Can you briefly explain why you have been [OVERALL_PERFORMANCE] with the performance of Wellington City Council over the past year? Optional, click next to skip
Spending priorities are all wrong. Council is spending too much on nice to haves (eg cycleways) not enough on core role (eg reliable water system, roads maintenance etc…) Cost benefit on cycleways and golden mile are highly suspect at best.
Dollars are spent on too many non-priority projects. Notwithstanding earthquake consequences. Crucial infrastructure needs to take priority. I have a lack of confidence in the Mayor.
Spending rate payers money in irresponsible ways. Mayoral indiscretions that show blatant disregard for the office
Deterioration of the road surfaces, general water leaks and projects that are detrimental to those who have mobility issues.
Extremely high rate rises, continued wasteful spending of money on "nice to have" projects rather than long standing core council tasks like water provision, decent public transport and keeping the city tidy. I am sick of seeing gutters overflowing with rubbish and public space lawns not being mowed until the grass is long.
Introduced car parking fees on weekends. Water pipe issues. Reduction of roads for car users to make space for cycle ways when no decent alternative to public transport (light rail shelved), buses too few and far between.
Common sense and living within the councils means doesn’t seem to be a high enough priority in decision making which is fractured by agenda politics and idealism over realism
Dysfunctional, poor handling of projects, siloed political groups
Because you do not fix the important issues. You waste money with cycle lanes. Taking out all the parking on karori main road where I have to drive to as there is no public transport out here and get the bus. But with the cycle lanes and lack of parking I will be driving in to town to work instead. no parking in Thorndon - we go to a weekly pub quiz now at the stage of thinking of not going at all, why cycle lanes. Water leaks everywhere. A dangerous road in Tarakau Gorge for years not all of it fixed, cars crashing into the nearly every week. Today 29/1 car on its side on the road on one of the many dangerous corners as there are no side barriers and a steep drop into the water. Water woes for all Wellington suburbs as the council spends money on cycle ways and things that aren't imperative. Terrible roads, a waterfront with dangerous areas that aren't fenced, pay to park in the city which has killed the city, manners street is now so horrible with drunks,drugs - I would not go in to town at all if I didn't have to go in two days a week to work. Extreme costs at the tip causing people to dump rubbish everywhere, all over Makara and other suburbs, you make it cost too much for people to take the rubbish to the tip. Since the new mayor has been in, the city has gone downhill. I could go on and on.
Apparent wiping its hand of maintenance of land that is council owned. Eg cutting back trees o slip prone sites, public lighting etc
Council has got on and achieved transport improvements that have been talked about for over a decade. General street and park maintenance is reasonable given cost constraints. Public art and events are progressing OK
Look at the state of our water infrastructure. Instead of fixing it, the council advises everyone to purchase expensive storage tanks to store water. I'm a beneficiary, how am I supposed to afford $100+ for a tank? The council continues threatening us with no water unless we restrict our use. However, the council, government and companies (such as golf courses) continue to waste water by using sprinklers to water their lawns. If corporations and organisations are allowed to waste water then I will continue showering every day and flushing my toilet after each use. And if you want me to store water then you can pay for the tank and it's installation.
water leaks everywhere that take months to fix
I can see begging homeless people in Courtney place and Newtown. They even sleeping on roadside.
There have been steady rates increases over recent years that have exceeded the cost of living. These increases are difficult for those on fixed incomes. Future forecast rates increases look problematic (2024 forecast rates increase 15.4%, 2025 rates increase 11.8%, from "The Post", 11 Feb 2024).These proposed rate increases are unacceptable.
There need to be stronger efforts to help our community recover from the pandemic. Business are ztill closing constantly at an alarming rate and supplies (particularly food and household) are dwindling.
1. The cycle lanes and their disruption to the flow of traffic not to mention the confusing road markings to accommodate them. 2. The city lawns, weeds etc in the public areas used to be well maintained but in the last year the maintenance of these have been spasmodic and thus the city not looking very tidy.
I am happy with the council itself, however we have had a major water leak where the water caused damage to our property and we found Wellington Water very poorly organised.
Water management, the town hall money sink, the library money sink, the poorly thought out cycle lanes, the changes to Thorndon roads. The changes to Island Bay roads (where do I keep my car when I want to commute into CBD for work if there’s nowhere to park my car during the day). The mayor remaining in power after acknowledging she has an alcohol problem.
Lots of good things happening, good staff who take pride in city, cool events, city looks great. Some things let it down, like closed shops, antisocial behaviour - but progress is being made.
The delays in fixing water leaks, the under investment in water infrastructure, the spending on cycle ways, the inefficiencies, ....the political agenda of Council
We are in a water crisis and the are spending money on bike lanes. We can't live without water but we can live without bike lanes.
Council not fixing the water leaking problem for years and adding features that’s not of immediate importance.
I see too much money being spend on poorly conceived cycleways, bus stops that now push right out into the road, street corners reshaped, hundreds of millions allocated for projects like the town hall and library while core infrastructure is failing. The council should focus on what they are primarily mandated for which is providing safe and reliable water, waste water, street lights (that don't fall down), roads that aren't full of pot holes, mowing grass in public areas, decent recycling and a District Plan that encourages sustainable growth instead of NIMBYism and stagnation. Thanks to WCC we have a city that is dying.
I don’t feel the council listens to residents in terms of how they want the city to look and operate. You are destroying neighbourhoods and businesses with incessant obsession with cycle ways. Yes, some as good and a positive addition, but majority are totally OTT . Please put your focus into schemes that benefit vast majority not minority.
Love the new cycle lanes. Not impressed with the water leaks, not good role modelling, when we as residents are being asked to save water.
Poor community engagement and survey/comms, especially over the latest iteration of the cycleway through Berhampore. Failure to take water infrastructure seriously early enough and Cr Matthews disgraceful dissing of Wgtn Water. You guys are meant to have a seat on the governance board of Wgtn Water, or the GRWC does, so why the surprise. Failure to stand up for heritage which is what makes Wgtn the unique place it is.
Their focus on creating cycle lanes instead of efficient roads for all parties and the water leaks
The council is taking on some tough issues and compromising even if not everyone I happy
Very happy with the new protected cycleways and promotion of getting people out of cars
You are not spending rates wisely, eg. why build a conference centre when our water system is poor condition. Cut budgets on unnecessary things and fix the water.
some odd decisions being taken, without a consistent emphasis on forging a resilient community
The city is harder to access on unreliable public transport, the parking costs have gone up so getting to work costs more. Bus is too unreliable to risk for job plus now more expensive. There are continuous poorly repaired pipe leaks near me. Wellington central library will have similar cost blowouts as town hall due to refurb not tear down. And rates are having excessive increases.
It is incredibly encouraging to see work on Paneke Pōneke progressing. Cycling the Newtown to City route is often the highlight of my work day. I worry that the delivery of the rest of the bike network is being slowed down and not being prioritised enough, and am also concerned by the current water shortages.
I think the new mayor is doing well to over turn years of stagnation and chronic underinvestment. I may not agree in all of her aims, but I respect her for have a direction and trying to move Wellington forward. The rest of the council i have much less faith in.
Poor maintenance of roads and infrastructure which leads to expensive remedials down the track. Rubbish system is of a very low standard.
Inability to make prioritised investment decisions
Wellington is a lovely city. With some constraints over the last year some issues have arrision. And I know that the city is working hard to resolve it. But spending priorities are unclear.
water infrastructure; failure to get public transportation back up to standard
Very little accountability. Poor decision making for strategic planning.
Great cycle lanes. Seems forward thinking, but is having a hard time with the pipes.
Great community events and facilities like the libraries and pools. Liking the cycle lane initiatives and pragmatic approach to the golden mile. Obviously issues with infrastructure, which I see you are working hard on.
Progress on bike lanes in the city and two water leaks fixed on our street fixed in last few months. Would be more satisfied if main city library decision was to knock down and build new which was a cheaper option.
Wasted money on fireworks, supporting toxic alcoholic events
Nicola Young and Diane Calvert need to get in line. They are an embarrassment to Wellingtonians. Their quickness to put the Mayor on the out was a pathetic attempt at a coup by Councillors who have neither the popularity nor wits for the role. Their constant NIMBY-ism to densification (particularly in the inner-city suburbs, like Mount Victoria) is a conflict of interest with respect to Nicola Young.
Current elected councillors do a great job correcting the misdirection of incompetent staff
Because we’re a capital city in a good country and we’re losing 45% of our water to leaks. Instead of putting most focus on this, you continue to rip up the roads and remove parking spaces to have bike lanes that 1% of the city asked for.
Organisation is good. But we’re lacking leadership from both the WCC ELT and the Mayor.
Pipes The events seem to be sadder - wouldn't mind if it was austerity for pipe fixing, or another clearly explained reason.
I love all of the bike lanes and focus on public transport. Can also see they’re taking the old pipes seriously
Water issues and the lack of action on housing density intensification. Also need to work on the lack of action of Johnsonville mall and the need to redevelop it
Poor handling of water crisis, even acknowledging it's a problem that's built up over time rather than being the fault of any one group of councillors
Great to see rapid progress on cycleways, pedestrian/traffic safety improvements and council events (such as gardens magic). Council services (such as the library and botanic gardens) are also great.
I say this with respect to the counsellors not the organisation. They have been unable to articulate a vision for improving the basic infrastructure in Wellington. Individual counsellors continue to propose vanity items at the expense of fixing the water problem.
The council has done its best with the control and finances it has available. Many problems that are perceived as a council issue are generational or not within the compete control of wcc
Leaking water pipes everywhere, too many cycle lanes causing traffic congestion. Empty buildings in the city. Stagnant City. Nothing appears to be getting done, and now you are increasing rates, when you have so many councillors. You don’t need 18 councillors getting paid so much money each. There would be more revenue if you reduced the number of councillors
water rates too high. implementing expensive parking in so many places. installing bus and cycle lanes that nobody wants
Leaky pipes and the mayor acting up and getting in the news for it
Entirely unresponsive to consultation feedback. Dysfunctional Council. Poor planning and ridiculous prioritisation. Significant negative media coverage.
I'm disabled and it is very annoying and dangerous for me to be out in the City. There isn't enough seating available throughout the city, or sidewalks that are accesible and safe for people with mobility aids.
Overall great reactive services - Welly infrastructure is suffering though, and needs proactive maintenance
WCC does an amazing job most of the time, the pipe situation is a bit upsetting is all
Useless Mayor, vanity projects, not focusing on core issues
Don't work with the community and business; don't listen when "consultation" is carried out; can't run the business of Council; can't prioritise; can't manage infrastructure; can't manage finances; systems across whole organisation don't work. I could go on but I'm sure you get the point.
WCC did fix a sink whole in our little street, have fixed leaks on Aro Street, and ran events that I liked!
There needs to be so much more to stop climate change. We need better recycling that can happen in New Zealand and not offshore, a kerbside composting scheme, more community gardens, and better public transport. A low-waste lifestyle needs to be encouraged through government-funded refill and return schemes.
Management of water leaks. Wish washing about how they will resolve it.
I think the feeling of community is great. I also like the focus on nature and environment as well as promoting the parts of the community that are often under represented and under appreciated.
Overall good services provided. Really enjoy the libraries and facilities available. Unfortunate about the bad vibes surrounding the council due to water and other negative associations about things not going well but generally think they are doing a good job in a tough position
I am pleased with the decisions that have been made by this and the previous council. Especially the direction they are heading with things like Paneke Pōneke, removing private vehicles from the golden mile, and their support for changes to zoning to allow for more homes of more types where people want to live and work which will allow the city to grow and create more Wellingtonians. Please keep going!
I really like the services provided by council (parks, libraries etc) also very happy with the bike lane installations but otherwise I don't have a lot of knowledge of the council's other actions
Poor performance in fixing water infrastructure, poor investment choices about the Town Hall, a distracting mayor and uncooperative councilors, poor progress on Let's Get Wellington Moving and the Golden Mile, inability to attract investment on Courtenay Place and making the city safer especially at night.
Not getting the basics right: leaky pipes, poor bus service, delayed road/ cycle way projects. Unnecessary projects e.g. Frank Kitts playground redevelopment, promotion overseas with the big yellow button (New York?)
Good public messaging around events and council services
It seems like vanity projects like the library, town hall and cycleways, which are nice to haves, have taken precedence over Core services like water and public tansport
An alcoholic mayor who's public conduct is abhorrent and clearly has issues, dysfunctional council intent on pursuing ideological crusades across the city against the public's wishes while Courtney place crumbles and is infested with homeless people and antisocial behaviour.
The construction work is a little nuisance. Otherwise i am satisfied with its projects and programs
Our water supply has been tampered with by the council and now we have a dangerous slippery staircase to our flat :(. Been this way for months across the whole Christmas holiday. We’ve notified the council repeatedly to no avail.
I think you guys do well with what budget you have to work with. Would love to see even more focus on sustainability (eg bike paths, bus lanes). But I know that’s tricky with this government
Overall we have a lovely city and a great place to live with many facilities, activities, libraries, pools and playgrounds. Unfortunately the water leaks have been getting a lot of attention, especially with the usage restrictions for summer, and I see many leaks in my own neighborhood very often, particularly on our roads.
I don't feel particularly aware or knowledgable about the positive things the council does for the city other than the advent calendar
Cycle lanes have dramatically affected my commute to work by adding another 10-15 minutes each way. And increased the risk of hitting other cars because the roads aren't wide enough. Water pipes aren't being upgraded and leaks aren't getting fixed. Most of the council members are way out of touch of what residents want and rates are bring raised on top of everything.
Cycle lanes are great, libraries great. Water pipe pressure caused problems with kitchen tap, a rubbish truck seems to come to our street at early hours (well before 7) to service a care home each day. Very fair that it needs daily trips but a more reasonable time would be great
Would be good to have more walkable sections of the city. Quicker roadworks.
Water issues and a seeming lack of ability or will to cut funding to other, less necessary projects in order to better resource infrastructure have made me feel that the council is somewhat ineffective
The ongoing water issues have been frustrating.
Since the election I have seen the council work hard towards real change in Wellington. The massive underinvestment infrastructure has been annoying to say the least but know the mayor is currently working to change that. Overall pleased with direction of the council, new number 4 bus route has been amazing for us here in Wilton! The work on pest control and restoring native forest and wildlife with community groups has been great, hoping council will keep up their commitment to better housing / homes in Wellington (this must include accessible homes tho!), as well as more accessible modes of transport other than just driving. Ngā mihi nui
Extremely irresponsible spending on vanity projects while critical works are neglected. Continuous rises in rates. Have had multiple unresolved water leaks, water not running at all due to burst mains, and water restrictions due to council ineffectiveness, all while the council is spending millions on new parks, cycle lanes, and other vanity projects.
Council buildings and recreational centres have maintained good quality and are useful. I do think more could be done for the city's infrastructure, such as the water pipes (if that's something the council has control over)
I liked the innovative approach to transportation but the water leaks is a continuous issue
Because commenucation around projects I care about is great, more projects like bikelanes and parks in cities Are great but wish speed limits would and safer intersections would be great too :)
The whole situation with the water leakages in particular is absolutely infuriating
I liked that they are going ahead with golden mile upgrades
Love the city revitalisation and that it's now safer to get places via bicycle. I'm disappointed in the cutbacks that are being made to pay for water. I feel like we will lose the things we have cut, while still having too much of a shortfall to make a dent in the plumbing issues. This city needs the next government to bring in a centralised Three Waters ASAP. we won't survive if we have to pay for it ourselves.
You provide great entertainment and have invested in infrastructure like cycle lanes that I benefit from. However, homelessness around Courtney Place appears to have increased and we currently have water restrictions.
The city is in a rough place, I understand this is decades of kicking the can down the road and not the current councils fault. But Priorities seem to be misplaced and the NIMBY contingent of the council is contiuing to drive the future of this city into the ground. I am an arts worker and we are seeing an exodus of arts people leaving this city because they simply cannot afford to live here anymore.
Not enough parking spots everywhere from the city to other places like my street. As street parking is very limited. Cycle lanes becoming too much can't effectively use personal transport as cycle lanes interfere with width of car lanes resulting in very close calls with cyclists. Water problems as Wellington is now well known for having the worst water system as well as the worst sewage system.
New cycle lanes, cool community events, welcoming atmosphere
Water leaks everywhere, roads are not in good condition
I've been in wellington for a little over a year now so I don't know everything but I have noticed especially that there is efficiency when it comes to things like city maintenance
You've made some good changes, but the council itself (ie. the elected people, not the organisation) is dysfunctional and intent on not doing anything that would be needed to actually improve quality of life in the city.
Responsive on comms, complaints sometimes. Responsive to needs
They're doing their best with a tough situation re: pipes. They're making sure the city is still a nice place to be, while focusing on the essentials. Pushing ahead with flexible cycling infrastructure has been really positive.
Some stuff is good, like the bike lanes; other stuff is frustrating, like the water stuff
I think the fact LGWM hasnt happened, the pipes are in a poor state leading to water restrictions and the transport systems are pretty dire
Too many bike lanes replacing car parks, no skip bin provided in mount cook so bags of rubbish attracting rats
None of the water leaks I have reported in the past three years have been addressed. More homeless people, rubbish everywhere
I don’t know a lot about what’s going on , but what I do notice is that the council is quick to wash off graffiti and maintain the suburbs. However Courtney Place and Manners street are going down hill. It’s sad to see the rise in homelessness and the people aren’t very nice sometimes . It feels unsafe to walk down those streets
There was a day where in Newtown there was construction blocking all routes out of Newtown; all cars were u-turning out of queues to try the next route and it was over 40min before anyone savvy could leave with their vehicle. This was clearly the council not having protocols to mitigate these issues - examples like these need to be learned from. I also generally am disappointed with the council's involvement with the buses; a route like 2 is a good example of how uptake of public transport is based on reliable frequent services; all other routes must do the same ti get more cars off the road
A lot of investment required in pipes. Good to see some action on e.g. cyclelanes being built
I'd like to see faster progress, especially on the golden mile upgrades, Courtenay place like Reading, etc
It's a tough job to be running the city, and past underinvestment has really shafted the city's infrastructure. I also appreciate that the local government funding system in Aotearoa is rubbish, and that leads to unsatisfactory trade-offs. Things could always be better, but I think that WCC is overall doing a solid job considering the current challenges facing our city. I do wish for more bold climate and environmental action (e.g. more sustainable infrastructure; more focus on household-level water sustainability), but acknowledge the competing interests of the city's residents (and the councilors) can make such a focus challenging at times.
Councillors that don’t work cohesively. Infighting like children, a drunken mayor. Do I need to mention the vanity projects, failure to listen to ratepayers even when you survey them, water pissing out everywhere but where it should be, killing the city with bike lanes and no parking. Just seemingly really dumb decisions with a lack of transparency, a failure to listen to the community, disharmony, concentration of resources and capital in all the wrong places. And for this you have continued to exorbitantly raise the rates! I feel we are going backwards at an alarming rate with no common sense decision making, and I’m paying more but feel like I’m getting less
Focused on absolutely b*llsh!t like supporting a Palestinian city, while our city crumbles
never ending rates increases, leaking pipes, increasing difficulty travelling through the city
Our water management issues need bold leadership, and a Council body aligned to resolve avoidable poor outcomes.
Some problems with water access, but mostly good.
Homeless people on Manners Street, broken water pipes, I live in a Housing NZ property with crackheads.
Water issues, councilors bickering with each other in the media
Making some progress in terms of important infrastructure projects, but not enough.
No significant event has been done. The city is dying slowly. Restricting traffic access to the CBD is making it worse. Putting in money for cycleways only benefits a small percentage of the region instead of putting in money major fixes or into reviving the city that is slowly decaying since the Kaikoura earthquake a decade ago.
the mayor should have at least stepped aside temporally until fit for office. This would have served her best and the people's interests. Water infrastructure should be deemed a crisis, crime is an issue, more needs to be done to make a place of interest for people to spend money. great seeing city full last week for the Foos!
The Kaori Rec Centre has lots of good things going on. I like that the WCC is trying to move the city away from car dependency, and encouraging people to walk/bike/take public transport. Gardens Magic was nice
Poor decision making in terms of infrastructure planning and an inability to deliver services effectively.
No effort in adding more car parks in city hampering so many businesses. Wellington is the city of wind and rain, I do not bike in crazy weather conditions and have to use car to get around! For a simple errand I have to keep driving in circles in city for almost an hour to find a parking spot. The logic with the new cycle lanes who ever thought of designed it clearly seems unskilled and unplanned. So many water pipe leaks are seen daily and no work is seen to be put in it. I understand budget is always the reason but, you need to start somewhere before it all blows up! Cost of living in the capital is rising incredibly fast, this is the major push for my mates to start packing and jump the ditch. If you cannot use my tax money to make my life easier then these survey questions are a waste of Tax Payers time and effort.
The obvious answer is the state of the water systems within the city. I understand its a known issue and is being worked - its just bad. Also, I have a personal bug-bear about the central library and am disappointed that there is work going on there which I think could be better served within more investment into the suburban libraries.
good progress on cycle ways and bus lanes.
There is a lot to like. I believe there is more willingness to get on top of the long term infrastructural issues around water, and we have a mayor who is willing to fight for the city at the central government level. I have greatly appreciated the traffic safety improvements and cycling infrastructure, however it's a massive shame to see this being pared back. The decision to cancel the upgrades to Wellington's pools, converting them away from gas, is hugely out of step with its decision to declare a climate emergency. The ongoing decision making around the town hall continues to disappoint. This project is way too expensive for such little benefit and projects that directly affect people's lives are suffering for it.
I'm a parent of one of the 27 children who went to the ECE centre - Te Kainganui - on Tasman Street. That was a 50 year local institution that has shut down because of Council's systemic asset management failures. It has cost my family, plus many more, months of full time income while we look for alternatives.
Rate costs have been increasing SIGNIFICANTLY over the 6 years we own our home, whilst not improving the quality of services (rubbish, recycling, water, etc.). Our rates have increased about 15% twice over the period, which way surpassed the official inflation rate.
Funding allocations do not seem to be aligned with ratepayer expectations
Council spends too much money on a town hall when there are pipes to be fixed, pools and libraries to be run, and a housing crisis to be solved. Some councillors seem to be there for self-interest and representing NIMBYism rather than providing leadership for 21st century problems and their solutions. Having said that, the Council provides a huge variety of services, generally delivering on those, while also dealing with legacy issues, i.e. cans that have been kicked down the road by councils and central government for decades.
Water pipes issues, decisions on the town hall (obscenely expensive), rubbish and recycling, surprise sludge plant levy
It has felt like Wellington is dying off. The city feels less safe, more buildings and storefronts remain abandoned, new construction is rare, and none of the initiatives that get discussed seem to go anywhere.
I am disappointed at the lack of professionalism from conservative councillors in the public eye. They should be ashamed of themselves
Water water water. Ludicrous road works, frustrations of cycleway building works, vanity works at the expense of citizens' health and welfare. I could go on.
Constant water issues, e.g. spending money to advertise water restrictions while over 40% is lost to leaks
Council still feels dysfunctional/divided, any hard challenges (like water) get blamed on past regimes rather than just leading the city towards better
Where to start... Vanity projects taking all the money required to do pipes. Stop the bloody city council works its now ridiculous. Bike lanes stupidly done, most of wellingtons streets are to small to accommodate for them. Find another way.. dig a hole through te ahumairangi to for highbury, wadestown, karori crofton downs near ian galloway park that comes out down near glenmore road so everyone can just funnel down there without riding around tiny little roads. Then you've sorted out all the western suburbs in one go without constant maintenance. Its not rocket science, think long term not short term... get common sense. Courtney/kent terrace intersection already took a very long time to move and now it takes longer. All you seem to do is create congestgion. The wakefield work predicted to go on till may 2025 is really holding up traffic at the start and end of the day. I mean yea fix the pipes thats great but work out a way so everyone isnt brought to a standstill for years. You always bring the city to a stand still. You never think about having workers not occupy those spaces during peek traffic. As far as I can tell everyone is completely illogical and have no common sense. Start engaging the commnity to do working bees, people used to actually jsut help build community areas. Stop getting sucked in the by the cotnractors.. paying for days and days of works not done whislt road cones and endless stop go lights sit there slowing down commuter traffic while no atual work is even being done. Be accoun
It seems there is no a long term plan for the city, otherwise, you will focus on the issues that matter most to the population.
The pipes, building bike lanes, and neglect of public transport. The high number of homeless/drug addicts in Manners street and Cuba street.
I’m happy we are doing cycle lanes etc but the cost seems so high when we lose nearly 50% of our water I leaks. Please pause all bike lanes that haven’t started and dig up the roads to replace pipes.
Lets be honest: you lot couldnt run a hot bath. Virtue signalling, green washing, playing to the theatre, wasteful, all wonderful words I can associate with the council. Cant fix the pipes but we can build cycle tracks no one uses on bad weather days. All the while, our Mayor is sucking dick in Havana bar. Bravo
We have enjoyed the playground upgrades (Nairnville) and on-going services like free under-5/spectator swimming at Keith Spry Pool plus Waitohi Library. However, there continue to be on-going issues with the water pipes, spending decisions on desired but non-essential items like the Town Hall and expanding bike lanes when the Council is also considering cuts to great community services like libraries/free swimming.
Council staff have been managing to deliver largely effective services under very stressful circumstances.
Changes to karori for buses did not consider the feedback for Karori park and will impact sporting. Terrible decisions made by a council disconnected from the community they represent.
I am mainly disappointed with the Councillors rather than council. For example, Iona Pannett who devalued properties across Wellington with her reckless comments. I am disappointed with heritage listings of properties that are clearly unfit for anything other than demolition (eg. Toomaths). I am disappointed with Wellington Water. I am disappointed with Council's decision to invest in white elephant projects such as the town hall and central library when core infrastructure should be the priority.
Mayor isn't trustworthy- drinks and does dodgy stuff in toilets, our water issues are a mess and with all the new cycle ways it is becoming harder and harder to get around the city
Leaks ignored instead of vanity projects.
By and large I'm fairly happy with the WCC, my main bug-bears are the specific councillors who leak to the media any internal decisions that don't go their way and I was hoping that the comments about compulsory acquisition of the Johnsonville Mall would have had more follow-through since there's no chance of Stride doing anything in the next decade or three.
Good to see playgrounds refreshed, agree with the direction of projects underway, but need to fix the pipes
Some good events and nice to see cycleways project continuing (as I had a bad car dooring accident myself overseas so won’t get on a bike again unless it’s safer) but some issues with water and projects over budget.
Council seems to be kicking the can down the road on critical issues such as water meters and fixing leaking pipes. Instead Council seems more interesting in completing vanity and heritage projects which are likely to result in strengthen buildings that are not fit for today's use. The City to Sea bridge has more value and use than wasted investment on the town hall which most people won't be able to access or use. The dispersed library model formed out the central library closure has increased access to books and likely to provide better social outcomes.
Needs to be more open and transparent around decision making and how and where rate payers money is being spent
Such poor management of basic infrastructure, yet able to find money for art and other non-essentials. Politicians constantly in the news for the wrong reasons.
Progress on the golden mile and cycle lanes.
Very poor leadership and management, too focused on party lines. Not putting the interests of Wellington residents first
Airport Resident parking zone - Parking within the residents Airport parking zone in Miramar, where I live, doesn't work optimally, meaning I have to move vehicles constantly/park outside the zone in front of other resident's houses and getting tickets. Rates increase with no apparent increase in services. Lack of transparency on waters infrastructure degradation - suspect it is more that just about underinvestment but also to do with performance/contract structures of the maintenance contractor. Townhall spend - I'm a fan of heritage buildings but this seems to have been mismanaged. High spend when we have a lack in the basics e.g. community housing. Airport development - happy for residents to suffer some negative effects - to a degree - when the entity is fully publicly owned, however when there is private benefit this doesn't seem fair i.e., ok in my backyard when it's for the greater good but not a private investment company. Lack of progress in LGWM - don't care who's fault WCC/GRC/Central Govt or even particually what the solution is to traffic congestions - more lanes to the airport or light rail to the airport. Just want to see something happen - perception is money is being wasted.
Strong leadership from the Mayor not seen in previous years - but too much infighting and councillors going behind other's backs, leaking information to the media etc. Step up and be adults. Present a unified front to the people of the city that you have the privilege to represent.
Public transport is still unreliable and with a reduced service. No confidence in council to manage water infrastructure into the future.
I'm absolutely apoplectic that the required contracts and paperwork was not complete to ensure the Golden Mile project was able to get underway; I understand that LGWM in its entirety wasn't likely to overcome the stiff NIMBY opposition, but getting through it and only getting the crosswalk in Kilbirnie is nothing short of scandalous. What is the point of voting and returning WCC engagement material if such a minuscule portion of the work is actually going to get done. Our council has some awful albatrosses keeping us from getting essential projects complete and not engaging in good faith, conflating the massive scale and cost of fixing things like the water infrastructure with the cost of this bike lane or that. It's infuriating. Council's inability to understand modern urban planning or transport best practices and clinging to their NIMBY bullshit is enraging -- and yet my dissatisfaction at present is a fraction of the incandescent rage I'll feel if the council is going to let the deranged idiocy in the panel's recommendations for the district plan. Does the council have the wisdom to override that or are our myopic nimby councillors too incapacitated by their heads firmly lodged up their own derrieres that this travesty will go forward? TLDR; it's been abysmal recently, and I'm very dissatisfied but if that goes through my current dissatisfaction will be magnified by orders of magnitude.
Fixit App Great... council fixing what is important to citizen Good improvement of cycle-ways in recent years More work needed to improve infrastructure that has suffered of years of deferred maintenance and penny pinching. Some small project seem to go on for years when they should be easily finished in a few months, eg Frank Kitt's park, or Oriental Bay rotunda Council allowed Willson car parks to have a quasi monopole on car parks in the city, resulting in extortionate fees for parking. Council should take control on price of off street parking in the city, so that we can reduce the reliance on street parking.
Not just an issue with the recent council but something that hasn't been satisfactory addressed is a plan to address our water infrastructure. Not an insignificant job but not really seeing any progress
Seeing the bike network introduced is great (even though I'm not a cyclist myself), and a real effort to fix the water situation is great. Some things are a little frustraing - the incredible amount spent on the Town Hall is ridiculous and the length of time taken for some projects (like the Frank Kitts playground) seems to be taking the piss.
I know it's a decades-old problem and everything, budget constraints, not your fault, but it's the pipes.
Some good stuff, some bad. Some of the councillors are barely sentient.
Council has done a good job of consulting with the community but I’d like to see more action and results.
I think the council tends to do a lot with very little funds. There are things we dont ask for which the council proactivley does, like building a footpath on my street, and installing speed bumbs and cycle lanes on roads. Which is great as a pedestrian, makes daily life so much better!
Areas of where the council chooses to place its focus The Negative news on some high profile and high cost projects Ongoing costs of high profile projects that are still to be completed Key infrastructure projects under funded , eg traffic , water The wairua of the inner city has lost its way - safety, etc
leaks everywhere, pot holes everywhere, pathetic repair attempts when fixing leaks leaving roads with craters in, wasting money on woke stuff, catering to the minority and ignoring the majority
The madness about the water situation. The increases in rates. The poor recycling. The stupidity expensive public transport.
