

Ross Butler is Chair of Ōtākaro Limited, the Crown company responsible for the key anchor projects and precincts in Christchurch, and Chair of Government-owned insurer Southern Response. Ross was the first Chair of the Code Committee (Financial Advisers Act) in the wake of finance company failures and is also Chair of Mercer New Zealand and Mercer Investments Australia Pty Ltd, the Australian arm of New York listed global services group Marsh & McLennan.

Bill Dwyer is Chair of Development Christchurch, the Council’s urban development agency. Bill is a commercial and corporate lawyer educated at the University of Canterbury and an alumni patron of the UC Foundation. He has been a director of Christchurch City Holdings Limited (CCHL), which is Christchurch City Council’s commercial arm, since 2005. Bill is also serving as Interim Director for the CCHL-owned Lyttelton Port Company board. He previously served as general counsel for Solid Energy.

Humphry Rolleston has served as a director of a number of private, public and state-owned enterprises operating throughout New Zealand. He is currently a director of various companies, including Property for Industry and Infratil Limited. He is also director and founder of Asset Management Limited, which invests in small local businesses operating in the tourism, manufacturing, security and technology sectors. Humphry is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Directors and the New Zealand Institute of Management.

Richard Holden has a financial services background and has served on the Board of the Lotteries Commission and as Chair of Milestone Joint Venture Partnership. He is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU). He brings to the board considerable experience in senior governance processes. Locally, Richard has been extensively involved in sports administration in rugby union and masters rowing.

Jen Crawford has 20 years’ national and international legal experience in project consenting and planning. She has considerable expertise in due diligence and transactional work, infrastructure projects, urban redevelopment and agribusiness. Jen has worked in leading law firms in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Jen has been recognised for her governance work (including as the former Chair of the Arts Centre Trust Board until the end of 2016) as a finalist in the 2015 Women of Influence Awards, received a Local Hero Medal in the 2017 New Zealander of the Year Awards, and has been twice recognised in the NZ Lawyer Hotlist (2014 and 2016).

Manaia Cunningham (Ngāti Irakehu, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mutunga) is a qualified teacher now employed by Te Rūnanga o Koukourārata, the Māori settlement at Port Levy on Banks Peninsula. Manaia has a range of leadership skills and valuable experience gained in previous community roles, and has a long- standing involvement with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. Manaia currently sits on the Banks Peninsula Zone Committee and the Biological Husbandry Unit Organics Trust. He has previously been a strategic advisor to Environment Canterbury (ECan).

Hilary Walton is Manager Enterprise Business Systems at Airways, New Zealand. She leads the strategy for IT operations and digital business transformation. She is a risk management and security culture specialist and a business psychologist. Hilary is serving on the board as part of the Christchurch City Holdings Limited intern directorship programme. Hilary has worked in the United Kingdom for the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), responsible for the information security, risk management and assurance, and security culture and awareness Programmes. Hilary is Regenerate Christchurch’s intern Board Member.

Our Role

Regenerate Christchurch will lead and contribute to regeneration outcomes for the future of Christchurch. These outcomes will transform the environment, give confidence that progress is being made and attract capital, in its broadest sense, for the long term success of our city.

The Greater Christchurch Regeneration Act 2016 sets out our functions.

We are to:

• Develop visions, strategies, and Regeneration Plans to assist in achieving regeneration
• Make recommendations and provide advice to the Minister on the development, revocation and amendment of planning instruments and changes
• Facilitate increased investment
• Comment on regeneration outcomes and interventions and the contribution of Ōtākaro Limited and Development Christchurch Limited
• Provide independent advice on regeneration activities to the Council and the Minister.

Regeneration encompasses reshaping the city to support the community's social, economic, cultural and environmental wellbeing and resilience, resulting in a vibrant city where current and future generations can grow, connect and thrive.

Regeneration Partners

Greater Christchurch is in a new and exciting phase - regeneration. The city is currently undergoing the biggest and most inspiring urban renewal opportunity in New Zealand’s history. We are just one of the organisations involved in regeneration.  Regeneration agencies (some new and some existing) have distinct projects and priorities. We are working together to make Christchurch an even greater place to be. 

• For information about Council-led anchor projects, suburban master planning, the horizontal infrastructure repair programme and other essential services to keep the city running, contact Christchurch City Council - 03 941 8999.
• For information about attracting and facilitating investment, implementing key development projects, contributing to the implementation of Suburban Master Plans and providing commercial and strategic advice to Christchurch City Council, contact Development Christchurch Limited - [email protected]
• For information about policy, planning, legal and monitoring support on a range of regeneration issues across the greater Christchurch region, contact the Greater Christchurch Group in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet - [email protected]

• For information about key anchor projects and precincts, as well as the divestment of surplus Crown-owned land, contact Ōtākaro Limited - [email protected]