The Heathcote Ward race is shaping up as a two-person contest, with candidate Nathaniel Herz Jardine pledging to bring a mix of housing advocacy, infrastructure reform, and grassroots engagement to the Christchurch City Council.

Christchurch lawyer and long-time Sumner resident Ian Kearney is the other candidate campaigning in the Healthcote race.

The seat, currently held by Sara Templeton, will become vacant as Templeton focuses solely on her campaign for the mayoralty.

Herz Jardine’s background is rooted in local government advocacy, having worked as a community organiser with the Living Wage movement from 2021 until the end of last year. In that role, he worked with faith leaders, community groups, and workers to successfully campaign for both the Christchurch City Council and Environment Canterbury to adopt the Living Wage.

“In 2021 we got Christchurch Council on board,” Herz Jardine said. “The best part about that was the cost to council was pretty low. We got 80 of their contracted cleaners up to a living wage, and when the contract renewed the cost went up by only one percent, less than inflation. The next year, we got the Regional Council in Canterbury on board, the first in the country.”

He said his decision to run for council was sparked by his personal experience with Christchurch’s housing market.

“Last year my wife and I were looking for our first home and found it really hard. We ended up with a little white box, two-bedroom, two-storey place that works for us now, but when we have kids we’ll have to move. We’re just not building a city that works for families,” he said.

Standing on the People’s Choice ticket, Herz Jardine supports the group’s three core priorities — opposing asset sales, improving public transport, and protecting the environment.

“Where I am in Heathcote Ward, the river is really important,” he said. “I grew up near the river when it basically felt like an open sewer. That’s starting to change, and I want us to keep going.”

One of his key campaign messages is to bring more council services back in-house to save money and improve quality. He said he has heard repeated concerns during door-knocking about poor workmanship and repeated repairs.

“It seems like there’s a lot of shoddy maintenance work going on that’s costing the council more than it should,” he said. “Instead of paying contractors each time, we should do the work once, do it well, and build the capacity within council. In the long term we’ll spend less.”

On the issue of traffic measures, he acknowledged mixed community views.

“People hate speed bumps if they’re not on their street, but if it’s on your street people love it,” he said. “Near me, a speed bump opposite a school reduced boy racer noise by 90 percent overnight. These decisions should be made at the local community board level so they serve the residents.”

Herz Jardine said voter disengagement is a concern, but he believes candidates have a responsibility to reach out.

“The main depressing thing is how hopeless or disconnected people feel. If you’re in politics and worried about turnout, you’ve just got to get out there, door-knock, use social media, and connect with people,” he said.

“If you want to see a Christchurch in 30 or 40 years with a thriving city centre, affordable family homes, and no suburban sprawl, I’m with you. If you want someone who knows how council works, who listens, attends meetings on controversial issues, and is willing to change their mind, then I’m your guy.”

Ian Kearney will also feature on Chris Lynch Media at a later date. You can read his announcement here.