Finally starting to address historic underfunding of critical infrastructure. Next step - stop getting swayed by NIMBYs and make some real change happen and start better densifying the city. If this city is going to grow and become the kind of inspiring city it wants to be, then we need to start making the inner suburbs denser to make space for the growing population.
It's not a particularly accessible organisation.
While I’m glad to see more green progressive councillors and our fabulous mayor do amazing work, I’m really unhappy that the right block of the council have been acting in a way that is fucking disgraceful
I work in private consultancy, their lack of understanding with planning matters, their indifference to the will of the people with regard to plan changes and the reliance on WWL is beyond hopeless.
City seems dishevelled, public transport is poor, lack of vision, waste of taxpayers’ money contesting new bar openings in our nightlife district, no strength to stand up to regressive new government, poor marketing campaigns.
John key said Wellington is dying, 10years later it still feels true.
Since I moved here 10 years ago the city has been on a steady decline. Clearly a dying city now, last year one of the worst. Streets are dirty, homelessness has increased, all the street's asphalt and markings are a shambles. It is not a neat clean vibrant city that used to be.
Just the usual spending, $45k wasted on the leek regarding the reading cinema deal
The messaging around the water debacle. The ridiculous town hall decision. The crazy cycle lanes being installed in areas manifestly unsuited to them -see ngaio gorge.
Does good job. May be need to allocate more funds to repair water leaks for Wellington water.
The transport is car-fixated, it disempowers my children, since they can't safely cycle or walk around. The cycling and walking options are generally poor in my area, with disconnected pathways and lack of crossings and safe corridors. Also, the housing stock is expensive, old and very low quality.
Decisions made by the council have divided the community. The perception is that the council doesn't listen to residents but has an agenda and will push on with it regardless of feedback. I cycle to work in the city, and the way the cycle lanes have been managed is not good. I think they are a waste of money and won't encourage more people to cycle. The weather is too much of a deterrent. I think money should be spent on repairing pipes and public transport.
Unfortunately, the leaks and burst pipes all over the city are overshadowing any positives
Most council services seem efficient and effective. I can now cycle pretty much the whole way from my apartment to my workplace on a safe protected cycleway
Water leaks, no to water meters then yes to water meters, random useless rod works, bus network unreliable, to much money spent on useless "consultants" and to get the money back you are increasing the rates!
The street have become dirtier, smells like stale urine everywhere, water leaks.
Really happy to see progress on cycleways and pedestrian improvements, especially Karori Connections.
Constant water leaks in the woodridge area, bad bus service, not many recreational spots for families outing
The largest, most obvious issues within this city have been neglected. The priorities of this council are not helping the general populace. The city has become barren, expensive, divided. We should be fixing the pipes first and foremost, stop the amount of land banking property owners around the city, be far more flexible with "heritage" housing that the majority dont care about, improve the center city in terms of security & cleanliness
The rates increase yet the huge issues we have known about for years are still not being addressed- cycleway overspending, town hall , central library building all should not have been done without first fixing the infrastructure issues we have .
The city is lacking the vibrancy it used to have. There are more homeless people, more aggression, and I don't feel particularly safe most of the time when I'm in the CBD, let alone after dark. Shops are emptier than they've ever been, people are upset about the progression of cycle lanes compared with leaking pipe repairs, services are being cut (or proposed to be cut) while we're dealing with ever increasing rates rises.
Excellent public spaces, upgrading of playgrounds, leisure facilities and cycle paths but water leakages are not only worrying for supply but also damage the roads making it dangerous for cyclists.
The number of water leaks around the city. The increase in speed bumps in suburbs and bollards to create a cycle lane on roads that are not wide enough to allow for a separate lane. Resurfacing of roads that didn't need resurfacing while other, busier, roads are left in a complete mess - uneven and confusing lane markers from where an attempt has been made to cover old lines. And at the same time rates continue to increase, including now the Moa point sludge levy.
Mayor has been left with a shit show, and has been competently and honestly dealing with it
Yes Takina is pretty but PIPES Yes bike lanes but PIPES Seriously
Council events are great and Simone (on social media) is a Wellington Treasure, but the water leaks are infuriating and embarrassing.
The thing I care about most is long term infrastructure to support a sustainable and equitable future, like water and public transport, and it seems the council has not been able to make good progress in these areas.
Road works, pipes, rates increases, water situation - it’s not the rate payers fault we are in these situations
Lots of running to media and bad feeling and distrust between councilors, lots of marginal decisions
Water - lots of leaks, pipes not being fixed etc.
feels like nothing has been done to handle the climate crisis
I understand that the council doesn't have funding to repair our infrastructure issues, but I would like to see them throw everything we have at the most basic issues until the national government steps up with more funding. Being told to monitor water usage while the city has leaks flowing day and night year round leaves a bad taste in one's mouth.
It seems the council is dysfunctional and doesn’t have a unified direction for the city. I have appreciated the about-turn on the water pipes issue but that was only after weeks of outrage. It feels like without that level of pushback the council wouldn’t have changed its mind on prioritizing the pipes over nice to haves like pedestrianising the CBD
Promptly fixed a leak (arranged an outsourced company to do)
Your provision of council services has been great (e.g. library, gardens etc) but the behaviour of some council members like Nicola Young and is a let down.
I'm pretty disappointed with some of the councillors on the "right" of the political spectrum who continue to perpetuate dated attitudes that exacerbate infrastructural challenges that have accumulated over decades, and fight the funding of projects that would bring life and energy back into the city in the form of pedestrians and public transport.
The state of the pipes is very disappointing. However, balancing that, I am impressed with the improvement in cycle infrastructure.
There has been a water leak on hall street for over a year and now we are in a water crisis and still not fixed. Also sad about the whole get Wellington moving saga.
losing 40% of our water due to poor infrastructure is horrific. I appreciate this is not just down to the current council but it's just not acceptable. Council run events have been cancelled far too often (Very Welly Christmas for example). Roads are in a terrible condition and complaints don't get responded to.
There are big prioritisation decisions to make - they've been a bit slow but looks like they're happening now. The water situation is shocking- but that aside things are generally managed really well
Lots of back and forth on whether cycle lanes will be cancelled. Lots of leaks and not happy being asked to do less washing when it's a hygeine issue and there's good water being lost at a rate of liters a second. Genuinely think that if it's the emergency council says it is, they need to urgently throw more resources into the pipes e.g. cancel all other projects until the pipes are fixed, concillers take zero pay until it's fixed, no CubaDupa/fireworks etc.
Really proud of the mayor and deputy mayor in representing the city. But council finances, decision making and priorities are coming across as a shambles. It's scary to see the impact of this (water) alongside the fractious relationship with central government.
Reduced hours for city gallery, inability to hold Wellington water to account, bickering amongst themselves.
I appreciate how open and honest this council is.. but There are just a lot of broken buildings and pipes and it makes me feel sad.
A shame about the government change just as the cycleways and bus plans were going to go ahead
Cycle lanes over fixing pipe costs, the never ending Library and Town Hall building sagas, free buses for cruise ships
Delighted to be represented by a growing number of young progressive wahine!
City is less safe by the year, infrastructure is not being carefully maintained
Pretty good engagement and then progress on cycle lanes. But as with every council for the past 50 years we have not solved our water problems or our housing problems
Water issues unaddressed, Changes to make parking around the city difficult and expensive.
Infighting, lack of strategy or decision making, time wasting and still our water infrastructure is broken, we don't have a heart of the city (civic square) wasted money and years on library consulting, could be finished by now, the traffic gets worse each day, no affordable housing, waterfront is tired. I love Wellington, but we have lost our way.
I'm pleased WCC is properly talking about water infrastructure
Decision making on Old Town Hall - flawed from beginning to end. Shelley Bay land deal. Poorly-designed cycleways. Lack of clear (or any) support for community-based initiatives such as the homegrown Island Bay arts trail, water leaks, poor road repair quality due to use of chipseal, no vision or strategy for coastal protection underf of libraries.
Poor prioritisation of infrastructure and community need.
Things don’t get fixed in a timely manner.
Poor management of finance and poor choices about bus lanes in Karori and no funding to fix water leaks
The amount of basic services needing support/updates and it seems all money is focused on added speed humps and barriers along already narrow roads in Ngaio.
LEAKS. The waste of water while the Council has built a vanity convention centre drives me mad. Fix the leaks, make public transport cheaper again (it's nearly $10 a day for me to bus to and from work during peak hours, it's absurd), and finish the Karori Cultural Centre - it's a space Karorians will actually use and desperately need. Save your monuments to your egos and actually help us have a liveable, environmentally green city. Also, stop the corrupt housing board who are voting against densification to protect their own assets.
Lots of stuff I love about the city, that the council plays an important role in - libraries, dog areas, green spaces, sports grounds for kids, fun things to do, clean and safe. But obviously lots of work to do with water and transport issues.
the leaks in my area have been fixed ;-)
Spending money on the wrong priorities - buildings and bike lanes rather than water pipes. Rates are too expensive, increases are ridiculous, not good value.
Focus on cycleways instead of waterpipes and leaks .
So much infighting and negative media from the council, so little effort made to fix the water leak issues
Things mostly seem to be working, but councillors pushing their own agenda and slowing things down, publicly making personal attacks, etc., is disappointing to see in elected representatives.
Inherited vanity projects that have compromised the city's infrastructure
Spending massive capital on vanity buildings and pet projects while rates rocket and core daily services deteriorate
Largely love to push for cycle ways. Would love to see some curbside food waste.
I've seen nor heard a peep from the council in my day to day life but see the central city becoming more dangerous desolate and desperate by the day. What else can I say than this makes me very dissatisfied.
Less and less recycling. Less and less events. Stopping all the projects that would have improved the city (because, let’s face it, we can fit more cars. There’s literally no space and it’s already a traffic nightmare). Wish the city was less noisy, polluted and more pedestrian friendly.
I realise a number of the current city issues are a result of many years of infrastructure under investment and therefore not the direct fault of the current council but I feel like I also haven't seen solid workable plans to address those issues going forward
Long term funding decisions lack bigger picture thinking - reducing investment in libraries is a poor decision given the vulnerable communities they serve, particularly elderly and those without access to education.
Just not focusing on the right things. Putting in bike lanes, and putting them in stupid things. Taking out car parks so it's harder to shop in our local shops instead going to the malls. The lack of work done on water pipes
Generally excellent, however scope for significant improvement in some areas
Money is spent on the wrongs things e.g cycle ways where we need to fix the water systems. We need a leader who is going to lead and not be in the news for stupid things
Water (a basic service) pouring down our streets while we spend money on other projects feels like poor performance to me
Very satisfied with almost all services. My biggest concern is all the water leaks.
As the owner of house paid the council fees for every year so rubbish bag should be free for every resident. Thanks
Progressing on cycleways is good, throwing $s at the town hall is not.
There are complex issues going on, and while action is slow, it seems like there’s a lot of care and commitment to make change. Plus it’s continuing to run great initiatives - eg free entry to pools for kids
I think there has been too much focus on creating cycle ways, while other issues have not received much (public) attention. (such as water management)
The council is always very good at communicating with me, prompt and polite, even if what they is not what I want to hear.
There are a lot of water leaks around Ngaio, but I know WCC has a finite amount of resources
More a reflection on our local councillor, Ben McNulty. He’s just fantastic, very open, explains council work or why the water repairs take so long etc in a very open, easy to understand way. He’s very active in the community pages on social media, responding to local issues and queries. Very fortunate to have him representing us.
Burst water pipes in our area are so frequent, and the lack of bus lanes into the city for PT are frustrating.
I am pleased with what the council is doing, but the legacy issues you are faced with are difficult. But also fixing one leak but leaving a nearby one as its not on the job list seems an ineffective use of time having to come out again later. But what do I know?
Satisfied to see more cycle lanes installed. But can see Wellington faces a lot of challenges and don’t think people have been brought together behind a clear vision and pathway forward.
Seems to be alot of money spent on things that don't help (cycle lanes that are always empty and impede traffic)
I think the council has some difficult issues on their plate alongside the normal day to day work that a council performs. Overall they've handled those well but I think some have not been well managed.
Generally like the direction, justy wish it could happen faster.
I think the media attention is bad - I'd like our council to be united.
Lack of energy in fixing leaks and replacing pipes. Lack of LISTENING to consultation around provision of bike lanes. Lack of organisation skills when doing road works eg HUGE traffic snarl entering Karori yesterday (01/02/24) with lack of communication between sets of roading crews - who organises this? (Almost missed a flight because of this lack of organisation!!)
Would like more work done on the water problems and the Central Library repaired faster.
Mayor making all the wrong headlines. Rates increases and water metering plus reduced services means current generation will pay for past generations extravagances
I think that the council needs to prioritise the work needed to restore Wellington's water supply system.
I am trying to remain positive about this city that I have loved for decades but it feels like half the councillors spend their time frustrating any progress or looking for dirt on the mayor. The CBD has been abandoned to people in Emergency Accommodation and it feels unsafe. People have literal beds set up on Courtenay Place and no one does anything about it. I don't feel it is safe bring my children into the city in the evening, or walking down Manners Street. We are soon going to be paying more rates for less services. How does this not become a downward spiral?
grappling with issues of transport, climate change, housing
Continuing failure to address infrastructure in the city and confusion about the governance role of the council. We seem to waste the first year of each new council in factionalism.
The multiple water leaks, combined with water restrictions, and no effort by Wellington City Council to be proactive in addressing this problem. You have outsourced it to Wellington Water and simply blame them.
Lack of unity, poor personal behaviour, lack of focus and a body at odds with reality of city
Water leaks, parking,cycleways dumb councillors and mayor
I think they are doing ok though things can be improved
Failure to buy into the Three Waters reforms, while failing to adequately fund water infrastructure.
Financial decision making appears poor - taking on more than we can afford and failing to prioritise must-do items ahead of want-to items.
Poor governance by City Councillors - failure to differentiate between critical and vanity expenditure - city CEO seems to hold sway over councillors where they should be seeking independent advice and consultation with the city - eg Wellington Town Hall - the initial investment and the substantial blow out and council advice no time to consult with the city!
Too much squabbling over Political Party Lines (Red - Blue-Green) and no thought given to Wgtn City black/yellow. Also inability to use resources effectively - ie wasting time on cycle lane construction when the city is crying out for workers to fix the ongoing Water leakage problems. Surely it can't be too hard to manage personnel to where they are needed - but apparently due to incompetent management - IT IS !!
Councillors do not inspire confidence with all the in-fighting and pushing personal/party agendas. Need to work constructively for the City and sort out priorities to get the best results for the City. Fix infrastructure problems - water and roads. Forget cycleways and Golden Mile redevelopment in the short term. meantime
We have reported several water leaks and to date none of these have been repaired. We also note that one of the current water leaks has been repaired at least twice in the last couple of years - very poor workmanship. We also note that grass mowing has deteriorated in some parks and noxious weeds are taking over in various locations. All core council tasks not being implemented well. On the other hand there has been lots of activity on implementing cycle ways and other unessential work which is simply making roads less usable and dangerous for all road users. The Council appears to have no concept of its core activities and certainly very poor prioritization of rate payers money.
Really? Its not just the past year, its for many years. Focusing on frilly projects while ignoring essential services.
I am not that thrilled with the infrastructure failures, while acknowledging that this has built up over many years of underfunding and neglect.
I think Tory Whanaus projects for Golden Mile ,Cycleways are at best poor use of ratepayers money Its time to delete these projects sell the social housing and put the $500 million from the sale into infrastructure like water and sewerage pipes.
Leaky water. Poor performance on recycling. Infrastructure falling apart. Library and town hall still construction sites. Spending too high. Stop creating cycle lanes we can manage thank you, have done for the last 30 years. Stop ruining our village with speed bumps and paint everywhere and remove those speed humps. Stop spending ratepayers money on vanity projects. And stop referring to genders that don't exist
Perceived to operate with arrogance and focuses on ideological objectives rather than the real needs of the city and it's citizens.
A mainly Luddite Council, head buried in the sand, spending on unnecessary fripperies and vanity projects, instead of concentrating on repair of the drinking water pipes, seeming to forget that without water there is no life! Totally in ostrich mode!!!
On the whole, systems seem to be working as intended. apart from the waterworks of course...
So much focus and finance on bike lanes that proportionally are under used compared to the rest of wellington when that money and energy could have been better spent on every other failing aspect of the council. Why not mix bikes and buses in the same lane to increase utilisation? The new bus lane down to the beehive hardly has any traffic that it's ridiculous. The revenue lost from parking must be huge now all those parks have gone. You now spend more time driving around looking for a single park or give up and drive to an out of town location - it makes no sense!
Mainly the childish antics of the Mayor and the debacle concerning bus routes, bus stops on Tinakori rd and cycling lanes. Pie in the sky, wasteful, self indulgent vanity projects. The ongoing water pipe and sewage disasters and the apparent inability of the Council to even understand, let alone implement much of use to the actual residents of Wellington. They should all be ashamed of themselves.
Behaviour of Councillors to undermine council decision making when the outcomes don’t go their way, and acting against the democracy of majority decision making, demonstrating complete lack of integrity.
Money wasted on "vanity" projects such as the "Golden Mile", cycleways etc when essential infrastructure falls apart around their ears.
I voted for LGWM, and was looking forward to it. I understand why it is largely moribund, but I wish more could’ve been done.
Council's inability to complete projects on time and under budget.
The WCC remains in the funding trap that has accumulated massive debit in infrastructure (including piping). There is no clear direction for the current WCC to provide a circuit breaker to the accumulated poor investments and decision making by earlier councils. The council and its support staff appear second to third rate, out of there depth. Pus WCC does not represent the interests of all Wellingtonians.
No action on the water issues and the homeless in WLG city centre
focus seems to be on vanity projects and not on critical infrastructure, also too much money going into roads rather than water. Not helped by poor public face of mayor. Rates are eye wateringly expensive
Wasting money on cycle ways development. Water leakage, council meetings not public, confidential info held from public, who elected members!
Spending on infrastructure that's broken should be done before vanity projects. New projects should be fact based so that if for example Johnsonville loses parking for cycling, how many extra people will REGULARLY cycle (doubling a small number doesn't count)
The Council has been going backwards for a number of years, overspending on worthless and useless things like our Town Hall, Cycle lanes and Library. The get Wellington Moving debacle has been embarrassing and extremely frustrating and the leaking water pipes catastrophic! The Council has no idea and it elected officials ruining what was once a great city
1. They have not taken care of the essential like roads and water at all well. 2. They have wasted money on silly things like cycle lanes and rebuilding heritage/public buildings that were never functional anyway or whose function has largely disappeared. 3. Uneconomic overall development strategy. In a highly earthquake prone city who is going to invest in multi-storey apartment blocks for which replacement insurance is unaffordable to the people who may want to live in them. Not many multi-storey apartment buildings in Tokyo, Kobe, Kyoto, Osaka, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. I wonder why? Maybe their citizens have already worked out multi-storey unit titles is not a sensible thing to do economically in an earthquake prone region? Tokyo, Los Angeles and San Diego occupy big areas for their population size given the space per household typical in each society.
City amenities and Council performance are adequate not inspiring.
Slow realization that the most important issue is eater, comes before bikes, build rebuilds, etc
The council is made up of party politics, is too secret, pretend to consult, have their own agenda, claim to have mandates when no survey was taken of what the public want and staff who are arrogant. Over it and will vote according.
Preoccupation with vanity projects esp cycleways at the expense of the basic duty to maintain roads, water supply, rubbish collection etc
conflict between councillors; water issue; slow progress on library/town hall
The council appears to be polarised into two groups.
Leadership on water. Pork barrel schemes like Khandallah pool being progressed.
leaking water supply, dubious bike lanes, erratic mayor
Council do not take on board feedback from residents. I don’t feel we are listened to. Local Councillor’s ignore emails or to address concerns raised by residents.
The water and sewage debacle. Absolutely zero accountability for the incompetent ninnies who got us into this situation.
Any complaintes are usually from road works etc which is required
Continual water leaks. Continual bike lane construction causing congestion. Poorly designed bike lanes. Speed bumps everywhere. Get Wgton moving-nonsense. Our mayor is a pathetic leader.
Priorities are all in the wrong place. Di the basics well
Biggest concerns are high rates with little visibility on what they're used for. Epic bureaucracy. Public projects that take a very long time to complete (Miramar to city cycleway, Frank Kitts playground).
lack of vision, poor infrastructure problems not being fixed,
Water leaks all over the suburb, reduction in motorcycle parking in the CBD
Surely you know I was going to say Water.
Overall I don't have personal problems with the council services. Though I do think that getting onto the pipes is a priority that needs to be addressed. And I don't think it is fair to blame the current problem for the previous underspend and of course like many others I have my own list of priorities I don't want to see disturbed. So it's hard for Coucil to win.
Good services but somewhat slow on delivery or negative responses to consider requests
Lack of focus on core issues with political agendas more prevalent. Councilor infighting. Lack of improvement in brand Wellington
Poor leadership from Council. Poor investment decisions. Council more interested on politics than delivery. Poor leadership from the CEO.
Our rates go up every year. I am pretty confident that those funds are poorly spent, especially the old library (not suitable for the current demands) and Town Hall (not worth $30M to rehab and even worse for $330M).
Poor financial decisions eg cycle lanes on Cambridge Terrace that get very few users. Wooden boardwalk on Dixon which has very few walkers. Refurb of three venues when there are not enough audiences to fill one. FKP playground at $9m! Too many comms people, and street designers. Lack of investment in housing.
My waterleak problems from water coming out of the Council owned bank seem to be sidetracked and deemed no problem. Causing continual ponding even in dry periods
Lack of priority for necessities. Wasting money on Vanity Projects (Town Hall Central Library) Cycleways. Lack of attention to Infrastructure Back Office overstaffed with Time Servers, 'paper shufflers' and their Managers.
Council seems to lack direction and strong leadership. Unable to see the way in respect of infrastructure problems, preferring instead to lock into their own individual wishees.
The Council seem very disfunctional, with very little consensus, misplaced priorities and poor leadership.
Getting on and delivering cycleways and bus improvements while LGWM just talked about it.
The staff are always responsive to fix-it request. Appreciate the work that goes into maintaining reserves and roads/footpaths. The efforts to making cycling an option for future generations is pretty thankless but important.
There seems to be a lack of focus on what matters to residents. We can live without bike paths, but not water. Bike paths are a great idea, but the cyclists don't all want to use them so they ride on a more narrow road making it more dangerous than ever for drivers and cyclists.
Spending money on cycleways instead of the poor water system
The waste water issue, like many issues is first and foremost at my mind. I have no problem with going to have a water meter installed.The thought that the council is going to spend millions buying them before installing them when the money could be used to hire outside help to repair all the Wellington water leaks beggars belief. Also, the bike paths are not only an eye-sore but are really condensing traffic making drive times longer. What will happen if an ambulance or fire brigade have to stop next to a bike lane, chaos will happen.That the plans for the Golden Mile have been shelved is welcome news.
The ridiculous situation with the water. The focus needs to be on remediating the problems with water leaks and having a plan to upgrade infrastructure. Also, the ridiculous waste of money on cycle-ways that are ill-conceived, poorly planned and are expensive white elephants. Tie these in with the waste of money on making the walk between Island Bay and Newtown "more community centric" when almost no-one walks between the two and the home-owners are losing their parking. Please move from a green dogma oriented council to one that works for the betterment of the rate payer
lack of movement on the Library, increasingly oppressive bike lanes, use of council staff with cameras to police bus lanes, and of course failure to get to grip with infrastructure issues. For starts.
have had continuous water leaks in our area for years
Rates are far too high with increases out of control - the Mayor and most (not all) councillors have no understanding of the pressure on ratepayers. There is no real control on expenditure - pet projects and special interest groups projects are kept on while infrastructure increasingly fails. Lack of prioritisation. Council staff seem to run the show. In sum, a shambles.
Where do I start? Cycle lanes where they aren't suitable, not listening to the majority voice from rate payers, not fixing water problems before spending anywhere else (water is an essential for everybody), lying to rate payers, pay rise for WCC CEO when performance has been extremely poor and the amount her salary was raised by was more than some people earn total p.a. , etc
Property damage due to overgrown trees not being attended too, much higher congestion (additional pollution and costs in time and money for all except the relatively negligible amount of cyclists ) due to incredibly poorly designed bicycle lanes, and I won't mention the water leaks, I know its someone else's fault. i.e. this and every other fringe council Wellington has enjoyed.
I am very dissatisfied because I think the council has done a very poor job of delivering services efficiently and cost-effectively. Instead it has (i) increased rates; (ii) is delivering poor core services such as maintaining infrastructure and (iii) is spending very large amounts of money on initiatives which are not affordable (the worst example is a 300 million dollar cycle path from Ngauranga to Petone).
We have a mayor that is 'drunken and in charge of a capital city'. A mayor that doesn't talk with other councilors. We have a mayor that thinks the world revolves around them, we have a mayor that favours others (ie readings cinemas) than the people who lives and pays rates in the city. We have a mayor that is broken both internally and externally. Any simp that hooks up with this mess, deserves everything he gets.
It’s a mixed bag: Tawa's new bush walk off Kiwi Cres is great, water problems are a disappointment.
My rates have gone up but you still can't fix the leeky pipes
Because they can't do the basic job of being a council, have an addiction to spending my money, spend money on the wrong things.
not listening to the impacted parties when changes are introduced. completely wrong priorities on projects. ideological not pragmatic.
Poor management Unqualified personal Poor leadership
In order (1) Water leaks (2) Length of time to sort the old Town Hall and city library (3) Rates based on a valuation now way above actual market value.
No financial control and priorities are wrong. Fix water and major services and stop spending money on cycle lanes.
Politicly run council for pollical groups not listening to Wellington residents / councilors spending residents rate money to implement councilors own agenda
Bunch of incompetent idiots, drunken Mayor do not know where she is or what she is doing third rate councillors and use less managers. Cant provide basic necessities like clean water and clean streets but waste money we donot have on useless vanity projects
The Water leaks in and around the city. The cycle way, a big mess of the city roadway. The council is doing extremely poor job.
I have reported three water leaks on the WCC website and two of them have been fixed within a reasonable time frame
Councillors who have no idea about how to spend ratepayers’ money.
Too much expenditure on projects that don't do anything for the city e.g. "The Golden Mile", eliminating car parking spaces including all the streets that go into or off Lambton Quay, too many cycleways, reducing access to essential city assets such as libraries and swimming pools, etc
Poor priorities. Council’s job is to provide the infrastructure upon which people and businesses can build. It is not to be the businesses of to bail businesses out or to create the vibe in the city.
Good response to reports or complaints except for water leaks.
Gross immature decision making, wasting money on low priority projects (like cycle lanes), wasting money on poor decisions like the seismic strengthening of the Council/library building. not prioritizing infrastructure maintenance projects (like water pipes0 - but costs to repair these ballooning out of all proportion. It would appear that responsible fiscal management skills and attitudes are not present
Our infrastructure is an embarrassment. Mainly roads and water.
It is very hard to voice your ideas. Cycleways have been thrust upon us. The option should have been offered along with our rates demand. Tory needs to stop looking at herself in the mirror and listen to the people. Wellington's water leaks are priority. Council wasted a fortune on the entry to Karori library for what? Someone gave this project to a consultant and that was money down the drain. WCC have been consultant mad and wasting our money. They have NOT listened to the people.
I agree with the direction that the council is going but they consult to much, even when they already have the mandate. They just need to get on and do it.
Lack of skills to prioritise investment, lack of ability to apply basic asset management principles re. Maintenance over pet projects. Fix the pipes and leave the cycleways for now.
Many projects in the city centre (such as the Golden Mile revamp, the library and town hall projects) appear to be going nowhere. The many water leaks in my suburb are also disheartening, and repairs are very poorly done, requiring return visits by your contractors.
Major issues have occurred (fresh water leaks, and sewage leaks into streams) and have not been dealt with by the council and poor decisions (investment into unnecessary building costs and inner city redevelopment) have been made in previous years. Money being spent on unnecessary and preventable issues when community utilities are close to being shut down.
Failure to focus expenditure on infrastructure. To much expenditure on nice to have cycle ways etc.
cycle lanes taking away parking. water leaks in footpaths not fixed.
There is a lack of focus on the things that really matter. We need to sort out the basic before spending on the "nice to haves".
LG funding model broken resulting in difficulty in moving forward as a city
I believe focusing on lighting, rubbish collection, water, roads etc should take priority over social / soft activities and benefit to residents
The council makes no attempt at all to keep rates under control. The council is extremely wasteful in how it spends money - for example, creating cycleways all over the city which are barely used and which cost all ratepayers a fortune - even those who do not use them. The council needs to take a HARSH and ruthless look at itself and see how it can save ratepayers' money. Without ratepayers, the council would not exist so it's about time that more care was taken with our money.
Seems to be a fundamental mismatch between aspirations of the council and fiscal/ economic realities
They are poorly led and achieve next to nothing. The street-lights problem; the pipes have been a problem for years, but the Council has done nothing; although now disestablished, LGWM did nothing. The Council appears to be focused on idiotic Green Party policies to the detriment of everything else - the cycle-ways are a waste of time. Furthermore on the leadership, the 'party-girl' Mayor appears to have the mantra that she is 'here for a good time, not a long time'. Her media focus always appears to be about herself and not the city. If she spent more time working at her desk, than walking her dog and socialising the city would be better off.
Party/Ideology before the interests of the rate payers. A council who can't work together in the best interests of Wellington.com. WCC promoting that they have a mandate to enforce the above, when only 45% of people even bothered to vote. "water, water, everywhere ..." The city looks tired. No, Cuba Street is not eclectic - it was 20 years ago - now it is just dirty. Too much ratepayers money spent on too few projects, all in the CBD. What about J'ville, Tawa, Island bay? Cobham Drive crossing and the debacle that is/was LGWM. Golden Mile pedestrianisation. Yes, Courtenay Pl, Embassy to Tory St, maybe to Taranak St. Definitely not all the way from Embassy to Lambton Quay. Implement the Courtenay section, and if successful expand it. WCC focused on too small a band of solutions for traffic woes and not holistic (including cars). The Mt Vic tunnel isn't even a half decent pedestrian/cycle option as it currently stands. Visitors who fly into our city get out of the airport and sit in a traffic jam for 25min. Embarrassing. The City to Sea bridge is coming down I assume at some stage ... add that to the list.
There are potholes outside that I keep being told are on a private road......but it isnt.....and I pay for a fence that intrudes onto council berm, but I own the road. It's a farce
Too many bike lanes that cost way too much, should focus on the water pipe repairs instead. Also Frank Kitts park was a fiasco from the start. I'm not a fan of pedestrianising Lambton Quay either
Racial bias (everyone has the same rights all must contribute and have equal say), spending on non essential projects, funds funneled from basic necessities to nice to have environmental initiatives such as cycleways, council infighting, poor examples made, lack of dignity and decorum, lack of respect for the position and honour ratepayers have bestowed upon the mayoralty and council positions. A mayor who may mean well but is out of her depth and out of touch with the real work that needs to be done.
water leaks dont get fixed. Rates keep going up with not much in return
Had no real issues, other than finding it difficult to be able to pay the rates as we are on income of basically only Govt Superannuation.
