The imminent arrival of cruise ships into Lyttelton this season has polarised opinion about their return.
A vocal group of residents gathered recently at The Loons, to express their opposition to - and fears around - the return cruise ships this summer.
Some critics said they oppose them because of the impact the large number of tourists was having on the way of life for local residents.
“It's a human rights issue. It’s our right to our place, it’s our right to our land, to our water and to our community and to the people who make this place home,” claimed one frustrated resident who spoke at the meeting.
He recent returner to the harbourside community, he said he could already sense his home had been degraded by what he described as “these giant apartment buildings floating on our sea.”
Other members of the Lyttelton community also raised concerns around environmental issues and safety.
Loren Heaphy, General Manager of Destination and Attraction for ChristchurchNZ, attended the meeting to try and calm some of the fears, and share some of the agency’s tourism management plans.
“Tourism needs to give back as much as it takes out. It can’t continue to be an extractive economy” she said.
“We have taken some time to look under the hood, of where that’s at, we’d like to rework some aspects of that because in communities like Lyttelton and Akaroa, social license to operate is the most important part of tourism.”
The city council is considering options around improving the public transport system, as well as the excursion opportunities for cruise ship passengers.
Visitors could be picked up near the harbour berth and bussed directly to Christchurch for the day, potentially returning early afternoon to explore Lyttelton itself.
Around 4,000 residents live in Lyttelton, and while few local businesses attended the firey meeting, one local café owner raised concerns about a loss of trade if the cruise ships went elsewhere.
“This business is still our bread and butter, so if the cruise ships are just going to go away [they’ll] take away all that we made in the last year,” she said.
The council promised to work to enhance and improve the community experience through its development agency, and to try and increase the economic benefits of cruise ships for the region.
By John Spurdle, Public Interest Journalism Fund
