2025 Mayoral Candidates Issues Index

Are you committed to the Council’s decarbonisation goals: Te Atakura – First to Zero?

Yes

What’s the single biggest action you’d take to halve the city’s emissions in the next five years?

Cars are the biggest source of Wellington City emissions. The easiest and most efficient way to reduce these is to complete bus and bike infrastructure and put programmes in place to facilitate mode shift away from cars

Will you advocate for aligning the Council’s spending to reflect the city’s decarbonisation goals?

Yes, though I think this is more a case of making sure we see the bus and bike infra projects through, combined with completing predator free Wellington.

Will you support the full rollout of the Paneke Pōneke bike plan within 10 years as originally envisaged?

Yes

Do you support a congestion charge being introduced?

Maybe. If paired with other mechanisms so that it didn’t have a regressive effect I would support congestion charging to avoid needing to build the second Mt Vic tunnel and facilitate mode shift away from cars.

Do you support the 2024 District Plan and the National Policy Statement on Urban Development?

Yes. Though I believe the NPS UD could have gone even further and better enabled high quality development.

What climate action would you champion that isn’t already being worked on by the Council?

Council is already working on mitigation of all significant emissions categories and sea level rise adaptation. I believe the next climate change challenge will be a land stability issues for Wellington, due to increased frequency high intensity rainfall events. I think WCC needs to do a full stocktake of critical retaining walls and potential land stability risks.

Are you committed to the Council’s decarbonisation goals: Te Atakura – First to Zero?

Yes

What’s the single biggest action you’d take to halve the city’s emissions in the next five years?

I'm a massive champion for urban development and as mayor I will support housing growth, infrastructure development, and placemaking that supports walkable neighborhoods to massively scale back transport emissions.

Will you advocate for aligning the Council’s spending to reflect the city’s decarbonisation goals?

Yes

Will you support the full rollout of the Paneke Pōneke bike plan within 10 years as originally envisaged?

Yes. I'm also favourable to making the existing tactical interventions (like the Island Bay cycleway) more permanent as part of greater placemaking investments.

Do you support a congestion charge being introduced?

Yes, if it's successful in Auckland then Wellington is the obvious choice for the next step.

Do you support the 2024 District Plan and the National Policy Statement on Urban Development?

I have a long history writing and speaking extensively in favour of transit-oriented development & how to get the most out of it. I have been one of the country's loudest and most positive voices for this during the NPS-UD, MDRS, Spatial Plan, and District Plan.

Any problems I have with these are that we didn't end strongly enough.

What climate action would you champion that isn’t already being worked on by the Council?

Most of the meaningful climate actions that WCC has control over are related to transport emissions.

As Mayor I would prioritise placemaking investment that makes the city more friendly to walking, cycling, and public transport, as well as user-pays style interventions like charging for parking spaces and congestion charges.

Are you committed to the Council’s decarbonation goals: Te Atakura – First to Zero?

Yes. Wellington City Council declared a climate and ecological emergency in June 2019 and in August 2020 adopted the Te Atakura Implementation Plan to deliver on the commitments made in the Te Atakura Blueprint. Te Atakura shows Wellington City Council is serious about addressing climate change. So I support Te Atakura as a practical and realistic strategy to encourage and enable Wellingtonians to make climate-friendly choices.

What’s the single biggest action you’d take to halve the city’s emissions in the next five years?

We need to build on progress already made and ensure that the Vehicle & Bus fleet is fully electric.

Will you advocate for aligning the Council’s spending to reflect the city’s decarbonation goals?

Within reason and depending on how that impacts the bottom line and long-term policy objectives. Some spending cannot be deferred, such as spending on addressing Wellingtons broken and outdated infrastructure. So there will always need to be trade-offs.

Will you support the full rollout of the Paneke Pōneke bike plan within 10 years as originally envisaged?

No, I would defer further work on the rollout. I think we have spent enough on cycle lanes and we have bigger priorities to deal with like water and the debt. Wellington has to date committed substantial funds to the Pōneke bike plan, so before we commit any further funds, I would like us to pause and review usage of cycle lanes and look at how we can get more Wellingtonians out of their cars and on their bikes.**

Do you support a congestion charge being introduced?

Yes, but I would have to see the entire proposal first. I support the intent but would need to see and the details and options around how it could work in practice.

Do you support the 2024 District Plan and the National Policy Statement on Urban Development?

No, I think we need a new plan. See my Letter to the people of Wellington where I spell out my vision for how we can revitalize Wellington and take it forward.

What climate action would you champion that isn’t already being worked on by the Council?

