# Bottle Lake, Christchurch

549 council reports since July 2015, the 85th busiest suburb in the city. 477 photographs on record.
1,090 people at the 2023 Census, 88 to the square kilometre across 12 km².

https://www.chch.live/bottle-lake

## Live source links

Link-outs to the source’s own live pages, chch.live does not copy their live values or source text.

- [Christchurch City Council What’s On](https://www.ccc.govt.nz/news-and-events/whats-on)
- [Christchurch City Libraries events](https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/events/)

## The encyclopaedia on it

Bottle Lake is an area in the north-east of Christchurch with a low number of residents. Most of the area is covered by Bottle Lake Forest, which has since the mid-1970s become a popular recreation area.

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottle_Lake%2C_New_Zealand), a tertiary source
Population: Stats NZ 2023 Census Statistical Area 2 counts summed over the suburb’s own areas, as Wikipedia maps them; the area is measured from the suburb boundary.

## Living here

New bonds here ran at about **$580 a week** in the April–June 2026 quarter, the middle half $508–$650, across 21 bonds, up 2% on a year ago. That’s about **$30 a week above** the city’s own quarter median of $550. Tenancy Services counts these under the much wider Parklands area, this locality sits inside it, so read the figure as the district’s.
- 3-bedroom house, $615 a week · 12 new bonds
- 1-bedroom house, $575 a week · 9 new bonds

Median and quartiles of weekly rents on new private bonds (Tenancy Services), new bonds only, not the whole stock.

## 2023 Census snapshot

About 4,011 people and 1,479 occupied private households, grouped from 25 SA1 areas in Parklands. A wider statistical area stands in for this suburb, so this is a proxy rather than a count for the suburb boundary.

- Under 15: about 20% (798 people)
- 65 and over: about 16% (642 people)
- Born overseas: about 18% of stated birthplace
- European ethnicity: about 88% of ethnicity responses
- Māori ethnicity: about 17% of ethnicity responses
- Pacific Peoples ethnicity: about 5% of ethnicity responses
- Asian ethnicity: about 5% of ethnicity responses
- Households with internet: about 89% of stated households
- Households with two or more vehicles: about 60% of stated households

Ethnicity is a multiple-response measure, so those percentages are not meant to add to 100%. Stats NZ uses fixed random rounding to base 3; unavailable or confidential cells are left out, not treated as zero.

[individuals](https://datafinder.stats.govt.nz/layer/120766-2023-census-totals-by-topic-for-individuals-by-statistical-area-1-part-1/) · [households](https://datafinder.stats.govt.nz/layer/120765-2023-census-totals-by-topic-for-households-by-statistical-area-1/) · [geography](https://datafinder.stats.govt.nz/table/111243/) · [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

## As reported (477 on record)
- [Canterbury](https://www.chch.live/report/9039853)
- [Canterbury](https://www.chch.live/report/9030281)
- [Canterbury](https://www.chch.live/report/9019541)
- [Canterbury](https://www.chch.live/report/9005204)
- [Unnamed Road, Bottle Lake](https://www.chch.live/report/8971799)
- [120 Aston Dr](https://www.chch.live/report/8963259)

[477 photographs on the wall](https://www.chch.live/wall?suburb=bottle-lake)

## The suburb, back then (1 in the archive)

*Placed by the record’s locality join or the name in its own title, a lead, not a claim each frame stood here.*
- [Painting of Bottle Lake](https://www.chch.live/then/1880s#p-55002463), 1882 · Canterbury Stories

## The record on Bottle Lake
- Bottle Lake enters the written record in 26 September 1871, [“Page 1 Advertisements Column 1 (Star, 26 September 1871)”](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TS18710926.2.2.1), [Papers Past](https://www.chch.live/collection/papers-past).
- “Bottle Lake” appears somewhere in 89 of the archive’s records.
- A Papers Past search for the name surfaced 30 records, leads by provenance.
- The first report here: roading/streets, 2 July 2015, at 212-222 Lower Styx Rd.
- Its busiest day was 7 November 2024, 9 reports in a single day.
- The street that keeps coming up is [Lower Styx Road](https://www.chch.live/street/bottle-lake/lower-styx-road), reported on 94 separate days.
- For elections the suburb’s centre falls inside [Coastal ward](https://www.chch.live/wards/coastal), the [Coastal-Burwood-Linwood community board](https://www.chch.live/boards/coastal-burwood-linwood) is its local layer. The whole roll is at [/wards](https://www.chch.live/wards).