Sort out the water issues, stop taking away revenue (thus increasing WCC residents rates) from the council by removing car parking, spend less money on cycleways (a nice to have) and on place it where it really matters
This council is not only to blame - past ones as well. Misuse of funds, wasting money on the town hall, excessive parking fees that put me off going into the cbd, water issues, bike lane chaos. Today I read that $900 is spent wining and dining wealthy people - my quarterly rates on boozing.
The situation with Wellington Water and current and further likely water restrictions, the ongoing hassle of getting around the city on our roads, the continuing and endless series of roadworks (particularly along arterial routes through the city), the stilted progress on Let's Get Wellington Moving (and I do understand the consequences for the programme from the change in government), the odd decisions around the work underway on the Town Hall and City Library.
Wasting money on silly projects, not focusing on critical services.
Transport Options: The inadequacy of transport options has left many residents feeling frustrated and inconvenienced. Limited public transportation services, coupled with insufficient infrastructure for alternative modes of transport such as cycling and walking, have contributed to this dissatisfaction. Slow Progress on New Transport Initiatives: The lack of noticeable progress on implementing new transport initiatives has added to the dissatisfaction. Despite promises or plans for improvements, the actual implementation has been slow or non-existent, leaving residents feeling disillusioned. Water Leaks: The prevalence of water leaks throughout the city has become a significant concern. Beyond the inconvenience of disrupted water supply and potential damage to property, these leaks also raise questions about the efficiency of the council's maintenance and infrastructure management. Poor Quality Roads: The subpar quality of some roads further exacerbates dissatisfaction among residents. Potholes, cracks, and uneven surfaces not only affect the driving experience but also pose safety hazards for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians alike. Addressing these concerns and prioritizing effective solutions will be crucial for the Wellington City Council to regain the trust and satisfaction of its constituents.
the foot paths are overgrown with over hang. the gutters are clogged. the roads are so poorly maintained that I should be driving a true off road car. I couldn't even name councilors responsible for my area.
Rates increases far too high. Wasteful spending on major projects. Mayor dividing, not leading.
Bike lanes, bus services, library, local events, Prince of Wales park being reopened.
Water funding. Continued lack of attention to infrastructure maintenance.
Lets Get Wgtn Moving (appeared to do the opposite), Inlane bus stops being built then now to be removed, cycle lanes issues, rates increases , the planned speed reductions city wide (thankfully suspended following the discovery of dubious data )
Water leaks; rubbish and graffiti in Newtown; rates increases despite decreased service.
Poor handling of water and other infrastructure issues. Poor communication of the benefits/results of the cycleways projects (which I support). Unnecessary distractions like the mayor's drinking issues.
I don't like the planned changes around the Golden Mile, or the suburban and central cycle lanes. I think the work has been poorly thought out and the level of expense is unnecessary. The position on the water supplies and water distribution has been poor for some decades and while not the fault of the current Council, seems to be requiring more agreement than Councilors seem capable of managing. We need less idealism and more realism, at least in the near future.
spending too much on the wrong things Not fixing the water Too higher rates Too obsessed with green issues - ie, making Lambton Quay car free
The council are doing ok in a very tough job
Libraries are great and as a cyclist enjoying the new cycleways
Lack of leadership. Lack of longterm planning over water infrastructure over many years with the current mayor only coming on board very late in this current water crises. Differences of opinion in the council leading to ineptness. The council management (especially chief executive) seems to think it is knows better then the council and ratepayers.
Drunk mayor. Money wasted on beautification and cycle ways that is desperately needed for waterways
Better bus service.Adding priority to pipes and environment
Too much emphasis on cycle lanes, with huge traffic and parking issues. Waste of monies on redundant buildings (eg. old Town Hall), no replacement for a very good Central Library, with national and local research facilities, which are not available in the temporary or suburban libraries. $200 million on a hardly used Conference Centre, why? No plan for replacement parking in the city for those unable to use public transport (eg, parks taken form adjacent to our medical centre in Taranaki Street, no consultation before it happened with local affected businesses or practices. Changing parking in Newtown being rammed through.
Not focusing on infrastructure renewal, buses etc.
I see the council not doing the essential things (pipes, sewer and water neglected), roads not looked after while spending appears to be out of control on nice-to-haves (Labpton Quay restructure (is it really necessary, convention center and so on). The council has gained a reputation for being massively inefficient, with no firm managing hand on the tiller.
Not taking care of the priorities in water leaks etc and in my view wasting millions on cycle ways which should be built later
Continuing infighting & leaking to the press
Firstly the leaks. What a shambles. Bad leaks aren't treated with the urgency they require. I frequently report bad leaks and they seem to get no more urgent attention than a small leak. Question: recently a street in Khandallah had white lines painted on the road - not a bad thing. Then a couple of weeks later the road was resealed. REALLY??????!!!!!!
WCC would sooner spend money ie ratepayers' money on building of doubtful value above ground than on maintaining essential assets below ground.
Wasteful spending on pointless projects and failure to prioritise essential services such as water.
The lack of real action on water leaks; the emphasis on cycling leading to lane closures and parking removal, especially around Kent and Cambridge Terraces, Tinakori Road, Ngaio Gorge Road and many others; the intention to remove vehicular traffic from the “Golden Mile”; and a total lack of consideration for the elderly who may rely on their cars for shopping, social events and similar. Bikes are never going to cater for a family doing its weekly grocery shopping.
Appearing to concentrate on the wrong things. We need drains fixed but we are getting poorly-thought through cycle infrastructure.
Obsession with unnecessary cycleways. Poor management of infrastructure, especially water.
Firstly, the water debacle and secondly, the council's poor financial management and investment decisions.
Water pipes, obviously but also some of the important projects (LGWM) are moving at a snails pace. And crime and the vibe of the CBD is a bit crap.
There is an election and nothing happens. Elected and permanent staff seem to be working against each other. Who manages Wellington Water?
Three waters not being given sufficient attention
Council is slowly improving the infrastructure for the young, old, disabled and non car drivers. Progress could be faster
Good: the libraries, City Gallery and Toi Poneke. Not so good: infrastructure. Bad: that old Town Hall… it’s too expense, knock down. Bad, very bad: reneging on cycling and walking infrastructure and 30kph throughout the city, but I know those are problems under the current government.
1. Poorly planned cycleways that are overly expensive, more dangerous for cyclists, pedestrians and other road users. 2. Public transport system has gone backwards - lower frequency, worse routes, less reliable. Focus on getting the public transport system to world leading standards before removing carparks. To encourage people out of their cars, you need to give them realistic options. 3. No focus on core infrastructure. Not having an adequate plan to fix the water leaks until being asked by the Government, then ignoring significant ways to re-divert money is incompetence.
Water problems. Unwanted cycleways (and I am a cyclist.) $340m on an unwanted unhistorical town hall. Unwanted Golden mile changes. Council with too many ignorant councillors.
Major water issues. CBD dying and smells like piss. Hopeless mayor. Roads and parking being ruined by cycle lanes. Ever increasing rates
Water! We should never have reached the point where everyone is scared we'll have water restrictions. Secondly, the focus on bikes is totally disproportionate, ridiculously expensive, poorly conceived, and so disruptive to almost everyone. It's great to see so many people on bikes, but so terrible that the impact on everyone else has been so dramatic and yet so ignored by the council.
This council was voted in to bring about change, and get things done whilst being open with their decisions. However we have a mayor who is hiding things and clearly not interested in getting this city where it needs to be
Poor services for the amount of rates being charged. City is in poor shape. Progressive projects to improve centre of city being binned. (Acknowledge this is partly due to government, not just council)
Too much time wasted squabbling and playing power games among the councillors.
Water leaking up through the road that leads to the parliament kindy for 2 months or so. Took forever to get it fixed. Such a waste.
Because we are wasting money on non productive “pet projects”. No true diligence of economic return on projects like the town hall or library restoration make any sense. Because the earthquake proofing criteria is ridiculous and subjective. Insurance premiums are killing this city. The council is focused on pet projects while Rome is burning. Bike lanes are fine but a Second Mt Vic tunnel is a desperate necessity for the last 40 years. How can we be a cultural city when we look like a dowdy town and people who are creative can’t afford to live here.
There just seems to be so much wastage going on. We currently have water restrictions in place but I drive round and there are pipes leaking everywhere.
The Council offers lots of events. The infrastructure could be better. It would be good if councillors worked together more and there was less public squabbling.
The cycle lanes are a joke , public transport terrible, closing of cafes etc as no parking , city has become dirty boring and uneventful . Not enough public pools and talk Of closing a day a week. Water pipes bursting , rates going up getting nothing for them. Dreadful mayor never to be seen. Wellington Has lost her beautiful vibe.
There seems to be little focus on spending that provides value to the ratepayer. You have built cycleways which case traffic issues/delays and I see very few cyclists using them. There should be no overseas trips for anyone when there are financial issues. From what is reported the council doesn’t operate as a cohesive unit having robust debates and making decisions that are best for the majority.
Lack of Lo term planning for aging infrastructure Lack of planning for central city retail areas Lack of planning for transport buses and gold card restrictions should be raised like other cities eg Christchurch
The Council does not want to listen to the people. Most councillors have their own “green” agenda & ignore the views of ratepayers. Water problems !!!
The blimmin pipes. Sorry guys, but you have been hearing about this for decades and kicking the can down the road. Well, I'd say we've reached the end of the road. This means as a ratepayer, I am picking up a bigger cost, some of which should have been paid before I became a rate payer in 2017. I do not think Wellington Council has the ability to deal with their infrastructure responsibilities, this should be nationalised along the lines of 3 waters to ensure a consistent and efficient solution (not one that is reinvented by however many councils around the motu).
The water situation and continuing investment in more ‘optional’ areas such as cycle lanes - I appreciate we need to develop the city for the future but we must tackle Infrastructure first
Strangely, twice I filled this in, it all disappeared - didn't like my answers?? Highly resent our rates being squandered on: pavement bulges poking out into covering lanes and causing more congestion and dangerous for cyclists; excessive number of humps on roads, causing awful pain for people with back and other injuries, impeding service vehicles, causing constant noise changes of engine soun unnecessary resealing of footpaths, kerbs, roads; ridiculous number of sharrows -eg Raroa Road - every 2 - 5 seconds - insulting our intelligence and wasting paint, time of staff, road cones and closures; outrageous number of cycleways, for 7% of population, inhibiting access to attractions, shops, theatre, private homes meaning whanau, especially elderly and children can't even park to be delivered to visit, nowhere to offload buggies, walker frames, shopping, etc etc - very selfish; lack of clamping down on land banking by many inner city property owners, and 'dead properties for very many years - including Amora, Mo- lack of clamping down on land banking by many inner city property owners, and 'dead’ properties for very many years - including Amora, Molly Malones, many bars and restaurants - esp in Courtenay Place, Cuba St, etc
Poor quality decision-making, poor value for money, and no accountability. Poor consultation and very undemocratic behaviour
There is a need to fix the basics before the "nice to haves"
I'm not sure it's the council's fault, exactly, but everything seems to be going wrong! And the leaky pipes are really not good.
It would be simpler to say what I'm pleased with, which is not much.
the situation with the water pipes. Some resolution of this problem is necessary.
Work is not being seen to be done, project that shoild be dealth with are not, work not really required forging ahead???
Putting cycle ways everywhere thereby cutting parking. Clean water. Should be no.1 priority. Council wasting money. One person earning over 500 k how ridiculous
Council too busy wasting money they don't have on nice to haves, instead of funding the basics like water.
Core services provided ok, positive approach to low-emissions transport options, but also a building sense of decay in city scape and fragility of community level services.
Regularly increasing rates , but not really getting more for the money . Not happy with all the water leaks ,huge waste of water .
Pipes/ water, this is not a new problem and rather than dealing with it it's been brushed under the carpet, use the money from the canceled " get Wellington Moving" and fix the pipes Get Wellington Moving was too much consulting - and then powers that be didn't listen any ways and not enough doing. and the behavior of some member of WCC is less than ideal
Is there a progress Calvert doesn't block? The split is annoying, pipes affect everyone, climate affects everyone. It's non partisan, get it sorted
Sounds like a divided council Money should be used to fix our pipes, not the town hall, etc Contractor took a long time to tidy up a pedestrian path after we logged the job, and didn’t do it very well But good to see the cycle lanes
When I lodge a Fixit - it is mostly fixed. I love the events E.g. Gardens magic. I understand about water and when I 6moved from Lower Hutt into Wellington some 15 years ago I ws amazed how little my rates were for what I get. If someone can sort out the dysfunctional council we could all get on with sorting infrastructure, and getting bikes, public transport and pedestrians as the dominant transport choices for the middle of town. Yes water needs to be fixed. Put my rates up and give me a water meter.
Utter disregard for people on fixed incomes and have mobility issues
Lack of unity, lack of support for the Mayor from within council. Infighting.
I feel that far too much money is being spent on projects that are not needed at this point in time. When I need to budget I stick to the absolute necessities. The council are not doing this
Water infrastructure should be the number one priority. Cycle lanes not all well thought out. Little thought given to safety of pedestrians with too many fast scooters, some cyclists on electric bikes going fast on footpaths.
Wasting money on cycle paths which are hardly used.
Disappointed in the maintenance of parks & city. For the pass 40 years have heard about what is planned for Johnsonville. Johnsonville Mall is dieing , very sad to watch.
we are still waiting for rate rebates - it has always been paid by late October at the latest. Some people really need that money. i don't agree with where all the money is being spent -we need the pipes fixed
There appears to be a lot of dissent within the Councillors - they don't work together as a team. I think they sometimes forget that this is what they have been voted in for - to serve the people, not their own egos. As for the WCC staff, I think they do their best in difficult times, with restricted budgets and more call on their resources than ever. The Councillors and Mayor are letting them down.
My rubbish is always collected, the streets are kept clean, there is adequate lighting around my house. My suburb is generally well serviced by the council . I am regular pool and Library user and I totally oppose cuts to these valuable community assets in your cost cutting exercise. Please don't make these a casualt expenditure sometimes baffle me.y. I seldom have cause to complain about council services that directly affect me so thank you. I am concerned about the pedestrianising of Lambton Quay and I have quietly seen the city I love begin to die. Your prioritisation of projects sometimes has me baffled.
i know everyone works hard and the council puts great effort into things like libraries, pools, events etc. Lots of issues though with infrastructure so it can't be a totally satisfied.
Water leaks Karori cycle lanes not wanted but not listened Bad infrastructure Silly bus stops in middle of road Wasted money
My main concern is the problem with water leaks and rates rises. As a pensioner on a fixed income with rapidly diminishing savings every additional cost is a burden on a very tight income. I also am concerned that the council is contemplating water metering when there are so many unfixed leaks around the city. An example is one in Eaglle Street that has been running for at least 3 months, if not more. As someone who is very conscious of the importance of saving water I think fixing leaks should be given priority over things like raised bus stops and crossings.
slow progress with cycleways and disastrous dilly-dallyign over water pipe replacement
Dissatisfaction with water leaks, recycling/rubbish disposal, roadside (lack of) trimming, poor quality road paint marks, traffic jams due to badly timed roadworks, unreliable bus services, lack of sincere positive communication and media coverage from new mayor.
Great work on parks and roading for cyclists
- Potentially reneging on promise to complete Karori Event Centre despite being gifted it on the proviso you finish it. If that work is not completed ownership must be returned to the trust/alternative local group to complete - threats to reduce hours at community pools and libraries - important hubs for health and social wellbeing - poorly coordinated roadworks causing significant delays to trips in and out of suburb - potentially causing delays to emergency services gettign where they need to go - the leaks in the suburb and wider city of big concern - unnecessarily spending on re-sealing roads in areas that do not seem to need it, when other areas of the city are in desperate need of upgrades
The leaking water business should have been dealt with decades ago. Having water meters discriminates against large families or flat-sharers. Lambton Quay looks dreary, Courtenay Place is a mess.
Poor planning. Too much emphasis on nice to have projects and virtually no interest in essential services
Water situation, golden mile project, Karori cycle way
lack of attention to too many important issues (mainly water related) and wastage of money undoing recently completed projects - bus stops etc.)
Focussing on other projects, such as cycle lanes, instead of fixing the water pipes.
They are a council that does not listen to the people and has insisted on spending a lot of money on cycleways whilst the city haemorrhages water.
For the same reason as most Wellingtonians at the moment ... being asked to conserve water at home while encountering numerous leaks on the streets during my drive into the city is pretty mind-blowing!
I don't see evidence of the council being active in my area.
Constant water leaks and road works are a nuisance!!! Rubbish at times is not collected on time and our street has no working street lights!!!
The Council and Mayor ate insistent they have been given a mandate which they haven't and fo what they want not what residents want and are failing to provide the basics
The city council seems to continue to refuse to listen to the people who keep them in a job and carry on spending millions of dollars of ridiculous “nice to haves” vanity projects instead of sorting actual, real issues of infrastructure in the city. They also have the absolute balls to survey people and then when there is an overwhelming response against these projects - they still go ahead with them?
I like that they're trying to encourage more active forms and transport and public transport and discouraging the use of cars.
Too much expenditure on inconsequential beautification and cycleways and insufficient expenditure on high priority issues such as water reticulation. The missteps of the mayor have not helped.
Seems to take a long time to get resource and building consents, not all questions are asked at once so the weeks go by And of course the leaking water pipes with no apparent central co-ordinating point where leaks in the same street are done at the same time.
The water leaks are ridiculous There seems to be more effort put into arts and leisure rather than things that actually make life run smoothly
I have no confidence in the current council. The council needs to stop spending on stupid projects like a new dog park, and wasting money on lawyers to check up on Councillors, in the leaking of info case. They also need to not give $ to private developers as in the reading cinema complex. I am tired of hearing about the Mayors personal life and problems. She needs to show better leadership. Wellington Water needs to fix the leaks asap and stop wasting $ on silly marketing emails. A toby leak in our Street ( Ellice in Mt Victoria has today been fixed after my first reporting it on 29 May last year. That's incredibly inefficient in anyones books. I could go on but suspect you get the picture
Wellington City Library is a wonderful resource. Staff are helpful and pleasant too. WCC social media are responsive. Rubbish and recycling collections are good and tidy. Road workers are efficient and friendly. Pipe leaks in my area have been fixed within two weeks.
Progress is being made with the sludge minimisation plant. We have shifted away from the roads trucks use to go to the tips, so I am not so depressed about truck noise, safety and fumes in and near our home.
I'm impressed by the cycle ways, dismayed by our water crisis
they keep putting up rates, not dealing with water leakages 4 years or more, want to charge Wellingtonians for water, see water as a commodity, they are looking at just beautifying our city instead of fixing problems such as drain issues. WCC take away parking from streets, put bike lanes in instead of fixing bus problems, take away business from places because took away parking, and continue to increase WCC pay packets of board....
Damaged rubbish bins need replacing. Better design needed. More frequent street kerb cleaning should happen in suburbs. Not impressed with cycle path design - I think they should be completely separate from roads and cars. Perennial problem of water leaks needs major attention.
Wasting to much money on un important things
There is a huge amount to do and limited funding, so I get why a lot of the city is a bit worn out.
Parking issues. Council does not take responsibility for parking at its own venues, leaving few parks for locals who then get ticketed. Council tree growing into our drain.
Unprofessional behaviour by Counsellors has been disappointing.
I am utterly sick of the Council not taking responsibility for the fact that for YEARS they have been under funded infrastructure, to the City's peril & now suddenly it's everyone else's fault. OWN IT.
I am super annoyed about the water situation. And I am annoyed that money continues to be spent on projects which are not critical while our infrastructure is failing.
Absolutely appalling behaviour by some council members, the City is in an embarrassingly sad state i.e. water issues, street lighting issues to name a few. Council should be working together not against each other.
Councillors bickering in the media, shocking management of the water leaks
Disappointed with the behaviour of the Mayor The dominating Green council The demise of the inner city Wellington The priorities set by Council- fix the water pipes and stop cycleways
Leaks. Not fixing them and making everyone conserve water. Cycle lane expenditure for a minority of people. Terrible quality of road resurfacing…chipseal, horrible to walk alongside and horrible to drive on. Speed bumps… far too many, why do we always have to do this for the lowest common denominator of people who drive badly?
Refusal to listen to residents concerns re cars parking refusal to sort leaks in an organised way .etc etc
The Council continue to spend large amounts of money on cycle ways. An example is Oriental Parade and Evans Bay Parade. There is no urgent need to make the cycle way as wide as it is when this money could have been spent on more urgent things. Also, the traffic lights that were installed in Cobham Drive are hardly ever used but they cost a great deal of money.
The city is looking shabbier and shabbier and there are more and more emptier premises
Inattention to water leaks; putting cycle ways as top priority at the detriment to everything else and then cyclists using the road instead of the million dollars spent on special roads for them; rental e-scooters being used along Lambton Quay and parked half way across the footpath; the proposed, not defunct, alteration to Lambton Quay; lack of attention to citizens with disabilities (see e-scooters above)
Way too much disruption on our roads with cycleways. Seriously how long has it taken and we still do not have a childrens park on our waterfront. Our water system is a joke.
Because of the problems the city has over the water pipes and because there are never ending rates rises that I simply can't afford to pay. There is no money left for anything else except paying rates, insurance and other bills, no money for me and the Council will be putting the rates up again this year and next year and I'm sure the year after that, with no end in sight.
Drains are a mess. Old town hall not fixed and probably won’t be now. Ridiculous largely under used bike lanes costing time and money we don’t have. My rates went up AGAIN grrrrr Irresponsible use of public funds The mayor should resign and for some reason, hasn’t No support for local businesses, in fact their lives are made harder due to council restrictions to cars and parking. The removal of car parks near the hospital: there’s a time and a place for catching a bus and an emergency isn’t one of them This council don’t listen to the public
Rates rises over past couple of yrs; our road has been dug up at least 4 times, road resurfaced with terrible chipseal. Water pipes burst in several places in Strathmore which leak for days before they are fixed. Our infrastructure is collapsing around us.
The public disputes between councilors does not reflect well on any party involved
WCC needs to urgently address the issue with damaged old pipes and huge water waste. WCC needs to provide more efficient and cheap public transport. I’d like to give more detail about this.
Some good initiatives. But most things are taking far too long and cost too much
Issues over water leaks, untidiness in city and money spent on unnecessary things
We had weeds growing up to two feet high out of the public steps which you did half a job on… the leak running down our street has been going for over a year, Queens Park is about to swallow us up, just doing my errands in town now costs me an arm and a leg if I can actually find a park and I, like many others do not enjoy cycling in the wind! Also driving across town at any time of day seems to be an issue…. and no I am not going to take two buses or walk for an hour when I can get there in my car in 15 mins ( 8mins without traffic ie before 6.30am and after 6.30pm) We choose to live close to town for the convenience but it’s easier for me to drive and park in Petone that to bother with town.
Water leaks not being given top priority.
People need water to live. Why isn't this the highest priority for spending?
Rates continue to rise, yet there are major problems with basic services such as water. I don't really care what else the council does, but the basics (water, sewage, rubbish, fixing existing infrastructure) are essential and in my experience not being delivered adequately.
Leaking pipes, loss of my hearing due to Council not dealing with noise complaints, no ruru anymore in wadestown because cats have killed them all.
Like everyone else, I find the water problem extremely frustrating. The city is in chaos, roadworks everywhere, traffic holdups and generally a feeling of gloom about the city.
2 main reasons: - too many cycling lanes installed at the expense of carparks - not enough funding for fixing water leaks as too many leaks are not fixed in a timely manner
Poor mgmt of money, Water leaks, golden mile plans
Good services re rubbish collection, street sweeping, libraries and swimming pools in good condition and nice to use, parks and gardens always look nice, good comms from the council, good events for the community
Totally unable to keep records, liars and totally incapable of managing finances. Incompetent (except rates office )
The Council seems to be more interested in nice to have projects rather than need to have
The job of any town/city council anywhere in the country is to manage and maintain infrastructure. Wellington City Council teams over the last two decades that I've been a resident here have failed hugely in that area. It's way past time that the Council got back to its knitting. Leave the glamour projects to developers and use ratepayers money to take care of the essentials for ratepayers, adequate supplies of potable water being the absolute top priority.
Not spending our money wisely ie on fundamentals
not fixing water leaks, building cycle lanes and ruining streets
INVEST IN MUCH NEEDED INFRASTRUCTURE!!!!! We have a sewage pipe that runs through our property. We have lived here for 32 years - at one stage we were continuously having sewage overflows over our drive and our backyard - work was done but we were still having issues - Now, every month Wellington Water comes to flush out our blocked sewage drain so it won't overflow - The whole system is old and desperately needs upgrading. It would be wonderful if we had no pipes running through our property.
The mayor & the majority of the councillors did not take the blindest bit of notice as to what us ratepayers wanted and needed. The few councillors that get out numbered, who are listening to the ratepayers get shouted down and are outnumbered. THEIR PET PROJECTS I AM SICK OF THEM! Those councillors heard our voices and ignored us, we pay their wages who are they to turn their noses up at us. ARE THEY GOING TO GO BROKE WHILE MYSELF AND THOUSANDS OF OTHERS TRY TO FIND (GOD ONLY KNOWS WHERE) THE EXTRA MONEY WE NEED TO LIVE PAY OUR EVERY INCREASING BC FEE AND THEN TRY & PAY THE RATES ETC. So many of us are so stressed it's not funny, we have no way out of anything we can't sell because we can't afford to rent, we can't sell because we can't afford to buy anything either. BUT WOULD THEY GET A DAM.....
Investments have been made in establishing new cycle lanes; however, their utilization seems minimal, raising concerns about the efficiency of the expenditure. Similarly, efforts to reduce car usage by reducing parking spaces in the central city have not translated into noticeable enhancements in public transport. Unfortunately, these initiatives have occurred alongside a neglect of upgrading critical water pipes, which play a vital role in everyone's daily lives.
Disorganised, a joke of a mayor,infighting, wrong prioritise, never getting things done/finished. Hopeless leadership
The infrastructure especially the water system is dismal. Enormous sums of money is being wasted on cycleways etc that almost no one is using.
Emphasis on unnecessary cycle lanes which take up road and parking space, making roads narrower and more dangerous. Money should be diverted to the water infrastructure. Our mayor is a disgrace and her behaviour and lack of direction is damaging the ability of the council to make good decisions.
the water issues namely... don't want this 'Golden Mile' thing
From an observer's view it appears as though there is poor decision-making. We think that more intelligent people with real technical experience and knowledge (for example, professional engineers) need to be involved in the important planning and decisions. Why is this capital city facing a water crisis? Also, it feels as though the 'life' of the city is draining away, especially if swimming pools, libraries and cultural public celebrations have 'cuts' when they offer low cost enjoyment to the public. In the mean time it appears as though the costs to repair infrastructure are skyrocketing. We observed over 20 workers taking more than two months to repair about 20m of water pipes near us... More and more councilors who don't pay rates are making decisions that affect rate payers.
Lost it's purpose, lost it's way, group of individuals serving their own interests and ambitions, prepared to lie and misrepresent their abilities and outcomes
Spending insufficient money things that matter, and too much whilst maybe good not required right now (e.g. bike lanes, numerous speed bumps in unnecessary places) given the state of other things like pipes, bad public transport facilities.
Transport is frustrating Water leaking all over the place
The provision of excellent community facilities in Johnsonville, Tawa and Porirua is great. However the lack of road maintenance and obvious leaking water mains is an issue.
Water issues not being resolved swiftly Inability to prioritise major issues and action practical solutions Lack of vision and innovation to tackle environmental issues and the impact of climate change on the city The constant penalisation of people who live in Wellington by way of extremely high living costs.
They seem to be hell bent on cycleways and the water problem is unbelievable and they need to spend more money on fixing it and not worrying about the cycleways. What is going to happen when new housing developments are built with no parking and cycleways outside their doors where do they park?
Not listening to community feedback and acting on it. Wasteful spending on cycleways and the "golden mile" . Not properly consulting with emergency services re access.
They are making life harder for everyone in the city because they think they can impact the climate. They spend money on rainbow crossings but not on crumbling infrastructure. But we voted for the clowns so I guess we deserve what we are getting.
1.Sewer and drain pipes need to be replaced, not fixed or repared. Whanganui has done these. Has there been any consultation with them as to what worked, what didn't and what could have been done better. No need to reinvent the wheel - consult with Whanganui. 2. Noise restrictions need to be put in place. The Foo Fighters concert was far to loud and caused much distress to residents. It could be heard as far away as Kilbirnie - possibly further- and what about the hearing damage to those who attended? Hearing aids are not great but I bet young people attending will have to wear them . 3. Pouhoutakawa trees are the wrong trees to plant in the suburbs. The leaves do not break down and block our dreadful drains. They shed and mess everywhere and the over 80s are the only ones who have time to sweep them up on our property which is an ongoing problem. We need a man with a brush and cart to clean the Council gutters near me at least once a week. For two weeks of colour its not worth it and the red petals?!(not sure what you call them) just add to the drain problems. I love trees but prefer ones that don't shed everywhere.
Water leaks. Some areas they have put cycleways that are hardly used. Pay wave only meters in the city for parking with no option for cash or eftpos. Lack of true priority for infrastructure over luxury projects.
poor management of gorse in public areas and parks, the current water issues
Are they listening to the rate payers. Fix the pipes. Stop all other major expenditure.
Not listening to rate payers. The planning of spending on expensive projects such as the Golden Mile and forgoing important infrastructure maintenance such as water pipes & fixing leaks. Raising the capital value (RV) of properties to market value, which has been overinflated.
Water leaks Letting E scooters and cyclists onto the CBD and surban footpaths Not actively enforcing road rules such as parking on footpaths and yellow lines, we always have to contact WCC Rebuilding Main Library when pop up libraries in the CBD and other suburban libraries are already coping well for library users
The water pipes. The unbelievably slow progress on the library
Wellington doesn't have the geography for cycle lanes; I can't see them providing the touted benefits, and they certainly cause problems. Public transport is a better solution, though not a complete one.
Water leaks; never-ending road works; cycle way disruption (eg Bowen/Glenmoore St)
Water management has been poor. There appears to be a lot of hand ringing without solutions being discussed. Happy for town hall work to be done, but the investment in the library building was a poor one - local libraries with a couple spread throughout the CBD would have been a better solution.
Good attention to cycle lane progression, but lagging behind in water repairs
I know council is busy and does important work. Maintenance of the city infrastructure, and comms seems to be invisible to me. I accept this might be a biased view of my minimal interactions with council and council entites
You are doing your best under the circumstances
Poor prioritization of funds. Why build bike lanes for a few privileged people but not prioritize leaking pipes. The public transport system is poor(where I live). Too much talk, no action.
Water/drainage issues, promoting water meters, spending millions on the old townhall which is on reclaimed land and of little architectural value, increase in rates , proposed purchase of the land under Reading Cinema.
Under investment in infrastructure- failure to properly mend leaks. Over investment in dangerous cycle ways. Removal of parking. New parking meters mounted too low. Parking zones means that if you move within the same zone you can't park for maximum time in New park if time remains on previous. E g Boucott St and Tory St Failure to address homelessness in the city centre creating unsafe areas. The golden mile project - incredible mis use of money. Failure to respect concerns of city business owners
Mayor Tori Whanaus drinking issues Wellingtons faulty water system
Lack of ability to work together on significant issues- poor public responses
You are too focused on the nice to haves not the need to haves. We are broke as a city with failing infrastructure and water leaks everywhere yet you are only focused on cycle lanes and ways to dissrupt your rate payers. To add insult to injury you are now demanding another 15% in rates to keep ruining a once beautiful city.
