We're upgrading infrastructure in Papanui to help meet increasing demand from our growing city.
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A work programme of three waters projects is underway in Papanui to address existing infrastructure issues and support the development of around 1400 new homes between Grassmere and Cranford streets.
The work programme includes a number of projects, with some delivered by the Council and some led by the developer – Grassmere Estates Ltd – as part of the new housing development.
This collaborative approach ensures that essential infrastructure is in place to support future growth and enable new homes to be built sooner.
Read the latest newsletter(external link) and the latest works notice(external link) (18 August 2026).
More water and roading upgrades are happening in the city's northwest. Find out more(external link).
Traffic and vibrations
Updated: 7 September 2026
Is there anything you can do about the vibrations?
Piling machinery will soon be arriving on site with piling works commencing in early September and continuing for up to six weeks.
A limited number of driven piles will be completed along the cycleway for the diversion pipework. A rigid inclusion piling system will then be utilised for the building foundations. This piling system was chosen as the installation process generates lower levels of noise and vibration than other piling methods. While nearby residents may still notice some additional noise and vibration during this period, the crew will do all they can to mitigate any impact and complete the piling process as quickly as possible.
How long will this work go on for?
Groundworks for the storage facility start in early September 2026 and will take about six weeks. The whole storage facility project should be complete by late 2027.
Could vehicles access the site a different way?
We’re looking into options for a new road into the area, via Cranford Street. Because of the need to develop appropriate designs that take account of the wetland environment and native wildlife, and get resource consent from Environment Canterbury, we’re unlikely to be able to make this happen as a short-term solution.
Can’t this work wait until the new road is open?
No. The storage facility is necessary to support the development in the area and reduce the amount of untreated wastewater going into the Dudley Stream during heavy rainfall. The Government is also contributing money to the project on the condition that we deliver it within a certain timeframe – any delay means we may not obtain this funding.
What’s causing all the extra truck movements – the Council or the private development happening in the area?
The majority of the gravel the Council project needs is now at the site. However, we’ll require further truck movements to support the additional foundation work, which will include piling equipment and concrete trucks, through to October 2026. We understand that the developer may start relocating of the existing pre-load on their site. To support this work, they may need to import additional gravel.
What do I do if I still have concerns?
Please contact Christchurch City Council on 03 941 8999 or papanui3w@ccc.govt.nz
If you see a traffic violation, please contact NZ Police.
Council-led projects
We're constructing a wastewater storage facility at the southwestern corner of the undeveloped land bounded by the Dudley Creek Diversion and the Papanui Parallel Cycleway.
The new facility will address wastewater overflow issues and allow for growth in the area.
Status: Construction started in April 2026
Construction schedule
Piling works are scheduled to begin on 2 September 2026 and will continue for up to six weeks. Crews will install foundation piles using a method designed to minimise noise and vibration compared with traditional piling techniques. While some nearby residents may notice increased noise and vibration, efforts will be made to reduce disruption as much as possible.
The full programme is expected to be complete in late 2027.
Traffic management and truck movements
It is expected that trucks will operate between 7.30am and 5.00pm, Monday to Friday.
Our traffic management plan limits vehicles to 30 kilometres per hour during periods with heavier traffic volumes, and prevents them from crossing the cycleway during the school run (8.30am–9am and 3pm–3.30pm).
Truck access will be via Main North Road, turning onto Grassmere Road and then into the site access, with traffic control measures in place to safely manage vehicle movements across the cycleway.
After the initial fill import phases, vehicle movements will reduce significantly, with lower daily crossings for most of the construction period, apart from occasional short‑term increases during critical activities such as concrete pours.
Why we need a new wastewater storage facility
On several occasions during the past decade, wastewater has overflowed to the Dudley Street diversion stream more frequently than permitted under Council’s wet weather overflow consent (CRC188203) due to excess stormwater entering the wastewater network during heavy rainfall.
These overflows can pose health risks, pollute the environment, damage property and infrastructure, and disrupt community activities.
A city-wide wastewater optimisation study completed in 2020 identified a wet weather storage facility as the most cost-effective means of addressing potential overflows for the area.
How it works
The facility will screen and collect highly diluted wastewater flow during significant wet weather events, temporarily storing it in a tank until there is capacity in the wastewater network for release.
What it looks like
The facility will consist of a large tank and supporting infrastructure.
Provisions will be included to manage and reduce any impacts. These include:
· minimising the visual impact through reducing the height of the structure
· ensuring the structure is setback from existing properties
· cleaning the facility between operations to mitigate potential odour
- planting to soften the appearance of the facility, once mature.
We're working through the requirements for a new water supply pump station to increase network capacity.
Status: We’re in the early planning stages and will provide more information as we confirm plans.
Updated: 7 September 2026
Staff have been investigating options to reduce these impacts, including negotiations to acquire land that could initially provide a temporary construction access route and, in the longer term, support delivery of the permanent collector road connection between Grassmere Street and Cranford Street identified in the Outline Development Plan.
Negotiations to acquire this land have been unsuccessful and have now ended.
Staff have now pivoted to investigating alternative access arrangements using existing Council-owned land fronting Cranford Street. The aim of this is to address the current traffic impacts on neighbouring properties by reducing reliance on the existing access point. This option is technically more complex, and access to the proposed route would be near Cranford Street's busy Northern Corridor roundabout.
Multiple project teams are now working together to ensure this solution is integrated with other projects underway in the area. We've completed the initial design assessments, and we've held discussions regarding consenting requirements and permits for the proposed access track.
The Council remains committed to the longer-term objective of establishing the permanent collector road connection between Grassmere Street and Cranford Street. Normally, developers would construct this road as development progresses, but the Council has secured Government funding to assist with the additional costs of constructing the road to collector road standard. Staff will continue to consider alternative ways of achieving this outcome.
The Council acknowledges residents' concerns regarding safety and amenity. While the recent negotiations have not delivered the outcome we wanted, we remain focused on finding practical options to reduce the short-term impacts on the local community, and we're continuing to work towards the longer-term transport outcomes planned for the area.
We upgraded the pipework at the Pump Station and connected it to existing pipework within Grassmere Street to meet current and future demand in the area. The upgrades will increase capacity in the area.
Status: Complete
We improved the local water supply pump station to better serve the area and reduce pressure issues in the network.
This included upgrading the station's discharge pipe and installing a new pipe between 43 Grassmere Street and the intersection of Rutland Street and Mays Road.
This new link connects the Grassmere and Mays pump stations, helping support future development.
Status: Complete
Developer-led projects
A trial is currently being undertaken by the developer. The trial helps us understand how the land will respond during the building process. It involves bringing material to the site to test and confirm the ground conditions and is required under the resource consent for the new development.
Truck movements
The material is transported to site by trucks travelling down Grassmere Street and entering the site via the existing gate opposite Ngaio Marsh Retirement Village at 57–59 Grassmere Street. It will take about six months for the material to be moved to the site.
To help keep the shared path safe for all users, truck movements and access to the site are now restricted during busy times — including school start and finish periods. Operating hours for truck movements are between 7am and 5pm, Monday to Saturday.
The Council is currently investigating an alternative temporary access point to avoid traffic accessing the site via Grassmere Street.
The Council is working with the developer to improve flood management in the area and create better outdoor spaces for the community.