Greater use of green, renewable energy sources for Wellington and the region, and a greater commitment to recycling and re-using finite resources.

Water issues and conservation issues such as predator free program (I agree with the current funding of this program and maybe a little bit extra given the incredible result they have already had. Great value for the city and it's image and greening the capital as far as planting is concerned, including planting on rooftops and encouraging more homegrown food, more capture of rainwater etc.

Better water conservation and stop the wastage

Are you committed to the Council’s decarbonisation goals: Te Atakura – First to Zero?

Yes, though I believe that rather than effective, concrete action, we should be pursuing decarbonisation through the extremely powerful medium that is thoughts, prayers and vibes.

What’s the single biggest action you’d take to halve the city’s emissions in the next five years?

I will go further. We can reduce Wellington's noxious emissions by up to 80% by abolishing parliament and replacing it with a hat store.

Will you advocate for aligning the Council’s spending to reflect the city’s decarbonisation goals?

One of the main benefits of my better weather agenda for Pōneke is that it is a deeply climate-friendly agenda, and will have the added benefit of realigning council spending as such.

Will you support the full rollout of the Paneke Pōneke bike plan within 10 years as originally envisaged?

I believe sustainable transport goals can be better achieved through a combination of ziplines, lazy rivers and walking buses.

Do you support a congestion charge being introduced?

Yes. We need to punish congestion wherever congestion strikes. They tell me Vicks VapoRub is very effective in dealing with congestion, and so I will deploy that in large quantities.

Do you support the 2024 District Plan and the National Policy Statement on Urban Development?

The Statement on Urban Development is a short-sighted document that does not go far enough. We need a far more comprehensive, nationwide agenda which focuses on better weather, the induction of cows into the inner city, and the abolition of the New Zealand dollar.

What climate action would you champion that isn’t already being worked on by the Council?

I will champion drastic action to improve the weather. This includes erecting large sails to catch Wellington's wind, and a giant umbrella to keep the city dry. In addition to this, I look very fondly on fellow candidate William Pennywize's rewilding initiative, especially his plans to daylight urban streams and release Moa into the city.

Are you committed to the Council’s decarbonisation goals: Te Atakura – First to Zero?
I am committed to amalgamation and a regional First to Zero strategy

What’s the single biggest action you’d take to halve the city’s emissions in the next five years?
Predator Free Greater Wellington, Forest & Bird estimates a 15% offset in emissions.

Will you advocate for aligning the Council’s spending to reflect the city’s decarbonisation goals?
100%

Will you support the full rollout of the Paneke Pōneke bike plan within 10 years as originally envisaged?
I would like to see a regional bike plan focused first own lower socio economic areas

Do you support a congestion charge being introduced?
100%

Do you support the 2024 District Plan and the National Policy Statement on Urban Development?
I do, ifn fact I avocated for it.

What climate action would you champion that isn’t already being worked on by the Council?
Community based organics scheme, based on the fundamentals of Predator Free Wellington

Are you committed to the Council’s decarbonisation goals: Te Atakura – First to Zero?

Yes. The climate crisis demands urgent action and should be at the centre of all council decisions.

I was a senior Minister in the Labour-led Government that passed the Zero Carbon Act and have advocated consistently for action on climate change. As a union leader I championed a Just Transition for workers in high emissions industries.

In my Mayoral campaign, I have already announced a policy that all major council decision papers will be required to include a Community Impact Statement, which will include a clear account of the climate impact of each decision.

What’s the single biggest action you’d take to halve the city’s emissions in the next five years?

Transport is the area where local councils can have the biggest impact. Wellingtonians are great users of public transport but the system is coming under pressure.

I’m committed to cheaper, faster and more reliable public transport. This includes:

• A second city centre bus corridor along Harbour Quays.
• Improving trip times to and from Karori into the CBD
• Continuing to look at how we can improve corridors to speed up our buses to get people where they need to go faster.
• Support the Golden Mile changes in principle, which will increase bus priority, though first ensuring it can be delivered within budget and that disruption to business caused by roadworks is minimised.
• Advocating to central government for greater investment in Wellington’s rail network
• Advocating for the Government to amend the GPS to remove the requirement for regional councils to increase fares annually.

Working with Labour’s Greater Wellington Regional Transport candidates, I’m also supporting:

• Fare caps so that public transport users pay for no more than 8 trips in a week. This policy will also encourage an estimated 300,000 additional trips on public transport.
• Investigating a scheme for public transport to be subsidised by workplaces, similar to Auckland Transport’s Fareshare scheme.
• Introduction of targeted off-peak fares for times when public transport is currently underutilised.

