Jimmy Chen: Standing for the fourth term as city councillor
By Li Huizi
As the only Chinese City Councillor in Christchurch, Jimmy Chen is not only well known in the Chinese community, but also well known in the Christchurch multiethnic community as well as the wider Hornby community.
This time Chen stands for City Councillor for the fourth term in the October 12 Local Body Elections representing the Hornby Ward. He said he is eager to continue to serve the community.
He is currently Chair of the Council’s Multicultural Subcommittee as well as Chair of the Co uncil’s International Relations Working Group. He is a strong advocate for the people in the southwest suburbs of the city, as well as an advocate for the multiethnic and multicultural communities.
As a City Councillor, he led the Multicultural Working Party to develop the Multicultural Strategy, the final version of which was adopted by the Council in February 2017.
This strategy is a commitment by the Council to provide a framework and a set of goals and actions to ensure every Christchurch resident has a sense of identity in their own culture and language, and a sense of belonging to their own community.
As Chair of the Multicultural Subcommittee, he is taking the lead to oversee the implementation of the Multicultural Strategy.
Chen said the City Council passed the international relations policy framework last month, which is a strategic document, and he is working to create an action plan for implementation.
He has been advocating a community recreation centre in the southwest of Christchurch, which has been approved and is expected to be open in October 2022. The 35.7 million-NZ dollar project includes a new Hornby Library, Service Centre,
and Southwest Leisure Centre, which will be located at the Kyle Park.
“It will greatly benefit the Hornby community,” Chen said.
Christchurch is an international, multicultural, innovative, and sustainable city, he said, adding Chinese Lantern Festival and Lunar New Year are important multicultural events citywide.
Chen was born in Taiwan, and his parents were from Sichuan Province.
Chen moved to Christchurch in 1996 with his wife and two daughters.
In Taiwan, he earned a Bachelor of Science and Master of Commerce.
In 2010, Chen was elected as a Christchurch City Councillor, and was re-elected in 2013 and 2016.
