Bill Kingston for ECan -Christchurch South

28/09/2025

Community pest control initiatives benefit not just our local area, but New Zealand as a whole. We can all do our part by reporting any pest sightings on Banks Peninsula.

21/09/2025

Good to be out talking to locals about what's on their minds. The cost of rates and the need to think sensibly about how our region will support population growth are issues that keep coming up.

19/09/2025

Today I voted against declaring a "nitrate emergency", not because I don't take water quality seriously, but because I take the word "emergency" very seriously.

Having been part of declaring actual emergencies during my time in governance, I know emergency declarations are powerful tools that must be used precisely and legally and must come with immediate powers and resources, not symbolic labels during election season.

During debate, I pushed to change the wording to "drinking water crisis" because the motion focused only on nitrates, but our own testing data shows E.coli contamination in wells which an immediate health threat being overlooked while we debate political positioning. Crisis to me better reflected the broader water safety challenges we face in both urban and rural communities. It also avoids diluting the meaning of an emergency while maintaining urgency.

But Notice of Motions are blunt, binary tools. Once put, the wording cannot be changed.

Some of the work that is happing includes monitoring 300+ wells annually across Canterbury, enforcing mandatory farm environment plans on all properties, implementing 190kg nitrogen limits delivering measurable reductions, requiring 45% nitrogen reduction in high-risk areas by 2035 to meet the 2020 CWMS nitrate reduction targets, enhanced compliance monitoring in drinking water protection zones and more.

Even though I voted against the binary wording of the motion, I'll champion the workshop on comprehensive water quality management and fair cost mechanisms. Getting the data, working with the industry, communities, government who are writing the legislation changes that will ultimately determine the limits is what needs to happen. Canterbury needs evidence-based solutions addressing all contaminants and risks, not selective emergency declarations.

Emergency language should unite us around real threats, not divide us for political gain. Canterbury deserves governance that tackles the full scope of our water challenges systematically.

Crisis management teaches you to use the right tool for the right problem. Labels won't clean a single litre of water, evidence-based action will.

18/09/2025

Posted in my voting papers this week. No prizes for guessing who I voted for!

Voting closes at noon on 11 October. A list of voting locations is in the comments.

16/09/2025

We’re lucky to have a great range of transport options in Christchurch, from bikes to buses to private cars.

ECAN’s job is to make it easy to get from A to B in a way that people want to do. If elected, I would review the bus system to ensure it is running efficiently for people who use it to commute to work and school.

15/09/2025

Look out for these bright orange bins to put your voting papers in! You can find them in the supermarket while doing your weekly shop, and a full list of drop-off locations is included in your voting pack.

14/09/2025

At the Addington Park Community Garden blessing this weekend, run by the good people at Te Waerenga Whakatō Puāwai

Locally run food gardens like this deliver so much value for our communities, not just through the food grown but the social connections made by neighbours. We must continue to support initiatives like this to sustain food security in the long run.

11/09/2025

Voting papers are on the way to you! Look out for the envelopes in your letterbox to have your say on who represents you 📩

08/09/2025

The good folk at Manuka Cottage Addington Community House Incorporated are putting on a Meet the Candidates night for the surrounding community.

Come along to learn a bit about who is best to represent you!

It's getting closer! Come along to our Meet the Candidates event for anyone living in the Spreydon Ward.
This event will help you get to know who your candidates for City council, community board and ECan (Canterbury Regional Council/ Environment Canterbury)

07/09/2025

Always a good time at the South Christchurch Farmers' Market on Sunday mornings ☀️

These events are brilliant for small businesses and communities, the council should fully support them and make it as simple as possible to get permission to hold them.