Very slow to respond and to action/plan solving the problems with our water supply (even though it has been known decades ago there was an urgency for maintence). e.g. leaking pipes. Appear focussed on bike lane spending which the Public do not want as a priority. Bike riders do not use them. Poor leadership by Whanau. She lacks capacity for the role of Mayor.
Prioritising work such as fixing water leaks is not being done. Cycle lanes are nice to have but don’t reflect the fact Wellington is a city of hills and an ageing population. I’m not impressed by the behaviour of our Mayor. The council seems at odds with itself and unable to clearly identify the most important work that needs to be done now.
installing unwanted bike tracks, wasting money, poor communication, divided council, not disclosing basis of decisions. Generally dreadful
Services that are essential such as sewage and water are neglected in favour of woke projects such as bike lanes. Charging enormous amounts for the tip which deters us from using it and fly tipping results
I think they do a really great job generally, but recently there have been some confusing decision making around the proposed new location for the recycling centre in Owhiro Bay.
Because they're inconsistent and spend money on stupid things for example the Island bay cycle way!
Doing things about the water, good approach to climate, great events
Mostly due to the water leakages and the prioritising of non-essential works, such as cycleways and the golden mile project, over essential infrastructure projects such as fixing the water leakage issues.
I believe they have lost sight of what their core duties are and are pandering to a minority group instead of dealing with the important issues such as infrastructure. I believe the current counsellors are only in because of voter apathy. Also, I am horrified at the lack of knowledge regarding spending rate payers money.
Road quality, water leaks and quality of water in Wellington Harbour.
Highly bureaucratic, slow and inefficient to get things done, too many siloed activities making it really hard to get anything done, over 'consult' and still don't get an accurate picture, not a cohesive council with officers working on their own agendas
They only think of raising rates, not how they could spend those rates carefully. Did we need new parking meters? Speed hunts on all the pedestrian crossings? CYCLE WAYS?
Poor comms, little information on large and expensive decision making, stone walling requests, being rude to community groups (Roseneath meeting), unwillingness to understand that you represent Wellington people not a political party.
There's good and bad. Many of the dissatisfaction is due to long term issues, not the past year, but I'm not confident the current council is any better than previous decades, really.
Too many water leaks, rates money not well spent.
Spending rates on stuff we don't want. Like the conference centre. Lite rail is an expensive joke that most of us don't want. There are much better alternatives that are way cheaper. The Golden mile project is another one to dump. The cycleways are good. Keep it up.
Cyclists that increase bikes on waterfront but with no plan to manage and no encouragement for good cyclist behaviour. Bike lanes not taking residents or business concerns on board.
Too much cycle lanes. No one cares and wasting money.
Mainly the water leaks being unresolved. The cycle lanes being built. The mayor having a drinking problem and mental health issues and not being relieved of her position so she can recover. Focussing on projects that are trivial and costly compared to real issues that Wellington faces. Coming across and incompetent and lacking in awareness of the issues. Wasting money.
Several longstanding water leaks in the area. Often hard to get through to a WCC employee, but helpful staff when successful
Water has to be the main one. We have a leak in front of our house. It has gone 4 times. Months to get fixed and leaking again within weeks. Bad workmanship. Money is just been wasted on unnecessary expenditure.
Lack of focus on core infrastructure services. Should halt large buildings and cycle options so we can focus on water
Handling of water crises, seemingly internal bickering amongst councillors, threats to services such as libraries and swimming pools
Not paying attention to the basics such as water pipes, good public transport, road and footpath maintenance. Regard cycle ways as wasteful projects as they are underused compared to cost.
Water pipe leaks not fixed in a timely manner - huge waste of resource now on restrictions
Exceedingly fed up with the water loss through poor infrastructure; sense that consultation with communities rarely leads to feedback being taken on board; and that many updates and changes are being dreamed up by people who have no contact with or understanding of the community being impacted
- Policies do not favour older people, people with disabilities. Eg. Less availability of parking spaces in town. Parking fee is too expansive, - Water infrastructure poor maintained, - cycle ways which is paid by rate payers of a very small minority usage, - increase of rates, - incompetent councillors!
Loss of parking. So for a disabled family member who needs a car for access-no longer goes to Botanic Gardens, in town resulted in changing lawyer, optometrist, hairdresser and dentist to others with nearby parking mostly in suburbs and driving further for blood tests.Getting old and inform is not easy- this council does not seem to realise that there are those in the community who cannot walk distances, cycle or use the bus, so in effect further diminishing options for activities beyond 'home'
Services work for the most part. I love the libraries
The biggest issues seem to be ignored while less critical issues are prioritised.
The water debacle, the begging and fighting in Manners St, the money spent on a new library (instead of pipes) when our pop-ups are doing a fantastic job, better than the previous service at the main library.
Progression of cycle ways good but problems with water pipes frustrating
Annoyed about water restrictions when there are so many leaks. Council parking on the street is expensive and hard to find a park. Lack of coordination between services like the stadium, council and metlink - around public transport for events. Road maintenance has been done badly, patches on the road look terrible and are bumpy. But I'm pleased you are putting in cycle lanes.
I very opposed to the council starting projects like cycleways when we have major water leak problems leading to water restrictions. I realize this has been a problem building over many years and councils. However the situation is so dire, all non essential projects like cycle ways and town hall strengthening should stop or be scaled back and more people and resources put into fixing leaks. I fear land slippage due to leaky pipes could lead to death or serious injury. Stop the cycle ways, and fix the pipes and water storage lakes. Or build alternative water storage facilities while you fix lakes at Te Marua.
I reported a footpath leak and it was repaired, communication was good. I gave feedback to parking proposals and felt heard. I appreciate the responsiveness of our council.
Continuing water quality and supply issues No kerbside composting
Overspending on pet projects instead of dealing with urgent maintanence
Losing over 40% of Wellington’s water because of leaks is a disaster. The debacle to do with the purchase of land under the Reading Cinema site in Courtneay Place was a dreadful waste of ratepayers money. The construction of a proliferation of cycleways has been ridiculously expensive when money should be being spent sorting out infrastructure issues, particularly water issues.
Despite key infrastructure projects not being well funded - eg water infrastructure + key roading routes, I am happy with the Council's efforts with green spaces, cycle ways and community consultation.
The water shortage is a crisis for this city. Fixing the water supply situation must be the priority. The rates increases are unsustainable. The Council needs to cut back on any extra projects such as the Lambton Quay pedestrianization and save money which can then be spent on Water infrastructure. If the rates keep increasing it will be too expensive for most people to remain living in Wellington as they will not be able to afford it even if they own their own home. This Council does not seem to be taking the situation seriously. We do not have funds to spend on projects such as upgrading the Khandallah pool when we can not afford the necessary water infrastructure.
I would like to see better priorities with spending
The council does not listen to its community- it has its own agenda and thinks it knows more than the people of Wellington - your survey’s are biased so that you only want the results you want to see - the council needs to fox’s on the infrastructure
I am surprised by my rates increase and desperately hope this will come down soon. After all, my property value has come down, and is markedly different to what is on my rates bill
Not enough focus on cost-saving measures or upgrading the currect water pipes. Still too much focus on expensive cycleways etc that will only benefit a very small number of people. Too many people on the Council with their own agenda
Setting of priorities - infrastructure has to be put to the fore, especially water. This is a failure of forward planning and maintenance. The council neds to promote austerity, beginning at the top.
Keeping up with climate change programmes, waste minimisation & supporting the arts and young people
The pipes are broken and in massive need of help and you are spending money on things that need to come second or third on the list ... like bike lanes and the town hall refurbishment. You make me pay for recycling bags even though I shouldn't have to. There are not enough bins around town to put dog poo in and not enough places for dogs to run free but cats can go any where they want whenever they want and I have to clean it up. I am also not sure who is in charge of the bike lanes but they are a mess. You make one that is clearly an accident waiting to happen (outside newtown hospital) and then our rates go up to pay for your assinign mistakes. Bikes seem to be able to do whatever they want on the roads that car users pay for ... they don't need a to pay registration fees, have a warrant, or license... what's up with that?
Too much focus on things we don’t need at the expense of core infrastructure. In addition councillors are not available and impossible to get issues addressed
Low visibility, poor spending, issues continuing to worsen
Rates keep increasing while level of services keep dropping. Councillors are behaving like children, and Barbara got an outrageous pay increase
A lot of councillors taking housing and core infrastructure seriously
Water is obviously a big issue, especially with packed drains/broken pipes on Aro St. where I live. Otherwise very happy with the moves towards density (except for not enough enforcement of density in the city vs. inner suburbs!) and public transport. Getting impatient for news on the library. Hoping we focus on things getting fixed rather than slashing rates.
Rate hikes and massive water leaks have been disappointing
More bike lanes has been great, as well as the generally more pedestrian-focused centralising of the city. Pipes would be good to sort, though.
They mayor has underdelivered - couldn't get lgwm signed off before new government. Nicola Young appears completely out of touch with what Wellingtonians actually want. The handling of the Wellington district plan and the appointment of the panel has been abhorrent - their views are not backed up by evidence and completely out of touch with what Wellington actually needs, which is more housing, not less.
Very satisfied with building the cycleway network, but somewhat dissatisfied with the underinvestment pipe infrastructure and cost overruns for large projects such as the Town Hall strengthening
You don't pick up our rubbish or recycling. We live a stone's throw from the beehive and you don't pick it up. Every time we contact you we get promises you'll change. Nada. Little trust.
The cycleways are getting going (yay), was disappointed in lgwm, but somewhat hopeful that the golden mile redevelopment will happen. Some playground redevelopment has been good - still waiting on Frank Kitts though!
the council cares more about cycle ways rather than fixing our water and waste pipes that are well over 60 years old
The council continues to provide a wide range of community services, whilst dealing with legacy issues. Communication from the council is pretty decent.
Disappointment with funding to Wellington Water (the leaks)! Concerns about District Plan and heritage proposal protection that seems to run counter to increasing much needed housing density, concerns about potential cuts to library services
Council priorities, speed of the council
Lack of focus on the work you should be doing. Too much focus on vanity projects. Failure to consult effectively. Your surveys tend to direct respondents to a predetermined conclusion. No sense that councillors are functionally numerate or understand their governance role. Decisions taken in secret. Dysfunctional. The Reading proposal is absurd. You propose to sell ground leases to pay for your plan on the one hand then buy land from an overseas investor to do what you are demanding that local building owners do without a ratepayer subsidy. I could go on. As for Tori…..
Street maintenance on my street (Rewa road) is poor. Footpaths could be upgraded, alleyway could be made tidier, street lighting us poor and feels unsafe at night
Personal politics between councillers, and blocs within council/mayoralty. Political compromise being traded for dirty politics by block lead by Calvert makes Wellington look incompetent and holds up work.
Cycle lanes, infrastructure works, events and planning, removing parking, additional bus services (gwrc?)
The progress towards bike lanes and more people focused transport has been really good, sadly ground to a halt for new projects since the new government....
Some great initiatives (including buying back the deserted Reading complex!) but some really obstructive behaviour from councillors has frustrated progress.
they have lost control of infrastructure and costs. the mayor is inept. councillorsare in over their heads
Underinvestment in Wellingtons essential infrastructure and overspending in other areas
lack of action on leaks and issues with anti socialbehaviour
Making progress on some infrastructure projects.
All good except for the pipes and water leakage.
I feel like the council was really quick to commit to sinking a few hundred million more on the town hall, and a lot into the library too, and yet is now scrambling to find the funds to pay for the water infrastructure renewal that's finally come to a head in mainstream media and has the attention of the general public. And now the council appears to be looking to penny-pinch at the local community level. I consider having a town hall and super fancy central library as 'nice to have' amenities (we definitely need libraries though) given the circumstances. I feel like many have gotten caught up in the idea that we *ought* to have an impressive town hall/library because Wellington is the capital, or because it's the type of things successful 'big' cities have. I am glad to have seen the council start talking a lot more about the city's aging infrastructure though and trying to do something about it.
There have been a range of problems coming up and not much aspirational vision or leadership. We also need to focus more on creating high density liveable cities
Generally good, though cutbacks on cycleway and Golden Mile are troubling. Town Hall decision is a waste of money.
I've really appreciated the progress on expanding Wellington's cycling network. We've seen some really exciting developments in that area, and I hope that we steadily improve over the next decade.
Events and infrastructure is unmatched within nz
The lack of priority given to the water pipes which are a necessity to life
Water leaks and shortages, no improvements to public transport, anti-social behaviour around Manners St worse than ever
Overall don't seem to be doing a good job. Lots of stuff like cycle lanes, bus stops protruding into the road, but water issues and restrictions plus rates. Could honestly do with half the bureaucracy and still be plenty efficient
So many reasons. The Council needed to do what Auckland has done and focus on keeping rates down while taking care of the basics. We simply cannot afford all these vanity projects. We did not need the expensive library option selected by the council. There is no urgent need for a new town hall. Other buildings in the city can meet this function. When the council started reducing parking in the city, I thought fine, I will stick to my suburb as much as possible. Now you are talking about charging for parking in the suburbs I feel my world is shrinking and life is just getting harder and harder to enjoy. I thought at least we would get the events centre in Karori but that appears to be on the scrap heap too despite being almost finished. So much effort and water is put into Karori Park's grass which is mainly utilised by young men. What about everyone else? I would like to have the events centre so I can participate in local dance classes etc. Without having to go all the way to town. I thought the best, safest cycle route in Karori would be down Friend St because there is less traffic. Now the speed humps (which do improve safety) are being introduced on Karori Rd, it is obvious to me that Friend St will now be the quickest option for cars wanting to get from the fire station to Karori Park. I'm not convinced this was thought through...
I think you're doing a good jobs despite significant criticism of late. Many misunderstand the causes of council funding issues and attribute them to the current council which is not entirely accurate. You are making decisions broadly in line with my values and concerns e.g. climate change mitigation and better transport options.
These are just my opinions but I am pretty disappointed with : 1) WCC actively removing car parks fro mthe city without providing any alternative 2) Ageing water infra that results in leakage
Lots of events and activities to bring the community together. Providing services such as library and bike help that encourage community and environmental benefits and help people learn or become employed
The City feels tired. It's quite obvious where the leaks are on the footpath and roads. And those leaks are embarrassing to our City's image.
I like the music at the botnaical gardens
I’m disappointed with proposals to close Khandallah pool, to introduce paid parking in the suburbs, with the amount of unnecessary bike lanes cropping up and the massive reduction to parking spaces. The city centre is dying. The public travel infrastructure is not there for the council to keep pushing these initiatives. It is more pressing to sort out the water issues, yet the council seem hell bent on pushing forward initiatives that the public do not want.
Not happy about the cycleways on my home street Onepu Rd. Also the weeding on my street is often done on one side of the street and not always well done. The idea of bringing parking meters in our suburbs is ridiculous. The council should be opposing this even though its the governments idea i believe.
There are many things happening that I appreciate (cycle ways, road maintenance, public events) but there are other things that need better planning (water issues, road maintenance scheduling impacting commutes)
the city is far better than any other city i've lived in and i like the focus on public good.
I love the work on the Eastern Suburbs, and the waterfront walkways. I would love some more work on the water system, like everyone
I admire the hard work the Council is doing to change people's habits and promote clean transport options. Like everyone, I think there is further work to do still with pipes etc
Financial troubles of the council at present are well reported. I don't actually object to some of the more superfluous spending (cycleways are fine by me), but there are some prominent white elephants, and I would rather the council hike rates aggressively in the short term rather than face several years of more gradual (but still substantial) hikes and deteriorating finances.
Wellington is not a bad place to live, I wish the city was less car centric, and more online services. It feels like the council does endless consultations, progressive things are constantly reduced to half-measures because of NIMBYs, and projects get canceled or reduced halfway through...
There are massive and urgent challenges for the council to overcome. We’re at a critical junction that will determine the health of our city over the coming decades; with big decisions looming on our pipes, uplifting the cbd, developing an LTP, and building a district plan that serves everyone. I’m somewhat satisfied with the decisions being made in these areas, and concerned about upcoming inflection points
I’m a big fan of the new bike paths and hope more get installed. I also think our mayor is doing a good job. I appreciate the council supported events that take place throughout the city. More needs to be done to improve housing accessibility.
Because there has been bad prioritisation, and bad execution of key projects. Cyclewwys are not a priority when water is leaking so much
Most of the council services I use are good, and I can see there are people in and on the council that are trying to help Pōneke adapt to climate change, shame about the NIMBYs though. The new bike and bus lanes are great. But the management of the parks and town belt seems pretty outdated. So much mown grass that doesn't serve any public utility e.g. steep or innaccessible terrain right next to areas suitable for dogs, games, sports, picnics etc. And when I try to contact via email my tickets keep getting closed before my questions have been answered
The city council is doing good work under a lot of fiscal constraints. There is good work of cycling and walking infrastructure and good decisions about library fines for example.
There are a lot of problems in the city right now but I have seen some great progress. The new safe bike lanes are amazing and all the plans for the golden mile look perfect.
New cycle lane development is good. However the support for an airport expansion is an awful and irresponsible idea.
Lack of substantial progress public transit and housing improvements
took away toilets, water issues, metlink sucks, public parks don't have toilets, no cash option on paid parking, new parking plans for newtown, inefficient cycling lanes
Certain things regarding public infrastructure maintenance has definitely become less efficient and the quality of work is decreasing
I work as a musician, DJ and music teacher and the nightlife scene in Wellington is dying. I'm all for a pedestrian friendly city, but for a typical gig I need a guitar, a pedalboard in a large suitcase, and amplifier (weighing approx 30kg) and a bag of cables. With the removal of parks in the central city (and the exorbitant parking prices if you're lucky enough to find one) the viability of doing gigs has decreased to the point it's pretty much not worth it. I'm not sure what the council have in mind for me getting my gear to a venue? I can't bus with it, I can't cycle with it and cabs don't come up the long windy driveway where I live. Even if they did $15-20 each way makes an already low-paid gig not worth it. On top of that, many independent venues in the city are closing as there appear to be no regulations on rent increases, and then no incentives for the landlords to lower their prices even when buildings are sitting empty, as they can use them as a tax write off. With more apartments going into the central city there is also nothing to protect existing venues from receiving sound complaints and being forced to stop having live band. Wellington music scene is dying and the council is doing almost nothing.
Introducing cycle lanes by way of removing parks and lanes for cars and busses was a ridiculous decision and don't get me started on these ridiculous "walking only" zones proposed. Glad it was all thrown in the bin by new Gov. I do appreciate the options being explored to fund the desperately needed water infrastructure but does beg belief as to how it got this bad in the first place. A note that I went for a worse answer because though it wasn't last year the proposal to charge $2.50/hr for motorcycles in the CBD is the most ridiculous load of garbage and whoever came up with that needs to give their head a shake. You'd make barely anything out of it and just further congestion and emissions. Ridiculous, ridiculous, ridiculous.
Critical infrastructure including public transport is an absolute mess whilst we waste money on vanity projects like the Library and the Town Hall. Absolutely lovely to have those spaces, but not if we can't get a bus there, park nearby or use the toilets. Meanwhile councillors are dysfunctional (better with Tory Whanau at the helm) and cost of living increases with very little support from either central or local govt.
Your housing plan is extremely upsetting and disappointing, you don’t want to zone anything for developing, your housing panel are a bunch of old heritage people who want to make this city unaffordable for young people. I actually find it offensive. I don’t have strong political views and I usually don’t pay much attention to local politics but your housing panel really are outrageously biased against housing development
Streets full of homes and leaks. Half of downtown smells like urine. No early mornings noise control 4-6am it’s nothing but rubbish trucks and clanging glass bottles. Zero police foot patrols to mitigate homeless. Drug deals and drunk fighting homeless in public broad daylight. Derelict buildings everywhere. Rates for what exactly?
Water issues across the city have worsened as has transportation.........a handful of cyclists given precedence over the needs of the wider community. Removal of parking discriminates against the elderly, disabled and those with young children. In a hilly, cold, windy city, you will never convince the majority of Wellingtonians to give up cars........especially when the city does not have reliable public transport.
Well it’s not the past year so much as the past years - very unhappy with the water situation
Dysfunctional and inappropriate mayor. Infrastructure remains in poor state.
You over pay executives by 100's of thousands of $
Increased rates and no extra services, leaky water pipes, Khandallah pool threatened closure, etc
Not prioritising our rates money on essentials such as leaking pipes, but instead wasting money on 'nice-to-haves' like cycleways and events, and now we have water leaks everywhere that take forever to get fixed and we're threatened with serious water restrictions because of it. On top of that we're facing massive rates rises. Also the city is dying (largely due to cycleways taking away all the parking) and it's full of homeless people sleeping on the streets and it feels very unsafe and dirty.
Disappointed that the building department did not monitor the abuse of parking on foot paths by heavy trade vehicles while a prolonged house renovation endured during the pasted 12 months in our street.
You keep doing for feedback but don’t take any notice of what the locals think.
Water issues are a big reason for my feelings on the council. Why do we only address these issues when they are urgent? A lack of a central library is another issue which is taking too long to eventuate.
Beautification of city centre is great as well as cycle lanes (although some, especially in south karori don’t make sense). Seeing our city leaking everywhere is concerning and wonder if more needs to be done I.e. bringing in workers from overseas if we don’t have them here. Also feel like we need to be much more focused on building warm, dry, safe housing for everyone
Work taking way too long - road work, pipe leaking etc. Not enough parking, high cost parking rate in city.
Overall the council is trying to tackle legacy issues .
I have reported the need for lighting, or current lighting needing fixing on the FIX IT APP several times over the years and it takes way to long to get these issues resolved. We have a pedestrian crossing outside Newlands Primary School on Newlands Road, that did not have a light. Everyone is also expected to use this crossing to go to Pukehuia Park which is almost next door. I reported this 6-07-21 nearly 3 years ago. The WCC decided the pedestrian crossing needed to be raised as well, that has been done, but we are still waiting for a light. There seems to be no H& S concern for the public at all.
Councillors not working as a team. Blowout on Town Hall work. The pipes!
Rate increases Council wasting money Huge water and transport issue - waste of money on bike lanes when cars totally outnumber bikes who pay nothing to economy
They continue to spend money on "nice things to have" like cycle lanes rather than "must haves" like good water and sewerage pipes
Not listening to your people and either renewing or maintaining the very basics. Wellington city is an embarrassment
Lack of real action on water problems Bickering councillors arguing about pet projects Ineffective mayor Money wasted on cycleways and Lambton Quay project How many more do you want?
I think that council progress is improving but councillors need to stop bickering and find common ground more often. It’s embarrassing.
I'm a believer in the saying "do the things you have to do, before the things you want to do'. This council and many before it have chosen to spend large amounts of money on upgrades that don't 'need' to be done and set to little importance on upgrading our infrastucture.
Services that I assume the council is responsible for (such as rubbish collection, park maintenance, roast surfaces, drain cleaning etc) continue to run and work well. WCC keep the city clean and tidy
Too many coverups. Very important services are being cut, eg libraries.
Council appears to be a very inefficient organisation in many ways. The council is not focused on the appropriate and necessary activities instead appearing to be driven by 'feel good' actions rather than those that will have the best outcome for the ratepayers. I feel like the council is both dysfunctional and incompetent.
you log fix it jobs and they get done, timely on some cases slow but they do get completed. Good amount of reserves, dog parks and recreational activities. The downside are the cycling lanes around the CBD which rarely get used and a waste of rate payer money. Major events are well advertised and pretty fun
too much focus on non-essential services.
Disagree with council priorities. Noticed decline in maintenance of community facilities. So many businesses closing. Disagree with so many cycle lanes. Feel council is arrogant pursuing their projects when so many ratepayers have issues with basic services.
Rasing costs but zero additional quality of life or services. Spiralling costs, decisions made to enforce parking costs in Tawa and other suburbs. Inefficiency in rubbish collections, re surfacing roads for the third time in a decade and what cost. the list goes on.
Too much focus on “nice to have” projects and not nearly enough on essentials such as water and public transport.
The way some of the councillors have behaved and also The Mayoress
Water, dodgy road repairs, ever increasing rates, poor spending choices
You are mismanaging public funds and spending money on things we don't value or need, while increasing our rates. Eg waterleaks, refurbishing a council and cinema we don't need
Some leaks have been fixed, the Council is talking about fixing pipes, I love the libraries and parks, my recycling and rubbish have been collected, and some fun stuff has been happening.
Increased rates, water problems, not maintaining public places
Performance regarding the water crisis has been poor. This will have been known about for a while and it's disappointing it has come to this stage and the work not prioritised sooner. Potential increase in rates is also disappointing - where has our money being going if not to critical infrastructure?
They do not listen to their residents but continue to go their own way spending on projects the ratepayers do not want
the new Council promised great things, but delivery has been slow
Allocation of funds for cycling lanes and cycling projects
Spending money on unnecessary stuff instead of directing money to essential failing infrastructure
The water leaks are terrible; 'Less Hurty at 30" was a joke
It looked like the new Mayor would be able to improve the dysfunctional council, but that's not happened.I get the sense some of the councillors are to entrenched in an oppositional mindset rather than prioritising the longterm health of the city. The water situation is obviously a huge issue, not helped by the new government backtracking on Three Waters and LGWM (without any sensible way forward otherwise), and we need a certain selflessness, cohesion, and leadership from WCC to make any progress as a city and a community. I'm not seeing anything of those things yet.
Constant overspends on projects. Lack of consultation on where citizens would like to see the budget spent. (Question the financial benefit of the library project and cycleways). Mayor does not listen to criticisms and has had a lot of very negative publicity. Access, housing and transport are issues impacting negatively on people with disability and the older population. Management of water supply is a disaster. Proposed removal of parking will impact further on people's desire to travel from the suburbs.
I especially respect the leadership and direction that mayor Tory is taking Wellington in. That said this year has been quite difficult so I understand when things aren't always closed out or fixed easily, like the pipes and the road/cycling transformations. As a rate payer however I'd like to know that our contributions will benefit us and others.
Provides excellent library services. Responsive to incidents.
Feels like even the basic standards can no longer be met (not a case of they aren't, feels like it's now an impossible standard for the city). Everywhere you look it's dreary, dirty, wet and uninspiring.
I ability to prioritise basic infrastructure needs e.g. water
The lack of investment in infrastructure, particularly the water supply. Money has been put towards "nice to have" rather the essentials. It seemed to take the intervention of the Minister of Local Government to get the Council to take the water crisis seriously.
Town Hall project overspend, buying Reading Cinemas land, the sea is polluted when it rains, cutting parking space numbers in town. Frank Kitts playground is not a patch on Christchurch playground.
I know you’ll be getting lots of feedback about the supposed poor performance of the council due to the fiscal environment, but I think that’s unfair, the council has inherited the problems it has because of a lack of political leadership from previous councils who were too focused on keeping rates low. People are (sorry to say it) idiots and way to keen to rage at the person in front of them when the issue is more complex.
Just focus on your core duties! Cycle lanes are good but it’s getting out of hand. Why oh why did you decide to fix the library! I’ll be super pissed if we have to ration water because you wasted money on crap projects rather than upgrade the pipes
Time to repair water leaks around the city
Answering about the Council, as opposed to Councilors; general incompetence and inability to prioritise. Trying to meddle in commercial activities that they have no understanding of with ratepayer money (Reading Courtenay Place, removing parking spaces only to lease spaces in a parking building to make up lost revenue). Inability to manage contracts, even with other local government entities (Wellington Water). Inability to perform basic cost benefit analysis (CBD speed limits) as found by Councilor Randle. Bloated communications staff who try and "comms" their way out of problems. Lack of focus on core deliverables of Local Government. Dragging Wellington down to third-world status.
I am rapidly getting the impression that the water leaks and three waters thing is being used to force water meterage onto residents, that plus historical lack of forward planning, broken promises, etc...
Very disappointed with how the Reading Cinema “deal” has been handled, eg meetings where the public has been excluded. Services seem to have gotten worse over the past. 2 years or so, eg mowing of park lawns, state of footpaths in places (broken patches), water leaks etc.
Adding Cycle lanes. Removal of car lanes, roadside carparks in city roads. Failure to address poor state of water infrastructure. Wasting money on townhall and public library. Raising rates to lay for vain glory work, like townhall, conference centre etc..Ignoring ratepayers views eg karori cycleway proposal by skewing the numbers of answers ie entitled, and irresponsible eg borrowing against water assets to fund non water work(that's called unethical, and potentially stealing)
Too much focus on leftist policy, an ill-qualified mayor and a disregard for accessibility.
Water issues. Crime. Litter. The disaster that has been let’s get Wellington moving, what a waste of ratepayers money. Closing khandallah pool. The traffic lights on Cobham drive, another disaster. Parking fees.
Poor decisions seem to be made on spending while we continue to see water leaks (& therefore water restrictions) and an upcoming big rates increase
Many water leaks still to be fixed, rates very high, plans to close Khandallah Pool,council not unified in decisions, too much money spent on cycle lanes
The failure to prioritise projects with water and pipes being number one yet we are spending millions on refurbishment of an obsolete library, opera house walkway to petone. These should be mothballed.
Torrents of water running down the streets.
Cycle lanes everywhere might be appreciated by the young but not the elderly whose access to the city is now compromised with poor transport options and insufficient parking. Cars in the future will not necessarily cause pollution problems and the cities population, if there is one with all the young people defecting, will be old, and not cyclists. Plan for the future.
Very satisfied with interaction over a sponsored seat. Very dissatisfied over water leaks, Reading deal, paid parking in Tawa (unnecessary), and councillor bickering.
It feels as though WCC is not doing anything much to improve anything in the Wellington region. For most, transport would rank pretty high in regards to quality of life - how much time you spend in traffic, how easily you can get around, and while public transport falls under WRC I feel like all aspects of transport are failing, from roading, public transport, cycleways, parking, etc. Also the water issue is a debacle - and stems from many years of under-investment and can not be fully blamed on Wellington Water. And to find more funding it seems you are planning to punish residents with paid parking in some suburbs (what about the others - that seems extraordinarily unfair), reducing hours at public pools when if you opened earlier I think you'd find you'd be busy, installing water meters at great cost with little outcome if the Council doesn't fix it's water pipes. It just seems like a huge joke that no one is finding funny.
You waste money. Everywhere. Cycle ways. Town hall. Reading centre debacle. Dinners for same. Library. Cultural events. You fail to look after your core responsibilities. Pipes. Roads. Citizen safety. You respond to ferals in Te Aro Park by removing the public toilets instead of removing the ferals. The city is grimy, unpleasant and unattractive. All this is entirely down to you.
Maintenance - water and sewerage, street lamps, keeping of public areas - eg grass mowing, public transport - buses and trains and timetable, public parking in city - long time indecision about plans. OK for mobile younger people - bikers and walkers.
Rise in rates, lateness in responding to concerns and the amount of time it takes to get an answer on rules or regulations
The Council confuses me with their decisions. They remove car parks and add cycle lanes. I support cycle lanes but at my age I still need to use my car on occasions (when not using buses or trains) so the welfare of older citizens is disregarded in favour of younger age groups. They have ignored our requests for a safety zone outside our apartments in the Malvina Major retirement village on the basis of traffic numbers instead of safety first.
