Deon Swiggs

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Deon William Swiggs (born 6 September 1986 in Nelson, New Zealand) is a New Zealand politician and community leader. He is the chair of the Canterbury Regional Council (Environment Canterbury) and serves as a councillor for the Christchurch West/Ōpuna constituency. He previously served as a Christchurch City Councillor for the Central Ward from 2016 to 2019.

Swiggs founded Rebuild Christchurch after the 2010 Canterbury earthquake to gather recovery information and help residents understand what was happening in the rebuilding effort.

Early life and career: He is the eldest of three siblings and was raised at Parihaka Pa until age five. He attended Marlborough Boys’ College and, after high school, joined the Royal New Zealand Navy as a navigation officer (2005–2008). He then worked as a real estate agent in New Plymouth and Christchurch, founded Swiggs Consulting Limited, and later became the South Island Accounts Manager at AdzUp. Two days after the 2010 earthquake, he founded Rebuild Christchurch to share recovery information.

Education and recognition: In 2013 he earned a Bachelor of Applied Management from CPIT (now Ara Institute) with a focus on Sales and Marketing, plus a graduate diploma in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. He has been awarded a Doctor of Business Administration. He was nominated for Young New Zealander of the Year in 2012 and is recognised for his leadership in the post‑earthquake Canterbury rebuild. He was also the first openly gay Christchurch City Councillor.

Political career and issues: Swiggs won a seat on the Christchurch City Council in October 2016 and served on housing and community development committees, focusing on central-city rebuilding, infrastructure, homelessness, and community engagement. He was a founding trustee of the Canterbury Insurance Advocacy Service and resigned from that role in December 2016. In September 2019 he faced an internal investigation over complaints about messaging at youth events; he denied any wrongdoing, and the matter did not reach a full conclusion before his term ended. He lost his city council seat in the 2019 election to Jake McLellan.

Environment Canterbury: In October 2022 Swiggs returned to local government as a member of Environment Canterbury for Christchurch West/Ōpuna. He has emphasized freshwater management, climate change adaptation, transport connectivity, and regional planning collaboration. He was appointed Deputy Chair of the council in October 2024. He was re-elected in the 2025 local elections, polling 14,806 votes; Sara Gerard was elected alongside him, replacing Craig Pauling, with Swiggs outperforming other contenders. He has signalled his intention to contest the chairpersonship of the council at the start of the new term.

Community impact: Swiggs has maintained active involvement in Christchurch through the Rebuild Christchurch Foundation, which supports quake-affected suburbs with resources and events, and through the Canterbury Insurance Advocacy Service. He is also known for his work with youth-government and community leadership networks and his advocacy for LGBTQ+ causes.