US retail giant Costco appears to be eyeing a potential large-scale development in Christchurch, with the council asked to provide feedback on a fast-track application.
The development would reportedly be on land between Memorial Ave and Avonhead Rd, near the airport.
Waimairi Ward councillor Sam MacDonald told 1News he couldn’t say much, but said the council had been asked to give feedback on a Costco fast-track application.
The application has not yet been published on the Government’s fast-track application website.
Costco declined to comment on the proposal. 1News also sought comment from Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop.
Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger told 1News the fast-track “only just popped out of the woodwork in the last week or so”, but said it was “in the system”.
“We’ll wait and see. I know that the Government are keen on having competition in the supermarket area or this kind of business, so we’ll wait and see what happens,” he said.
He said a Costco would be “greatly received” by the city, calling the potential development “another cog in the wheel of what makes Christchurch as good as it is”.
“It’s all work for everyone who’s stacking shelves, trucks, carting the stuff here,” he said. “It’ll be good.”
Mauger said there would need to be some “serious traffic lights or traffic management” so people could get in and out easily.
Costco opened its first New Zealand store in Auckland’s west in 2022. A second store is planned for Drury, south of Auckland.