Frustrated by the number of water leaks, and the time taken to fix them. Also think it's a waste of time to install water meters. Frustrated by the bike lanes. While I sympathize with cyclists, I am quite unsteady as a result of a brain injury, and I have poor vision. It can be really difficult to walk safely and board buses. I'm prepared to share but I don't want to get bowled over by a bike or a scooter. My husband still drives, but it can be very difficult even to drive in the city or find a parking place.
All these bike lanes are ridiculous and a waste of money. All of the leaks and then telling us we need to preserve water! The money wasted on bike lanes should have been used towards the water infrastructure instead. Water is a priority. Then proposed charges parking in Newlands, Johnsonville and Tawa. What on earth.... whoever thought that was a good idea should not be in that job. Are you really going to charge people $5 to pick up their takeaway etc? What a way to kill off local businesses
The long term managing of the water systems has been poor. The councillors don’t appear to be able to work together. The mayor can’t handle her alcohol intake.
Too much focus on nice to haves or vanity projects and nowhere near enough on services that are really required, e.g. infrastructure.
Council seems to be in the news for all the wrong reasons. Water leaks.....Reading deal
Weren’t open to reviewing our rates even though the value of our house has decreased. They haven’t made enough progress on infrastructure improvements. They made a mistake in calculations for speed limit changes and I support lower speeds.

We are interested to understand in more detail why you feel unsafe in the central city (either during the day, after dark, or both). While we understand you may not feel comfortable sharing all your reasons for feeling unsafe any information you feel comf
Level of anti-social and aggressive behaviour has increased.
The city lacks good lighting. Good lighting helps ambience, personal safety, safe walking, helps stop break-ins, clearly finding one's way around, and better camera efficiency.
Escalation of city centre violence due to inappropriate housing decisions made during covid
Lots of drunk people. Streets are dirty. Safe feeling gone compared to 10-15 years ago.
There seem to be a big increase in the number of people in the city with mental health issues, and although I find it very sad it can also be intimidating, especially being female. The number of homeless people and people begging in the city is unacceptable to me.
As a female if I’m out on my own after dark it is sensible to take precautions in any city, Wellington is no different in that regard
Lots of abusive, drunk,drugged street people accosting public
The town is terrible filled with beggers, drunks, drugs, its unsafe to walk around during the day - definitely would not go off lambton quay. Never go by manners street, cuba street anymore the city is now a dive. The only okay place is the waterfront and oriental bay.
Alcoholism and drug dependence seems to affect many of the people who choose to use a footpath as an area to setup camp and harass people walking past
Drunk homeless people are there in city looks threatening to me sometimes. In Newtown in-front of city mission people using cannabis and drinking alcohol is became normal. Bit afraid to to get out after getting dark.
The number of unsavory characters that loiter in the central city intimidating people or arguing with each other. We're no longer keen to be in the central city after dark for a movie or dinner like we used to.
Public drug use and gang presence. I’ve been assaulted once and mugged once in the Courtney/manners area
Because there are so many homeless people who are either drunk or on drugs and they are intimidating. There are reports of fights breaking out and there are also congregations of people close to emergency accommodation who have behavioral issues.
It’s just a feeling… Not too bad during the day though.
There has been a substantial rise in the homeless who actively approach passersby for money and food. While most are harmless, there are a number who and more aggressive. The lack of traffic in some parts of the city make these areas feel more isolated at night.
People permanently lurking on Manners and Courtney. I had to shelter in the hostel recently because I couldn’t go up the stairs off Boulcott St owing to an unhinged man
Not going to lie, there’s a lot of antisocial behaviour in the central city from beggars and people who are in a state with their mental health. I helped someone get to the police station after they nearly got mugged during the daytime too. Been shouted at on the street by beggars. Once someone tried to sweet talk me and steal my skateboard
Walking from vehicle to work early morning have been approached multiple times by intoxicated un homed men. The behaviour they displayed was erratic and somewhat belligerent.
I’ve heard enough stories of men following women in Wellington recently that I’d feel very wary to be in the city after dark alone. I would feel ok with a group of people.
There’s usually always groups and/ or individuals whohang around anti-socially, often yell/ shout, harass people going about their business.
Only south of (including) Manners St, increasing number of untrustworthy characters
Have been followed by a stranger across multiple streets in the city on an occasion, the increase in car break ins, feel unsafe at bus stops when it is dark & also being forced to park a good distance from my house at night when there are no parks left outside (house built in 1905 with no parking. Street does not have residents parking restrictions, which it should)
I know it’s not councils fault per se, but the situation on manners street hasn’t gotten better. Where’s the Pōneke promise at?
1. I'm a particularly UNintimidating young woman. 2. There are a lot of people with a spicy vibe who I don't think are getting the support they need. On the next page you ask for info on rough sleepers/drug taking/etc - I think that these are a symptom of a wider safety problem (eg I am concerned for the safety of rough sleepers - I don't think that they are a risk to me). I would prefer that they were supported, rather than hidden from view.
After dark there doesn't seem to be much of a security presence either by way of police or security personnel (and city CCTV cameras aren't particularly obvious), unless there's an event on there often aren't that many members of the public out and about, there are often a significant number of intoxicated or drug-impaired people in the central city, and Wellington has a lot of small poorly-lit alleys - these all add up to not feeling particularly safe, especially as a small woman. Being masculine-presenting I think I worry less than a lot of my female friends who are more feminine-presenting, but I still don't exactly feel secure, especially given some of the stories I've heard from male friends about how people behave in the centre city. I tend to avoid the more crowded locations (like clubs and bars) due to the covid-risk, as people my age do not qualify for another booster and I highly value my ability to exercise.
Poor lighting in certain areas (e.g. the botanic gardens). People who appear to be under the influence of drugs and are actively shouting etc.
Areas around manners/courtney feel dirty and there are many people loitering
Too many street lights out, can’t depend on them. Too many street people around Courtenay Place, they spread all their stuff out on the footpath. They yell out at me.
many homeless people or gang members walking around town particularly in evenings looking threatening. many more beggars in my suburb who constantly heckle/call after you. often people walking around the suburb muttering or shouting to themselves or at others. multiple arrests in my suburb during evening and daytime
I feel very unsafe around areas like Courtney place, manners, Dixon , cuba mall. I have no problem with homeless people but it seems there has been an increase in drug use on the streets day and night and perhaps poor mental health. Have had certain individuals yell at me, swipe at me and make me feel unsafe on multiple occasions.
I only feel unsafe in certain areas of central Wellington during the day or at night - the Manners-Courtney area in particular is frequently full of vagrants asking for money, harassing people, or generally being a nuisance. At night they're still around but there's also drunks causing problems or looking for fights. The areas closer to the train station from there such as Lambton Quay and Willis Street feel much safer.
Homelessness encroaching into walking spaces, social housing in inner city areas, significant presence of people that appear to be drunk and on drugs.
Increase of visibility of crime, seen someone attack another unprovoked in broad daylight around Wellington Central.
Central city (Courtney) is at many times unsafe due to a few individuals with anti social, offensive behavior
Willis street does not feel super safe being outside at night
Mentally unstable people yelling, intimidating, gang members, etc
Single female - used to walk everywhere day and night. Now won't go out unless with someone. Hassled by stoned or drunk individuals. Sometimes unsafe even with another person and/or during the dat (eg Manners St)
Lack of light in some areas, uncertainty about being able to get help from people nearby if I got into trouble
There are lots of people roaming around who may harass you or be violent. I have personally been racially harassed and had homophobic slurs shouted at me in the CBD.
The level of anti social behaviour, homeless people and drunk violence
I think that a night time environment in the city general involves patrons of clubs and bars that are likely intoxicated. These kind of people can be quite unnerving if encountered in a 1 on 1 situation.
Probably just the presence of homelessness around the city, particularly around bus stops and ATMs
Aggressive and drunken behaviour, poorly lit areas, no police presence, open and brazen heavy drug use (P and inhalants), aggressive behaviour by people on Manner St with clear mental health issues.
Homelessness, violence, drinking etc. especially around Courtney Place. Poor lighting in some areas of town.
Anti-social behavior has increased significantly around Manners street and Te Aro Park which has caused myself and others I am with to feel unsafe at night.
So many homeless people, drunk, antisocial behaviour, dilapidated streets and lighting infrastructure
Just a lot of unkind men in the streets at night.
As a young female I would not be comfortable walking around the city at night with drunk men.
Gross men esp around Courtenay place. Have had friends be followed home etc . And no- police presence is not the solution. Big fan of the Māori wardens though!
There are a number of people who live on the streets surrounding my workplace and between Willis St and Courtenay. Most are respectful, but some struggle with their mental health and can be noisy and aggressive at times. Sometimes I cross the street (Manners St) to avoid groups of people drinking and smoking during the work day as they are often loud and intimidating, and cause the ground to be covered in smashed glass.
Intimidating individuals particularly outside night n day on Manners street
The drinking culture means there’s always dodgy people in the streets
Courtney place is often full of intoxicated people, some of those being people experiencing homelessness. I wish for the council to put more resources into helping unhoused people in a meaningful way, both for their own sake and for the city in general. It is not good for our people's mental or physical health to be living on the street and they deserve support.
less unsafe on Lambton Quay but Manners St/Courtney Place can feel unsafe - dark, not many people, aggressive individuals (sometimes homeless/unhoused but sometimes not)
Because the night time city has a ton of bad characters floating around
After dark: any poorly lit areas or streets outside the main thoroughfare, not many people around and if they are there are often drunk guys wandering around
A lot of rough sleepers and boisterous drunk teens on Fri/Saturday nights. Only feel unsafe in pockets - walking down Courtenay on weekend nights, walking down Manners Street any time, and in dark alleyways anytime.
People congregating around manners, yelling at you for money. Feels unsafer atm.
I've walked through or past both violent and hostile altercations in the last year along the Courtenay/manners area, and as a result feel somewhat uncomfortable around there now, especially at night.
It’s a city / urban environment. There is naturally going to be a higher chance of encountering criminal activity . As a woman it’s unsafe anywhere alone at night . Decent number of Homeless people / drug users around too
I have previously lived in the central city and currently work on Cuba Street. I have seen a lot of alcoholism and drug use. There is also an increasing amount of people who are homeless.
I am a woman and I have experienced comments that make me uncomfortable in Wellington city after dark. Also sometimes people shouting around the street, or generally more noise which makes me anxious, as well as drinking men makes me anxious because they are often the ones who have sexually harrassed me and my friends :(
No efforts from council or police to tidy up the homeless individuals consuming drugs on the streets openly, harassing pedestrians for money, open urination AND defecation, and brawls, just to name a few. Evidence: Visit Manners Street during the day
It's just your regular concern as a woman walking around after dark
Mainly anxieties over other people in the city late at night, if they are drunk or unstable in some way etc.
Ive had instances with Homeless people and find that many intersections Are badly lit for pedestrians. i see and hear a lot of cars speeding at night on roads and therefore feel unsafe
Seems to be an increase in antisocial behaviour in the city. Lots of people on the streets that aren’t so nice and can be intimidating.
Simply put, I’m a woman and the men around at night are usually drunk and scary. I am constantly aware of my surroundings and the fact that I’m a woman.
Intimidation from people on the street, especially the Manners St area.
There's a lot of stigma around the rough sleepers, but until recently they've never been much of a cause of feeling unsafe (I'll come back to this). It's actually mostly the behaviour of men who are going out in the city, particularly young men but not exclusively. It's men who drive aggressively at me when I cycle, and it's men who harass me when I'm on foot. The change in how safe I felt around rough sleepers/social housing tenants came when I was touched by one man in particular, who sexually harassed me when I told him not to touch me. It's that one guy who hangs around Manners St. He's got a beard and is either a big guy or wears lots of layers. Everyone I speak to has had a run-in with this guy. He's extremely pushy and aggressive. I realised after that incident that I'd encountered him before—asking me for money for food on Courtenay Place in the dead of night, then turning around and screaming "FUCK" when I declined. Most of them I feel bad for, that as a society we've failed so many people. It's only my familial safety net that's kept me from homelessness, and many of my friends have been homeless. But that one guy in particular is an asshole and I'm surprised he hasn't got his ass kicked yet.
The number of people right sleeping who firstly have mental health and drug issues.
witnessed fighting, people heavily intoxicated even during the day, have been followed at night walking alone
The homeless need to be looked after, and currently they have nowhere to go. Corners are filled with people going through mental health crises that need suppourt.
Homeless people, anti-social behaviour, not well-lit areas
Drunk people as well as people doing drugs are everywhere. Gang members usually go to the city on the weekends causing trouble.
Those who are under the influence can be very intimidating/threatening and can become possibly hostile.
Unpredictable people with questionable motivations.
Being a female alone in the city would be scary for most
I have had homeless people and drunk or high people verbally abuse me on multiple occassions
Threatening people being around specific parts of town, run down buildings not making a safe environment
The amount of people drinking in the streets around bus stops and paths, especially when trying to get home from working a night shift
Too many youth thugs following bystanders and causing trouble
Lots of street sleepers who can get aggressive. Generally just drunk (often men) catcalling in the evening or making comments as i’m a woman. Fun.
The ‘homeless’ gross disgusting men that harass everyone but no one does anything about
The continued existence of mankind; unsafe driving, having threats yelled at me from men of all ages but particularly older ones, drivers deliberately swerving towards me as I cross the road, several instances of people standing in my way and telling me to f*** off back to my home country
As a 23 yr old women it’s common to be called out to on the street. If a male figure is walking close by / behind me i have to be on guard. It’s worse on Manners st as there’s not a lot of foot traffic and there’s always that group outside the night n day approaching people for change
The increasing unaffordability of life (and likely of mental health care too) in central Wellington has led to more people sleeping and living rough. It would be great to see more support for these people.
Too many homeless, beggars, not clean or friendly anymore
There has been a visible increase in crime, vandalism and antisocial behaviour throughout the city. People clearly don't believe there is any consequence of breaking the law
Quite a few homeless around the city. Gang activities and robberies in the news are kind of making it harder.
drunks, gangs, people drugged up, perception of homeless somewhat being unpredictable when under the influence, hearing people getting beatings randomly frequently, I've often seen drug deals in daytime on corner of tory and Courtney place and on cable street/ near cuba st. how is no one else seeing this is beyond me!
Teenagers don’t think twice before assaulting anyone and can get away with it being a minor.
Manners st randoms that hang out are intimidating to many
The covid era policy to house people in backpackers have brought tension to the inner city, in particular around Te Aro Park, along Cuba Street and Courtenay Place. The needs of those people housed and also homeless people who spend their days and nights in those areas are complex, and not properly addressed. I have seen violent altercations, antisocial behaviour and drunkeness in the CBD at levels that are unprecedented. My child attended early childhood education in the city and so I had to navigate those unruly elements every day for the last 4 years - it has gotten worse.
Unwanted interactions with strangers, ranging from aggressive/belligerent to emotional/pleading. There seems a perception that desperation is a natural state, so anyone who does not seem desperate is a target.
In the central city where we live there are too many homeless people some of whom are victims of crime and others perpetrators. There is much public nuisance from beggars, drunks and druggies.
Still loads of violet drug addicts in and around the parks in the central city. Regular yelling, vandalism, intimidation and extremely slow (if any) police responses
I would never go down to Courtenay place after dark, it’s just rough and dirty and full of aggression
All the pissing shitting homeless people who you let make wellington streets their permanent home who constantly harass everyone for money.
The high number of homeless and drug addicts in Manners street, Cuba street and Courtenay Place. The fights they have and the deranged behaviour.
Anti social behaviour and homeless people litter the streets. Wellingtons own attempt at skid row
I am not a nimby-person, I support social housing in the central city, but there are significant numbers of people with a wide range of problems (mental health, addiction) on the streets of the central city, who often accost pedestrians.
Homeless, gangs and government housing create a pool of people that can create issues.
Last few times my family and I have been through Courtney Place and we have been abused and spat on.
Lots of beggers and homeless people as well as dimly lit area
Now avoiding anything around Cuba street, manner street and courtenay place due to consistent crime and anti-social behaviour. Recently joined with visible increase of gang activities.
I live near Courtenay Place and there are often people talking aggressively, playing loud music on the street, taking up large parts of the footpath in groups.
Lags and drunks in the CBD as encouraged by the council, Manners Mall, Courtney place, Cuba Mall is a no go area for families
The rough element coming into the city and homeless folk - I hate to say, not their fault.
Groups of rough sleepers who are often intoxicated (day or night). I have seen instances of verbal abuse and attempted theft. Feels more unsafe at night where there are fewer bystanders to be able to intervene and support if something were to happen.
Drunk loiterers hang around manners street and Dixon.
Lots of homeless people, and also significant level of drunken / disrespectful behaviour
Lots of areas with homeless people drinking and doing drugs. Just lots of people who may not be dangerous but look to intimidate.
I'm gay, occasionally get homophobic comments yelled at me and fear it could get physical, although that hasn't happened yet.
Too many drunk rich people and lots of homeless people (one of those groups should be shot)
The streets are filthy and often smell of urine. There are many homeless people loitering and yelling, causing disruption.
There are some homeless or mentally unwell people who can be very intense. Running into them after dark can be stressful as it doesn’t feel like there is a lot of security.
To be honest, I avoid the central city after dark. Too much violence, drunkenness and callous behaviour going on. Dark and dirty place to be, with nothing going on except drinking.
There are homeless that shout and say nasty things at passers by in the central city. Even when they do not do that, having people sleeping in the rough visibly under the influence of drugs or with some mental problem, is not a nice sight. They need help and to be out of the street.
Manners mall and Cuba st, very intimidating with the homeless etc
Probably something to do with the homeless drug addicts in everyone second doorway. Drunk, highe on drugs and often abusive or intimadatory particularly toward women.
Wellington Central is not a nice place to be after dark. I'm born and raised in Wgtn and it seems to be the worst it has been since I can remember. I don't like me children being out in Wgtn in the evenings
Number of drunks after dark. Beggars, people with mental health and substance issues during the day and night
There are a large number of people within the CBD that contribute to an unpleasant experience. Homelessness, begging, "gangsters"/"thugs", obnoxiously high people, vomit and piss around the place. Some of these people you cannot even look at without them kicking up a fuss. There are no consequences for their anti social behaviors and we continue to house a lot of them in the CBD. Its frankly appalling and has damaged the reputation of this once beautiful city
some of the areas are not as lit as they could be. being a female walking around- you don't feel so safe.
Because there are always creepy men around waiting to follow or cat call or assault women
Along with homeless people setting up their sleepouts all along Manners St, there are some clearly mentally disturbed people wandering through the same areas displaying threatening and intimidating behaviour. Not to mention the ram raid that happened at the Michael Hill shop that was previously on the corner of Manners & Victoria Sts one afternoon. The fact that the retailer shut up shop within a couple of days sends a huge message.
The area around Manner's Mall and Te Aro Park + sometimes on Cuba Street feels particularly intimidating as a single female due to the rough sleepers and open addiction and their behaviours
There are sometimes some loud and threatening drunks
Increasing inequality is leading to decreasing social cohesion and wellbeing, which shows up as abandoned buildings, diverse communities being priced out of the town, poor and struggling people on the streets, and violence.
Dodgy people hanging round a disintegrating grotty city centre
It is really dodgy, dirty with lots of homeless people and people from social housing - sitting round smoking, drinking, talking loudly and making me feel uncomfortable.
I think the drunkenness of people in the centre of the city at night time can be pretty terrifying
Derelict run down buildings which aren't lit or looked after seem to be a magnet for people I don't want to encounter at night. The city centre is far quieter than it used to be so the feeling of safety in numbers has gone.
Manners Street between McD's and Taco Bell constant abuse from people asking for money or food, one told me F you, I hope you die last week. The place is a zoo during the day.
Mainly areas like Manners St where some of the people living on the streets can act quite erratic or confrontational - e.g. my husband has been grabbed by a man who was begging, we have seen people sniffing glue or using bongs, sometimes there are men shouting at people and acting very hostile. While I understand they aren't in a good place in life it feels unpredictable and sometimes scary as I know I would be overpowered if they ever got hostile towards me.
In the past 3-5 years working in the Cuba quarter, my perception is that the number of people out and about in the CBD - day and night - clearly needing support for their anger issues, mental health issues, addiction issues and/or the poverty that contributes to these incidents has grown, and the intensity and frequency of public aggression, agitation, nuisance intoxication and distress has risen markedly. I feel there's ground to make up on both sides of of this issue: the most vulnerable amongst us need more help and better places to go, and those of us trying to orbit ethically around and alongside them need more help to know the best way to respond to what we see. If called upon to help (or god forbid intervene) the CBD Poneke general public whanau should be able to feel more confident we're contributing to the prevention and resolution of what are often quite distressing incidents as helpfully and respectfully as possible.
Presence of aggressive people on the street
Need more lighting, clear pathways and decent public transport. As a woman I'm very aware at night.
Because I'm a woman I feel unsafe, there are lots of dead zones with empty buildings/not much light so not many people can see what's happening. I have been followed by men before in the central city and immediate surrounds.
Rates of crime and general disorderly conduct seem to be on the rise. It's always wise to air on the side of caution after dark. I don't feel unsafe in the daytime and rarely go to areas in the CBD where I would feel unsafe; however, I know they exist.
There are a lot of angry people that hang out on the streets all day. I feel unsafe walking through Manners St and Courtenay Place in particular
Because you can't pull your phone out or someone will come up and ask to 'use it for a call'. Manners and Courtney are struggling with people in need of homing or help BIG TIME everywhere, especially at night, and down the alley way where I look over. Huge problem, and not improving. I used to feel safe, now we have to check if we've all made it home ok (inner city)
Larger presence of people with addiction, mental health issues, more beggars who aren’t genuine, the emergency housing and hostels around Courtenay place and the terrace where there is easy access to booze etc is just stupid and dangerous. I use to feel safe in wgtn as a woman. I grew up here and love the city but it’s no where near as safe as it use to be
Things are getting pretty grubby around Cuba Mall and Courtenay Place and the vibe isn't that nice with drunk people etc.
As a woman there will always be a sense of being unsafe. I find Pidgin Park and now Manners street, intimidating and potentially dangerous with the verbal abuse and uncertainty around the level of drugs/alcohol our homeless are using. This is even walking to work at 8am.
Quite a bit of anti-social behaviour/drunk/drugged people on the streets
There are still people sleeping rough along Courtney Pl/Manners St that at times come across as harassing and menacing. As much as I empathise that they may not have somewhere to go, this is not a safe place for them nor is it safe for the community.
Antisocial behavior. I work on Cuba street and witness daily fights, shouting, swearing. Once a fortnight I have to call the police.
Number of drunk or high people around. Aggressive behaviour from people too.
I feel that there are some unique people in Wellington, sometimes people will chat with you even when you don't want to or feel comfortable. People who have had too much to drink and rowdy and disrespectful teenagers
There’s too many anti social behaviours in the city and they’re not moved on. This includes Lambton Quay in the middle of a work day taking up fottpath space to beg for money . The corner of Courtenay Place and Tory St is feral and those people who sometimes have pets/animals should be allowed to squat so publicly. What an embarrassment to our city.
I'm a woman. Society has taught me not to feel at ease in public.
The central city is dark and run down, and there are a lot of rough sleepers. I don't want them penalised, I want them moved into shelters and given help.
antisocial behavior and alcohol issues as a lone female going between places
I wrk nightshift catch 11 -12am bus home. Have even walked home a few times that late .
There are. So many people rough sleeping that it’s intimidating to walk or run around when it’s dark and sometimes during the day they’re shouting abuse
Poor law and order generally, frequent harassment by beggers on work commute
I live on Abel Smith Street, and there is often commotions going on, people wandering down the streets yelling for dr*gs or to assumed dealers who live in Southern Cross Apt block. The lighting is very poor comparatively on these streets especially on Kelvin Grove, and there is susbsequently a lot of antisocial type behaviour, illegal fireworks, tagging etc in this area in general. It's like ppl think it's just the city, but there's families living in the city too. Very distressing and unsafe.
Aggressive people yelling etc either at each other or to people just minding their business. I've been followed to my car before.
Extreme mental health emergencies play out day and night in the streets of wellington. There seems to be zero action or plan to address their desperation.
I feel unsafe due to criminal and antisocial behaviour being on the rise particularly in areas such as Cuba Street, Manners Street, Courtney Place and Pigeon Park.
There are certain areas of the City that aren't as well lit or have people sleeping rough on them
The situation on Manners Street (outside Night N Dayb shop) is of major concern, a family member was approached, hassled and pressured into handing over belongings recently.
The amount of anti social behaviour on the streets, volumes of people congregating in the streets, insufficient lighting and police presence at night
I'm usually travelling by bike and I am a women. I feel unsafe stopped at traffic lights particularly, or parking my bike, or walking through less lit areas.
There are lots of homeless people loitering around
Rough sleepers, people on drugs or drinking, people with dogs in town. I work on Manners Street, we had people fighting next to the entrance of my work late last year in the middle of the day. Manners and lower Cuba are dodgy as. People congregate around drinking and asking people for money. I do not blame these people, rather the economic and social circumstances that allow/encourage/force this.
The number of vagrants around courtaney place and Cuba street areas is frightening to move about on your own after dark.
People’s unpredictable behavior when intoxicated.
There an increased numebr of people in the CBD who I am wary or even afraid of interacting with. I do not mean people who are homeless or living on the street but rather those who are, or appear to be, intoxicated and/or aggressive. Individuals and groups that give this impression are around at all times and concentrated in some particular areas that I deliberately avoid, eg Manners Street and Te Aro park.
General environment in town especially on Friday and Saturday nights
Sadness, anger, aggression in the city is growing and it seems generally down. Youth are different now - more immature and aggressive.
tagging, graffti in several areas (some for years), rough sleepers/beggers in certain areas, several empty buildings (Blue water bar, Reading Cinemas, Amora hotel, Gordon Wilson ...)
No visible police presence and the city is dominated by homeless drug addicts.
In our local area we have three bars and a liquor store. We also have a number of people who beg on the street. This makes our local area a little unsafe. But in the central city these issues are magnified tenfold.
Manners Street and Courtenay Place are a nightmare. Rough sleepers and people from Emergency Accommodation has taken over the streets and behave in very anti-social ways. There are never any police around. I presume the "local hosts" have disappeared as I never see any. The CBD is too dark and ever increasing rents are driving interesting businesses out in favour of a glut of vape shops. There are more empty buildings and roadworks than places of interest to visit.
The amount of intoxication, drugged and unsavoury behaviour. Visible crime taking place
Too much alcohol available which leads to drunk behavior. Outsiders coming in to city to cause mayhem. Too many young "gang' type people only too willing to bash anyone.
There are many roadworks in progress throughout the city which create an unsafe environment. There are also areas of the city that attract unsociable people, especially after dark. We avoid the city in the evenings unless there is something very attractive for us to do.
Wellington is full of low life losers who ply their trade after dark.
Feel there is a threat to people in the CBD
I move around Courtenay Place and Cuba Street reasonably frequently and on a number of times have been accosted by drunks and people wanting money during the day
Can't remember the last time I saw a uniformed police presence in the CBD during daylight hours, let alone after dark!
There are just too many people hanging around drunk or begging. By McDonalds in the heart of the city there seems to be an abnormal number of homeless sleeping in shop doorways. At night in Courtney place it's just not safe.
Dumbass, drunken, P riddled lowlife who slouch around the central city, intimidating people, with little apparent intervention by authorities. Police are understaffed to always deal with these morons so they just stay around. Example is near Cuba Mall and Manners St.
Too many drunk and aggressive people living on the streets in the centre city.
The central city includes unsafe footpaths and roads, dangerous driving, poor lighting, strips of drinking and entertainment that are the scene for sexual abuse, violence and assault. Individual and groups are offensive, aggressive and intimating. general drunkenness' and drug fueled aggressive behavior is the norm.
The aggressive beggars in the city especially around the Manners Mall/Te Art park area.
it's more late at night with drunken youths in courtenay place especially, but I'm not out that late normally
Don’t go into city walking at night, don’t need to take a risk that someone may accost me verbally and hopefully not physically.
Infrequent buses home. Manners 'mall' Poor footpath quality Slippery paths (where leaks have gone on for 'more than minor' months)
A lot of unsightly and threatening bums and vagrants. I witnessed a street fight in Cuba street the other day.
I now rarely go to the city as it is nearly impossible to get a park and I live nearly 3km from the nearest bus stop. Parking along the route has also become difficult due to the removal of carparks for the "phantom" cyclists and other people doing park and ride occupying the parks from early in the morning. I now mainly shop in the Hutt. The last time I went to the movies in the evening in the city we were accosted in Courtney Place by a large man who was either drunk or drugged and quite aggressive with no obvious reason to be. Not pleasant when you are minding your own business and in your mid-70s. He targeted others after we managed to "escape". No police in sight.
Too many drunks, thugs, and homeless people.
Not well lit. E-scooters and bikes on footpaths, and having to cross cycle lanes I as a disabled person do not feel safe.
Too much crime, too many randoms, beggars, rough sleepers, people abusing passers by. Particularly in Manners Street Cuba Street areas.
There are too many uncontrolled idiots out and about after dark. Not enough police on the beat to control and arrest these idiots.
It’s full of addicts and volatile behaviour- I feel safer in downtown London or New York then here
Lots of homeless, and unsocial behaviour
Old knees and thus unable to quickly escape any threats. Will walk in well populated walkways after dark but do keep an eye out for potential trouble.
General increased level of violence and aggressive behaviour
random behaviour by street people. I avoid Courtenay Place like the plague.
to many idle youths in city, no police presents.
apprehension of crime, presence of threatening and intimidating people on the streets, lack of safety on the footpaths due to uncontrolled cycling and scooter activiety which is a threat to the safety of pedestrians
Manners street and Courtney place have always been a bit dangerous with robberies assaults and theft etc, but that was only a few people doing these things. Now it is riddled with drug addicts, beggers and mentally ill who seem to get minimal or no support from anyone. Its un unpleasant place to be at night and even in the day. Doesn't help that all the parking is disappearing so have to walk relatively long distances sometimes.
Wellington is the new San Francisco. Managed decline, What was right is now wrong, what was wrong is now right. Business is not wanted in the city. the ease of moving around is harder, takes longer and less secure. Anything that is not bolted down is taken. crime is not attended too and usually brushed off.
intimidating people and behaviours in the city throughout the day
Too many undesirable people around, poor lighting and a lack of police
Limited car parks / means we have to walk the dark streets / navagate the beggers / homeless people
Isolated businesses have created social spaces. But there are large swathes of the central city that are like US cities that are empty at the end of the working day. I am nervous in these spaces at night and choose not to be in the city at night.
there is a seedy element in the city after dark - no police around
Homeless people, beggars, gangs of drunk people make it unsafe to go to concerts at night or just walk about.
Wellington just feels a bit unhinged after dark.
There are increasing numbers of undesirable characters who are loud and intimidating in the central city, including encampments of unhoused people. Unreliable and expensive public transport means people often end up waiting at bus stops for a long time.
There is quite a bit of lawlessness and a lack of NZP presence
Intoxicated homeless, antisocial behaviour around Courtney place, tory st
Unsocial behaviour is tolarated too easily. As a guideline I would want people s grandparents to be able to go into the city and be safe.