Transport cannot be separated from housing, and the comprehensive housing policy I announced recently focuses on building more homes, with greater density, in the inner city and close to public transport networks.

Will you advocate for aligning the Council’s spending to reflect the city’s decarbonisation goals?

I support Te Atakura – First to Zero and have already announced a policy that all major council decision papers will be required to include a Community Impact Statement, which will include a clear account of the climate impact of each decision.

Will you support the full rollout of the Paneke Pōneke bike plan within 10 years as originally envisaged?

My transport policy is about giving people options to get around the city, and that includes making sure people who choose to cycle can do so safely.

I support rolling out the cycle network with an aim to have it completed within 10 years. I am also open that the council faces a serious financial crunch, particularly given the recent $83 million sludge plant blowout, which the next council will have to account for against current projects. This may require some rephasing of existing projects, as has already happened during this term of council when it voted to rephase the rollout as a result of government cuts to the national land transport policy.

Do you support a congestion charge being introduced?

Yes in principle, as it can encourage public transport use and also reduce pressure on the transport network at peak times. I’m also very aware that council needs revenue tools other than rates.

However, I do believe we need to have sufficiently reliable and affordable public transport before it is introduced in Wellington, and I have concerns about the impact on low-income households. There would also have to be exemptions. Trades professionals and other service providers would need to be able to meet their client requirements without additional cost to both.

I'd want to address these issues with our regional council and central government before we introduced a congestion charge in Wellington.

Do you support the 2024 District Plan and the National Policy Statement on Urban Development?

Yes, absolutely.

I was a Senior Minister in the Labour-led Government that implemented the NPS-UD, and I support and want to build on the pro-housing District Plan changes.

Recently I released a comprehensive housing policy. This policy is focused on building a culture of ‘yes’ to new housing in council.

That includes:

• Streamlining consents, including through KPIs to the Chief Executive and the implementation of a ‘project partner’ approach to provide consistency and certainty for new developments.
• Creating an urban development office in council similar to Auckland’s Eke Panuku to Set up an Urban Development Office (UDO) similar to Auckland’s Eke Panuku to support developers and coordinate residential development alongside transport, public realm and community facility upgrades.
• Reviewing additional requirements given to developments within the District Plan (e.g. lighting and landscaping requirements) with the aim of reducing unnecessary red tape.
• Supporting the expanded Te Kāinga programme with a target of 1500 empty offices converted to affordable rentals.

I’m keen to investigate new tools to incentivise growth in good locations including Land Value Rates and changes to the development levy regime.

I have committed to protecting Wellington’s social housing and continuing the HUP2 upgrades. I have also called for central government to step up on homelessness by changing emergency housing requirements and investing in more social housing and wraparound support.

What climate action would you champion that isn’t already being worked on by the Council?

In addition to the housing, transport and urban development policies listed above:

• Investigate a Council ‘green jobs’ programme for projects like home insulation, solar installs, native planting, and water restoration in partnership with central government, unions, iwi, local training institutions, and industry bodies, keeping jobs in-house where possible.
• Work collaboratively with local and regional authorities to develop a regional climate plan with clear emission targets and annual reporting to the public.
• Back the development of meaningful resilience and adaptation plans for Wellington’s most vulnerable communities, including to address flooding and sea level rise.
• Plant more trees in reserves to create habitat for native birds and plant more street trees to provide shade to pedestrians (particularly in under-served suburbs).
• Develop a 100-year vision of environmental restoration for te taiao in partnership with the community, including with iwi, hapū, and other Māori communities.

Are you committed to the Council’s decarbonisation goals: Te Atakura – First to Zero?

Long words which is. Strait. I go to the absolute answer. Halve the population welgtn. Do backward growth.

What’s the single biggest action you’d take to halve the city’s emissions in the next five years?

Too people too cars. Donono drive. Go the bus.

Will you advocate for aligning the Council’s spending to reflect the city’s decarbonisation goals?

Long

Words pardon.

Will you support the full rollout of the Paneke Pōneke bike plan within 10 years as originally envisaged?

Too cars too people. Vexed clim8 ROMan numeral. Therefore no petrol no electric. Will end. Less km. Therefore cycles will will prevail yes.

Do you support a congestion charge being introduced?

Pardon long words . Donald Strait talk. What charge.

Do you support the 2024 District Plan and the National Policy Statement on Urban Development?

Gov socy is all greedy me. Cars houses he want more more. Death of planet. I promote anti growth. Backward growth.

Roads are now km wide. Wipe out people kids elder. Greedy me. Sic city.

What climate action would you champion that isn’t already being worked on by the Council?

All above.

