Candidates Corner: Tory Whanau on Wellington’s transformational change

Sunday, 20 April 2025

Over the coming months, approaching the local government elections on October 11, the Sunday Star-Times will be highlighting the voices of local body candidates as they make their pitch for office, drawing attention to issues and challenges facing councils across the country.

Tory Whanau is the mayor of Wellington, running for re-election.

OPINION: Wellington is on the cusp of transformational change that will take our city into the future. But it needs the strength of its civic leaders and community to drive it all the way home. That’s why I am running for mayor of Wellington City again. I believe in the plan we have and the progress we’ve made. Most importantly, I believe in our city and its people.

When I think of where Wellington is going, I am filled with hope, pride and excitement. I know we all want affordable homes for everyone. A place where our nature and creativity continues to flourish. A place where we can travel efficiently by any mode, whether that’s by car, bike, walking or bus. A city where we’ve replaced our pipes with the best infrastructure and delivering quality water for all. A community that celebrates diversity and looks after its most vulnerable. I also know we want to retain our edgy, creative and bold identity.

We are well on our way to achieving this and in only a matter of years, our city will be a better version of itself.

Under my leadership this council has invested the highest amount ever in water and pipes. To the tune of $1.8 billion with a commitment to working with the region on the best delivery model for the Wellington Region. In the last year we fixed over 4400 leaks.

We have also made huge wins in biodiversity by working with groups like Predator Free Wellington and other volunteer groups to plant over 100,000 new trees and grow our native bird population. Wellingtonians love opening their windows to native bird song, it’s our collective pride and joy.

We’ve enabled thousands more homes through the District Plan, added 183 new affordable apartments and we’re upgrading 800 public housing units this year. We also provided funding to the Wellington City Mission so those who need it not only have a home, but access to much-needed health services to ensure they have the best start in life.

To ensure we’re lowering our emissions as a city and become climate resilient, we’ve also delivered 52km of cycleways, working closely with the Wellington Regional Council to deliver more dedicated bus lanes, invested in a sludge minimisation plant and will be diverting up to 70% of organic waste away from the landfill. Our efforts are constantly being recognised worldwide and were mostly recently honoured by the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize for our commitment to living with nature.

We’re also halfway through some transformation projects that will leave Wellington City as a prime destination not only for visitors, but one where people will want to stay. Our beautiful library will open within a year, our Town Hall in Civic Square will open within two and of course, Courtenay Place will be completely transformed into a bustling entertainment precinct where even families will enjoy its hospitality, art, retail and a new shopping precinct by Prime Property.

I know things have been tough. We’ve experienced a sluggish economy, public sector cuts and drastic policy changes from our current government. But continuing with our long-term plan is crucial for sustainable growth and resilience. The world is changing and we need to change with it. It’s also an opportunity to shift government administration being our highest-employing sector, to tech, innovation and film. Otherwise, our city will simply decline.

I also know this local election could get so hostile that people switch off. But that’s even more reason to engage - because it directly impacts the direction of our city.

I felt a hint of our hopeful future at our recent CubaDupa festival. The streets were packed with art, music, food, people and just a huge amount of creative activity. It was Wellington’s identity and attitude in full form. That is exactly the vibe I envision for our city. The difference now is that it’s totally achievable and right around the corner.

We can also continue to look for efficiencies across the city. One of the biggest costs with our transformation projects is traffic management. I’m looking forward to seeing if we can reduce this significantly by bringing that function in-house. It will also make things significantly easier for local businesses who are keen to host street events.

Every day our council is delivering for Wellington. We just have to keep up this momentum to ensure we become that city that is future-focused for our future generation. I am committed to doing that.

For more information on our city’s progress please visit www.capitalworks.nz.

What do you think? Email sundayletters@stuff.co.nz. Please include your full name and address.