Christchurch City Council has endorsed the performance of Chief Executive Mary Richardson for the 2024 to 2025 financial year, reporting record improvements across key service areas, governance processes, and staff engagement.

The report was first released to chrislynchmedia.com on Friday morning.

The Chief Executive Performance and Employment Committee, chaired by Mayor Phil Mauger, presented its findings, pointing to significant progress in both operational delivery and community satisfaction.

Key achievements

The review showed:

• Resident satisfaction with Council performance rose to 53 percent, up from 46 percent in 2024 and 43 percent in 2023.

• Eighty four percent of services met annual satisfaction targets, up from 71 percent the previous year and the highest since before the earthquakes.

• Thirty eight percent of residents said the Council makes decisions in the best interests of the city, compared with 29 percent in 2022.

• A 10 percent rise in residents who felt they had some influence over Council decision making.

• Eighty percent of respondents rated their overall quality of life positively, an increase on previous years.

• Staff engagement rose to 67 percent, surpassing the local government benchmark for the first time, with turnover decreasing to 13 percent and the gender pay gap narrowing to 12.1 percent  .

• The Council successfully delivered 87.5 percent of community services and 89.1 percent of management services to agreed standards, the strongest results in more than a decade  .

Richardson attributed the results to the organisation as a whole.

“These achievements reflect the dedication, professionalism, and shared commitment of our entire organisation. Every part of the organisation has played a role in delivering for our community.”

Mayor’s commendation

Mauger said the results demonstrated what could be achieved through collaboration.

“This year’s results show what’s possible when people across the organisation work together and stay focused on delivering for our community.”

He said Richardson had proven herself to be a strong leader for Christchurch.

“Mary is a true asset to our city and has worked tirelessly to help build the momentum Christchurch has right now. On behalf of the Council, I can’t thank her enough for her work. The fact that she has refused a pay increase speaks volumes about her dedication to Christchurch and her commitment to the Christchurch City Council.

“As Chief Executive, Mary has led the staff of the Council exceptionally well, achieving major operational gains. We have seen more open agendas, a greater use of public workshops, and more decisions being brought forward in a transparent way.

“It is an absolute pleasure to work with Mary. We get on exceptionally well and together we have seen the positive momentum for our city continue to build. Having a good working relationship with the city’s chief executive is absolutely vital for good local governance.”

Governance and transparency

The review highlighted improvements in decision making and governance support. These included the introduction of the Council’s first forward work programme, reinstatement of a resolution tracker after a decade, creation of a strategic issues register, and an online interactive capital programme tool now available to councillors and the public  .

Councillors also received 36 service reports since 2024, 147 workshops were held with more than 80 percent open to the public, and 1,465 councillor queries were answered. The average response time dropped to 9.7 days, down from 20.8 the previous year  .

Financial and capital programme results

Operating expenditure finished $36 million under budget, with a $47.5 million surplus achieved. Savings allowed $20 million to go towards debt repayment and $17 million to reduce rates  .

Capital programme spending reached $680.2 million, or 91 percent of the approved budget. Major projects included nearly $200 million spent on Te Kaha stadium, which remains on track, and progress on wastewater treatment plant works  .

Refusal of salary increase

Despite the Committee’s recommendation of a pay rise, Richardson declined any adjustment.

“Leadership in public service isn’t just about delivering results: it’s about upholding values. It’s important to acknowledge the realities our community is facing, especially the financial pressures many residents are currently experiencing.”

The Council formally acknowledged Richardson’s leadership, praising both her personal contribution and the collective work of Council staff.