Groups of drugged up homeless people who can be aggressive. Seen several nasty incidents using broken bottles. I avoid Dixon Sy and Courtenay Place
abuse from vagrants, the increase in the number of unproved personal attacks reported my media
Dodgy drunk and drugged homeless looking people
homeless drug users have taken over the streets. police are invisible.
Too much crime. Drug affected people in inner city. Gangs.
Bars, excess alcohol consumption and aggressive begging
Massive increase in recent years of social housing providers in the central city that brings large numbers of undesirable characters into the area.
Idiot drunk people. Homeless people. Gang members
Some areas like Courtenay Place(intoxication) & Manners Street (rough sleepers)
There are people in the central city who are apparently hard up without enough cash to get by without begging.
There are mentally ill and drunk people wandering around the city centre after dark.
The number of people who are intoxicated or high on drugs and who are threatening to the rest of the community. The number of people sleeping rough is also a problem both for city centre businesses and people using the city centre thoroughfares during the day and night.
I was assaulted some years ago, I feel it is even less safe now. The number of homeless and undesirables in and around Manners street is really off putting.
The only time that I go into the central city after dark is to a show or event or very occasionally to dine with friends or family. I am usually accosted by people who want cigarettes or money. Some are aggressive, some are very aggressive and verbally abusive when I decline. There should be a visible police presence in the Courtney Place Manners street area after dark
The amount of anti social behaviour that can be seen. Those with mental illness and obvious drug problems are either not accessing the support that's available, or there is no support available
Homeless people harassing me. Poor quality of streets and footpaths. Water leaks creating hazards. Fighting, tagging, vandalism
The state of Courtenay Place is disgrace, many empty and apparently abandoned buildings and homeless people everywhere.
Thinking more of my kids than myself, would not be happy for them to be alone in the city centre, particularly in some parts
Loud, violent people everywhere, either drunk or high.
Courtenay place in particular has become a real shit hole with heaps of lowlife
Dixon street neat opera house is not safe and I go there 2 x per week.
There are lots of people with mental illnesses living on the streets. Some are very aggressive. I won't walk down Manners Mall anymore, even during the day. It's completely unsafe.
I had to walk to work about 7am one morning from Taranaki Street to Lambton Quay - there were quite a few single and groups of people in doorways drinking, sleeping or smoking - which makes you feel unsafe - they were quite noisy. At night I won’t even come to the CBD on my own as I don’t feel sage walking to any of the car parks due to dimly lit lanes and alleys and a lack on police on the street and what appears to be more and more homeless or people with behavioural issues.
As a person alone walking through the centre of town I notice many shops are shut and abandoned. There are many beggars /homeless (not their fault there is little support from council) Town seems empty at the Lambton Quay end
There are a lot of people with mental health issues who can behave erratically
Since putting emergency accommodation in the centre of the city, the city is far less safe.
Particularly since the Parliament occupation, and protests by so-called ‘freedom rights’ groups - there’s an increased sense of random aggression and threat to women and people outside the ‘norm’ of white heterosexual male .
A lot more homeless people some of which seem threatening. Done evidence of gangs. General feeling that things are not going so well. Empty shops, tagging.
Shuttered and unlit shops, poor lighting in many areas, people under the influence of all sorts ignorant folk blocking footpaths and pushing past as if you are not there. urination and worse in public areas. sleepers on pavement
Have been accosted, harassed and abused just walking while female
Some areas have very few people around at, or buildings open to seek help.
Heard about too many attacks in the city.
After dark a lot of the city is now isolated . there is far more crime than twenty years ago. Moe chance of being attacked
I am a regular concert goer and frequently catch the bus into town to attend functions. The homelessness concerns me - the lives of these people are not easy and I think the council could do more to support them . The Courtenay Place area is now extremely shabby and doe not have good feel to it. The revitralisation fo the central City I totally support.
Around manners st where I work homeless and drunk actively yelling
I dont like walking past noisy bars and places where there are loud boisterous crowds
Intimidating people on walkways and streets.
The amount of drunk homeless people that hang around outside buildings where we work
Mostly confident within the city day and night Cautious and sometimes about returning to car parks alone at night if tucked away or in parking buildings
After a concert I have to wait for a bus and Manners St is not a nice place to wait for public transport and even some of the bus stops in LQ.
Because of all the flats now being used as emergency housing. Lack of police presence.
Feel unsafe in the evenings due to intoxicated state of others at times
Loud drunk people in groups present as inherently threatening. I try to avoid.
I would feel totally comfortable walking down Lambton Quay on a weeknight at 10:00PM (and infact have done this recently by myself) but at the same time have sometimes felt distinctly uncomfortable walking around Manners St in the middle of a working day! So I think it depends on the area as much as than the time of day to a certain extent. Homelessness has a bit to do with feeling a bit unsafe ... but most homeless folk just want to be left to themselves, and I love the fact that DCM, Wgtn City Mission, Orange Sky and other charities are working hard to home these people, or at least make their lives as comfortable as possible. I believe that good lighting, a police presence (where possible) monitored CCTV systems and Maori Wardens are all positives for making Wellingtonians feel safe.
Wellington central city both day and night is turning into a feral cesspit of aggressive homeless people who urinate in shop doorways and intimidate and harass people. I, my niece and her husband were caught up in a street brawl amongst the homeless. They all set upon each other in large quantities, 30+ and their dogs were used to attack people. Thankfully we were able to shelter in a shop and they locked the doors. We were petrified and so much so that my niece has moved to Australis and will probably never return to Wellington. I have no idea why the council thought that housing people with drug & alcohol additions, plus often mental health issues in an inner city near pubs and a high density of people, is just the most ridiculous thing to do. We never go into town at night and I avoid the cuba street/courtney place area during the day too. We are looking to move out of Wellington. The city is ruined.
Because there are lots of drunk homeless people around, weed smoking. It’s not that they are homeless, it’s the way they behave.
There are a lot of empty business sites and various parts of town have a mixed bag of people hanging around in the street
All the drunk aggressive homeless people in the Manners/Cuba street area is incredibly intimidating. I have also been abused by a homeless woman on Featherston Streey. More than once.
There are lots of people living in the streets, clubs etc… at night the city centre can feel a bit unsafe for young people
Homeless people seem to be everywhere and they are not a good look for the city, no do they make me feel safe
People aggressively asking for money. A lot of people who appear to be either mentally ill or on drugs and not being rational
There are a lot of homeless people, some openly toileting in the street, some shouting comments,lots of them drinking or drunk. It's hard to keep mental map of where they they might be located at night in order to walk a different route.
If I'm out in the evening I don't consider it is safe to use the train station to get home. I feel the increasing number of homeless people around the city also makes it feel unsafe.
Poor lighting, people with social issues increasingly in the street, general social attitude of men towards women, increase in misogyny in nz, increase in intolerance shown towards others in nz
Parking has reduced so the walking distance has increased- the dark streets and parking buildings mean I don’t socialise in the CBD at night
Unfortunately women are not safe walking anywhere at night
The people lying around shop entrances at night and also feel uneasy about people sleeping and sitting around on the pavement during the day
I do not like to walk on Oriental Parade during the day because of the speeding skateboarders/scooter riders and cycles zooming on the footpath. At night there are the same speeding people on wheels and the lighting is very dim
As a public transport user I will sit at the bus stops next to people who are 'obviously' living in the street but I am careful to be alert. 'Voices' and other behaviours don't concern me but people clearly intoxicated and potentially aggressive do.
I don't venture out much at night, but Courtenay Place late at night is a no-go area for me unless I'm catching a bus at Blair Street. During the day the homeless people are intimidating in some of their behaviours - ie yelling, begging.
lots of people hanging around who appear to be on drugs, lots of begging, people being aggressive. Lots of people openly living on the streets, harassing people as they walk by.
So many dark areas with places for people to attack
Because more crime occurs during the dark and sometimes there are less people around. There can be a sense of isolation, like waiting at a bus stop for the bus and there is no one around, you can feel vulnerable.
Lots of people living rough or hanging around on the street, mostly nice but not all. I’ve waited for busses and had people approaching me to talk or ask for money and there’s no one else around and it’s scary so I just jump in a taxi to get away. Plenty of potentially unpredictable people around town now. Town has a run down dodgy shady sort of feel to it at night that Wellington never had before. Also, as shoppers are now discouraged from shopping in the city, there are fewer people around so it feels eeery and creepy
I feel safe up about 9.30 pm and after that I worry that there are too many drunk or drugged people around. It’s also worrying there are so many empty damaged buildings in the CBD…. An ugly and unsafe aspect of Wgtn CBD since earthquakes a few years ago. Are owners land banking or waiting on insurance or what?
Lighting an issue especially around areas like manners st. And all areas around Courtney place with people living on streets
I feel safe enough in restaurants and at shows etc until 10pm ish but then after that I find that Wellington is not well lit and there doesn’t seem to be Police presence keeping Courtney Place in order when you come out of the St James. I think men out drinking might not have the same worries as women.
Reports in the newspapers of increasing crime rates, drunkenness. Feel scared for my safety given my age and gender - a target for predators in all urban areas I suspect, but the number of drinking premises in Courtenay Place amake this a non-no.
Because of the homeless people begging, people who are clearly unwell (mentally) roaming the streets without support or anywhere to go, and because of drunk people.
All woman are vulnerable if alone in dark areas
Waiting at Courtenay Place bus stops after a concert or show can be a little unnerving sometimes.
There seem to be too many reports of people being attacked in the central city at night time.
Courtenay Place is a lot rougher than it used to be
I would feel safe in Central Wellington during the day - but at night I wouldn't feel safe - I am a 61-year-old woman - I would only stick to busy main streets that had exceptional lighting
I think women should generally take care being anywhere alone after dark.
The lighting around the city isn't good.
In the central city after dark, particularly after work hours, I have witnessed unusual behavior. This includes homeless individuals gathering, people sitting on the ground and staring at passersby, and occasional instances of someone shouting, especially during warmer months.
Too many dark areas. Lack of infrastructure outside the main city for young people to congregate
I guess it comes down to worrying about unpredictable behaviour from groups of people 'loitering' (eg. at top of Cuba Mall), and sometimes aggressively asking for money. Te Aro park's atmosphere has also changed with the housing above Subway. Perhaps it's a fear of potential violence from gang members? I appreciate that people have to live somewhere, but there are times in the past when I felt completely safe in that area. It seems to have changed.
Too many wasted people, intimidating beggars and toxic people
You never know who is walking behind you when there are so many homeless people around with dogs and they sit next to money machines when you want to get money out.
Even during day time there are parts of wellington I would not go too e.g. manners street where there is a rough element that have hurt people. From anecdotes I would also avoid walking down to courtenay place.
The streets are infested with drug addled bums. Its that simple.
There are hyped up cars that drive around Oriental Parade together sometimes. Suddenly one or two vere off to angle park. They come out fast and then break the speed limit catching up with their mates. One day a pedestrian will be hurt. The noise these cars make (also motor bikes) feel threatening.
The amount of angry/drunk homeless/beggars on the street is quite confronting and scary
Abuse, violence by drunk, homeless or mentally unwell people
Too many people sitting on the street begging.
I am mainly situated in the Lambton Quay area during the working day and sometimes after dark. This area is safe, well lit and lots of patrons about. If I am in Courtney Place area, I prefer to be out of the by 9.30pm when it starts to get busy and unsafe. The same for Cuba Street/Ghuznee St area.
Presence of people with obvious mental heath issues roaming the streets, people asking me for money and who sit outside shops and beg, E scooters and cyclists whizzing past me very fast when I am walking, drivers running red lights when I am crossing the road legally at traffic lights
Absolutely dire lighting all along Manners St and Courtenay Place. It’s so dark you can’t see people’s faces when they’re walking towards you. And on Victoria St waiting for the bus. And at my place at the bus turnaround I can’t see from one side of it to the other The only place that was well lit was the old Kirkaldies building because it had its own lights. It’s FAR worse with the new lights than it was with the old orange sodium ones
Just a feeling, particularly in the quieter streets.
I saw a homeless lady take a shit on Courtney place, and then again a week later. This was over the summer break. I have bad interactions with our street whanau regularly. It's accosting and horrible. I avoid the city because of this and expensive parking
Homeless people make me very wary. I feel really unsafe around Courtney Place
Homelessness. Large concentration of emergency housing in the manners st. Area with outdoor areas being used for anti social activities.
We have too many beggars on the streets and antisocial behaviour not being dealt with by the police.
Labour Government have moved social housing into the centre of the city to house people e.g. in high rise apartments. Some of these people are seen to beg on the streets and intimidate others that also use the streets as customers or on their way home or to work. People as young as teenagers have been accosted on the streets and injured during the day, e.g. Saturday mornings on their way to part time work.
Shopkeepers in Willis St describe standover tactics of theives
I have had my car kicked by someone as I was driving near the court house for no apparent reason during the day. I feel slightly unsafe in the evenings upon hearing about attacks in the media, and having seen some drunk people around. It's not a major problem, but just leaves me feeling slightly unsafe.
Because it's full of homeless people. Drug addicts and drunks.
I don't like drunk people and walking down Courtney Place can be uncomfortable because of this.
I'm okay in the city during the day. I don't venture into the city after dark partly because it holds no appeal - at my age, I'm not interested in drinking in bars or being around intoxicated people. I don't feel safe because I doubt my ability to defend myself should I be accosted.
Friend beaten up on Lambton Quay, abused at a bus stop. people hanging around shops looking menacing
Rough sleepers, obvious drug and alcohol activity, news reports of crime, aggressive street people, gang activity.
Too many homeless sitting on the street.
There seems to be an increase in drunk or disturbed people hanging around during the day. Women usually feel unsafe wandering around a city at night!
Number of rough sleepers in certain places; anti-social behaviour esp at night.
There is a lot of drugged/drunk people hanging around. Some areas are worst than others
There are more likely to be drunk and/or aggressive people on the streets after dark
I don't go into the city after dark as I have heard too many stories on the news and from friends of abuse and attacks
- Homeless , drug addicts and drunks are around and sometimes harassing passerby for money feeling very unsafe for women, - Smell of urine in the city - Lack of public toilets (pigeon park toilets removed ! Very cleaver !)
The drunken & loud antics of loitering people / homeless esp around Manner's st
I would not go down courtenay place at night any more. feels very unsafe with drunks and drug uses. Lots of bars in alleys that I won't go to because as I female I don't want to walk in unlit areas
The central city has be one very unsafe in the manners st and Courtney place area, due to emergency housing tenants. I have seen people having drug induced rages on manners street, drug deals being done openly, and once saw a person openly defecating (broad daylight). I don't go there now.
Concern about drunk people, homeless people and those without suitable mental health support
There seem to be plenty (far too many ) vagrant/homeless intimidating people around
During the day - Beggars sitting on the streets demanding money from passers by. In the evening, drunken men hassling you.
I think you always need to be vigilant in any city day and night, however there are areas of the city due to excessive alcohol (Courtney Place + Cuba St) that I think are made more dangerous because of public behaviour.
The emergency housing has made particularly Courtney place area unsafe at night - more support is required by council and central government
Accessing and waiting for transport after dark creepy
Too many people around who look unstable and possibly dangerous.b
Quite a lot of homeless people around esp. round Courtney place. The area feels dirty & old
Fear of erratic, possibly violent and/or unpredictable behaviour around Cuba St and Courtney place. My main bus stop is in Manners St outside Arty Bees. As a female elder I feel particularly vulnerable.
There are drunk people everywhere. Vomit. Craziness. Homeless people you name it...
It’s a bit grotty and run down. Homeless people and drunks, antisocial behaviour very evident. No police visible
Homelessness and unstable individuals who don’t have support, dirty streets, drunkenness
Just Courtenay Place gives me an ill feeling sometimes, when it’s “going off” :)
After dark feels unsafe with so many people who have been drinking especially groups of young guys looking to start fights, and men who get handsy and don't understand the word no
Have been followed by males (typically drunk) before and have spoken to other femme-presenting people who have had a number of issues that sometimes escalate to assault. Have also seen people (typically drunk guys) start trying to pick fights after about 2am on weekends.
there are too many homeless and drunk people around Wellington CBD after dark
Support to homeless people on the street. This morning I was walking down the stairs in the Lombard carpark (Wilson Parking) and there was antisocial behaviour (homeless(?) man potentially masturbating (hands down his pants) on the stairs ��)
A lot of loitering of people doing drugs in Courtney place. Was barged by a stranger on the way to work walking down Courtney place.
Drunkards and druggies on the streets behaving aggressively.
Too many drunk and drugged up homeless people that are always angry. The footpaths smell like urine.
Aggressive homeless, gang involvement. Not too unsafe as police patrols are visible.
so many homeless and unhinged mentally ill people around causing fights. Had one person come sit down and take a piece of pizza from us at sals pizza on cuba street, the staff where nice about it but obviously it's something that keeps happening to them a lot. Lots of vomit and the streets are crazy unclean, not to mention the bricks can be crazy slippery in the wet. Not a pleasant place to be at night. During the day it's barrable but i'd rather be anywhere else other than the city to be honest.
More people means more chance of anti-social behaviour, especially from drunk people.
too many beggars, alcoholics and homeless people.
Too many drunk and homeless people are on the street after dark
homeless and drug affected people exhibiting anti social and unpredicttable behavior
Harassment from people when walking around is quite common. Some areas feel quite shady and not well covered by surveillance, particularly the central city greenbelt
Too many drunk people and rough sleepers who are confrontational.
People following me at night. Strange people coming and talking to you at night.
Homeless people yelling (sometimes at me) and being rowdy
There's a lot of antisocial behavior often we have had to call them police because of fights, drunk or drug users who are aggressive and or harassment
You can’t walk through central Wellington without someone yelling during the day, same at night as well as the unprovoked attacks
There is a lot of anti social behavior by those sleeping rough on my daily commute. I live on Tennyson St and regularly walk down Tory, Courtney, and Manners on my way to and from work and social engagements. Those streets in particular have become increasingly unsafe. People are harassed, stopped, touched, yelled at, spat on etc. by people under the influence of drugs during all hours of the day. They take up residence in certain doorways and corners and those streets reek of urine all the time now. I witness altercations almost daily and you can’t even cross the road to avoid getting targeted as the other side of the road isn’t safe either.
The amount of homelessness on the streets drives desperation. Can't walk down any central city street without being harassed for money by beggars, or if you're female cat called for anything. At night twice as bad. The amount of drug use visibly on display with nothing being done to clean it up is appalling.
High levels of deprivation and homelessness
I have been a resident of Wellington since 2015 and call myself a proud Wellingtonian. Sadly, though in last few years some parts of city espeically areas around Manners street and Te Aro park has become dangerous. Anti social elements, drug activity, pigeons and garbabge has just take the shine out of city. Once this used to be a vibrant community but sadly I witness anti social activites like eve teasing, vandalisation and aggregation of trouble makers. I feel sad for the local shops and business owners who are struggling to make life ends. While I fully support the idea of not polarising the society but running emergency housing near the CBD and central city just has not worked for us.
Often walk alone. Frequent abuse by homeless/ mentally ill people. People sleeping in streets. People dealing drugs. People stealing things
There are always drunk people hanging around Dixon Street/Manners Street, they can be aggressive and its never nice when I need to walk past them
The times in the past I had to wait in the city at night there were a reasonable number of rowdy drunks etc around
I think Manners Street is very unsafe, particularly around the Emergency Housing. Very threatening behaviour from the residents.
aggression and other behavioural issues are very common. steeling is now added to the list
There are a lot of mentally unstable / homeless people around that are usually yelling abuse.
In the past I have been followed at night. More recently my ex was homeless in the central city, and was threatened and stolen from multiple times; she was also arrested during a mental health crisis.
Issues with drunkenness and with sexual assault / harassment.
There seems to be a lot of people who behave erratically or are on drugs in the city centre. Also not a lot of police presence
The "great idea" to use empty buildings as emergency housing during covid wasn't very well thought through as now there are far more obviously mentally unwell or drug affected people congregating around the central city. I regularly see drug deals going on in broad daylight. I'm generally a confident individual but the erractic nature of some of the people is concerning. I have seen people approach moving cars trying to open doors etc.. The council's solution of removing public toilets is absurd! Great, now not only are there more people hanging out on street corners in the city but now they're also urinating more in doorways etc.
Because the general central city street lighting could be greatly improved and some alleyways are very dark... Also the streets are often dirty/glass on the floor and graffiti on street furniture. This combination make the central city appear less safe and comfortable as pedestrian.
There is a lot of homeless and drunks at night which doesn't feel super intimidating but my fiancée has been harassed and intimidated on multiple occasions in the city both during the day and at night including on public transport so yep.
The central city is not an enjoyable, inviting place to be. I honestly try and avoid it as much as possible due to the type of people and the lack of any kind of security presence or cleanliness
Homeless / drugs and/or lunatics. Get rid of it.
I have witnessed crime, violence and threatening behaviour. On top of that, lack of police make it feel even less safe.
Too many trouble makers looking to fight or steal from you. Also so many homeless people approaching you for money.
Homeless people, a lot of whom are drunk or on drugs, and the increased tendency for people to act aggressively due to everyone being under a lot of stress
Never ever go into the City at night. As a public transport user I find the unevenness of footpaths in parts of the city, a challenge.
Drunk and drugged up people can be unpredictable particularly at night, although maybe it’s just because the general narrative still seems to be that the central city is “falling apart”, and generally always cautious going out at night
If you have a walking disability you cannot park close to many places, so you have to walk some distance to get anywhere. I avoid going into the city unless I have to go in for funerals or meetings.
Too many people there who are homeless, or look angry and aggressive.
Wellington City has a strong social centre, which should be positive, but it feels like it is influenced to much by groups and bars at night. If I go to an activity in the city at night I prefer to go home afterwards than stay in the city.
Too many crazies, homeless people need support and if possible off the streets and in housing (desperate people desperate times). Alot of bars etc on courtney st and alot of drunk people, people will feel safer if more security or community police around i do know there are volunteers that go around to ensure safe place eg: oriental parade as i have seen them from a distance. there are alot of old buildings and if we have a major earthquake i doubt if they will hold
courtney place is a shambles, fights, homeless.
Homelessness, beggers, mental patiants roaming cuba mall, drug takers and drunks
Used to love walking around Courtenay place looking for Restautants to have a meal and a glass of wine lots of places are closed or boarded up lot of rubbish lying around chewing gum on the footpaths manners Street a lot of tough and not very nice sorts
Unfavorable people around and very unpleasant buildings and side streets
Poor urban design in terms of unsafe spaces (dark and not well used), terrible drinking-focussed culture.
Homeless people and people under the influence of alcohol after dark. Many spaces do not have good lighting. E scooters and bikes on footpaths are an issue during the day, causing accidents of which many are not reported. Too many sandwich boards, and street furniture in the accessible pathway.
In certain parts of the city it feels quite feral, ie Courtenay Place and as a woman I would not walk around the central city on my own.
It feels like there is a confrontational person begging / harassing or just hurtling abuse at people almost every few meters. It used to be a few here and there, now they are everywhere. It causes people to rush down the streets, and you notice the tensions and a feeling of being unsafe. A lot of alcohol consumption out in the open, sitting in groups and yelling abuse even in the middle of the day. To children, elderly - everyone. It seems to get worst when there are cruise ships in town and it makes me so embarrassed to live here.
As an older disabled woman, I feel somewhat vulnerable around the people who are in the area after dark. I tend to stay away from the area.
Lack of lighting, large number of people living rough, unsociable behaviours
Courtenay Place and Manners St areas have turned into absolute dumps since covid
More gang members around and more violent drunk people in the city
The CBD is very run down; there are homeless people, beggars and other generally threatening people about, night and day, even on Lambton Quay. Water leaks abound. Nothing is cleaned. The council should focus on keeping things clean and moving beggars and the homeless on. Then businesses can take care of their buildings.
I dislike loud, boisterous, semi-drunken environments. I dislike public transport after dark, and having to pay for parking that is a long way from where I wish to be etc..
I worry about earthquake damage and issues with public transport and not being able to get around the city or out of it easily.
Drunk people. A lot of homeless people sleeping rough. It’s very dark. Have heard stories of people being mugged ect.
There are parts of the city, like Manners Street & Courtenay Place that don't feel safe with a number of homeless people, some of whom display anti-social behaviour & intoxicated people around.
Buses deposit me in places I would not choose to be. Lack of people around the railway station area, and Lambton Quay.
There are far too many homeless during the day in the Lambton Quay area which I guess is not feeling unsafe, it's just unpleasant. At night there are far too many people with nothing better to do than hang around, be overly drunk, homeless, etc. There is no way I would do anything in town at night by myself, where in my early twenties I felt reasonably safe getting from a to b, etc.
Because of the ferals. The so called "homeless beggars" that are actually organized gangs using the $300-$400 a day they get from gullible folk to fund their drug habits. After dark, the violent and aggressive people from the social housing in the cbd that are threatening and demanding money.
Unecessary harassment from random strangers. Nosy people, people filming and beggars make me uncomfortable.
I mostly feel unsafe in Courtenay Place. The buildings are more dilapidated now and there are more drunks . Police presence is not as high as it once was unless there's an emergency.
I try not to be out alone after dark. I try to be safe at all times, for example using controlled crossings wherever possible, or pedestrian crossings when available. It's great to have a place to stop in the middle of the road. Our area is not very well lit, another reason not to go outside at night.
Because of the aggressive number of people who lurk around. Drunk. Abusing people.

Which of the following, if any, makes it difficult for you to visit or participate in activities at Council operated community facilities across Wellington City (by community facilities we mean pools
I can't afford to purchase a Club active membership
Forget to use them, I wish I did utilize them more
I prefer to swim in the sea. I dont use the library I pretty much use online as it saves trees and its not a giant money sinkhole.
I'm still concerned that the facilities are not adequately ventilated for proper control of airborne infectious agents (> 5 air changes per hour, and/or CO2 levels under 800 parts per million).
Activities for pre-schoolers often stop in school holidays, leaving limited activities in our area for children under 5 (e.g. Gym Jam).
Parking in and around council facilities like sports fields and other facilities
Great for me, but there is a lack of activities offered for 12-15 year olds who are not sporty. Local library does D & D but its oversubscribed and no chance of accessing
Some aren't very accessible via public transport
I am lazy so I do use the facilities I like but am not good at widening my interests.
The Miramar library doesn't have a public toilet. It makes it impossible to bring my kids there.
My closest pool from Aro Valley is Freyberg. That's 40 min each ways, either walking or with 2 buses. Bring on safe cycleways between Aro Valley and the waterfront and I'll go more often! Please keep Brooklyn library open.
I dislike the overflow of people and noise from the cafe adjacent to the Johnsonville Library, which I use often. People seem to come to the library to talk rather than read or study.
I know they are there - I see others using them - but none of them fit into my lifestyle.
Facilities primarily directed to and principally directed to minority groups Principally things Maori, but also (thankfully) to Migrant and Refugee Communities
I think that council provides a hugely important service to other sectors of the community, but the stuff they provide doesn't interest me, and I'm fine with that.
Current naming conventions make the knowing purpose of the facility sometimes difficult.
Would use the library more if it provided the same research facilities as it previously had. Very limited now as to access of records of historical value to old Wellington.
Martin Luckie park has been fenced off, no access anymore.
aside from walking in parks, i haven't looked into what's available. i'm pretty sure i could find something appropriate
Poor health and old age - I prefer to be at home
Parking and roads to visit them are an issue.
I now download a lot of books from the Library which makes it easier for me.
I only use the libraries. None of the other activities interest me.
Mobility issues prevent me from using recreational facilities other than the library and the Karori pool.
Avoiding covid as I live with a vulnerable person
Since Covid I prefer to exercise outside, away from crowds.
I am carrying an injury that limits physical participation
Public transport to get to activities on limited budget is lacking. I regularly use buses with Gold Card but that limits time and location of activities. E.g. hard to get to activities in other areas ending after 3pm
I have Long Covid and am mostly confined to my house.
Having to pre enrol in aquafitness classes at the pools makes it difficult.
Parking can be difficult at the Johnsonville Pool. I need to exercise and have wanted to go swimming at the Tawa/Johnsonville Pools - I just feel embarrassed and not comfortable being a large size.
In the Johnsonville community we have what I would call very limited activities for people over 70, mainly exercise classes. We have no picture theatres, no social entertainment, a dreary Mall, so even going there for a coffee is not very entertaining as hardly anyone goes there. I see Wadestown library is able to run movie nights, why can't the J'ville library? I think they are more geared up for children than the older people in the area and it's a very big area now. I never go near the city I dont like it at all! I prefer the suburbs you see faces that are familiar (mind you less now) as people that can, go to Porirua or Queensgate for their outings as they have great shopping in their malls. Who on earth would want to come to J'ville mall to shop. My neighbour had relations down from Ak for the long weekend they couldn't believe what they saw at the mall the big potholes and nothing to see or do they weren't even impressed with the coffee shops or food courts. they would never go again. Who would blame them the choices they have!
I have my own personal gym and yoga centre
Parking access can be a problem if accessing inner city libraries as none is provided. It is expected that everyone has to carry books with them to and from their homes.
I don't need them, I have other interests.
In summer I'd rather be outside ssy for sport and rec, but the facilities offer a good wet weather alternative during winter but I don't really like the crowds or kids at the pool.
Some of them are over priced but I think there also isn’t enough information about whats available
No activities aimed at someone like me (middle aged single female, no kids)
Parking is an issue around the Johnsonville pool ,library and community facilities
I am disabled and am mostly at home apart from visiting libraries
Particularly in Johnsonville, the pool/library area does not have enough parking. Sometimes I will walk or cycle, but it is often not convenient particularly if I just want to pop into the library. I will often use Tawa's or Porirua's facilities instead due to convenience, even though I live closer to Johnsonville.
Access can be difficult to the library in Johnsonville - why isn't there a bridge, or a controlled crossing? My husband sometimes takes me there but it's hard to get to. Wanaka St is narrow and difficult, as is the car park.

Which of the following, if any, makes it difficult for you to visit or participate in activities at Council operated community facilities across Wellington City (by community facilities we mean pools 13 = Other reasons, please describe
I am transgender, and while I believe the staff at the recreation centres / pools would be inclusive, I am apprehensive about using gendered spaces or wearing activewear amongst other members of the public who may potentially be a threat to my personal safety due to my gender identity.
The restrictions on groups swimming together-many of us are just friends but can’t swim. The pools also need to go back to opening earlier on Saturdays
While I don’t personally use the recreational facilities, other members of my family doo use them a lot, and they are fantastic for their needs. Would be very sad to see Khandallah pool close as the younger members of the family use it a lot.
I can't afford to purchase a Club active membership
Too busy with work, not an active person and don’t really like place with many strangers around.
I would appreciate public toilets being available near more sports fields e.g. Helston Park
I have experienced religious discrimination for my judeo ~ messianic faith and racism against my Jewish and Israeli family connections
I feel like I don't really know where they are or how they work or how to get started
I don't prioritise going to these places.
I am unaware of non-library type facilities that are interesting to young people like tennis courts and other group sport areas
Public swimming pools need a serious revamp in terms of hygiene
Forget to use them, I wish I did utilize them more
I use the library and like it. I have no interest in sports, other than walking in nature - including in council managed areas.
