Tory Whanau announces priorities for LTP amidst fear of Government intervention

Monday, 21 October 2024

Local Government Minister Simeon Brown is weighing advice on potential government intervention into the Wellington City Council. Discussions follow a meeting with the mayor and ongoing concerns regarding council operations.

Tory Whanau has announced her top priorities for any amendments to the city’s long term plan.

The announcement came after a week of turmoil at Wellington City Council, with the prospect of government intervention on the table.

Local Government Minister Simeon Brown today said he was considering advice to intervene at the council.

Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has announced where cuts should and should not be made in the city’s long term plan (LTP), with the mayor meeting once again with councillors to discuss next steps to amend the LTP.

The meeting on Monday afternoon came after a week of turmoil for the mayor, with her future being cast into doubt following the fallout from the Wellington Airport share no-sale.

Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has been under scrutiny over the last week.

The council now needs to find up to $600 million in savings as a result of the non-sale.

Whanau says a top priority when it comes to LTP amendment decisions is that rates should not increase, and that funding for water should not be decreased.

Whanau said the focus instead should be on reducing new infrastructure and community building projects, calling these “debt-funded”.

Local Government Minister Simeon Brown says he is considering advice on Government intervention into Wellington City Council.

“I know that reductions to community projects are difficult. Where these are considered, it is my view that we should seek to share the pain as much as possible across different wards and between the central city and suburbs,” Whanau said.

Whanau added that she will seek to avoid cuts to the city’s social housing provision and climate action.

The mayor also called for the council to avoid cuts for projects aimed at growing the city’s economy, as well as continuing projects with a high level of government funding, The Post reported. It was understood the $139m Golden Mile revamp, co-funded by the Government, is included in this.

Wellington City Council has been under fire for the last week.

The latest announcement comes after the mayor met with Local Government Minister Simeon Brown last week to discuss the current challenges the council faces, amidst the possibility the Government might intervene in the council.

At a post-Cabinet press conference on Monday, Brown said he had received advice on the possibility of Government intervention and was now considering it.

“I’m taking it with seriousness and urgency but won’t be going into those details today,” he said.

Brown added that he had no further plans to meet with Whanau.

“When I met with the mayor last week, she gave me an outline in terms of some of the work that she’s got under way,” he said.

“Ultimately, as I said last week, we've got concerns in regards to the fact they’ve decided to effectively relitigate their entire long term plan, and we're obviously concerned about the impact that may have on on ratepayers here in Wellington.”

Whanau said amendments to the LTP will be a “fast-moving process”, with the council looking to have key elements of a draft LTP ready by the end of 2024.