A year wearing Wellington's mayoral chains: Andy Foster on broken pipes, broken promises, and battling Covid-19 and his colleagues
Friday, 9 October 2020
If there were points for “having conversations”, Andy Foster's report card following his first year as Wellington's mayor would be glowing.
But when it comes to delivering on his promises it makes for more sober reading.
Stuff has reviewed the major promises made by the mayor ahead of his election in 2019 and found, approaching his anniversary in office on Monday, most remained undelivered.
Multiple sources in the city have told Stuff that they are disappointed by the capital’s progress under Foster, pointing to his lack of presence, a fractured council, and a weak relationship with central government.
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“The council seems quite dysfunctional,” said Dr Bryce Edwards, Wellington-based political commentator and analyst. “I’m not sure he’s playing the role you need in that situation of being the chair of the board that brings people together.”
When elected, Foster promised to find a solution to the quake-prone and dormant central library within his first 150 days, develop a draft proposal to revitalise Te Ngākau Civic Square, resolve disputes over the proposed Shelly Bay development, and put forward a major housing development plan in Wellington’s Happy Valley.
A year on, none of these promises have been delivered, although some major decisions are due before Christmas on the library, Civic Square and Shelly Bay.
When asked about this unfinished business, Foster was quick to point out 2020 had been a year like no other. First there was the sudden collapse of the city’s water infrastructure over the summer, and then, of course, there was coronavirus.
“I’m pursuing every single one of those things, and I am ambitious for what we can achieve as a city, even in the current constrained environment. And I think we’re getting a lot done.”
Foster has also had his hand full dealing with tensions and factions among some councillors. But he said he was confident those disagreements had been ironed out, with councillors having worked “very hard” to do that.
On his pledge to find a solution for the earthquake-stricken central library by the end of March, the mayor said his intention was not to find a solution by then, only to present council with an array of solutions.
“We were going to have a process,” he said.
When reminded his promise was to agree on a solution, Foster said: “Well, there was a hope of doing that.”
“It clearly became a lot more complicated and a lot more expensive than we initially thought. Actually, if you think back, there were people saying you can do a basic strengthening for $30 million,” he said. “That wouldn't have needed a great long consultation.”
On the controversial $500m Shelly Bay development, which is the subject of two separate court cases, Foster said it was a “regular topic of conversation” at the council.
He favoured a different development for the Miramar Peninsula area, including a heritage park, and maintains he believed a year ago that a resolution was possible in his first 150 days. .
“I also looked at what councillors’ views were, but councillors then – given the changing environment – wanted us to just push pause for a moment on making a decision,” Foster said.
There were also “conversations going on” about bringing forward construction of an extra Mt Victoria tunnel, currently scheduled to be built after 2029.
Foster said he last met with Transport Minister Phil Twyford about six weeks ago, and the tunnel was “definitely a part of the conversation”. “You will see some things out of that,” the mayor said.
However, Twyford said in a statement that no changes to the current timeline were being discussed. The last official meeting between the pair was in July.
The ambitious Happy Valley development proposal had been put on hold because some councillors opposed it, while some decisions about Civic Square would be made before Christmas, Foster said.
On the council’s achievements under his tenure so far, Foster pointed to its climate change action plan and keeping rates increases below forecast levels. The council had also quickly developed and rolled out a pandemic response plan, and had “the best events programme in New Zealand”, he said.
However, the mayor said the budget for the next financial year looked “horrible”, with forecast rates increases upwards of 15 per cent.
‘A bit lacklustre’
Edwards said Foster had appeared “a bit lacklustre” in his first year in office. “On the face of it, he’s not really shaking things up.”
That observation was consistent with other sources spoken to by Stuff, who said Foster was often happy to go his own way and not interested in “politicking” to secure consensus or voting numbers.
That had often left him open to surprises, like when he lost a vote on restoring free Sunday parking or was presented with a notice of motion on establishing iwi seats on council committees.
Some “left bloc” councillors have been accused of making life difficult for Foster, but those spoken to by Stuff deny there is any ill-will towards him.
They point to cross-party consensus on some votes, and Foster’s inability to even get some of his election promises to the council table, let alone passed, as evidence they are not working against him.
Projects which had not advanced to a vote included the Happy Valley proposal, an e-vehicle purchase scheme, and a draft proposal to revamp Te Ngākau Civic Square.
Wellington Chamber of Commerce chief executive John Milford said the impact of Covid-19 on the council’s budget had to be considered when judging Foster’s performance.
The scale of the library and water pipe problems were also now clearer than they were a year ago, Milford said.
“You do have to cut [Foster] some slack, but equally, you’ve got to hold him or councillors to account. It’s a team effort and you’ve got to ask ‘Has the team performed?’, as well,” Milford said. “For whatever reason, we’re not getting as much progress as one would hope.”
Andy Foster’s first year
Hits
Lower central city speed limits
Approve funding for Karori Event Centre
Draft climate change action plan
Reduce forecast rates rise
The council also consulted on a draft spatial plan and priority bus lanes
Misses
Advance Mt Victoria tunnel
Free Sunday parking
Agree way forward for Shelly Bay
Solution for central library
Draft proposal for Te Ngākau Civic Square
Restore Snapper on Airport Flyer
E-vehicle purchase scheme
Establish rates taskforce
Landfill carbon-offset deal
Happy Valley housing proposal