# Port Levy, Christchurch

84 council reports since November 2015, the 100th busiest suburb in the city. 66 photographs on record.

https://www.chch.live/port-levy

## 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

Port Levy is a long, sheltered bay and settlement on Banks Peninsula in Canterbury, New Zealand. The current population is under 100, but in the mid-19th century it was the largest Māori settlement in Canterbury with a population of about 400 people. It is named after Solomon Levey, an Australian merchant and ship owner who sent a number of trading vessels to the Banks Peninsula area during the 1820s.

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Levy), a tertiary source

## 2023 Census snapshot

About 651 people and 276 occupied private households, grouped from 6 SA1 areas in Banks Peninsula Eastern Bays, Diamond Harbour. 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 15% (99 people)
- 65 and over: about 27% (174 people)
- Born overseas: about 19% of stated birthplace
- European ethnicity: about 93% of ethnicity responses

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 (66 on record)
- [1679 Western Valley Road, Banks Peninsula, Port Levy 8972](https://www.chch.live/report/8772377)
- [343-257 Camp Bay Road, Port Levy 8972](https://www.chch.live/report/8564727)
- [Fernlea Point Rd, Diamond Harbour 8972](https://www.chch.live/report/8503590)
- [1456–1482 Western Valley Rd, Diamond Harbour 8972](https://www.chch.live/report/8355802)
- [41–189 Wharf Rd, Diamond Harbour 8972](https://www.chch.live/report/7897490)
- [257 Camp Bay Road, Port Levy 8972](https://www.chch.live/report/7732078)

[66 photographs on the wall](https://www.chch.live/wall?suburb=port-levy)

## The suburb, back then (3 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.*
- [Port Cooper (Tewhaka), Port Levy (Koko-rarata), and Pigeon Bay (Wakaroa) surveyed by Captn. J. L. Stokes, R.N.](https://www.chch.live/then/1850s#p-29954447), 1856 · Kura Heritage Collections Online
- [Port Levy, a favourite picnic bay](https://www.chch.live/then/1890s#p-52173138), 1896 · Canterbury Stories
- [Easter holiday at Port Levy](https://www.chch.live/then/1930s#p-61076857), 1934 · Canterbury Stories

## The record on Port Levy
- Port Levy enters the written record in 22 March 1851, [“RURAL SECTIONS CHOSEN. (Lyttelton Times, 22 March 1851)”](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/LT18510322.2.16), [Papers Past](https://www.chch.live/collection/papers-past).
- “Port Levy” appears somewhere in 235 of the archive’s records.
- A Papers Past search for the name surfaced 30 records, leads by provenance.
- The first report here: roading/streets, 9 November 2015, at 80.
- Its busiest day was 21 June 2019, 7 reports in a single day.
- The street that keeps coming up is [Western Valley Road](https://www.chch.live/street/port-levy/western-valley-road), reported on 17 separate days.
- For elections the suburb’s centre falls inside [Banks Peninsula ward](https://www.chch.live/wards/banks-peninsula), the [Banks Peninsula community board](https://www.chch.live/boards/banks-peninsula) is its local layer. The whole roll is at [/wards](https://www.chch.live/wards).

## How fast the council fixes things here (126 finished jobs on record)

The median council work order pinned in Port Levy took **6 weeks** 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 6 months or longer.
8 tickets are open here now, the oldest was filed 27 February 2025.

