Christchurch's rebuild shows what long-term investment can achieve

PremiumOpinionOpinion byLiam DannBusiness Editor at Large·NZ Herald·9 Sep, 2026 11:00 PM8 mins to readLiam Dann, Business Editor at Large for New Zealand’s Herald, works as a writer, columnist, radio commentator and as a presenter and producer of videos and podcasts.‌The Christchurch rebuild was slow and painful but has started to pay dividends.

Christchurch is booming.I see it in the statistics, and I see it in the central city when I return to my home town to visit friends and family.I’m aware that what constitutes a boom is relative.

I have friends in Christchurch dealing with redundancy; I know times are