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Councillors will consider an improved process for deciding the future of Christchurch City Council-owned properties that are no longer being used.
On Thursday 10 December, Councillors will consider the criteria for keeping or disposing of properties that are no longer being used for the purpose they were originally acquired.
“The Council owns many types of properties of all different shapes and sizes,” says Head of Facilities, Property and Planning Bruce Rendall.
“Owning property comes at a cost, and it’s good financial practice to continually review the portfolio to make sure it’s still fit for purpose, and decide whether to keep or dispose of them. The properties we put up for consideration make up a small proportion of the Council’s overall portfolio and aren’t likely to affect current levels of service.”
Over the past decade, the Council’s property portfolio has grown by nearly eight per cent for a number of reasons, including as a consequence of population growth and the earthquakes, and in response to specific needs in the community.
Previously, the process of determining the future of these unused properties has taken place on a semi-regular basis, dictated by when the Council has a big enough list of properties to review all at once.
Mr Rendall says the new process will be more efficient and happen every year, as part of the Council’s Annual Plan or Long Term Plan process.
“First we identify the properties, assess them against a criteria for retention, and put the ones that don’t meet the criteria on a shortlist to be considered for disposal,” Mr Rendall says.
“That list will go into the Draft Annual Plan or Draft Long Term Plan for public consultation, before the full Council makes a final decision on what to do with the properties. It’s faster, more consistent, and the public and community boards still have a voice.”
Proposed criteria being considered by councillors include whether the property is being used for the purpose it was originally acquired for, its cultural or heritage value, and whether it can meet any of the Council’s immediate or longer-term needs.
“Our latest review identified a preliminary list of 84 properties, which equates to less than one per cent of our total portfolio, that aren’t being used to deliver an activity or service. These are currently being researched for consideration to put up against our proposed new criteria and be included in next year’s Long Term Plan 2021–31,” Mr Rendall says.