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Christchurch city councillor Sam MacDonald has backed away from his controversial toll road comments.
MacDonald said at a city council meeting last week Selwyn and Waimakariri residents could be tolled to enter Christchurch if their councils refuse to merge with the city council.
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He was questioning how costs could be recouped from the neighbouring districts for the facilities and infrastructure they use in the city.
“Do we put toll roads on and insist that they can’t come in without finally paying their fair share?”
The comment gained national media coverage and upset Selwyn district councillor Samuel Wilshire and its mayor Lydia Gliddon.
But MacDonald told The Star some people took his comment too literally.
“It was an illustrative example of when we are thinking longer term about Canterbury, the value that should be put on whether everyone is contributing equally to the assets we are benefiting from," he said.
"I think everyone jumped straight to that I’m going out next week to install toll roads and build a wall."
Wilshire hit back at MacDonald after his initial comment, saying people in Christchurch eat food produced by Selwyn farmers, wear wool from its sheep and drink wine from its vineyards.
Wilshire believes Selwyn has also paid its fair share for new facilities, such as the $683 million One NZ Stadium, through taxes, with $230m of the cost covered by the Government.
“Compared to co-funded projects in Selwyn, they do receive the lion’s share,” Wilshire said.
MacDonald acknowledged taxpayers have contributed to the stadium.
He said assets like the stadium are built to generate economic activity by attracting people to stay in the city.
“The reality of our neighbouring councils is they often don't have to do that. Christchurch will pay for events for the city Selwyn and Waimak are often the beneficiaries of that.”
As a joke, Wilshire gave MacDonald a $1 coin at a public meeting in Christchurch last week.
“I gave him a bit of a stick and then handed him a $1 and said: ‘Here you go, you need this’.”
Wilshire said MacDonald “laughed it off” and tried to give it back.
MacDonald said Canterbury councils need to look at what’s best for the region, not just their own district.
"The biggest risk I see is we fall into patch protection and looking after our jobs and not thinking what is best for Canterbury."
Gliddon wants the focus to be on what is the best proposal for Canterbury, not councillors from neighbouring districts getting into slanging matches over tolls.