## How fast the council fixes things here (883 finished jobs on record)

The median council work order pinned in Bottle Lake took **9 days** to resolve, the city-wide median is 3 days, so this ground runs slower than the city as a whole.
The slowest tenth of finished jobs waited 4 months or longer.
42 tickets are open here now, the oldest was filed 14 June 2022.

Work orders, not resident reports, the council’s MyCouncilTicket stream, and one job can appear in both. A median counts only finished jobs; open ones are named as open, never averaged in. [The ticket roll](https://www.chch.live/fixed) · [the whole city’s fix times](https://www.chch.live/trends#fix).

## Lately
- [Graffiti on a sign, mural or public art](https://www.chch.live/report/9039853), 6 Oct 2026 · Canterbury, “Nasty graffiti on sign in Bottle Lake Forest”
- [Graffiti on a playground or in a park](https://www.chch.live/report/9030281), 4 Oct 2026 · Canterbury, “Graffiti on Bottle lake Park map. Location shown on the photograph of the map”
- [Public Toilet](https://www.chch.live/report/9019541), 2 Oct 2026 · Canterbury, “Block toilet”
- [Facility - General Request](https://www.chch.live/report/9005204), 30 Sept 2026 · Canterbury, “Sign is broken”
- [Water Fountain](https://www.chch.live/report/8985045), 26 Sept 2026 · Landfill Ave, “My camera is broken but I came across a badly leaking broken tap in bottle lake forest right where the trucks stop and…”
- [Facility - General Request](https://www.chch.live/report/8971799), 23 Sept 2026 · Unnamed Road, “Motor bikes illegally in Bottle Lake Forest. Took photo while they were stopped outside the CCC compound on Hotel Road…”
- [Dumped Rubbish](https://www.chch.live/report/8963259), 22 Sept 2026 · 120 Aston Dr, “Dumped rubbish within bottle lake forest walking trail scattered right down walkway - people are gross! ??”
- [Dumped Rubbish](https://www.chch.live/report/8962731), 22 Sept 2026 · Canterbury, “There are is a bunch of rubbish dumped down in the forest by the dunes.”
- [Poles and Signage - General](https://www.chch.live/report/8955269), 21 Sept 2026 · Canterbury, “Someone has broken a sign in BottleLake. ??”
- [General Request](https://www.chch.live/report/8944140), 18 Sept 2026 · Bottle Lake Forest Park Waitikiri Drive, “another idiot on a motorbike riding through Bottle Lake Forest. Went out past the Rangers area”
- [Sewer - Leak / Blockage](https://www.chch.live/report/8889236), 9 Sept 2026 · 75 Lower Styx Road, “sewer main overflowing”
- [Park - General Request](https://www.chch.live/report/8862009), 4 Sept 2026 · 26 Styx River Place, “This rider on an unplated, noisy, green bike is riding in and around Bottle Lake Forest daily. Absolute menace to…”

## Reports per year
- 2015, 5
- 2016, 1
- 2017, 5
- 2018, 11
- 2019, 21
- 2020, 32
- 2021, 25
- 2022, 49
- 2023, 51
- 2024, 91
- 2025, 158

## What gets reported
- Rubbish & dumping, 243
- Trees & parks, 134
- Roads & footpaths, 54
- Everything else, 32
- [Graffiti & vandalism](https://www.chch.live/problems/graffiti), 31
- Water & drains, 24
- [Animals & pests](https://www.chch.live/problems/animals-pests), 24
- Vehicles & parking, 7

## Exactly what people say
- [Dumped Rubbish](https://www.chch.live/problems/dumped-rubbish), 141
- [Rubbish/Recycling](https://www.chch.live/problems/bins-recycling), 57
- [Park - General Request](https://www.chch.live/problems/parks-maintenance), 47
- [Parks](https://www.chch.live/problems/parks-maintenance), 44
- [Rubbish and Bins - General](https://www.chch.live/problems/bins-recycling), 36
- [Fallen Tree](https://www.chch.live/problems/trees), 21
- Facility - General Request, 20
- [Roading/Streets](https://www.chch.live/problems/road-damage), 19

## The streets that keep coming up
- [Lower Styx Road](https://www.chch.live/street/bottle-lake/lower-styx-road), reported on 94 separate days
- [Waitikiri Drive](https://www.chch.live/street/bottle-lake/waitikiri-drive), reported on 30 separate days
- [Aston Drive](https://www.chch.live/street/bottle-lake/aston-drive), reported on 17 separate days
- [Dunlops Road](https://www.chch.live/street/bottle-lake/dunlops-road), reported on 15 separate days
- [Marine Parade](https://www.chch.live/street/bottle-lake/marine-parade), reported on 8 separate days
- [Ave](https://www.chch.live/street/bottle-lake/ave), reported on 7 separate days
- [Te Korari Street](https://www.chch.live/street/bottle-lake/te-korari-street), reported on 6 separate days
- [Rothesay Road](https://www.chch.live/street/bottle-lake/rothesay-road), reported on 4 separate days