Lack of parking space (public transport/biking isn't an option)
I prefer to swim in the sea. I dont use the library I pretty much use online as it saves trees and its not a giant money sinkhole.
I'm still concerned that the facilities are not adequately ventilated for proper control of airborne infectious agents (> 5 air changes per hour, and/or CO2 levels under 800 parts per million).
Activities for pre-schoolers often stop in school holidays, leaving limited activities in our area for children under 5 (e.g. Gym Jam).
I'm sure there are activities that I'd enjoy taking part in, but I don't really know what is on offer and when, and I'm busy enough/have enough other activities going on that seeking out that info isn't high on my priority list.
Reduced and unreliable public transport services limit my desire to travel to access community services. I would access them more regularly if transport was easier.
Parking in and around council facilities like sports fields and other facilities
I would like there to be a lot more programmes offered in the Johnsonville area. I've said this in other feedback given previously. It is disappointing that the southern and central city areas have a wide variety of programmes to choose from, generally due to the facilities available at the Aquatic Centre & Rec Centre in Kilbirnie and Freyberg, but there is no equivalent in the northern suburbs.
Great for me, but there is a lack of activities offered for 12-15 year olds who are not sporty. Local library does D & D but its oversubscribed and no chance of accessing
Very hard to find all information in one place about what's available in various centres / halls
Some aren't very accessible via public transport
I am lazy so I do use the facilities I like but am not good at widening my interests.
Events are cbd centric rather than in the local community
The Miramar library doesn't have a public toilet. It makes it impossible to bring my kids there.
My closest pool from Aro Valley is Freyberg. That's 40 min each ways, either walking or with 2 buses. Bring on safe cycleways between Aro Valley and the waterfront and I'll go more often! Please keep Brooklyn library open.
I dislike the overflow of people and noise from the cafe adjacent to the Johnsonville Library, which I use often. People seem to come to the library to talk rather than read or study.
I know they are there - I see others using them - but none of them fit into my lifestyle.
To get from Brooklyn onto town, on a bus, is easy. To get from Brooklyn to anywhere else on public transport is impossible and extremely time consuming - so you have to drive. Think AT for kids sports 7-9 p.m. in the week or the Aquatic centre for 6 a.m. training - public transport is not realistic yet you keep on taking away parks and car routes - please be more realistic - Wellington is not Tokyo, Singapore or Amsterdam.
Some facilities, like the Kilbirnie one is very good and accessible. I find the Strathmore park ones less wellcoming and more catering for the 'in group' people
Facilities primarily directed to and principally directed to minority groups Principally things Maori, but also (thankfully) to Migrant and Refugee Communities
I think that council provides a hugely important service to other sectors of the community, but the stuff they provide doesn't interest me, and I'm fine with that.
Pool bookings at KeithSpry are excessive in evening weekdays
English only, shove your stone age cultures and backwards language down the toilet.
It is hard for persons the age of my wife and I to access the National library or most of Council facilities.
The quality of grass fields with regards to drainage. More lighting please.
Current naming conventions make the knowing purpose of the facility sometimes difficult.
Would use the library more if it provided the same research facilities as it previously had. Very limited now as to access of records of historical value to old Wellington.
Martin Luckie park has been fenced off, no access anymore.
Lack of parking and slower car journeys are off putting
aside from walking in parks, i haven't looked into what's available. i'm pretty sure i could find something appropriate
I love the Mountain Biking and the Oriential Bay beach and swimming there. I used to play Basketball at ASB and I still play tennis at the Renouf Centre.
I've been disappointed when the Khandallah pool closes for the season when it is still summery weather, and with the Thorndon pool when it closes even though it is heated and could be used most of the year, as it was in 2021 when the Johnsonville pool was out of action. Outdoor swimming is much nicer than indoor. Since then, I've been swimming at Oriental and Balaena bays, which are lovely, but I'm not game enough to swim in winter, and as a stroke survivor I have to be careful not to get too cold.
Poor health and old age - I prefer to be at home
Parking and roads to visit them are an issue.
Lack of hot water in women’s showers at Karori pool
So many of these facilities are no longer accessible to us no parking, inconvenient public transport and dominated by people in younger age groups making it very unpleasant for older folk
I am old and find it difficult to get about
I now download a lot of books from the Library which makes it easier for me.
I only use the libraries. None of the other activities interest me.
why do so many libraries not open till 10am?? means parents can't go there after dropping kids at school. nuts.
Mobility issues prevent me from using recreational facilities other than the library and the Karori pool.
Avoiding covid as I live with a vulnerable person
Since Covid I prefer to exercise outside, away from crowds.
I am carrying an injury that limits physical participation
Public transport to get to activities on limited budget is lacking. I regularly use buses with Gold Card but that limits time and location of activities. E.g. hard to get to activities in other areas ending after 3pm
Concerns about lack of covid protection like air filters
I have Long Covid and am mostly confined to my house.
Having to pre enrol in aquafitness classes at the pools makes it difficult.
I have mobility problems (high pain) and cannot afford transport other than gold card times and most facilities are east Wellington and too far time-wise. Buses at weekends are ridiculousl few.
Parking can be difficult at the Johnsonville Pool. I need to exercise and have wanted to go swimming at the Tawa/Johnsonville Pools - I just feel embarrassed and not comfortable being a large size.
In the Johnsonville community we have what I would call very limited activities for people over 70, mainly exercise classes. We have no picture theatres, no social entertainment, a dreary Mall, so even going there for a coffee is not very entertaining as hardly anyone goes there. I see Wadestown library is able to run movie nights, why can't the J'ville library? I think they are more geared up for children than the older people in the area and it's a very big area now. I never go near the city I dont like it at all! I prefer the suburbs you see faces that are familiar (mind you less now) as people that can, go to Porirua or Queensgate for their outings as they have great shopping in their malls. Who on earth would want to come to J'ville mall to shop. My neighbour had relations down from Ak for the long weekend they couldn't believe what they saw at the mall the big potholes and nothing to see or do they weren't even impressed with the coffee shops or food courts. they would never go again. Who would blame them the choices they have!
There need to be more classes etc weekends and evenings
Often the staff employed are not really interested to work in the facilities and often ignore or ill treat customers, in some cases they spend work time on their private phones, the facilities are not well managed and often repair issues seem to be neglected. It seems that the WCC doesn't understand it's intended purposes, running and operating Wellington City - it's not climate change nor decolonization, nor expensive business trips overseas
I have my own personal gym and yoga centre
Parking access can be a problem if accessing inner city libraries as none is provided. It is expected that everyone has to carry books with them to and from their homes.
level of cleanliness is poor - I have raised this regarding the aquatic centre and was not satisfied with the answer
With no car, public transport to community centre with activities I'm interested in outside of work hrs...generally make getting there harder/add alot of time
I don't need them, I have other interests.
In summer I'd rather be outside ssy for sport and rec, but the facilities offer a good wet weather alternative during winter but I don't really like the crowds or kids at the pool.
Some of them are over priced but I think there also isn’t enough information about whats available
No activities aimed at someone like me (middle aged single female, no kids)
The very specific activities I want to engage in are at inconvenient times or places. I am very anxious going to new places and meeting new people.
Not enough swimming lanes open in pools.
Parking is an issue around the Johnsonville pool ,library and community facilities
I am disabled and am mostly at home apart from visiting libraries
Parking near Keith Spry pool and library is scarce. Keith Spry pool showers are insufficient and changing rooms are too cold. Not enough lanes open for lane swimming in evenings.
Parking is atrocious at many sports grounds. My 13 year old son is not going to travel for 1 and a half hours on a bus or train with his large cricket bag to get to his games; nor is he going to cycle. Stop trying to socially engineer how people live and when and how they should get their exercise. Council views on transport are facile and insulting.
I have to order and wait for all books I wish to read from ‘stock’. The libraries have only new books and mainly fiction rather than non fiction. For works needed for referencing the delays are most annoying. The shelves in the local Johnsonville library where I need to collect ordered books are so low I cannot see book titles or name slips. The constantly changing staff make using the local library frustrating and systems frequently don’t operate.
Particularly in Johnsonville, the pool/library area does not have enough parking. Sometimes I will walk or cycle, but it is often not convenient particularly if I just want to pop into the library. I will often use Tawa's or Porirua's facilities instead due to convenience, even though I live closer to Johnsonville.
While I use the facilities available they are not always user friendly for older people. I am mobile but some services are targeted more at younger people (I am frequently with my 8 year old granddaughter and there are many more options in that age group).
Access can be difficult to the library in Johnsonville - why isn't there a bridge, or a controlled crossing? My husband sometimes takes me there but it's hard to get to. Wanaka St is narrow and difficult, as is the car park.

Do you have any other comments you’d like to share with us about social and recreational activities in Wellington? [optional]
Far too many cycle lanes popping up to the extent of parking. Would personally prefer the money being spent on the cycle ways around the harbour and the town hall to be spent on stuff that benefits more people like the infrastructure problems = pipes!
Really like the waterfront walk/cycle way extension/improvement and use this a lot. Wellington should focus on more indoor recreation spaces too - like a covered stadium. The weather is more often not great and places like the ASB Centre are fantastic. Would be good to have more things to do too, like an aquarium, or some outdoor hot pools on the waterfront, a giant ice skating rink, or a replacement Reading Centre…
The availability of local community centres is essential to community well-being, though is a little threatened by the libraries reaching more into similar functions - impt to keep the local stuff too
There is not enough swimming pool space for variety of years.
I am currently recovering from surgery and will be doing so for several months, but am looking forward to being able to get out and do more so even if I’m not currently using facilities I appreciate the fact that they are there and can be used.
Why aren't there more exercise equipment installed for use by adults in community parks?
I enjoy and use every day the walking tracks that go up from Orangi Kaupapa Road in Northland to Te Ahumairangi Hill, and along the ridge line. I appreciate that the tracks are kept in good order. For example, Council last year did a good job renovating and improving the track at the summit of the James Stellin Memorial Park. I also appreciate that the Council Graffiti Removal Team keep removing graffiti at the car park near the barrier across the road to the summit (accessed from 126 Orangi Kaupapa Road), and on the buildings and water tanks at the summit of Te Ahumairangi Hill.
I realise that it is a very difficult time. If our community is to succeed, services need to be accessible to a majority of the population.
1. It would be great if there was another hydrotherapy pool or morning sessions available on Saturday & Sunday morning available for public access. It's also been noted that the 12noon-245pm sessions on Monday & Tuesday can get really full. Although we willing share the space it's not always so easy for the disabled and elderly to try and navigate around other users. 2. Perhaps consideration be given to adding shower seats to the poolside changing rooms at the WRAC? There are shower seats in the 4 special showers of which 1 is currently broken. A few of us don't need the space of these special showers but would still need a shower stool because standing isn't always possible. This would also free up those special showers for those who really need them.
Up until a few years ago, I used to use Kilbirnie Aquatic Centre about 4 times a week and stopped due to Covid and now do cycling. Kilbirnie Aquatic Centre is an outstanding facility.
Thr single most important thing is to drop every social and recreational activity and put all your resources into fixing the water situation. Without water a city cannot function.
Council could invest in open air mini golf etc on the waterfront for residents and tourists
The addition of a local disc golf park has been fantastic. Love being able to take my dog to dogs parks and dog friendly beaches - main reason for exercising.
More exercise classes that aren't too expensive for older people. I have to go to Miramar Community Centre, from Berhampore, twice a week to the Be Active programme there.
The library at Johnsonville is excellent entertainment for children and families. It is not great as a place for books and reading. Lower shelves with less books and the to squiggle stacks are more style than substance.
better bike lanes and more effort to get wellington drivers to be less consumed with hatred for cyclists would be nice.
Commute by bike every day and social ride at weekends.
Please support Jewish cultural activities we have been experiencing extreme worsening hate speech, discrimination and bullying, thanks
Please don’t reduce any hours in the LTP.
(re the last week's activities - I have been cowering at home following COVID exposure, so haven't done much exercise)
Please don’t put prices up. Please don’t cut the hours or staff of the facilities
make it more affordable and not just for people with csc
In the of City Guadalajara in Mexico they have something called "Via recreativa". Every Sunday they close certain roads around the city and encourage the habitats to go out and exercise with their friends and whanau. A lot of people come out with skateboards, rollerskates, bikes, scooters etc. And certain designated areas have stalls during this time where you can buy stuff from local artists and small businesses, as well as services offering information. I would love to see something like this in Wellington!
Keith Spry is a real mess, the cleanliness as well as the general maintenance is horrible. Freyberg is run by amazing staff! Love their work. Kilbirnie is also great. The sauna at Freyberg really sucks post renovations now, it hardly counts as a sauna. Almost every single person who goes in complains.
Yes, it's unsafe having mountain bikes criss crossing and sharing walking tracks - they assume they have right of way. Need more effective signage and policing otherwise have walk only tracks.
I would love for there to be more 'fine' cultural activities such as art and music which are often financially difficult for people to take part in, especially those with lower incomes. Artists are really struggling to be seen due to barriers on both ends. There seems to be a lot of focus on sports areas from the council and I would love to see more funding put into the arts. Especially stuff like fine art and classical music, which are so often seen as upper-class and inaccessible!
If there were more options closer to where I live I would use them
Would love more evening or weekend yoga classes and other physical classes that attract people in their 20s & 30s :)
Please prioritize these over the aforementioned projects
Aquatic centres are far too geared towards sport events and not leisure I.e. no hydro slides, diving boards etc. The pools are boring
The changes to scheduling of the skate classes at Kilbirnie rec center has been rather inconvenient. It is no longer possible to make it from the center city in time for the classes.
Pools should be cheaper for parents and children to support water safety and confidence
Would absolutely love an ice rink somewhere in Wellington city
Would love more craft sharing options and groups, especially for younger people
More advertising about new social / recreational opportunities for young and old people would be great, new places. Other than standard facilities like pools which a lot of people choose not to use for hygiene reasons .
Just want to say that last question about how often I did 30mins or more of exercise is skewed at the moment cos I have an injured ankle - usually would be 5+ days a week (I bike as my main mode of transport so that covers a lot!)
I love going to the pool when I can as swimming is pretty much the only exercise I actually enjoy, but it definitely adds up in terms of cost, and the thorndon pool is tragically only open a few months of the year. Other pools are much further away from my house, which is discouraging. I would love it if the thorndon pool was open for more of the year. I don't mind swimming in the rain, and if people getting cold is an issue perhaps the pool temperature could be raised slightly? I don't know, I'd just love it if it was open year round as the travel times to other pools make them much less viable options when you have a busy schedule. Also I absolutely LOVE the library. I look forward to the big one being open again, but the Te Awe Brandon street library is great, and I enjoy getting books out and spending time there. It's lovely to have an indoor space where you don't have to buy anything to sit there, and there are so many excellent services and activities.
There always seems to be a pay barrier to most interesting things.
I mostly just like cycling around. I'll be going places, and take the scenic route. Sometimes when I finish errands I'll just go to Cuba St to compliment people on their outfits and see if I run into anyone I know.
Be nice to know what Wellington has to offer in terms of sports and rec. I just don’t know what’s on offer
I'm all for people learning to swim, etc, but there are barely any public pools and the ones that exist are gross
I don't know anywhere in walking distance from my home to shoot hoops
In Karori in particular it feels as though there aren't many activities or spaces for young(ish) childless couples. Many experiences, spaces, or group activities feel catered to the elderly or to young families.
Men's Basketball league at Akau Tangi is great. The new website for looking at casual court availability for all the rec centres is better than the individual facebook posts, though in that format, it is hard to see availability at a glance for the whole day, which lets it down.
I would have usually done an hour of physical activity each day but have had covid, so the last 7 days is not representative for my usual recreational activities.
They’re fundamental to creating strong social ties in the community
I'm stuck at home because I don't have confidence that the council has enough protection measures to stop airborne infectious agents.
There are good facilities but not a vast variety
Please keep swimming free for children under 5 and their spectators, and consider running Gym Jam in the school holidays as well.
Great to see parkrun Waitangi park operating providing free regular runs! Would be nice to see another one in Wellington council area as they bring a lot of tourists and really help with community inclusion.
It would be good if there was a better online map to clearly show the tracks and trails that Wellington has to offer. This would allow locals to know what is there and encourage tourism for walking, trail running and biking
Yeah, city council libraries are occupied by rough sleepers/homeless/marginalized people. Not appealing. Not safe for me or my child to visit. Whatever else city council does, I am not a user or interested. Fix the damn pipes supply. No water, no life. Get the basics right, the rest will take care of itself.
Reduced and unreliable transport services inhibit me from accessing social and recreational activities as much as I would like.
Just to stress the importance of multi-modal transportation in getting to/from such activities, and the combination of public transport & walking or bicycle lanes are essential for attendance at social and recreational activities. Ignore the awful, awful panel recommendations for the district plan.
Court hire at Ākau Tangi is way too high - it means that aside from basketball it is actually putting it out of reach for so many people. Also contracting out cafes at places like AT is terrible when the only option is hugely overpriced Wishbone.
Wellington does a great job in the facilities it provides, access and costs are very accessible Having travelled recently within aotearoa accessing other regions facilities are very high costs
Parking by sports pitches needs to be considered. Dropping off our kids gets harder.
I would like to have a easier access to park or any council structure where I could have more physical activities
The cost to book turf in Wellington is ridiculous. I love the walks and green ares around Wellington that we are trying to nurture and develop!!
I love the outdoor pools we have at Thorndon and Khandallah and I'm really disappointed to see closure or hour reduction being considered in the council long-term plan.
Infrastructure needs overhauling otherwise we will fall back in infrastructure compared to developing nations like India
Is there a reason that the basketball court on Tasman street has remained unkempt and abandoned for so long? I know many people living on that street who could and would use it recreationally if it were back to a usable standard
While I would like to engage in more social and recreational activities the current costs of living crisis makes it difficult. When I need cut things or reduce my spending they are the first to go. I feel the cost of council events and facilities, where there are charges are affordable but are still beyond my budget.
Keep the walking tracks mown and weed eaten not sprayed with poison that makes our animals while walking and humans unwell please
More Club Active opportunities in the northern suburbs please. Particularly female-only would be awesome.
Love the bike racks around town. So good to be able to park securely.
Lack of non sporting activities for 12-15/16's year olds (male & female)
PLEASE do not reduce Karori Pool hours - this is a much loved community facility. Swim clubs, swimming lessons, social gatherings, exercise, fun and recreation all happen here - the pool is well used and well loved, so PLEASE do not reduce the open hours
I wish badminton was on at times other than 10am ��
Would be great to have better pool facilities in Tawa, the Northern suburbs really suffers in terms of your offerings for sports. The pool in Karori at least has a slide but when we've made the trip over there, it has been closed EVERY single time.
Badminton Wellington will need a plan if the second Mt Vic tunnel is to go ahead. Need to start this.
Adore the town belt and the incredible network of trails.
It is difficult to organise visits to city gallery in its reduced hours, particularly with children
My family makes great use of libraries and find them fantastic. We also really appreciate council pools. I would be personally participating in more organised team sport etc but it is tricky to fit in with family life. My eldest uses council sports fields.
Wellington is still a great city to get around walking.
Island Bay library is too small for the community it serves and supports and needs to be extended into the vacant lot behind.
Some of my answers were 0 or low numbers because I have been pregnant for a majority of the last 12 months so couldn’t do what I would usually do.
I feel Wellington offers a great range of recreational activities and I am very thankful for them. I have a gym within walking distance where I work out most days. I also walk to my local community centre for koha yoga when it is on, however usually the classes are not on at a good time for me. I also swim in the ocean 1-2 times per week with a small group of friends. All of these things contribute greatly to my quality of life.
I don't know if I've answered things correctly. Our main use of council spaces is the library and weekly swimming lessons.
Many options are available but I am personally lazy. It would be nice to see more use of the botanical gardens for outdoor theater.
Not much designed with mums/middle aged women in mind unless it's centred around kids and we have to bring them
Please get the central wellington library back in operation! It is soul destroying not having it so close to where I live. The additional distance to Brandon St with my young child means we go much less than I'd like; if it were back to Victoria St location we went multiple times a week.
Always pro more bike lanes, so I can feel safer exploring more of the city :)
The last question is not representative of my normal level of activity as I am heavily pregnant and having a fair amount of hip pain so have not been able to get out like normal
Please keep providing Council social and recreational facilities
Parks and reserves are great, thanks also to community groups that trap pests. I will buy an e-bike and use it as soon as it's safe to get to the waterfront / CBD, hence going there more often. Hopefully one day cycleways will occur around the bays for leasure/exercise.
I love the libraries, the rec centres and pools including holiday programmes are enjoyed by my kids, they are all a necessary part of a family friendly city. If I ever need a smile I go sit on a library for half an hour and people watch. Librarians might be the best most helpful people in the world.
We LOVE Waitohi library - it’s an amazing place, I’m there with the kids all the time. Plus love the online book reserve system, I use it all the time. We also use Keith Spry pool a lot - it’s great for the kids, but not good for me as an adult swimmer, as there’s often only one swimming lane available during weekends (which doesn’t suit the wide range of swimming speeds). Over summer I use Thorndon Pool which usually has enough space, but winter is hard to find a place to swim during weekends.
Island Bay library is closest to me but has been closed on Saturdays which is terribly inconvenient. I now go to Newtown library which is less convenient for me.
The walking trails are really good, especially the longer ones that link multiple trails together (eg the northern walkway, or the city to sea)
Dogs off leash annoy me and they are often about at sports fields, playgrounds, parks or public walkways and the owners don't give a toss. Even if it is a small "harmless" dog, they run ahead of their owners and they cannot possibly see when/where the dog does a poo. i often find dog poo on the sports field near my house. There is not nearly enough signage aywhere to say that dogs must be kept on leads.
I think the demarcation of facilities into sports + community centre + libraries is an historical hang over that should be questioned where the opportunity arises. For example the combo of pool+library+community rooms+playground+creche at Waitohi Johnsonville is a fantastic example of sharing resources to make all of these more efficient & affordable. It also provides a catalyst for more cross over of users so there is more incidentale contact between different members of the community. Brooklyn (where I live) would be, in my view, a much improved community if the communtiy centre & library were combiend into one facility that could provide better facilities overall, longer hours, and a cross over of people/groups to generate more social contact/capital/cohesion and address loneliness. an elderly person reading the paper with after school programmes. This requires a bigger overview and working outside siloed parts of the council and community.
WCC and the Regional Council and volunteers do a great job with trails and tracks.
I like the current library arrangement with decentralised libraries in the central city, and easier access to books via the reservation system, and I don't think we need a monolithic central library any more.
Can only use water exercises due to disease of spine, knees and hips
Karori needs more astro turf pitches like Island Bay. There needs to be a multi sports facility design for Ian Galloway with an indoor sports centre for the western suburbs
I think that you do a good job with limited resources.
I have been a gym member for many years and benefited from a gold card/off peak rate which was more economical than a Leisure Card and this was carried over during changes to fees but now the fees are rising and the cost is beyond me. The benefits of weight bearing activity for seniors is evidenced but there is no encouragement from WCC to continue.
Increase dog parks to exercise dogs in the suburbs
I know they are there - I see them used - most appear in good condition but I simply have no current desire to use them.
It is really good that the libraries in town are open at 8am. There is almost no non-commercial indoor space in town in the mornings other than the libraries.
I'm concerned about the amount of money charged to clubs for recreational facilities without any transparency.
Make more use for classes at the the new renamed ASK centre
I think someone in the pool administration at a high level has completely "lost the plot" and needs to be urgently reassigned to some other task. The idea that you cannot swim with more than one friend in a lane without interfering with other members of the public is rubbish. A rule like no more than two friends swimming together shows an authoritarian bent that is very troubling. Surely, the outcome sought is that swimmers do not interfere with the reasonable enjoyment of others in the lane and that should be the basis for the policy not some arbitrary number. I have also heard about some very authoritarian, and downright childish behaviour by pool management, relative to Lewis Clareburt. Not sure it is true but it squares with this "two friends only" approach, so it probably is.
I am very concerned that the Karori Event Centre is sitting idle because Council has not completed it with internal lining, lighting and seating as promised when it was donated to Council, on the condition (best endeavours) that Council would complete it and so make it available for Karori community events. This is a breach of good faith with the Karori community that should be remedied at an early date.
I am a very regular user of the excellent library online. You could include it in the questionnaire
Stop the cycle way through main road karori and use the side streets where possible. Fix the damage leaks. If we have a large earthquake the we will be waterless. That's the priority project on the vanity ones. Also note the huge university vote Green are temporary residents only. We're the eligible to vote anyway!!!!!!!
The upgrade of Clyde Quay marina is great. For sailors and the public. Great job. Thanks.
Wellington is a gorgeous little town, especially at the moment, at the height of summer, but we don't quite have a council to match
In my experience top management in head office of Wellington City Council have no idea how to manage facilities the way they should be managed
I find it sad as a volunteer and user of our recreation areas (Otari and City Gardens and Zealandia) that there is no space to comment on these. They are jewels in Wellingtons crown. No personal feelings about the zoo which I don't patronise but it also gives a lot of pleasure I believe.
Please support sports grounds. Artificial turfs are ok for winter sports - but quality grass pitches are excellent too. Ian Galloway could be developed into an excellent winter sports facility
Great bike routes, great walking tracks, harbour is clean and great to swim in.
As regards handicapped parking, of which I am a user. The Central Library has a disability car park on both sides. The problem is that the only parking meter that will take cash is furthest away rather than being the closest. Getting down to the end of the street to pay for the park whilst on two crutches is very difficult.
Maintaining the current level of parking at Wakefield Park. It is a fantastic multi-use facility that thousands of people enjoy regularly. People need to be able to access it as easily as possible. LEAVE parking as it is.
Range of courses for older people is limited
Greater attention needs to be paid to the needs of walkers and pedestrians instead of the myopic focus on cyclists and scooters. There should be a physical separation of cyclists and scooters from pedestrians and walkers so as to ensure the safety of the latter. The Council needs to actively police and control the use of cycles and scooters on footpaths where they are prohibited, and monitor and control their use and speeds in so-called shared areas. The Council creates such areas and then allows them to deteriorate into a sort of wild west where predestrians feel marginalised and intimidated, as well as at risk from injury.
The parks and walkways are great. I love walking in Mt Victoria.
That is one area that the council does well from my perspective.
unaffordable. And if it is not in English, then i'm not interested. Stuff you and you.
I walk or cycle the tracks from Kiwi Cres Tawa to Meridian road most days. About half of the dog walkers using the tracks have their dogs off lead despite good signposting that dogs need to be on a lead. Off lead dogs go onto the downhill MTB priority track, often with their owners. This has caused my son to crash his bike. Dogs stop in the middle of bends and get excited by fast moving mountain bikes. I’d like to see better enforcement of dogs on leads. I think it would be good if the downhill track was closed to walkers. These tracks are a fantastic facility, users just need to respect the rules.
Need to be user pays with less subsidy from rate payers
All cyclest to be registed with a number plate identerfication / Priorities Water repairs / then continue with cycle ways.
Expensive to use pools and gym facilities
Why don't you have steam and sauna rooms in our swimming pools? Why aren't our swimming pools more affordable?
I have heard about intentions to reduce the pool operating hours and I feel that would have a significant negative impact on one of our safest and most important sports and affect swimming clubs that provide community, fitness and safety skills to a wide range of kids.
Council should help promote sport in Wellington. Softball and swimming are examples.
The number of community pools in Wellington is an asset to the city, particularly those historic pools like Khandallah and Thorndon. Likewise, small local libraries and halls are valuable to their communities and the city.
Your sports and rec is great. You just need to sort the water leaks issue (and getting all the cycleways completed)
I do value the parks and walkways. I also value dog-friendly locations like Lyall Bay and Tawatawa reserve
We need a decent concert/indoor venue - 8000 seater. How long before the TSB Arena gets a coloured sticker?
The pools are too expensive (including swimming lessons) & should be free for children under 10
Nothing comes to mind. My recreation solely involves going to Les Mills on Lambton Quay for personal trainer sessions and sessions I do solo. I usually do so at least 5 days each week (depends on whether the gym is open for public holidays).
Make it easier for mountain bike trail builders to build trails, especially if they are doing the work as volunteers
where would i find information about community lead walking events in Tawa?
would like better maps (Aps) of council Walking Tracks
The costs charged to sports associations by WCC are atrocious. WCC should be ashamed
I b eklieve the city art gallerey sould expose more work by local artists
The Council need to set about properly reinstating the Civic Centre to give the city a 'heart' for community values and gatherings.
Most social and recreational activities I participate in operate independently of WCC.
Most unhappy at the thought of council libraries or pools closing.
Finally completing the Karori community facility would be great for the community.
Mountain biking trails in this city are amazing. Keep at that and continue to build the trails network.
I don't know what you mean by "recreational facility", other than a swimming pool.
I wish the libraries were open on the evening
The mountain biking is great. Oriential Bay is great. I run a lot around the waterfront which I enjoy and love I can dive in the water at the end of my run.
Have been going to Freyberg Pool for 25 years. It is a “world class” facility and highly valued.
Need more dog parks and parks for children. Love a zip line for teenagers and adults bigger swimming pools and facilities. A sea pool like in Sydney.
Whilst I realise these are valuable to people, I would rather my rates were spent on the infrastructure so recreational facilities should be financially viable and not require too much rate payer money as we are supporting people who don’t pay rates.
I don’t think they are well publicised However I work and a a couple of recreational activities which keep me busy Gym and Bridge
No one has ever asked me what I would like They are "one size fits all", hard to tailor to people who aren't fully able to participate I'm glad that there are family oriented activities, even though I don't have children. But these are still difficult to engage in, especially for single parent families, eg travel and being there, pickup/drop off during school holidays etc.
Annoying that the local pool does not open till 10am on public holidays - too late to swim them - lose the whole morning.,,and the pool loses my and heaps of other peoples' business. Sometimes takes a long time to make repairs - shower heads, dryers. Staff slow at putting ladders back after lessons.
Generally I think they're pretty good - well maintained and accessible.
An open air, all year round swimming pool would be nice, particularly a salt water pool that was heated in winter.
There are some daft changes proposed to swimming pool lane use - these need to be rethought. The neighbourhood summer pools are a huge community asset - they support low emissions recreation close to people’s homes and need to be sustained into our future. There’s nothing in here about walking tracks and cycle facilities and open air gathering space which are a huge part of public services that support non-organised recreation and social connection.
It would be good if Wadestown library was open longer hours on the weekend
I love the walks around Wellington - I have dogs and use public trails and dog parks extensively. I also mountain bike
Do not cut back library hours. Thank you for the wonderful town belt and other reserves and wonderful, accessible beaches.
I would do more if i didn't have a disability. I try to do 20 minutes walking twice a week but tht is difficult in winter and the heat of Summer
I prefer to do my own thing rather than join organisations or groups. I do hill walking every day around my neighbourhoods (Hataitai, Roseneath and Kilbirnie). The biggest obstacle to enjoying this activity is cyclists. Specifically, cyclists on footpaths, and I don't just mean designated shared paths but any path. Cyclists on footpaths are reckless, inconsiderate, dangerous and consider themselves above the law (because - as one aggressively pointed out to me - there is nobody there to enforce it). If there is one thing I would ask WCC to do, in terms of policy change, it is to push cycling down the agenda and raise pedestrians - and walking as a free and enjoyable activity - to the top of priorities. And clamp down on arrogant cyclists and scooter riders.
