No regional deal for Wellington after mayors fail to apply
Tuesday, 11 March 2025
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Wellington will miss out on one of the Government's regional deals because mayors didn't make an application.
Councils were invited to submit ‘light-touch’ bids by a February 28 deadline for the 10-year agreements to unlock funding tools for new infrastructure.
Five regions will then be selected in May to put forward high-level proposals for a regional deal.
There were 18 proposals, but none from Wellington, which has raised eyebrows in the Beehive.
The Post understands this is because regional mayors couldn’t agree on the shape of any potential deal. There were differences on whether it should include more public transport, water infrastructure resilience and the formation of a ‘super city.’
A source said: “The Government have been quite clear. They want us to work on reform, and there was no regional deal around until something happens. So we haven't done it.”
But a senior government source clapped back and said this was untrue, instead pointing to council “dysfunction.
“Almost every other council submitted. Wellington couldn’t even put one [a proposal] together at a high level,“ the source added.
Local government minister Simon Watts was more conciliatory. “City and regional deals will require close work between councils, central government and other parties but are not in themselves a path towards amalgamation,” he said.
“The Coalition Government’s position on potential council/territorial authority amalgamations is that any discussions, decisions and actions on this are a matter for councils themselves and their communities. Amalgamation is not a condition of city and regional deals.”
He confirmed the Wellington region did not submit a proposal for this round of deals “but did express a strong interest to take part in city and regional deals at a later stage.
“City and regional deals is a long-term programme and I appreciate the consideration the Wellington region gave to the process. I look forward to receiving a proposal from the region in the future.”
Wellington City Council referred questions to Greater Wellington Regional Council chair Daran Ponter.
He didn’t respond to a request for comment. Hutt City mayor Campbell Barry was stranded in Australia by Cyclone Alfred and did not respond to a message.
Porirua mayor Anita Baker said: “From my point of view, we didn't push it because we are concentrating on water and we didn't do anything about the regional discussion.”
The question she proposed is: “Should Porirua City Council work with councils in Wellington, the Hutt Valley, and the Wellington Regional Council to explore the possibility of creating one single council, that combines relevant services and functions regionally, while keeping appropriate local services and decision making local?”
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and then-local government minister Simeon Brown announced the deals last August.
Each deal would include a negotiated 10-year plan, based on a 30-year vision for the region. Regions must demonstrate they have the potential to grow, are fiscally prudent, and are committed to the Government’s water and housing reforms.
Hawke’s Bay, Queenstown and the Western Bay of Plenty are among the areas to have submitted bids to the Department of Internal Affairs.
Once the proposals are assessed, they’ll be provided to ministers for consideration.
The Government hopes to have the first deal concluded by the end of 2025. It is expected that three deals will be in place by October 2026.
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