I decided to lay a Formal Complaint to the Christchurch City Council, after receiving this feedback (30th April 2025) from my Email to the Office of the Ombudsman | 25th Feb 2025:
“If you believe that the Board has made its decision based on incorrect advice, for example the supporting documents missing from your online submission, then it is open to you to raise these concerns with the Christchurch City Council for consideration.
This includes formally complaining to the Chief Executive of the agency, who is often in a position to resolve the matter or at least provide an explanation.
You can do this on its website: Make a formal complaint : Christchurch City Council.”
21st May 2025 | Christchurch City Council ‘Make a Formal Complaint’ Form
Q. What area does your complaint relate to?
A. Council Projects
Re: Shirley Community Reserve, Replacement Community Facility
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/CCCFormalComplaintMay2025JoannaGould.pdf
Formal Complaint | Table of Contents:
1. Background Information & Engagement
2. Advice Provided to the Waipapa Papanui-Innes-Central Community Board
– 2.1. Item 9. Shirley Community Reserve: Proposed Community Facility | CCC Staff Report
– 2.2. CCC Staff Report: 2023 Feasibility Study | Split in Consultation Feedback Incorrect
– 2.3. 2023 Feasibility Study | Missing Information
– 2.4. Richmond Community Needs Analysis
– 2.5. 2020 Consultation | Wording
– 2.6. 2020 Consultation | Feedback Analysis
– 2.7. 2020 Consultation | Feedback Recalculations
– 2.8. 2020 Consultation | Adjusted Feedback Recalculations
– 2.9. 2023 Consultation | Wording & Options
– 2.10. 2023 Consultation | Feedback Recalculations (Invalid Submissions)
– 2.11. 2023 Consultation | FRESH Event Engagement
– 2.12. Waipapa Papanui-Innes-Central Community Board Meeting | 12th July 2023
– 2.13. 2023 Consultation | Feedback Recalculations (FRESH Event Submissions)
– 2.14. 2023 Consultation | Adjusted Feedback Recalculations
– 2.15. 2023 Consultation | Feedback from Individuals: Recreation and Play Space
3. Information Provided to the Waipapa Papanui-Innes-Central Community Board
– 3.1. My 2023 Consultation Feedback ‘Supporting Information’ .pdf
– 3.2. ‘Shirley Community Reserve Proposed Facility’ Blog Post
4. Waipapa Papanui-Innes-Central Community Board Meeting (13th June 2024) | Issues
– 4.1. Declarations of Interest
– 4.2. Item 9. SCR Proposed Community Facility | Reserve Information
– 4.3. Item 9. SCR Proposed Community Facility | Waitai C-B-L Community Board
– 4.4. Item 9. SCR Proposed Community Facility | Reserve’s Designation
– 4.5. Item 9. SCR Proposed Community Facility | Shirley Playcentre = Community Facility
– 4.6. Item 9. SCR Proposed Community Facility | ‘On Budget Community Building’
– 4.7. Item 9. SCR Proposed Community Facility | Budget Restrictions = Size of Proposed Facility
– 4.8. Item 9. SCR Proposed Community Facility | Proposed Facility Operated by Who?
