Wellington council votes against sale of Wellington Airport stake

Thursday, 10 October 2024

The Wellington City Council has agreed to not proceed with the sale of its shares in Wellington Airport.

Thursday’s vote comes after months of back-room politics, public spats, an ideological war of words based around Māori participation in local democracy, the good and bad of public asset sales, and how much power political parties should have in local councils.

Adding to the mire, which has further divided a fractured council, was the widespread belief that it is a vote that will make or break Tory Whanau’s mayoralty.

Councillors ended up on Thursday voting nine to seven against the sale.

Nīkau Wi Neera, whose crucial vote could have tipped the scales, voted against the sale, after pleading with the council to back down from the Notice of Motion.

“It is not too late to do the right thing … let us win, but let us win in the right way,” he said.

For the first time, council chief strategy and finance officer Andrea Reeves said some councillors may have a conflict.

Thursday's vote was not affected because it is about a change to the long-term plan but future votes, directly about the sale, could be affected.

'[Some] members will have to consider their involvement going forward,' she said.

Councillor Tim Brown, who directs a company directly involved with the airport owners and who won't confirm if he has airport shares, has been accused of having an alleged conflict of interest over the vote.

Pouiwi Holden Hohaia, whose iwi is considering buying the shares, has also been accused of a conflict of interest.

Nureddin Abdurahman, who passed the Notice of Motion that was campaigned against by mana whenua representatives, said the majority of Wellingtonians were on his side, and he would stand by promise to protect public ownership.

He questioned the sale when the return of the share to the city was $250 per household last year - more than $20 million overall.

He said some of the councillors were using the relationship with mana whenua as a weapon against those against the sale, and through the Local Government Act, there was no way they could have a final vote.

Ben McNulty was loyally against the sale, despite “genuine efforts” of rewriting the clause to include mana whenua at the table.

The sale of the council’s 34% stake in the airport was to get money to set up a fund to help the city rebuild after a big disaster. But the sub-plots are what has divided the council.

Whanau’s mayoralty was looking shaky before the airport issue after a string of personal issues, leading a divided council after campaigning on unity, then losing a crucial fight over the council bankrolling the rebuild of the Reading complex on Courtenay Place.

During the meeting, the mayor expressed disappointment in the way council had excluded mana whenua representatives, saying it was not the decision itself, but how the council got to that decision.

She said she would not go over the debate of the shares, as it had already been well traversed.

In an attempt to repair the fractious relationship between the council, she said “democracy had spoken”, and they needed to work together collaboratively on this decision.

Local Government Minister Simeon Brown said the change of position would be “concerning for Wellington ratepayers who have already faced some of the highest increases in rates across the country”.

“Wellington ratepayers expect the Wellington City Council to be focused on delivering core services, keeping rates under control, and having a financially sustainable plan for the future.”

How they voted:

Against: Ben McNulty, Nureddin Abdurahman, Diane Calvert, Ray Chung, Tony Randle, Nicola Young, Iona Pannett, Teri O’Neill and Nīkau Wi Neera.

In favour: mayor Tory Whanau, deputy mayor Laurie Foon, Rebecca Matthews, Sarah Free, John Apanowicz, Tim Brown and Geordie Rogers .