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
- [Dumped Rubbish](https://www.chch.live/report/8772377), 19 Aug 2026 · 1679 Western Valley Road, “Greenwaste has continually been dumped by the road on council land here. It has filled the space and now it is being…”
- [Roads - General](https://www.chch.live/report/8564727), 13 Jul 2026 · 343-257 Camp Bay Road, “Hey Team Happy Monday can we get this site rail repaired Thanks ??”
- [Dumped Rubbish](https://www.chch.live/report/8503590), 1 Jul 2026 · Fernlea Point Rd, “Someone has dumped a pile of old carpet & carpet underlay. It was down a cliff toward the sea, I have moved it…”
- [Damaged Road](https://www.chch.live/report/8355802), 3 Jun 2026 · 1456–1482 Western Valley Rd, “Bank above road, supporting significant trees, continues to erode. Caused by loggers widening the road here.”
- [Fallen Tree](https://www.chch.live/report/7897490), 13 Mar 2026 · 41–189 Wharf Rd, “In the big wind recently this tree broke in pieces across the road, the farmer pushed it to the side with a tractor so…”
- [Road Signage](https://www.chch.live/report/7732078), 13 Feb 2026 · 257 Camp Bay Road, “Overgrown wild fennel lining both sides of the road, blocking visibility of road sign and shortly will collapse onto…”
- [Roads - General](https://www.chch.live/report/7723055), 11 Feb 2026 · 1457 Western Valley Rd, “This back continues to collapse and erode. This was reported a couple of years ago, it was dug out by loggers using the…”
- [General Request](https://www.chch.live/report/7697938), 7 Feb 2026 · 444 Camp Bay Road, “access to the eastern side of the beach has eroded over the last few years making beach access really difficult…”
- [Park - General Request](https://www.chch.live/report/7404207), 18 Dec 2025 · 444 Camp Bay Road, “Fence has been repaired. Too high to climb easily over. Needs a stile. The dogs prohibited sign is falling off. Needs…”
- [Trees - General](https://www.chch.live/report/7114656), 28 Oct 2025 · 7 Puari Rd, “There are many large trees growing/blocking the stream in front of the ford near 5 Puari Road, Port Levy that need to…”
- [Trees - General](https://www.chch.live/report/7070003), 20 Oct 2025 · 893 Purau Port Levy Road, “This large branch fell on Sat and blocked the road. We cleaned it up but 2 further large branches are broken and…”
- [Trees - General](https://www.chch.live/report/6698657), 4 Aug 2025 · 1679 Western Valley Road, “These trees are leaning dangerously close to 33,000 volt power lines. Tree tech came and cut a few lower branches off…”

## Reports per year
- 2015, 1
- 2016, 3
- 2017, 10
- 2018, 3
- 2019, 16
- 2020, 4
- 2021, 4
- 2022, 3
- 2023, 11
- 2024, 9
- 2025, 12

## What gets reported
- Roads & footpaths, 41
- Trees & parks, 24
- Rubbish & dumping, 9
- Water & drains, 7
- Everything else, 3

## Exactly what people say
- [Roading/Streets](https://www.chch.live/problems/road-damage), 26
- [Parks](https://www.chch.live/problems/parks-maintenance), 12
- [Trees - General](https://www.chch.live/problems/trees), 4
- [Street Gutters / Storm Water](https://www.chch.live/problems/stormwater), 4
- [Roads - General](https://www.chch.live/problems/road-damage), 4
- [Road Blockage](https://www.chch.live/problems/road-damage), 4
- [Dumped Rubbish](https://www.chch.live/problems/dumped-rubbish), 4
- [Damaged Road](https://www.chch.live/problems/road-damage), 4

## On the heritage register (3)
- [Former Little Port Cooper School and Setting](https://www.chch.live/place/395)
- [Quarantine Cemetery](https://www.chch.live/place/394), 450 Camp Bay Road
- [St Paul's Church and Setting](https://www.chch.live/place/333), 901 Purau - Port Levy Road

## The streets that keep coming up
- [Western Valley Road](https://www.chch.live/street/port-levy/western-valley-road), reported on 17 separate days
- [Camp Bay Road](https://www.chch.live/street/port-levy/camp-bay-road), reported on 11 separate days
- [Wharf Road](https://www.chch.live/street/port-levy/wharf-road), reported on 5 separate days
- [Pa Road](https://www.chch.live/street/port-levy/pa-road), reported on 4 separate days
- [Purau Port Levy Road](https://www.chch.live/street/port-levy/purau-port-levy-road), reported on 2 separate days
- [Puari Road](https://www.chch.live/street/port-levy/puari-road), reported on 2 separate days
- [Port Levy](https://www.chch.live/street/port-levy/port-levy), reported on 2 separate days

Zoned for [Aidanfield Christian School](https://www.chch.live/school/82-aidanfield-christian-school) · [Christchurch Adventist School](https://www.chch.live/school/317-christchurch-adventist-school) · [Middleton Grange School](https://www.chch.live/school/335-middleton-grange-school) · [St Thomas of Canterbury College](https://www.chch.live/school/331-st-thomas-of-canterbury-college) · [Villa Maria College](https://www.chch.live/school/326-villa-maria-college) · [Cashmere High School](https://www.chch.live/school/340-cashmere-high-school) (part) · and 2 more zones, the drawn zone is indicative; the Ministry’s written scheme is the legal boundary.

