Our Tell Us survey is one of the ways we’re inviting local people to help shape the future of South Canterbury.
When we first published the results of the survey in December 2024, we promised this wasn't a one-off exercise. The survey has remained open, allowing more people to share their views as plans for South Canterbury have developed.
Nearly two years later, we can begin to answer an important question: have your priorities changed?
The answer is ...
... yes and no!
While opinion has evolved in some areas, the issues that mattered most in 2024 remain the issues that matter most today. That consistency gives us greater confidence that these findings reflect long-term priorities for Canterbury rather than short-term opinion.
What hasn't changed
Safe walking and cycling remain a clear priority
Although there are small changes in the relative importance of other measures, the overall message has remained remarkably consistent: you want safe, well-connected routes that make walking and cycling practical everyday choices rather than occasional activities.
Public transport remains about practicality rather than technology
Lower fares continue to be the highest priority, closely followed by more frequent services and better links to destinations across Canterbury. You remain focused on improvements that would make buses easier and more convenient to use every day.
The more detailed 2026 survey also helps explain these priorities, showing that better connections to railway stations and hospitals are almost as important as more frequent services into the city centre.
Strong communities still need strong local facilities
Support for community facilities has remained remarkably consistent.
A farm shop and community hall continue to feature prominently among the amenities you would like to see in a new neighbourhood.
There is equally strong agreement that Canterbury needs more opportunities for children and young people. Youth clubs remain the highest priority, with continued support for after-school clubs, forest schools and local sports facilities.
The message is clear: you value places that help build community as much as you value physical infrastructure.
Where opinion has changed
Views on design have become more defined
Perhaps the most noticeable shift has been in attitudes towards architectural character.
In 2024, opinion was evenly split between maintaining Canterbury's traditional appearance and pursuing a more modern approach.
Today's responses show a more nuanced picture. Rather than a simple choice between old and new, respondents increasingly favour development that respects Canterbury's historic character while allowing carefully considered contemporary design. Only a small proportion now support a fully modern architectural style.
The discussion has therefore become less polarised and more sophisticated.
The surveys now tell us more than they did before
One of the biggest changes is not necessarily in public opinion, but in what we've been able to learn.
Several questions now offer more detailed answer choices than they did in 2024. Instead of simply identifying broad priorities, respondents can now explain how they would like transport, green spaces and neighbourhood design to improve.
That richer information helps us understand the reasons behind your choices, while reinforcing many of the themes first identified two years ago.
One issue still concerns local people
The survey also revisited provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
Although the response options changed between surveys, the latest results continue to suggest that many people believe existing support is insufficient, indicating that this remains an important issue for local families.
Still listening
The most striking finding from almost two years of listening is not how much opinion has changed, but how consistent it remains.
People continue to prioritise safer walking and cycling, affordable public transport, better community facilities and neighbourhoods that respect Canterbury's distinctive character. Where opinions have evolved, they have generally become more detailed and more clearly expressed rather than moving in a completely different direction.
However, this isn’t the final word. We really want to keep listening to the people who know Canterbury best - those who live, work and spend time here. Through these surveys, community events, and our upcoming Design Code consultation, we are continuing to build a clearer picture of what matters most to you.
Our Tell Us surveys remain open, and every response helps us build a clearer understanding of what local people want South Canterbury to become.