The Influencers: John Bridgman

This month we will take a moment to remember all that Christchurch lost on February 22 a decade ago. It’s also a natural point to consider how far we have come in that time. Responsibility for the delivery of the Crown-led anchor projects was handed to Ōtākaro Limited in 2016. While a significant amount of […]

The Influencers: Leeann Watson

Ngā mihi o te tau hou Happy new year! As I write my first Metropol column of 2021, I strongly believe the year ahead is full of possibility. We have come off the back of a tumultuous year, our lives upended by Covid-19 heralding a new normal in the way we live, and the way […]

The Influencers: Lianne Dalziel

This month sees the 10th anniversary of the earthquake that changed our lives and our city forever. We will always honour the memory of the lives who were lost, and we will always ensure the lessons we have learned remain embedded within our city’s way of doing things for the future. Our experience in the […]

The Influencers: Marian Johnson

I’m sure all of you – alongside every other person in New Zealand (and the world!) – are looking forward to a long-deserved break from the turmoil of what has been a very difficult year. There’s no guarantee that 2021 will be easier, but the best prescription will be recovery and rest with whānau and […]

The Influencers: Joanna Norris

Partly, Vxt, eClean Envirotech and Medsalv. Four companies that encapsulate Ōtautahi Christchurch’s spirit of exploration – and four companies which feature in our most recent campaign highlighting how this city makes innovative ideas real. Christchurch has long been the birthplace of innovation and technology-based start-up companies, from Tait Electronics in the 1950s to Jade in […]

The Influencers: Leeann Watson

As I write my final Metropol column of the year, the last twelve months seem to have flown by. And what a year it has been – one that none of us could have predicted and one we certainly won’t forget in a hurry. So I’m pleased to be able to end the year on […]

The Influencers: Joanna Norris

As schools and tertiaries wrap up the academic year, students are facing a very different outlook to what they ever could have imagined. In December approximately 7000 school leavers and 10,000 tertiary graduates will complete their studies. So what are we doing to help them? ChristchurchNZ is not just looking at those exiting education but […]

The Influencers: Peter Townsend

Too often in Christchurch and Canterbury we underestimate our performance and influence, as a city and a region. We also have a tendency to understate our achievements. I think this comes from the natural conservatism of our people. When you get outside Christchurch and look back in, it’s easy to gain an appreciation of all […]

The Influencers: John Bridgman

On St Asaph Street, outside the Metro Sports Facility site, we now have work underway to install New Zealand’s first Wastewater Heat Recovery System. Showers, sinks, dishwashers, washing machines and even toilets all result in hot water going down the drain. This lifts the temperature of the major wastewater pipe running down St Asaph Street […]

The Influencers: Marian Johnson

For the last few weeks, the Ministry of Awesome team has been working hard alongside New World to launch this year’s FoodStarter competition. We’re so excited about getting this underway because it is the ultimate opportunity for Kiwi food and beverage entrepreneurs to launch right into national success. And – if ever there was a […]