Post my answers.

Read out all responses.

End times. 2coming Jesus.

New covenant Passover

Protect from disaster last great disaster. Video speech wellington mayoral Donald done waiting. 2 mins

Thank. Timely succinct answers

Audit call centre. Reduce cars and parking.

I havvnñ recorded these answ.

The climate is not my focus per se.

Free thermometer street.

Very moderate climate . No energy supplement . Rather want communication phn talk talk data reasonable allowance 16 years.

No concerts drugs alcohol gamble stealing bn bn from poverty govt.

Pays no prize pool.

Vote super gold trspt concession continue. Wlgt greater well regional notices regional news.

Less ppl. Too population.

Not easy to answer. Must say gud policies. A pretty face and Santa giving will not win. Society collapse. LRNG to count. Measure. Pray. Evil media gabble news.

I stop watching tv. repetitive idiot no science. Little truth.

Are you committed to the Council’s decarbonisation goals: Te Atakura – First to Zero?

We are deeply committed to going way further than Te Atakura. We need to fundamentally shift the city and our relationship with the natural world. We have lost our connection to nature and each other. Rewilding Wellington will make us happier, healthier and more connected with people and the planet.

Ka ū mātou ki te whakaea i ngā wawata o Te Atakura. Heoi anō ka whai mātou i te iti kahurangi. Ka hanagaia anō te hononga ki te taiao, ki te hapori hoki. Ka tipu te oranga, ka tipu te harikoa, ka tipu tēnei mea te hononga mai i te tangata ki te taiao.

What’s the single biggest action you’d take to halve the city’s emissions in the next five years?

Rewilding Wellington city will both get us ready for adapting to the climate crisis but also bring about the large changes in energy and transport that we need to see in order to get emissions down. Our Make the Basin Swamp Again campaign platform will not only bring the forest into the central city, thereby using natural solutions to extreme weather events, but also be the first step in our radical replanning of transport in the city which will get people out of their cars and onto the backs of giant moa and tuna.

Ko te whakahoki ngahere mai te mahi nui o te whai pōti a Pennywize. Ka rite tātou katoa mō te anamata, ngā papa o te ao e mahana haere ana, ngā whakautu hoki ki taua nei raru. Me heke iho te hā wera. Ka hanga repo anō ki Hauwai! Ka whakahoki tēnei mahi i te ngahere ki te pokapū o te tāone o Pōneke, ā, ka panoni tēnei i ngā ara waka o taua tāone. Ka whakaritea ngā ara moa, ngā awa tuna hoki, ka noho mokemoke ngā waka, ka eke tuna ka eke moa hoki ngā tāngata katoa o Pōneke.

Will you advocate for aligning the Council’s spending to reflect the city’s decarbonisation goals?

At the moment the city council spends $70 million per year maintaining the city's roads. This money will be diverted to our rewilding goals which will tackle the climate crisis, as well as the connection and cohesion crises at the same time.

I tēnei wā e moumou ana te kaunihera i te $70 miriona ki ngā rori. Ka pare i te putea nei ki ngā whainga whakahoki ngahere mai. Ka tū tātou ki te wero o te ao wera, ā, ka whakautua ngā raru o te hinengaro o te hapori hoki.

Will you support the full rollout of the Paneke Pōneke bike plan within 10 years as originally envisaged?

The Pennywize campaign fully recognizes bicycles as one of the most energy efficient machines ever built. The biggest enemy to bikes are trucks, buses and other large metal objects on four or more wheels. By defunding the roads and implementing our exciting new forms of public transport we won't need Paneke Pōneke.

He mihini miharo te paihikara ki a Pennywize! Heoi anō ko te hoariri o te paihikara, ko te taraka, te pahi, ngā motoka nui rawa hoki. Nō reira, mēnā korekau he putea mō ngā ara waka, kāore he waka. Ka eke paihikara te katoa. Mauri ora!

Do you support a congestion charge being introduced?

No, because this will give the city council an incentive to keep people in their cars. By defunding the roads we will save $70 million per year which can be spent on bringing the wild back into the centre of Wellington.

E kao. Ehara tēnei i te whakautu tika. Ko te tikanga pai ko te pare i te putea mai i ngā rori ki te taiao. Koinei te whakautu tika.

Do you support the 2024 District Plan and the National Policy Statement on Urban Development?

These are excellent ideas. If we are going to be rewilding the city then we need to build up and not out to create space for people. We fully support densification, however minister Chris Bishop's plan to have people living in actual shoe boxes are deeply problematic. We will however, go even further than previous councils through our plan to tackle homelessness which will permit anyone to build their own house on council golf courses. Providing the construction is done by those who will live there. We will begin with a test pilot in Berhampore before moving to other golf courses.

