Wellington mayor urges Crown observer ASAP

Monday, 4 November 2024

Wellington mayor Tory Whanau has written to Local Government Minister Simeon Brown welcoming a Crown observer and asking him to get a move on as pressing deadlines loom.

Brown in October took the rare step of directly intervening in local body politics by appointing a Crown observer to oversee the Wellington City Council and report back. Brown’s rationale for appointing the observer was “significant financial challenges”, including $2.6 billion in “under insurance”.

Whanau has now written to Brown outlining the tight time frame the council is now under as it has to rework its long-term plan, a move forced by a number of factors including a vote to retain the council’s 34% stake in Wellington airport and government water reforms, in less than three weeks.

The deadline for deciding what the council keeps and loses in that 10-year budget, ranging from the Golden Mile to bike lanes to pools and parks, has to be decided by November 21 before a draft goes out to public consultation.

“Given the concise time frame we would welcome the appointment of a Crown observer as soon as practicable,” Whanau wrote to Brown, in a letter seen by The Post.

“Work has already commenced to ensure the Crown observer has the appropriate support and assistance to undertake their role and to hit the ground running.”

Brown’s office has been asked how soon he planned to appoint an observer, whether he had an appointee in mind or even a short list.

In a statement on Sunday, he would not give an exact time frame.

“Officials are now providing me advice on names, and I will be making a decision shortly to ensure Wellington City Council can have this assistance prior to the long-term plan being approved,” he said in the written statement.

According to the time frame Whanau sent Brown, the council has to make the calls on what to keep in its draft long-term plan by November 21, approve a draft budget by December 11, adopt a consultation document by March 13, consult with the community for a month, then approve a long-term plan amendment and annual plan on June 26.

Brown’s office would not clarify if he planned to appoint an observer before any of the many deadlines other than saying it would be soon.

The council had 10 working days to respond to Brown’s call for Crown intervention and Whanau’s letter appears to be that approval. It is understood that a majority of councillors decided against appealing the decision.

Whanau also asked that the terms of reference for the Crown observer include the stipulation that any information obtained from other parties, or the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), be coordinated with any advice obtained by the council and shared with it.

She also asked that Brown gave the DIA permission to share modelling on water reforms.