Zoned for [Christchurch Adventist School](https://www.chch.live/school/317-christchurch-adventist-school) · [Emmanuel Christian School](https://www.chch.live/school/1168-emmanuel-christian-school) · [Mairehau High School](https://www.chch.live/school/320-mairehau-high-school) · [Marian College](https://www.chch.live/school/343-marian-college) · [Middleton Grange School](https://www.chch.live/school/335-middleton-grange-school) · [Ōuruhia Model School](https://www.chch.live/school/3464-ouruhia-model-school) · and 4 more zones, the drawn zone is indicative; the Ministry’s written scheme is the legal boundary.

## The green here (4)
- [Bottle Lake Forest](https://www.chch.live/park/1558-bottle-lake-forest), Regional · 993 ha
- [Bottle Lake Beach Park](https://www.chch.live/park/1637-bottle-lake-beach-park), Regional · 47 ha
- [Sheppards Stream Reserve](https://www.chch.live/park/1752-sheppards-stream-reserve), Regional · 5 ha
- [Styx River Esplanade Reserve](https://www.chch.live/park/1686-styx-river-esplanade-reserve), Regional · 3 ha

A park lands in the suburb its centre falls inside, a centroid call, not a containment claim.

## The tracks through here (1)
- [Walk and bike track through Bottle Lake](https://www.chch.live/track/walk-172-bottle-lake), 3.3 km · walk · bike

A track belongs to every suburb its line passes through.

## The ground that moved
The February 2011 survey drew mapped ground failure over 10.5% of this outline, about 131 hectares. A patch is a footprint, not a finding about an address; the count for the whole city is at [liquefaction](https://www.chch.live/liquefaction).
The flood record drew water over 34.3% of this outline, about 426 hectares, across 2 named events. A patch is one event’s observation, not a live hazard finding; the record is at [floods](https://www.chch.live/floods).
The mapped tsunami extent covers **12%** of this outline, about 145 hectares. The sea’s modelled reach, not a prediction, the plan’s inundation line, not the evacuation zones; the share is read from a sampled join. The whole extent is at [tsunami](https://www.chch.live/tsunami).
The plan’s schedule of sites significant to Ngāi Tahu covers **1%** of this outline, about 17 hectares, ngā wai. A silent-file precinct covers **1%** of it besides, sensitive ground the plan flags without naming the sites. Shares read from a sampled join; a recognition overlay, not a catalogue. The whole schedule: [cultural](https://www.chch.live/cultural).
The plan’s ecological schedules cover **10%** of this outline, about 119 hectares across **3** scheduled sites, all of it protected under Schedule A. Shares read from a sampled join; a recognition overlay, not a survey. The whole ledger: [ecology](https://www.chch.live/ecology).
The plan’s landscape schedules cover **14%** of this outline, about 179 hectares across **6** scheduled areas, and **16%** of it sits inside the coastal environment. Shares read from a sampled join; a protection overlay, not a ranking of views. The kept view: [landscape](https://www.chch.live/landscape).
The plan’s flood map draws **2%** of this outline inside **high flood hazard** ground, about 26 hectares across **2** mapped areas. The broader flood-management watch covers **31%** of it, Lower Styx River, Avon River. **14** ponding spots are mapped here, where the models expect water to sit. Shares read from a sampled join; a model’s map, not a promise. The waiting water: [flood-hazard](https://www.chch.live/flood-hazard).
The plan’s water-margin layers cross this outline, **12** classified reaches, the plan calling **Treleavens Drain** and **Styx River**
           by name, **2%** of it inside the setback strips, the widest holding **30 m** off the bank, and an esplanade line holds a public edge here. The margin is the plan’s drawing, not a survey of the bank. The drawn water: [water-margin](https://www.chch.live/water-margin).
The rebuild’s cameras filed **12** photographs on this ground, 2012–2015. Each frame is a receipt the dig left behind, a work log, not a survey of what stands now. The whole record: [rebuild](https://www.chch.live/rebuild).
The pedal network threads this ground, **1.0 km** of cycleway crosses the outline. A segment counts under every suburb its path enters; the whole network: [cycleways](https://www.chch.live/cycleways).
The rulebook binds this ground, **3** drawn instruments, 2 of them dog rules, 1 alcohol ban; the outline sits inside the takiwā of Te Ngai Tuahuriri Runanga. The bylaw is the instrument, this the map of it, the rulebook: [rules](https://www.chch.live/rules).
The files record **9** parcels of made or characterised ground inside this outline, mostly sand, compacted hardfill. A record is the file’s word on what was laid, not a fresh survey; the layer is at [fill](https://www.chch.live/fill).
The 2019 liquefaction study put **94%** of this outline in the **possible** class. A class is the model’s verdict on a patch of ground, not a finding about an address; the study is at [vulnerability](https://www.chch.live/vulnerability).
The council’s structure register stands **4** assets on this ground, 1 bridge, 1 ramp, 1 shelter, 1 boardwalk, sited at Bottle Lake Forest, Waimairi Beach Park. Site names are the register’s own labels; the layer is drawn on [the map](https://www.chch.live/map?layer=structures).
The recreation register keeps **6** records inside this outline, bookable surfaces for 4 disc golf, 1 bmx, plus a marked dog exercise area. Seasons and surfaces are the register’s record, not this week’s draw; the layer is drawn on [the map](https://www.chch.live/map?layer=recreation).
The register counts **132** living trees inside this outline, **1** veteran among them, 5 carrying a protection, mostly Worplesdon Sweet Gum, English Oak, Gum. The file remembers **32** trees felled here. A tree record is the register’s word on what stands or stood; the canopy is at [trees](https://www.chch.live/trees).
The plan files **60%** of this outline under **Open Space Natural**, the rest mostly Rural Urban Fringe 23%, Open Space Coastal 7%. A zone is a permission, not a description, the mix is a sampled read of the plan’s polygons; the district’s zoning is at [zones](https://www.chch.live/zones).
GeoNet’s catalogue puts 4 magnitude-3+ epicentres inside this outline since the sequence opened, the biggest a M3.7 in 2010. An epicentre is where the instruments placed the break, not a measure of the shaking here; the whole catalogue is counted at [sequence](https://www.chch.live/sequence), and the story in plain language is [the earthquakes explainer](https://www.chch.live/how-nz-works/canterbury-earthquakes).