## The green here (2)
- [Forestry Reserve Port Levy](https://www.chch.live/park/998-forestry-reserve-port-levy), Regional · 3 ha
- [Port Levy Recreation Reserve](https://www.chch.live/park/1491-port-levy-recreation-reserve)

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

## The civic shelf (5)
- [Fernlea Point Road Collection Point](https://www.chch.live/facility/transfer-station-22), Transfer station
- [Pa Road Collection Point](https://www.chch.live/facility/transfer-station-21), Transfer station
- [Port Levy Collection Point](https://www.chch.live/facility/transfer-station-25), Transfer station
- [Puari Road Collection Point](https://www.chch.live/facility/transfer-station-38), Transfer station
- [Purau-Port Levy Road Collection Point](https://www.chch.live/facility/transfer-station-28), Transfer station

## Where the suburb worships (1)
- [St Paul's Port Levy](https://www.chch.live/worship/st-paul-s-port-levy), an Anglican church · 901 Purau - Port Levy Road

The whole roll is at [/worship](https://www.chch.live/worship).

## The marae standing here (1)
- [Koukourārata Marae](https://www.chch.live/marae/koukourarata), papatipu marae · wharenui Tūtehuarewa · 9 Puāri Road, Port Levy

The whole roll is at [/maraes](https://www.chch.live/maraes).
The flood record drew water over 16.1% of this outline, about 1,335 hectares, across 1 named event. A patch is one event’s observation, not a live hazard finding; the record is at [floods](https://www.chch.live/floods).
No named slope-hazard band reaches this outline. The broad remaining-instability overlay covers **81%** of it besides, the plan’s background watch over the hill country. Shares read from a sampled join; a management overlay, not a prediction. The whole watch: [slope](https://www.chch.live/slope).
The plan’s schedule of sites significant to Ngāi Tahu covers **36%** of this outline, about 2,976 hectares, ngā tūranga tūpuna, wāhi tapu/wāhi taonga, ngā wai. A silent-file precinct covers **19%** 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 **3%** of this outline, about 283 hectares across **2** scheduled sites, **3%** of it Schedule B, identified on private land but not yet protected. 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 **82%** of this outline, about 6,802 hectares across **21** scheduled areas, **15%** of it outstanding, the plan’s strongest landscape standing, and **11%** of it sits inside the coastal environment. **5** main ridgelines run through, the skyline itself is protected. 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 water-margin layers cross this outline, **67** classified reaches, the plan calling **Owhetoro Stream** and **Te Kawa Stream**
           by name, **1%** of it inside the setback strips, the widest holding **10 m** off the bank. 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 plan’s allowed shape holds this outline, **2** hill density lines hold the high ground low. The shape is the plan’s permission, not a survey of what stands. The allowed shape: [density](https://www.chch.live/density).
The rebuild’s cameras filed **5** photographs on this ground, stormwater work mostly. 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 remembered names stand on this ground, **2** inscribed plaques, [Port Levy Former School Site](https://www.chch.live/plaque/310864-port-levy-former-school-site) among the grounds. The plaque is the register’s pin, not a surveyed spot; the whole roll: [plaques](https://www.chch.live/plaques).
The rulebook binds this ground, **4** drawn instruments, 4 of them dog rules; the outline sits inside the takiwā of Rapaki Runanga, Te Runanga o Koukourarata and Wairewa Runanga. The bylaw is the instrument, this the map of it, the rulebook: [rules](https://www.chch.live/rules).
The council’s structure register stands **2** assets on this ground, 1 shelter, 1 jetty, sited at Port Levy Marae. Site names are the register’s own labels; the layer is drawn on [the map](https://www.chch.live/map?layer=structures).
The register counts **1** living tree inside this outline, **1** veteran among them, mostly Gum. 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 **73%** of this outline under **Rural Banks Peninsula**, the rest mostly Papakainga Kainga Nohoanga 7%, Open Space Natural 2%, 82% of the outline fell inside a mapped zone. 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).
