Phil Mauger

Philip Simon Mauger (born c. 1958) is a politician and former businessman who has served as the Mayor of Christchurch since 2022.

Before entering politics, Mauger owned and operated an earthmoving and construction company. In 2019 he was elected to the Christchurch City Council as councillor for the Burwood ward. At the following local-body elections in 2022 he was elected mayor of Christchurch.

Mauger grew up in Burwood, later moving to Avonhead. He is the son of Warner and Patricia Mauger. Warner operated a service station and car mechanic business in Burwood.

In 1974 he started working for his grandfather's company Maugers Contracting, later becoming the owner. The business works mainly in earthworks for subdivisions, roads and drainage. The business was involved in restoring roads in the east of Christchurch after the 2010 Christchurch earthquakes.

Mauger and Christchurch Mag & Turbo Warehouse owner Hayden Knighton were badly injured in 2015 when their car was sandwiched between four vehicles (including a fuel tanker) on the Great Western Highway west of Sydney necessitating a long recovery period. He suffered 21 broken bones and was in intensive care for two weeks.

Mauger is a centre-right independent politician. He has been aligned with the "frugal five"; a group of councillors that take a conservative approach to council spending, and oppose increases in rates. He has been described as having a "hands-on" approach to resolving problems, that has sometimes put him in conflict with council staff and bylaws.

Mauger was elected as the councillor for Burwood ward in the 2019 local government election. He defeated three-term incumbent Glenn Livingstone who had been in the seat since 2010.

In 2020, Mauger used heavy equipment from his company to dig a drainage trench on residential red zone land. This was a "vigilante" attempt to resolve flooding in the area. However, he had not sought permission from council. The repair and remediation cost the council approximately NZ$9,000. He was fined NZ$300. In March 2021 he opened a quarry without appropriate consents in Templeton.