## The names on this ground (1)
- [Styx River](https://www.chch.live/river/styx-river), waterway · 19.8 km

The named waterways, bays, headlands, monuments, summits and old sites OpenStreetMap puts inside this outline, a pin is the mapper’s own; a waterway belongs to every suburb it crosses. Every roll, counted: [geography](https://www.chch.live/geography).

## Documents that name it

*These are leads, not verified claims, search ties, not read sources.*
- [Page 1 Advertisements Column 1 (Star, 26 September 1871)](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TS18710926.2.2.1), [Papers Past](https://www.chch.live/collection/papers-past) · 1871-09-26T00:00:00.000Z
- [Painting of Bottle Lake](https://www.canterburystories.nz/collections/community/all-saints-church/ccl-cs-85699), [Canterbury Stories](https://www.chch.live/collection/canterbury-stories) · 1882-01-01T00:00:00Z
- [Page 2 Advertisements Column 6 (Star, 13 January 1886)](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TS18860113.2.16.6), [Papers Past](https://www.chch.live/collection/papers-past) · 1886-01-13T00:00:00.000Z
- [Page 1 Advertisements Column 2 (Star, 05 April 1889)](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TS18890405.2.5.2), [Papers Past](https://www.chch.live/collection/papers-past) · 1889-04-05T00:00:00.000Z
- [Page 1 Advertisements Column 4 (Star, 08 April 1889)](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TS18890408.2.4.4), [Papers Past](https://www.chch.live/collection/papers-past) · 1889-04-08T00:00:00.000Z
- [Christchurch Harriers. (Star, 22 July 1889)](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TS18890722.2.40), [Papers Past](https://www.chch.live/collection/papers-past) · 1889-07-22T00:00:00.000Z
- [OUR DEFENCES. (Star, 25 July 1889)](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TS18890725.2.38), [Papers Past](https://www.chch.live/collection/papers-past) · 1889-07-25T00:00:00.000Z
- [CHRISTCHURCH. (Star, 23 June 1890)](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TS18900623.2.41.1), [Papers Past](https://www.chch.live/collection/papers-past) · 1890-06-23T00:00:00.000Z
- [New Brighton Steamer. (Star, 16 May 1891)](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TS18910516.2.37), [Papers Past](https://www.chch.live/collection/papers-past) · 1891-05-16T00:00:00.000Z
- [Latest Locals. (Star, 16 February 1892)](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TS18920216.2.27), [Papers Past](https://www.chch.live/collection/papers-past) · 1892-02-16T00:00:00.000Z

