The Christchurch City Council has quashed invoices worth $50,533 issued after a number of protests over the summer led by The Freedom and Rights Coalition (TFARC).
The Council and Mayor Lianne Dalziel met with TFARC Canterbury leader Derek Tait on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the outstanding bill to recover costs for traffic management.
Council general manager infrastructure Jane Davis said in a statement that the meeting was constructive and the council agreed to waive payment "on the understanding that the Freedom and Rights Coalition will discuss in advance any plans they have for protest activity that could impact traffic around the city".
Davis said the decision to quash the invoice was not taken lightly.
"We unreservedly uphold the right of citizens to protest peacefully," she said.
"However, the Freedom and Rights Coalition did not engage with us at the time about their protest marches and how they could be managed safely, as other protest organisers do."
She said Tait has agreed to engage with the council from now on.
"We have said that we will not pressure payment of the invoices."
TFARC shared the news on its Facebook page, pointing to Tait's "good old southern charm and charisma" that helped in getting the invoices quashed.
"Finally, some good old common sense has prevailed."
Destiny Church leader Hannah Tamaki also celebrated the news, tweeting: "When you have a face-to-face meeting, things always turn out better."