The plan’s heritage schedule protects **2** places by name in this suburb, **1** graded highly significant, **St Paul's Church and Setting**, **Former Little Port Cooper School and Setting**. A setting is the ground the item stands in, each files under the suburb holding its centroid. The schedule is at [heritage](https://www.chch.live/heritage).
GeoNet’s catalogue puts 87 magnitude-3+ epicentres inside this outline since the sequence opened, the biggest a M4.9 in 2011. 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 (17)
- [Kokourarata Pou](https://www.chch.live/memorial/kokourarata-pou), artwork
- [Port Levy (Potiriwi) / Koukourarata](https://www.chch.live/coast/port-levy-potiriwi-koukourarata), bay · Potiriwi
- [Waitata / Little Port Cooper](https://www.chch.live/coast/waitata-little-port-cooper), bay · Waitata
- [Baleine Point](https://www.chch.live/coast/baleine-point), headland
- [Pukeiti Point](https://www.chch.live/coast/pukeiti-point), headland · Pukeiti
- [Te Piaka / Adderley Head](https://www.chch.live/coast/te-piaka-adderley-head), headland · Te Piaka
- [Horomaka Island](https://www.chch.live/beach/horomaka-island), island · Horomaka
- [Pukerauaruhe Island](https://www.chch.live/beach/pukerauaruhe-island), island · Pukerauaruhe
- [Kaitara](https://www.chch.live/site/kaitara), old site
- [Puāri](https://www.chch.live/site/puari), old site
- [The Temple](https://www.chch.live/rock/temple), rock
- [Little Mount Herbert](https://www.chch.live/summit/little-mount-herbert), summit · 913 m
- [The Monument](https://www.chch.live/summit/monument), summit
- [Koukourārata Stream](https://www.chch.livenull), waterway · 1.0 km
- [Owhetoro Stream](https://www.chch.live/river/owhetoro-stream), waterway · 1.8 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.*
- [RURAL SECTIONS CHOSEN. (Lyttelton Times, 22 March 1851)](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/LT18510322.2.16), [Papers Past](https://www.chch.live/collection/papers-past) · 1851-03-22T00:00:00.000Z
- [RURAL SECTIONS CHOSEN. (Lyttelton Times, 29 March 1851)](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/LT18510329.2.11), [Papers Past](https://www.chch.live/collection/papers-past) · 1851-03-29T00:00:00.000Z
- [Page 8 Advertisements Column 3 (Lyttelton Times, 28 June 1851)](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/LT18510628.2.14.3), [Papers Past](https://www.chch.live/collection/papers-past) · 1851-06-28T00:00:00.000Z
- [SCHEDULE A. (Lyttelton Times, 19 June 1852)](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/LT18520619.2.16), [Papers Past](https://www.chch.live/collection/papers-past) · 1852-06-19T00:00:00.000Z
- [JURY LIST. (Lyttelton Times, 31 March 1855)](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/LT18550331.2.3), [Papers Past](https://www.chch.live/collection/papers-past) · 1855-03-31T00:00:00.000Z
- [Port Cooper (Tewhaka), Port Levy (Koko-rarata), and Pigeon Bay (Wakaroa) surveyed by Captn. J. L. Stokes, R.N.](https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/maps/id/1600), [Kura Heritage Collections Online](https://www.chch.live/collection/kura-heritage-collections-online) · 1856-01-01T12:00:00.000Z
- [Page 2 Advertisements Column 1 (Lyttelton Times, 16 April 1856)](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/LT18560416.2.3.1), [Papers Past](https://www.chch.live/collection/papers-past) · 1856-04-16T00:00:00.000Z
- [Local Intelligence. (Lyttelton Times, 13 December 1856)](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/LT18561213.2.9), [Papers Past](https://www.chch.live/collection/papers-past) · 1856-12-13T00:00:00.000Z
- [Page 1 Advertisements Column 5 (Lyttelton Times, 05 December 1857)](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/LT18571205.2.2.5), [Papers Past](https://www.chch.live/collection/papers-past) · 1857-12-05T00:00:00.000Z
- [Page 1 Advertisements Column 5 (Lyttelton Times, 09 December 1857)](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/LT18571209.2.2.5), [Papers Past](https://www.chch.live/collection/papers-past) · 1857-12-09T00:00:00.000Z

