Wellington mayor releases three-year plan, including chance for Beehive to pay
Tuesday, 3 March 2026
Wellington mayor Andrew Little has released his council’s three-year plan – a list for things his council can be judged on when voting papers get sent out in 2028.
“It’s not just mine, there’s compromise involved,” Little said. “There's something from everybody – every councillor and pou iwi [mana whenua representatives] has something in there, so it reflects a genuine council aspiration.”
The 13-page document essentially takes the policies that saw Little trounce his nearest rival by a factor of more than four in the October elections, then taking those policies through meetings with councillors to come up with a goal – to be adopted by a council vote in coming weeks with many measures handed to council boss Matt Prosser as key performance indicators.
There will be an annual mayor’s accountability report so the public can see how the council is doing.
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There are at least two items that could have real impacts on Wellington ratepayers’ bank accounts – potentially widening the ratepayer pool to include the Crown properties and a complete overhaul of how rates are calculated.
Little will advocate for a reversal of the law that means Crown buildings – including Parliament, schools and hospitals – do not pay rates.
While the ability to charge the Government rates has long been held out as a silver bullet for the city’s dire finances, a recent analysis by The Post found there were 655 rates-exempt properties in the city but 438 belong to the city council.
Many government departments, which lease accommodation, effectively pay rates as the landlord is not exempt.
Little campaigned on a promise to look at a change to a land value-based rating system and his council has now committed to investigating that.
Ratepayers currently pay rates on the land value plus whatever is on top – an empty section will pay much less than the same sized section that is intensely developed next door.
The change is seen by advocates as a solution to land-banking and a way to open up space for housing. Critics say it could force undue rates pressure on single homes on larger sections and under-used properties put less strain on infrastructure.
Underpinning it all is a promise in the plan that will be music to the ears of ratepayers: Strive to keep rates as low as practicable and look at ways to reduce costs and increase revenue.
Following on from a council horror report that found a contracting process in turmoil, with potential for financial and legal risks to ratepayers, the plan means any capital works contract valued at $1 million or more will be urgently reviewed, but only if construction has not yet begun.
Exempt from that are the Golden Mile project, which is separately getting reviewed, and a plan for a second inner city bus spine along the harbour quays.
The plan also calls to advocate to the regional council for a public transport fare cap, improving the Karori to Miramar bus service, a review of consenting fees and setting goals for consent processing times.
Little said the biggest sticking point as he got the plan past councillors and pou iwi were the climate change initiatives – such as planting 300,000 native trees and plants and making sure initiatives, around reducing emissions and adoption, were effective.
“There are councillors who are totally opposed to that, but it wasn’t where the majority were at,” Little said.
Key parts of the plan
Ensure all instances of public exclusion from committee and council meetings are defensible.
Make information publicly available as soon as practicable after decisions have been made.
Publish on the council website all LGOIMA responses issued by the official information function with private information appropriately withheld, backed by CE KPIs.
Strive to keeping rates as low as practicable in an effort to make Wellington more affordable, while acknowledging there will always be a range of views about what that means.
Consider ways to reduce costs, increase revenue and deliver the best value for the city, starting with receiving the recommendations of Ngā Kaihoe Pūtea | Revenue and Financial Value Review Working Group (accepted by Te Taurapa | Council Planning and Finance Committee).
Work across the region and with central government to seek to agree a Wellington Regional Deal.
Protect the council’s ownership stake in Wellington International Airport Ltd.
Uphold the decision of voters in the 2025 referendum to retain a Māori Ward as part local government for Wellington.
Rapidly review approved capital projects valued at $1m or more where construction has not started (or a future tranche has not started), so representatives have assurance each is realistic and affordable. Excluded from the review is any reconsideration of previous decisions about the Golden Mile or interdependent Harbour Quays projects in advance of report-back on the Golden Mile Review in mid-2026.
Review consenting fees, using major New Zealand metropolitan local authorities’ fees as a benchmark.
Set KPIs for building, resource consent and LIM timeframes (including considering any issues resulting from the annual Christmas closedown) as part of AP/LTP processes, backed by CE KPIs.
Responsibly carry out WCC’s role as owner of the Moa Point wastewater treatment plant, working with Wellington Water as service provider, to address the February 4, 2026 plant failure resulting in an unconsented discharge, and ensure an appropriately independent inquiry reports to the public on what occurred and what is required to prevent recurrence.
Advocate to GWRC to implement a cap on public transport fares, improve the bus service from Karori through the inner city to Miramar, and improve GWRC-owned bus shelter provision.
Investigate how WCC might endorse a scheme for workplaces to subsidise public transport, similar to Auckland Transport’s Fareshare scheme.
Plant 300,000 native trees and plants, and consider ways to better care for existing trees and plants.
To repeal the measures in the Local Government (Rating) Act 2002 that make Crown land generally non-rateable.
Correction: The plan promises to increase revenue. An earlier version of this story said it was to reduce revenue. (Amended March 3, 2026 at 11.45am)