"You slow the traffic down, you take car parks away and you put cycle lanes everywhere. It's a real worry," Christchurch developer Antony Gough says.

A prominent developer says Christchurch is becoming the "inaccessible" city.

Antony Gough, who is behind The Terrace development on Oxford Tce, took aim at the new 30 kilometre an hour speed limit, the lack of car parking, convention centre delays – even cycle lanes – in the central city at a rebuild conference on Friday.

He said they put potential developers off.

JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON/FAIRFAX NZ Gough said without a convention centre, Christchurch could kiss new hotels goodbye.

"Our 'accessible city' is actually a joke, because actually it's inaccessible. You slow the traffic down, you take car parks away and you put cycle lanes everywhere. That is not accessible, it's inaccessible and it's a real worry for us."

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* 'Too early' for centre certainty

* Lovatt leads Regenerate Christchurch

An Accessible City was the name of the transport chapter developed by the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (Cera) for the Christchurch Central Recovery Plan. It included a 30kmh inner city speed zone.

SUPPLED Otakaro chairman Ross Butler speaks at Seismics and the City 2016.

​Gough had no issue with the lower speed limit on "inner core streets", but said the one way streets should be exempt.

"That's critical that they are 50kmh – and it's a subject we will need to go back on.

"It was interesting it was bought in under the Cera legislation, not council, so they bypassed the normal consultation," Gough said.

SUPPLIED The convention centre precinct was announced as an anchor project in 2012.

Gough said the Christchurch City Council had "finally" got car parks down, but it was yet to make a decision publicly about what would replace the Lichfield St car parking building.

"You've got area like what I call west of the Avon River – there are all these office buildings, [but] there's no car parking yet," Gough said.

Gough said without a convention centre, Christchurch could also kiss new hotels goodbye.

BRENDON O'HAGAN Regenerate Christchurch chairman Andre Lovatt said the new entity will be able to request changes to Christchurch's district plan.

The centre was "absolutely critical" to Christchurch's development. Hotels needed the centre to bring winter trade, Gough said.

"That's why we're not getting any new hotel builds, other than this Rydges we're standing in at the moment.

"There's lot's of people who are interested, but they said 'we've got to have a convention centre', and as you can see here [at Rydges] we're packed out.

Cera acting chief executive John Ombler​ in February cast doubt over whether the convention centre would be built.

Labour's Canterbury spokeswoman Megan Woods grilled Ombler about the inaction over the convention centre precinct. When asked if the convention centre would proceed, Ombler said it was "too early to give a definitive answer".

Gough rubbished uncertainty around the convention centre going ahead, but said work needed to start as soon as possible.

"It is going to happen.

"We actually need to put a stake in the ground and say 'OK, we'll build this'."

The convention centre precinct, which would span two prime city blocks from Cathedral Square to Victoria Square, was announced as an anchor project in 2012.

It was supposed to be completed in early 2017, but had been pushed out to 2018. At least $284 million of taxpayers money had been allocated to it.

ANCHOR PROJECTS REVIEWED

Okataro chairman Ross Butler said one of government-owned company's roles would be to review Christchurch's anchor projects, to make sure each was "appropriate".

Butler said the next year would include investments of Crown land into "other larger commercial projects".

Otakaro would have about 90 staff. Some will be short term because they will be employed for specific projects, such as the Avon river precinct.

It has had over 1200 applications for jobs.

Butler was aware of research finding 94 per cent believed Christchurch needed a modern outdoor events facility.

"There is no business case for a stadium at the moment. I would've thought the parties should be getting together pretty quickly, and I would put my hand up for Otakaro to be a part of that, to get a substantive business case in place to determine the needs and the capacity of the community to pay for it.

Butler said he had not seen any sign of "a dollar" coming from Canterbury or from New Zealand Rugby Union.

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