Āe he whakaaro matua te hanga whare teitei hei whare mō te hapori. Heoi anō he kino rawa ngā whakaaro o te Minita Chris Bishop ka noho ngā hunga rawa kore ki roto i ngā wharau. He kino rawa. Ka eke mātou i te pae nei. Ka whai anō i te iti kahurangi. Ka wātea te katoa ki te hanga tō rātou ake whare mā ngā papa korowha o te kauniera. Ki timata ki Berhampore, ka kitea e pēhea ana, kātahi ka whaia tēnei huarahi.

What climate action would you champion that isn’t already being worked on by the Council?

Making the Basin Swamp Again will be both a practical first step to rewild the city and also redefine transport modes in Pōneke. It will put the natural world first, people second and double cab utes last.

Ko te Hanga Repo Anō ki Hauwai te whakaaro matua o tō mātou nei mahi whai pōti. Ka whakahoki i te taiao ki Pōneke, ā, ka panoni ngā haerenga katoa i taua nei tāone. Ko te taiao te tuatahi, ko te tangata te tuarua, ko te waka kino rawa te whakamutunga.

Are you committed to the Council’s decarbonisation goals: Te Atakura – First to Zero?

No. I still have doubts about the method we use to calculate decarbonisation. Even if the calculation is accurate, I would still prefer a more balanced approach for our society. It is important to take a balanced approach that not only protects our natural environment but also considers the financial sustainability of the Council and the wellbeing of our communities. We must reduce emissions while ensuring solutions are practical, affordable, and fair for all residents.

What’s the single biggest action you’d take to halve the city’s emissions in the next five years?

The single biggest action I would take is to improve and expand affordable public transport. Reliable buses, trains, and ferries can move far more people with lower emissions compared to private cars. This not only reduces carbon emissions but also eases congestion, lowers household transport costs, and makes the city more liveable. Alongside this, I would ensure that any transition is balanced, protecting both our environment and our communities.[

Will you advocate for aligning the Council’s spending to reflect the city’s decarbonisation goals?

Not quite. As I understand it, there are already a few communities in Wellington championing decarbonisation. I believe we need to prioritise affordability and efficiency. Investments should target initiatives that deliver the greatest environmental impact while also supporting community wellbeing and ensuring value for ratepayers.

Will you support the full rollout of the Paneke Pōneke bike plan within 10 years as originally envisaged?

I support improving cycling infrastructure where it makes sense and where it is safe, practical, and cost-effective. However, I do not support a blanket rollout of the bike plan across all areas, particularly in hilly or narrow suburbs where it may not be suitable. My priority is to deliver better and more affordable public transport while ensuring value for ratepayers.

Do you support a congestion charge being introduced?

I do not support introducing a congestion charge at this stage. While I understand the intention behind it, such a charge would place additional financial pressure on residents and businesses during a time when affordability is already a concern. Instead, I believe we should first focus on improving public transport and traffic flow so that people have viable and affordable alternatives to driving.

Do you support the 2024 District Plan and the National Policy Statement on Urban Development?

So far, I support the National Policy Statement on Urban Development. I support most of the 2024 District Plan, with some exceptions. For example, the Proposed District Plan requires bike parking in new developments but does not require car parks. Another case is that the 2024 District Plan assumes Wellington will grow by another 50,000–80,000 people, which I have doubts about.

What climate action would you champion that isn’t already being worked on by the Council?

I would champion practical climate actions that deliver measurable impact while balancing cost and community needs. For example, I would focus on expanding affordable and reliable public transport, improving energy efficiency in Council-owned buildings, and supporting community-led initiatives for waste reduction and local renewable energy projects. My approach is to complement existing Council programs with initiatives that maximize environmental benefits without overburdening ratepayers.

Are you committed to the Council’s decarbonisation goals: Te Atakura – First to Zero?

Not while chasing it will result in an unaffordable place to live

What’s the single biggest action you’d take to halve the city’s emissions in the next five years?

I do not believe it is possible with our financial constraints

Will you advocate for aligning the Council’s spending to reflect the city’s decarbonisation goals?
Not while it will result in an unaffordable place to live

Will you support the full rollout of the Paneke Pōneke bike plan within 10 years as originally envisaged?

no

Do you support a congestion charge being introduced?

no

Do you support the 2024 District Plan and the National Policy Statement on Urban Development?

No as it is likely to result in less development

What climate action would you champion that isn’t already being worked on by the Council?

Am very happy to look at all suggestions on merit and cost