Community development in Christchurch City: a socialist banana republic under threat?

For many years and certainly through the 1980s and 1990s, Christchurch has stood out amongst local governments in Aotearoa New Zealand for its steadfast support to social and community development. This paper charts that support from the beginnings of professional community development in the early 1970s to the period when it seemed only Christchurch keep the flame alive and was criticized for it. It is a case study of recent activities of the Anglican Care response to urban needs using its parish structure and action-research to develop innovative practice. The current challenges to community development activity both from the reduction in other social and health services and from government rationalization have placed considerable strain on community development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]