At a meeting on Wednesday, city councillors voted to start work on a plan to establish how much it will cost to operate two crews.
It was initially estimated to cost ratepayers $750,000 to $1 million a year.
But a decision to provide additional funding of $1.5 million to $2 million will be made as part of next year’s Annual Plan.
Half the cost of the crews could be covered by a Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency subsidy of 51 per cent.
City council staff will now work with contractors on a concept plan that would see the crews proactively fix any issues with footpaths in their contracted area.
"This is an excellent decision and I’m so pleased to get the support of my councillors to progress it further,” Mauger said.
"We’ve got to do something to improve the condition of our footpaths and increase residents’ satisfaction from where it currently is at just 35 per cent.
"Potholes and cracks make up the majority of complaints I hear directly from residents so this will be a big step towards getting on top of that.
"Anything that helps get our footpaths fixed quicker is a good thing, especially if it also makes them safer.”
City council staff will also work with Canterbury University to develop options to collect data on the footpaths and review the tree removal process early next year.
