The Christchurch City council wants the planned regeneration plan for New Brighton to be widened to include neighbouring suburbs.
Newly-established organisation Regenerate Christchurch intends to develop a plan to strengthen the coastal suburb of New Brighton.
Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel said in its Annual Plan the council agreed to ask Regenerate Christchurch to include Southshore and South Brighton in those plans.
She said without this change the council may have to go through a much more complicated process dealing with the Reserves Act, Resource Management Act, and potentially the Public Works Act.
"If we can develop a regeneration plan that does require some changes to how we think about those areas, then we can fast-track that, but actually engage the community in a conversion about it.
"Rather than (the public) preparing formal submissions for the district plan hearing or for the environment court."
Ms Dalziel said the council accepted the need for a flood plain and estuary-edge management in Southshore and South Brighton.