## The wire on Bottle Lake
- [Mouse-ear Chickweeds seen — Bottle Lake, Christchurch 8083, New Zealand](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/407181040), iNaturalist · melwhiting, 10 Oct 2026
- [Something seen — Bottle Lake, Christchurch 8083, New Zealand](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/406429264), iNaturalist · dmc838, 7 Oct 2026
- [Flatworms seen — Bottle Lake, Christchurch 8083, New Zealand](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/405704941), iNaturalist · melwhiting, 4 Oct 2026
- [Great Pond Snail seen — Bottle Lake, Christchurch 8083, New Zealand](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/405704669), iNaturalist · melwhiting, 4 Oct 2026
- [Kawaupaka (Little Shag) seen — Bottle Lake, Christchurch 8083, New Zealand](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/405704468), iNaturalist · melwhiting, 4 Oct 2026

[The whole wire](https://www.chch.live/wire)

## The crash record (6 injury crashes)

6 crashes that hurt somebody on record inside the suburb’s outline, 2 seriously hurt, nobody killed.

The corner that keeps appearing: [Lower Styx Road at Dunlops Road](https://www.chch.live/crashes?road=lower-styx-rd&suburb=bottle-lake), 2 injury crashes.

- [Every crash it holds](https://www.chch.live/crashes?suburb=bottle-lake)
- [The city’s whole record](https://www.chch.live/crashes)

## The crime record (95 recorded victimisations)

95 victimisations on the NZ Police record inside the suburb’s outline, September 2022–August 2026, mostly theft, about 6 a year per 1,000 residents. Reported is not all, how much never reaches the record depends on the offence.

- [The suburb on the crime map](https://www.chch.live/crime?grain=suburb&area=bottle-lake)
- [The city’s whole record](https://www.chch.live/crime)

## Businesses here (3 in the directory)

From OpenStreetMap, the council’s licensed-premises register and its 2024 Find Christchurch directory, each kind opens at this suburb’s shelf.

- [Attractions](https://www.chch.live/businesses/attraction#in-bottle-lake), 1
- [Clubs](https://www.chch.live/businesses/club#in-bottle-lake), 1
- [Galleries](https://www.chch.live/businesses/gallery#in-bottle-lake), 1

- [The whole directory](https://www.chch.live/businesses)

## Next door
- [Parklands](https://www.chch.live/parklands)
- [Marshland](https://www.chch.live/marshland)
- [Ouruhia](https://www.chch.live/ouruhia)
- [Spencerville](https://www.chch.live/spencerville)
- [Waimairi Beach](https://www.chch.live/waimairi-beach)
- [North New Brighton](https://www.chch.live/north-new-brighton)

[Compare](https://www.chch.live/compare) Bottle Lake with [Parklands](https://www.chch.live/compare?a=bottle-lake&b=parklands) · [Marshland](https://www.chch.live/compare?a=bottle-lake&b=marshland) · [Ouruhia](https://www.chch.live/compare?a=bottle-lake&b=ouruhia) · [Spencerville](https://www.chch.live/compare?a=bottle-lake&b=spencerville) · [Waimairi Beach](https://www.chch.live/compare?a=bottle-lake&b=waimairi-beach) · [North New Brighton](https://www.chch.live/compare?a=bottle-lake&b=north-new-brighton), same record, side by side.

## Questions, answered briefly

**What is Bottle Lake?**

Bottle Lake is an area in the north-east of Christchurch with a low number of residents. The public record holds 549 council reports for it, the first filed in July 2015.

**How many people live in Bottle Lake?**

1,090 people at the 2023 Census, 88 per square kilometre across 12 km².

**How many people does the 2023 Census count for Bottle Lake?**

About 4,011 people and 1,479 occupied private households (wider SA2 stand-in): grouped from Stats NZ SA1 areas through this site’s suburb join. Indicative, not a LIM.

**What gets reported in Bottle Lake?**

549 reports on record, most often rubbish & dumping (243), trees & parks (134), roads & footpaths (54). 127 of them in the year to 14 October 2026.

**How many crashes has Bottle Lake had?**

6 injury crashes on the police record inside the suburb’s outline, 2 seriously hurt, nobody killed. [The suburb’s crashes, mapped →](https://www.chch.live/crashes?suburb=bottle-lake)

Data: https://api.chch.live/suburb?name=Bottle%20Lake · Reports: https://api.chch.live/reports.rss?suburb=Bottle%20Lake