## The wire on Port Levy
- [Stechginster seen — Port Levy 8972, Neuseeland](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/407443250), iNaturalist · amke1, 11 Oct 2026
- [As seen from South Brighton Surf Club at 9:30(22Sept 2026)tonight two very big flashes very low. First slightly above sea level -second just above port hills - towards Pigeon Bay/Port Levy direction…](https://www.reddit.com/r/chch/comments/1wn5134/big_light_flashes_at_port_hills_anybody_else_see/), r/chch · KatanaF2190, 22 Sept 2026
- [Something seen — Port Levy 8972, New Zealand](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/401115879), iNaturalist · danielbristow, 18 Sept 2026

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

## The crash record (5 injury crashes)

5 crashes that hurt somebody on record inside the suburb’s outline, 1 person killed, 1 seriously hurt.

The corner that keeps appearing: [Purau Port Levy Road at Western Valley Road](https://www.chch.live/crashes?road=purau-port-levy-rd&suburb=port-levy), 3 injury crashes, 1 fatal.

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

## The crime record (8 recorded victimisations)

8 victimisations on the NZ Police record inside the suburb’s outline, September 2022–August 2026, mostly burglary, about 3 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=port-levy)
- [The city’s whole record](https://www.chch.live/crime)

## Next door
- [Purau](https://www.chch.live/purau)
- [Diamond Harbour](https://www.chch.live/diamond-harbour)
- [te-onepoto-taylors-mistake](https://www.chch.live/te-onepoto-taylors-mistake)
- [Charteris Bay](https://www.chch.live/charteris-bay)
- [Lyttelton](https://www.chch.live/lyttelton)
- [Scarborough](https://www.chch.live/scarborough)

[Compare](https://www.chch.live/compare) Port Levy with [Purau](https://www.chch.live/compare?a=port-levy&b=purau) · [Diamond Harbour](https://www.chch.live/compare?a=diamond-harbour&b=port-levy) · [te-onepoto-taylors-mistake](https://www.chch.live/compare?a=port-levy&b=te-onepoto-taylors-mistake) · [Charteris Bay](https://www.chch.live/compare?a=charteris-bay&b=port-levy) · [Lyttelton](https://www.chch.live/compare?a=lyttelton&b=port-levy) · [Scarborough](https://www.chch.live/compare?a=port-levy&b=scarborough), same record, side by side.

## Questions, answered briefly

**What is Port Levy?**

Port Levy is a long, sheltered bay and settlement on Banks Peninsula in Canterbury, New Zealand. The public record holds 84 council reports for it, the first filed in November 2015.

**How many people does the 2023 Census count for Port Levy?**

About 651 people and 276 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 Port Levy?**

84 reports on record, most often roads & footpaths (41), trees & parks (24), rubbish & dumping (9). 11 of them in the year to 14 October 2026.

**How many crashes has Port Levy had?**

5 injury crashes on the police record inside the suburb’s outline, 1 person killed, 1 seriously hurt. [The suburb’s crashes, mapped →](https://www.chch.live/crashes?suburb=port-levy)

**What stood in Port Levy before?**

The heritage register holds 3 places here, [Former Little Port Cooper School and Setting](https://www.chch.live/place/395), [Quarantine Cemetery](https://www.chch.live/place/394) among them. The written record goes back further: [the shelf, for the name →](https://www.chch.live/documents?q=%22Port%20Levy%22)

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