– 4.9 Item 9. SCR Proposed Community Facility | Expense Moving the Shirley Library
– 4.10. Board’s Decision making Process
– 4.11. Council Long Term Plan 2024-34 Workshop (22nd May 2024)
– 4.12. LGOIMA Request: [Ticket 1100409] ‘Shirley Community Centre’ (22nd May 2024)
5. CCC Draft Annual Plan 2025-2026
– 5.1. Written Submission by Waipapa Papanui-Innes-Central Community Board
– 5.2. Verbal Submission by Waipapa Papanui-Innes-Central Community Board
– 5.3. Written Submission by Joanna Gould
– 5.4. Verbal Submission by Joanna Gould
– 5.5. Email/Letter to the Waipapa Papanui-Innes-Central Community Board (12th April 2025)
– 5.6. CCC Information Session/Workshop (18th June 2024) | Annual Plan: Feedback on Services
– 5.7. CCC Information Session/Workshop (18th June 2024) | Development Contributions Policy
6. Community-Led Development
7. Shirley Community Reserve Community Facility | Working Party
– 7.1. St Albans News Article (March/April 2025)
– 7.2. ‘Dear St Albans News Editor’ Blog Post (7th March 2025)
– 7.3. LGOIMA [Ticket 1323259] Request (7th March 2025)
– 7.4. ‘We are Richmond’ Residents Association Meeting Minutes (25th March 2025)
– 7.5. LGOIMA [Ticket 1323259] Answer (4th April 2025)
8. CCC, Community Board & Residents Associations | Access to Information
– 8.1. CCC Equity & Inclusion Policy (2024)
– 8.2. Council | Access to Information
– 8.3. Community Board | Access to Information
– 8.4. Residents Association | Access to Information
9. Capital Projects Website Page | Access to Information
10. Shirley Community Reserve Community Facility | Access to Information
11. ‘Shirley Centre’ Feasibility Study & Business Case
21st May 2025 | Response from Christchurch City Council
Subject: [Ticket: H08774139] – Your feedback has been assigned.
Re: Council Projects
Kia ora Joanna Gould,
Thanks for your feedback, we will follow up with you by 05.06.2025.
Your reference number is H08774139 – in the meantime, if you want to talk more about this, feel free to get back to us.
We appreciate the time you took to help us improve how we do things.
Thank you,
Christchurch City Council
13th June 2025 | Email to Christchurch City Council
Hi
Could you please give me an update regarding my complaint?
I was expecting to hear back by the 5th June & it is now the 13th June.
Thanks,
Joanna Gould
16th June 2025 | Response from Christchurch City Council
Kia ora Joanna,
Thank you for your correspondence of 20 May 2025 and apologies for the delayed response. As the responsible manager, I’m responding to your complaint.
You state, in your email, that the “…advice given to the Board via the Staff Report & 2023 Feasibility Study, had incorrect & missing information that should have been included, to enable elected members to make an informed decision based on merit.”
Having investigated this matter, I can confirm that the the report provided to the Waipapa Papanui-Innes-Central Community Board (regarding 10 Shirley Road) on 13 June 2024 included provision of a range of options and information/analysis.
The decision-making process followed that of any other decisions made by the community board as required under sections 76 – 81 of the Local Government Act 2002.
Your correspondence outlines that you requested to make a deputation at the Board’s decision-making meeting, provided alternative options based on, and discussed a feasibility study and business case, which you are continuing to develop and share publicly, and ask:
‘…would our Elected Members have made the same decision, if they had read all the information I had found through my research?’
At the 13 June 2024 Waipapa Community Board meeting, you presented your options through the deputation process.
The Board did not formally consider the options you provided as part of the staff report; however, they were provided to elected members for their information and were included in the minutes following the meeting.
The staff report presented to the Community Board provided two options for the Board to consider:
– Option one: Long Term Plan (LTP) Saving (this is a viable option, but not the staff recommended one).
– Option two: Investigate an on-budget community building (the recommended option).
Five additional options were considered but ruled out; the staff report explains why these options were ruled out.
The options presented in the report by staff and considered by the Waipapa Community Board were based on many discussions with the community board, various feasibility studies over many years, and existing Council strategies.
In addition,
– the options presented aligned with what was budgeted for in the LTP;
– the Board’s stated desire to see construction of a facility progressed (as evidenced by the Board’s priorities, submission to the LTP and the proposed amendment by Councillor Cotter);
– and took into consideration that fact that no request has been made by the Board or by a Councillor to increase the LTP budgeted fund for a future facility.
Because of this, what you propose was not considered a viable option.
The Board decided to investigate an on-budget community building.
This work is underway, and a decision report to the community board around the design of a facility is expected in the future.
Based on all information provided above, no further action will be taken regarding your complaint.
Acting Head of Community Support & Partnerships / Team Leader Governance Process