13 Oct 2015

Christchurch Council to discuss beggar issue with community groups

8:06 pm on 13 October 2015

The Christchurch City Council is to meet with community groups next week over beggars in the central city.

Council staff met today to discuss the possibility of creating a bylaw to get beggars out of the CBD, after businesses complained they were harassing customers.

Councillor Paul Lonsdale said a multi agency approach meant beggars and the homeless would have access to more support services.

Mr Lonsdale said the council needed to figure out how big the problem was but the number of beggars would only increase if nothing was done.