Wellington council swearing-in costs in food and ferns, but hold that bevvy
Wednesday, 19 November 2025
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A swearing in ceremony for Wellington’s new mayor and councillors came with a $36,599 price tag, it can be revealed.
The evening event, where former mayor Tory Whanau passed the chains to her successor Andrew Little, was held at Pipitea Marae on October 30.
A response to a LGOIMA (Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act) request shows shows a $9360 catering bill for officials and guests, alongside a $11,548.26 spend on AV equipment.
Venue hire cost a further $6659.29, $3250 was spent on “pōwhiri cultural services/entertainment” and $3500 on “plant hire” ‒ the setting was lush with ferns and other greenery.
Crockery and glass hire was invoiced at $330, while security came in at $697.50 and set up and pack-down $1000.
In contrast a drinks budget ‒ non-alcoholic only ‒ was reasonably parsimonious, stretching to just $254.78. Around 100 people attended, mainly council staff and family.
One guest, speaking on the condition of anonymity, described it as a “lavish event with bountiful prawns”.
It was only the second time a swearing in had been held at the marae ‒ the first was in 2022 when Whanau was elected mayor.
In the LGOIMA response, council officers said the inaugural meeting was held offsite because current council chambers did not have the capacity to host the number of guests that were expected to attend. “We anticipate that once the Town Hall is complete, inaugural meetings may be held there, as they were [previously].”
They had explored several different venue options including the Michael Fowler Centre, Tākina convention centre, Te Papa and Shed 6, but found them unsuitable for various reasons, although costs were comparable.
“As a venue, Pipitea Marae celebrates and makes visible te ao Māori in the city, which is one of the priorities of the most recent Council Long-term Plan,” the response said.
Mayor Little, who has previously said one of his priorities was to get “a firmer grip on council spending to keep rates down” was asked whether $36,000-plus for a few hours of ceremony was value for money. A spokesperson said he wouldn’t be commenting.
A council spokesperson also declined to comment.
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