Is Christchurch on the board with a new edition of Monopoly?

Would you build houses on leafy Hagley Park, or buy Brighton Pier? How would you handle owning Christchurch’s battered wastewater plant?

Choose between the Margaret Mahy playground and the adventure park. Who wants Cathedral Square in its post-quake shabbiness? What would it cost to buy the red zone?

With just a roll of the dice, the city’s prize assets and troublesome utilities could be up for grabs – once a Christchurch edition of Monopoly hits the shelves later this year.

An Australian board game maker with the rights to make Monopoly in Australasia has turned its focus to the city for the first time. And now it wants to hear what Christchurch people want to see on the board.

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But all may not be as it seems with the simple request.

The game’s maker has a monopoly on Monopoly after all, and past events suggest money could play a significant part in the decision-making.

The company, Sydney-based Winning Moves, makes and distributes Monopoly sets under licence from Hasbro, the American owner of the game.

Winning Moves spokesman Dale Hackett says they make two or three Australasian city versions a year, and thought Christchurch had “bounced back” after “a tremendous amount of hardship”. The game should be on sale by October.

“What iconic local spots do you want to see on the board?” he asked.

Something will need to stand in for posh Mayfair and Park Lane from the popular London version.

The company’s Aussie editions chose city landmarks rather than streets – including Melbourne’s MCG cricket ground and Sydney Harbour.

Are the Sumner esplanade, Cashel St, or the Arts Centre among Christchurch’s most valuable sites? Maybe Riverside Market?

Other spots suggested by people in central Christchurch on Tuesday were the Avon River, Ballantynes, the Botanic Gardens, the trams, Antigua Boatsheds and the Antarctic Centre.

Perhaps the British version’s water and railway utility equivalents would be Three Waters and the cycleway network?

Winning Moves does sound in need of some guidance on Christchurch.

“From the incredible Māori museums and galleries to the quaint cafes, we need you, the locals, to tell us what deserves to be on the board,” Hackett says in a statement.

Is he thinking of Canterbury Museum, with its recently banished dioramas?

Perhaps the yet-to-open Te Kaha stadium and Parakiore sports centre will be up for grabs, complete with the risk of budget blowouts, worker shortages and site slumpage.

But Winning Moves’ own monopoly is where things get financial.

Versions of the game have been created in past years for Auckland, Wellington, Palmerston North and Southland.

Top attractions chosen by the Wellington public for the city’s Monopoly edition in 2017, including the Cable Car, did not make the board when they refused to pay a fee demanded by Winning Moves.

Wellington Stadium confirmed it paid for its place on the board, but wouldn’t say how much.

To get its game together in 2021, Palmerston North paid almost $100,000 and council staff spent 18 months designing the board.

Hackett refused to say whether Christchurch attractions would be billed for a spot on the game. He said he was unable to comment on any of the company’s agreements over “partnerships” or financial contributions.

He also would not say whether Christchurch City Council, ChristchurchNZ or the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce would make financial contributions.

His company just wanted to hear from the public about tourist, hospitality or education venues, he said.

“What makes Christchurch what it is? We are looking to create an iconic edition”.

If enough Christchurch attractions stump up to be on the board, ideas will also be needed for the Chance and Community Chest cards that feature in the game.

Stuff suggests the following:

• You crash your car into a tram full of tourists– go to jail and Do Not Pass Go.
• Developers build a tall townhouse complex next door – your property value tumbles.
• Mayor Phil Mauger gives you the keys to the city – jump forward 10 spaces.
• Pigeon problems stall repairs to the quake-damaged cathedral – pay extra rates.
• The airport’s expansion to Central Otago is approved – collect a fat dividend.

In the 1990s, Hasbro released a New Zealand Monopoly with one location from each of the main cities and towns.

Since then, a lot has changed for Christchurch. The city’s contribution then was Cathedral Square, sitting third behind Queen St and Lambton Quay.

People can have their say now on the upcoming Christchurch edition of Monopoly on a special Facebook page or by emailing info@winningmoves.com.au. The game will go on sale at a recommended price of about $70.