Venues like WRAC need to listen to and respect their community members. Often staff are offhand about feedback or requests – even though we are paying customers. The gym there isn't cheap and yet you get treated in a way that no regular gym would ever treat you (fobbed off, ignored, etc) So many of our friends who were using Club Active have left for more customer focused gyms around town. Sad – because it could be so good – but is sadly more admin focused than people focused.
Karori pool is a marvellous facility and has excellent staff.
Library hours need to be maintained and even extended. They really are community hubs.
Not a lot designed for someone using a mobility device. I mostly rely on walking using my stroller and going to the pool when I am well enough to get there. Last time I went to the pool I caught COVI [for the second time] so am a bit apprehensive. I have been encouraged by my doctor and physio to resume my visits to the pool to aquajog but have been waiting for the children to start back at school. Although there is a dedicated aquajogging lane I find the noise level when children are enjoying themselves rather overwhelming.
Provide gym equipment at the gym! The rec centre should have an area for working out.
do not restrict/reduce the hours pools and libraries are available to be used - they are important hubs for community access to information, exercise, and social interactions
The new Karori community centre (still unfinished) is a duplication of facilities and a waste of money which would have been better spent upgrading the mall or surrounding areas.
KCC -the building is a bit crappy, but the staff are amazing. Parking is becoming a problem (so I bike) but it is of concern for other older people and, say, foodbank customers or my friend in a wheelchair. Being able to have cafe food in Karori library (and Johnsonville?) is fantastic from my point of view
I answered 0 days to the last question as I have broken my leg…usually I’m very active
Please don't close Khandallah Pool! It is iconic ... and once it's gone we can't bring it back ~(:-(
The swimming pools are not easy to use as the lanes are always booked and the swimming clubs etc aren't happy with the time they get either!
Very dependent on weather and public transport options. For example Newtown isn't far from my home in Mount Victoria but there isn't direct transport that connects with the bus. Transport to Miramar or Kilbirnie would be easier but timing isn't ideal and often I only hear about activities after they book out. Not enough capacity.
mountain bikers and walking tracks - not a good mix. the tracks are compromised by erosion from the bikes .
Disability prevented exercise in previous question which skews results
I love Thorndon Pool and also Freyburg Pool. I wish Thorndon pool was open for a longer season, but I totally appreciate that it is challenging to get staff at the moment.
The library costs have changed and I now see many more attendees at Ngaio library The community town hall in Khandallah is stunning- I buy meals and watch huge cultural groups using the resource
There are a number of camper vans along Oriental Parade and Evans Bay Parade where people spend their nights sleeping on the curb. Wellington City Council provide very good facilities at the top end of Evans Bay Parade and they should park in there overnight. Not only are these people cheating the council out of overnight fees they also do not pay any rates to Wellington Council and just annoy people like me who pay a very high rates
Have been in a moonboot for a broken bone in my foot so mostly at home with my foot up
Visiting a library for me means accessing the E-library on a daily basis and the actual building as needed.
Childrens playgrounds in Wellington need some serious work. Brooklyns pretty much non existent and Wgtn City’s is a joke.
the open spaces are great, waterfront, seafront on coastal suburbs, otari, pollhill, etc. botanic gardens are great. Tip shop and recycling centre is great. thanks for all of these.
I love the new cycle ways! We need more of them! We also need better placed bus routes so people can get to more places for social and recreational activities. For example, why is there NO bus stops along Waterloo Quay, Jervois Quay or Cable Street! What a waste! There are great art galleries, museums, Circa Theatre, Te Papa, Takina AND yet the public transport doesn’t use this route! Our Harbourside is a great location and these are very wide streets! It really annoys me seeing NIS empty buses using this route, even at peak times when they could have passengers! Why!!??
If there are recreational groups for doing things like, painting, pilates, rambling and cycling or tramping for my age group where I wouldn’t need to get in my car or pay for parking in town I might be interested.
Need a wide range of spaces for all ages, including spaces fro people who want to do things on their own or not organised, e.g walking, running, sycling
Difficult to find out when Wadestown library is open. Can't find the temporary Awe one.I have a dog to excercise so no time to spend the hours getting to and using a pool. Dog parks good but need more off-lead areas as I don't have a car to drive to off-leads.
I need to start looking after my health - The pools would be a great opportunity to do some non-load-bearing exercise.
I have already said, also the last questions said it all. Walks, shooting hoops, Swimming! I can walk anytime, and I do but the rest! such a great choice!!!!
I get plenty of social engagement and recreational activities. The questions didn't seem to be worded such that I could say YES to them.
Please keep the community pools and libraries open.
Please keep the Khandallah pool, as is! Please keep funding the libraries! And, please keep supporting the community events/celebrations/festivals (with performers) like Garden magic, Cuba Dupa etc.
Footpaths are in dire need of maintenance and repair, pedestrians seem to be second class citizens to cyclists; Mind it seems that WCC has employed a group of activist cyclists who work to push their private agendas in WCC
The hydropool is an excellent resource for the community
Most of them are too expensive to join or at times when they are not convenient
Concentrate on the core infrastructure please.
Yes. I play table tennis at the Stadium which used to be owned by the Council but now Council only ownes the land. With Council's help we could get many more people playing the game - especially those over 60 years. Two of our members were 90 before they stopped coming. Some of us are in our 80s and we would really welcome anyone from 60 up. We play 3 times a week but recently Covid, and old age have taken a toll. Its a wonderful game as it helps the body to move in a way that prevents falling and other accidents. I improves one's reactions as we play fast. I'm over 80 but I walk faster than teenagers, I don't suffer pain because I know when to stop.
Graffiti is not a concern but it makes the area look dirty and uninviting (even dangerous). Need to maintain good lighting and cctv coverage in the inner city.
Lack of car parking at facilities puts me off using them.
The Pukehuia Park in Newlands is a brilliant use of vacant land and is well patronised by families. I have lived in this area all my life that piece of land sat vacant for a good 50 years.
Sometimes it is uncomfortable to walk in areas where dogs are not on a leash and they should be i.e.the walk from Truscott Park up to Mt KauKau and around Alex Moore Park in Johnsonville. Would appreciate more of a presence of dog control officers in these areas.
I swim almost everyday at WRAC and feel really sorry when the showers continuosly run bc of sensor problems. Once I remember one shower didn't stop running for a week or 10 days. Can you imagine how much water was wasted?
Generally dismayed at this 'cool' city which is supposed to be warm and inviting but is in reality fairly dirty and unkempt and near impossible to get to
I think their very good parking is usually a killjoy due to the expense and lack of them
It would be good to make some of them a bit cheaper
I really enjoy the social activities in Wellington as I believe there is a good variety provided. The usual recreational activities speak for themselves i.e. count how many people participate. If high in number keep them. If low in number, it would be wise to review its lack of popularity and provide something else which people would rather have.
Looking forward to doing more in the community when I retire in 3 years.
Please don’t waste funding heating Khandallah pool. Many love that is cold. If folk want warmth they can go to Thorndon or any other of the pools in Wellington.
I am aware that they are there but at the moment I don't see a need to use them
WCC needs to honour its commitment to fund, finish and open the Karori Event Centre. It has such potential to support a the community (both in Karori and wider Wellington). You just need to get on with it and do it..... please :-)
I do my best to remain healthy and independent but if thr council continue with raising the cost of pools and parking and opening hours of libraries etc I won’t be able to do this.
I believe our best community recreational assets are our bush tracks for walking and biking, the Berhampore golf course and parks, especially dog friendly ones. Your survey doesn't mention these really.
Activities like Welly Walks was a disappointment this year with only one walk around Wellington and on one weekend.
keep it simple. Maintain & expand green spaces. Don't over build (fancy playgrounds, outdoor gym equipment etc)
Would love an affordable, exercise, yoga programme for older people in inner city. Those at Freyberg pool are not tailored for older people.
Thorndon pool is a gem - please retain it . The staff are amazing . I have a concussion and staff proactively turned off the music
The online booking system for Council facilities is not great. I often end up going to the facility in person to finalise / confirm booking.
A shout out to Kilbirnie Library-while it is not our beloved Central Library with a plethora of books at hand, it is a life saver
Our community recreation centre's sports places and libraries are amazing public spaces offering communities the opportunity to play sport, get other exercise and learn and read. Make them better and accessible to all.
I strongly support the maintenance and development of our public libraries. They are vital for information access for a wide range of the comm, especially those on low incomes and benefits.
I'm a Club Active member, I do think the increase in pricing this past year has made in more unaffordable and I am looking at cancelling my membership unfortunately.
The library facilities are excellent and I use them very frequently
As in my comments, I feel community libraries should be open all day on Saturdays and Sundays.
I like the local council dog parks/areas
I used to use the central Library a lot, I like Arapaki too, but it’s not really a destination to go and relax.
Not enough direct public transport to activities from the suburbs. Eg. Berhampore to Kilbirnie; 5min to drive vs walk the most of the way + ride bus for one stop and spend 30 min +)
Do not reduce the opening hours/days of the pools and libraries!
I am currently recovering from surgery - hence no strenuous activity in the last week! Nairnville is very close to me, but the only activity there is gym jam on Saturdays that interests me - nothing on for adults in the evenings, which is a missed opportunity
Tawa Library is awesomne! Such a wonderful place to be for quiet time, for our elderly, and a humming hub in the afternoon with school kids using the facilities. Absolutely brilliant! I hope the Central Public Library can be brought back soon
Close the Khandallah Pool, its a waste of money. If people want it open, sell it to a private interest who can refurbish it.
Great services nearby, but not much within Newtown in terms of recreation, as I don't drive,and cycling up and down is tiring
would be good for parks to have free outdoor gyms
Please fund the community spaces. I run a community group and we hosted an event at Aro Valley Hall at the end of last year. It was amazing and the staff went above and beyond. However, they were so tired and really doing their best but you could see that it was tough. Additionally, please please PLEASE keep community artist spaces like Toi Poneke. I can't think of anywhere else where you can affordably rent spaces to practice dancing, art or music. You can rent the dance studio there for just $15 for a rehearsal. Any other studio is $40-45 an hour. That's not affordable if you aren't running a class to make a profit and cover the costs.
Please keep up the good work on the bike paths. I finally feel safe enough to bike around parts of the city.
I play tennis in Wellington. There's a great range of club courts, many of which I believe are on long-term lease of Council land - please maintain these arrangements! Then there's also the Council-maintained courts at Hataitai Park. I was up there last night, 27 February, and every single court was in use. Tennis is a fantastic sport, and it takes just two people to play which makes it very accessible. Wellington's courts along with the Renouf Centre means our city has fantastic baseline of infrastructure for this wonderful sport to grow and flourish. Thanks for the support!
The walking spaces are great but could do with more encouragement for people/families to use them
Excellent selection of facilities. Some pools get crowded however
It would be good to have more parks for kids, especially in all areas
I feel like everything is either aimed at kids or the elderly. I feel lonely in my suburb like I'm taxed so much and I can't afford any enjoyment for myself.
Important to be accessible and affordable to engage struggling members of society. Helpful to bring people together and be happy
Trying to stay covid safe (and as someone at risk) makes it extremely difficult to do most things. Transport is extremely difficult (most options are not covid safe)
Wellington is a beautiful city for walking, particularly along the waterfront.
The recreational spaces are one of my favourite things about living in Wellington. The access to parks and bush walks is very important to me, and I like knowing that other facilities like swimming are available too
The actual sports fields I visit are well managed but the peripheries of them could be better managed with trees for shade and water absorbtion in the winter and retention in the summer, and more diverse and denser plantings around them and particularly on marginal peripheries like slopes or bogs
We have some excellent social and recreational sites in this city. We need to concentrate housing development around these areas so that they are accessible to as many people as possible.
Would be great to see more investment in mountain biking trail maintenance and empowering the local volunteer groups
Having a good bike network in the inner city would allow peoples commute and travel to contribute to their fitness and recriation. :)
unsure of offerings overall, and if masks aren't required (within reason) then its not accessible then is it?
I wish there was more outdoor gym equipment in Wellington
I have been a longtime member of Freyberg pool. Prices are getting challenging and I find the aesthetics of the facilities rather unpleasant - lighting far too bright (unnecessarily) and loud pop music (even though most people have earbuds or earplugs in)
It is obvious that the council has no interest in supporting the Northern/Johnsonville community and is hell bent on turning it into a transport hub. The council only has a handful of carparks in the Johnsonville triangle, by removing or charging for any of them, you leave the vulnerable in our community at the mercy of Stride for free parking and that won't last for long.
Parking ! At my age I am not able to walk far. I will not go into Wellington City if I can go else-were.
I use the Johnsonville Library, Alex Moore Park, and Johnsonville Tennis Club regularly. I'm hoping the Mall redevopment will include a cinema and other shopping and entertainment facilities.
Waitohi Library is fantastic. I hope you won't reduce its hours when the main library reopens.
Up the cleanliness. The pools have deteriorated markedly
More organisation led sports or activities for school aged kids in Newlands / Paparangi would be amazing
We do not get value for the rates we have to pay
I am now in my 70s and I have an exercycle at home which I use to exercise. When I was younger I used council recreactional facilities including the Tawa pool where I learnt to swim when I was in my 40s. At that time they offered 10 lessons for something like $70 or $80 minus your age. I lot of older people went along at that time and learnt to swim. Councils should offer more deals like this to encourage people to learn to swim or just use the facilities.
The council is ejecting a club I belong to from its clubrooms. It is not clear what will happen to the clubroom buildings (multi-purpose) when the council has (or should have) much bigger issues to deal with - did someone say water.
We need to support all libraries more. They are essential intellectually and for social cohesion.
Please don’t reduce hours of libraries or close pools they are important for our children and communities
More awareness of group bookings. We have a regular booking at a community artificial turf and the ladies bathrooms are regularly not open despite there being young girls and women attending these events.
I enjoy when we have for the week all the activities they have for the seniors you can travel to different places to participate and also are able to catch train keep them going they do this in Melbourne Australia helps the seniors to meet up with other Seniors
This may all change for me when I retire in March
There is a shortage of good quality facilities. So many different sports all wanting time and space. The pools are oversubsribed (despite what you say in your LTP) - it is impossible for some codes to get the space they need for competitions - and then the cost to hire is exhorbitant. WCC also prioritises it's own programmes e.g. learn to swim, over other community groups/clubs. That is not fair - the facilities below to the ratepayers and WCC running a business out of them shouldn't take priority if another groups have the numbers for bookings.
I live in Tawa. For the most part recreational facilities in Porirua are better maintained and more convenient for me and my family.
This is one of the parts of WCC that largely works well. Our family uses most of the mountain biking tracks in the city as well as many of the walking tracks, we walk around our neighbourhood frequently, and use a community hall for sport. Apart from a couple of glitches around the maintenance and cleaning of the community hall, I feel this works well.
As a coach of competitive roller skaters there are no affordable, available indoor venues in Wellington and all my activity has to be taken to Upper Hutt. Many of events are now at Porirua. I participate in this sport at least 4 times a week.
I would like to increase my active lifestyle but am not very sporty. Maybe some creative and accessible activities or programs could be organised.
I stopped going to the aqua fitness classes after arriving and being told you now have to book, and the booking system would not at all work or be user-friendly. And I'm an IT-worker in my 30s! How on earth are the average-aged cliental meant to cope?
Need more changing rooms at beaches. Also more parking near beaches as scuba equipment is very heavy so can't carry it far.
Keith spry pool needs seating for parents, cubby holes/lockers for bag, better cleaning (hair and slime on floors/showers) and a proper sound system
Sports grounds are run down. For example Grenada North park is a disgrace and I am surprised children have not been injured playing on the artificial cricket turf that is in several pieces and held together with tape. Rubbish bins are usually overflowing with waste. Stop employing so many do-nothing bureaucrats in head office to pass the buck to others and employ on-the-ground staff. I am embarrassed to be a Wellingtonian.
Often my brain injury makes technology hard to understand. I often need to talk to a human for directions.
I have Covid the reason I haven’t undertaken recreational activities in the last week. Normally I would be walking around 8 or more kms a week. For families pool charges are too expensive - used to pay for for great grandchildren. Children need to be able to swim. I gave up regular swimming when schools would overtake the whole pool complex.
Cost of swimming lessons for kids. Plus number of kids in a swimming lesson too high given the space. Johnsonville main pool is also too cold, kids shiver when in it
Wellington bush reserves are valuable natural assets and offer great recreation
I think council ought to provide the spaces for recreation. But council takes this mandate and stretches it way too far. Paying for readers of children's books at the library. Why? Can a parent not do it? There be plenty of Karens who would take that on. Council needs to wind back spending on things that are not core activities. Pipes, roads, safety, recreation opportunities. Stop cycle ways, housing people that show no respect, corporate welfare (Reading), inflated salaries. How many people are employed to put out surveys like this? 50? 100? Come on. The answer cannot always be "increase rates"
It’s hard to find what’s on and what activities are happening. Also often a lot of things happen during work hours which precludes my participation
Need to concentrate on shortening the grass in children's play areas
Please keep the Khandallah pool operating. We seem to be losing facilities for flimsy reasons. The pool needs tidying up but it will be worth it to attract more people. I am an Aucklander now living in Wellington. You have some admirable facilities but not enough beaches so pools are the only option. (Outdoors matter)
You need outdoor gyms. Like they have overseas.
Opportunity to participate is out there but you have to make an effort to get the information. This not a bad thing!

What, if anything, could Council have done to improve your level of satisfaction with our festivals and events over the past 12 months.Optional, please click next to skip
A better light show (apparently Hamilton and Nelson have very good ones). Loved the Van Gogh light show a few years ago, more like this would be great but priced so that families can afford to go to them. Just more things to do really!
Do the Summer concerts at Frank Kitts park not at the botanical gardens where there is hardly any parking. Its making it impossible for people, the venue is too small as well there is never room it was so much better when there used to be things at Frank Kitts park.
Parking is limited in central city to attend events
Assistance with delivering and hosting the biennial Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts is always appreciated.
The Council has made an effort to provide a good variety of festivals and events.
Too busy to attend these supporting my community through my charity work.
Host in a very very large space - lunar new year last year was very hard to get through a dense sea of people
none of the festivals we have attended has had much organisation of bang for the buck. german heritage in thorndon and korean festival at embassy had no one directing visitors at all. pasifika was much better.
A baby change place at Cuba dupa would have been amazing. I just changed my baby laying on a change mat in a kerb garden beside the road near the portaloos. Wasn’t ideal!
Support Jewish culture festivals and religious celebrations and messianic holidays and Maori memorials like parihaka day November 5 . Stop wasting money on fireworks they kill endangered native birds and add to pollution of air. Encourage more non smoking and safe non alcoholic family friendly activities and spaces , ban glass alcohol bottles for safety, use plastic bottles as in stadium, they are easier to recycle and safer, thanks
Better performers, or at least better tech (volume was way too low at gardens magic)
At gardens magic, better enforcement around stopping people from smoking and vaping. There were a few people near us at gardens magic smoking which made the experience worse for us. Security staff came by eventually but this took about 10+ minutes.
The event at the sound shell was overcrowded
Have more festivals. Use all the facilities. Reopen reading centre and the library
Have a more diverse group of performers and events.
Garden's margic needed louder speakers on the night that I went
Nothing – WCC runs great events I just don't attend them by choice or forgetting to.
I went to Gardens Magic and many people felt the quality had declined. There wasn't a great range of performers, it was mainly amateur pop/rock artists, and I felt it would have been great to have a better range of genres to highlight the diversity of Wellington's music scene.
More family friendly events in suburbs instead of having to try go to town which is difficult
More regular events in Winter, better advertising of events, more free and low cost events
Better atmosphere and accessibility e.g. parking vs biking vs busses
Better vetted some garden magic and been stricter about lawn chair use
Need more seating space and speakers for garden magic
The interest/diversity/appeal of the lights at Gardens Magic used to be way better, I think. Also wasn't super impressed with the audio set up this year, it didn't sound awesome.
larger venue (garden magic was super full)
Garden lights was a bit of a let down, pretty but small area covered and not super special or diverse.
Have more bike parking at the event and clearer signs about where it is!
We don’t get big names typically - they all go to Auckland and Auckland alone
I'd like more opportunities for more moderate-sized festivals. I love the stuff that goes on at the Botans (my favourite place in the city), but sometimes it can feel quite claustrophobic. Which is good! It means they're popular. But I can sometimes struggle with large crowds.
made it so I don't have crippling anxiety and actually want to leave the house
Wellington has dropped down from where it once was in terms of cultural activities
More clearly advertising how to apply for CubaDupa, and when.
Better/more promotion of events at council-operated venues.
the budget for these events are smaller, and they weren't as good as they used to be. They are lacking in presentation and activities.
priority parking for those with kids would be more appealing for young families to attend events i think, same with entry, specific lines for families to enter and exit promptly may make it more appealing
consider supporting more smaller niche type things across the spectrum. e.g. bands that don't fit in a gardens environment. music venues in wellington are lacking.
Wellington misses out on a lot of big acts which I presume is due to lack of an appropriate concert venue.
Stop living on past glories. We claim to be an events capital but always point to years gone by.
Events here in Wellington aren't at the level of a capital city in a developed country.
Make sure that any indoor facilities are adequately ventilated for proper control of airborne infectious agents (> 5 air changes per hour, and/or CO2 levels under 800 parts per million).
Run more of them in the morning, as this is a better time for attending with small children.
Stop holding them and direct the money to fixing water
Better advertising of them, more options in outer suburbs rather than everything being centralised.
Gardens magic events could be spread throughout summer a bit more rather than just January. Need to get proper support for a triathlon in Wellington. They struggle and there’s a strong community here but council doesn’t seem to get properly behind it particularly as it brings together three sports Wellingtonians love and council encourages into one event.
The majority of them are in the CBD and travel to get to the festivals is difficult. Parking is limited and time restricted and public transport is unreliable and expensive especially for families
Done fewer of them and fixed the damn pipes. I am too buys working to pay bills, no time to even think to look for a festival. On the other hand, I have to abide by water restrictions while the other half enjoys some cake at the festival of sunshine or whatever.
I’m just not interested in being around people.
Facilitating access to such events through focus on transportation issues.
build decent venues, it so poor that international acts come to nz and perform in Auckland and/or Christchurch and skip Wellington due to no decent venues
Better advertised the events, timings and logistical considerations ahead of time
Easier access to public transport where would be the better way to go to the event and come back home.
They are mostly looking amateurly planned and delivered.
Why haven't they sponsored the Chinese new year festival? Is it not as important compared to the other events?
More events at the stadium, more local fairs
Host more events indoors out of the weather ?? We should be using areas like the underground carpark on the waterfront again (that was such an amazing venue for markets!!)
I would like to see the Council be bolder in what they offer. The majority of the festivals set up to be family friendly, which in principle I believe the majority should be where content allows. It would be good to see more events that are pitch at adult audience, or the 24 - 44 age range, who increasingly are child-less but maybe don't want to slum it in a bar or a club.
Festivals are nice to have. Water is essential.
I don't usually attend these because I find them too difficult to get to (lack of parking etc at Botanic Gardens), or too many people to enjoy the event.
Maybe some activities for older kids teens like pickleball night during say Diwali or part of magic gardens.
Good marketing, sometimes I only know when I see other people posting about being there
Make them accessible for small children.
Stop programming the same stuff over and over again. If I see or hear Batucada at a CCAT or council evert one more time, I'll explode.
Public transport options for major events
Stop cutting back on Christmas, doing something so compromised seems worse than doing nothing at all
Make getting to and from the events easier! More buses and free public transport
More celebration of queer art and culture!
Design them so more of a range of people come. I see the same middle class pakeha at things like gardens magic. I assume the bands only suit that audience and the location does too. Would be nice to see a wider group feel comfortable enjoy the arts together
None, they are well organized and we have a great time
I love events that are held over multiple days (eg magic gardens)
Festivals on Saturdays rather than Sundays!
I like festival but my son and I don't like going to really crowded places and also take public transport is always hard sometimes
Public transport is always too busy. It’s the reason I hesitate to participate if I have to come into the city. Unreliable, too packed so not guaranteed a seat. Bus drivers can be aggressive/fast in their driving so I’m anxious to stand. Also, rubbish consumption.
It was just hot and crowded. Not much to be done about that. It's a great time for a lot of people!
better labeling/notice that vaping/smoking is not permitted at Garden Magic. I love the policy but didn't feel it was as well signposted as it could have been.
They’re great and I love gojng to them but honestly if you halved the number and put that money into city infrastructure I’m sure most people would support that move
Have them in our local communities not just cbd
I just wish we had more on. Some months are packed with events and others there's barely anything on
Too many people at Gardens Magic, there should be a limit. It destroys the sight. Also, the art installations are poorer and poorer, year after year.
Not all events are created equal. Particularly ones that are meant to welcome international people. These need to be better highlighted
As mentioned, I am pregnant so getting out to events has been too hard this year and I would normally engage more
Gardens magic started earlier. That means arriving earlier than I wanted to get a picnic spot. Also, there is a sound blind spot on the bank, we missed on the tango music.
Few more events like Lantern festivals, kite festivals
I attended gardens magic and it was wonderful. Amazing to have such a great resource provided free of charge and in a location easily accessed by many modes of transport.
I would like to have a Santa parade again
They’re too busy for me. I’d like to go but can’t handle crowds. I don’t expect anyone to accommodate that for me. Crowded events are successful events.
You had a photographer at Xmas in the quarters who snapped pics of my family and advised to email what we were wearing, where the pics were taken and we would be sent them and we never got a reply.
Good job with the Garden's Magic concerts. While we only attend a couple it was good to see the crowds, families, picnics etc. Kapai : )
Sometimes they get "clogged" with junk stalls selling useless rubbish alongside the events. Less of those please.
Make mask requirements at some places and times
Council’s focus isn’t inclusive of other ethnic cultures other than Maori and Pacific cultures
Improve parking adjacent to such events. make more parking available and reduce the cost for parking.
I don't like being surrounded by so many people, especially in these Covid times.
why is it, at the end of a large event more busses are not programmed - yet you take away the car parks?
Encourage music events that Auckland seems to often get.
I don't understand why I should pay rates to support others entertainment preferences. The benefits are private and the funding should be also.
I don't have any suggestions for event number increases or other improvements. The number, timing, etc. appear to be appropriate for those participating in them, even though I don't have the time to do so.
more frequent buses and trains for evening events
Getting better with early notice and advertising of events. Keep it up
Making them more accessible, such as providing more stepfree access, providing more audio description to events.
Providing a better venue for international acts
Crowding of venues can bean issue for elderly and groups with small children
Make them more mainstream instead of pandering to special interests
Stop taking away all of the on street parking. Some people cannot use public transport.
I think it was last winter that there was an enclosed inflatable soccer field on the waterfront near Ferg’s kayaks. The kids and I thought this was great. We’d love to see it back. The busker festival day on the waterfront before Christmas was really good, weather on the day was disappointing but kids still loved it.
Improve the sound quality of the Gardens Magic performances.
get council owned buildings strengthened ASAP
Build back the Arts culture Wellington was knowen for 20 years ago
This is an area that Council is very good at. But i would like to see more support offered for community garden initiatives and supporting our local community building activities
Nothing, It tends to be the weather that stops me going to events
Spend LESS money on them and MORE on core council activities - rubbish collection, water supply, roading, footpaths.
I think we have over-extended and hence diminished the experience
Council work with festivals and events is all very well. However, I would much rather they focused on the city infrastructure, e.g., pipes and water, than festivals and events. The latter are 'nice to have' but the infrastructure is a 'must have'. They need to concentrate on the basics first and then if dollars and time permit, then the festivals and events.
WCC seem to be spreading their funding quite thin. Maybe less is more?
Coordinate with bus and train companies to make events attentable with families that dont have a car
Better parking availability, parking moratoriums, special bus services
Nothing comes to mind. I generally don't have time for festivals or cultural events in the city.
great facility on the waterfront aides with these events!!
if you could just have them in two or three really inaccessible places, with no thought to public access or transport, and back it up with little or no notice - like flyers in a letter box - that would be great
Broaden range of events, ie for children & families. Fund suburban community festivals. Review value for money and tender event project funding. One company seems to hold all the event contracts.
Better publicity regarding dates and venues.
Stop the woke propaganda. Return parking spaces.
Getting to events where parking is available or public transport is reliable enough is an issue
I go to a lot of shows and are a patron of the Wellington city gallery and try to support the city.
I may be useful to think about fireworks. There are several events now with private fireworks occurring for several weeks afterwards in public areas.
No there were on but I have been too busy
Not easy to get there - wish there were more on demand bus services so I didn't have to drive and pay to park. Noisy Wish I could participate, not just be expected to consume I do like the zero waste focus. Vendors should be required to reduce their waste ie reuseable utensils, cups & plates, and no plastic. Seriously, NO plastic.
No - I'm just terrible at getting to them! My fault...
Wellington needs more, more arts, more, fun, more events, its gone to the dogs, used to be wonderful, its just sad.
Taken away parking so cannot get to the,
Improve car parking/public transport to get to then
for things like Music in the Dell, maybe put buses on to get people back to the station/ centrall point, less parking and less cars used
Make parking available or increase public transport to events and festivals
Mobility parking and better disability drop off facilities
I am not the right person to say as I can't get to these festivals but if i could I would attend some
In all honesty I don't go to events because I don't like crowds.
Lack of mobility parking makes it difficult to attend with my husband.
I love that Gardens Magic has been around for decades ... and every year new generations discover it! It's so great that you can have a picnic with a glass of wine camped out on the grass surrounded by people of all ages ... all just having a fab time.
Make public parking more accessible. I couldn't go to the Botanic Gardens lights and music festival as there was no parking at all.
Stop destroying car access to town for things. WCC has all but ruineddddd Courtenay Place with the constant ruining of parks and forcing people to use buses. I don’t bother on the weekends coming in to town now as if I want to just pop in I’m not going to use the bus and WCC has made parking so difficult.
Not sure. I feel uncomfortable in very crowded streets so I've enjoyed more spaced out events on Wellington Waterfront more than CubaDupa which feels too squashed and noisy. Some people may like the crush I guess. You're not going to suit everyone with the same event. Itwould be good to close off streets more often, like the Paniyiri Greek Food Festival - the street should be closed for that!!
Seating at Gardens Magic is inadequate. Sat on the hillside and it was hard to get comfortable.
made them more accessible to people with mobility issues
Homegrown is extremely loud and goes on for way too long - beyond endurance level - to the point where we can't have any windows open even during the hotter months. It's open air and located close to many residences so it's in the wrong place and negatively impacts many households.
well very little is dog friendly, so as we can't bring the dog, we rarely attend
The parking in the CBD has an impact given the rail infrastructure and bus service need improving
Firework displays should be further out into the bay so many more people can see the fireworks
Nothing. Paid employment has been the priority. Available time is needed for life-work and rest.
Xmas festivities are very average. Streets not decorated. Why do we still spend money on fireworks.
Not sure, not really interested in a lot of these events.
Make it easier to park the car in town so people can easily get home after events or people just won’t go
Provide better publicity… eg I used to love attending Botanic Garden Events but now I don’t know where you advertise so I miss out!
The arts festival on the waterfront last year wasn’t very exciting … more about what the artists wanted to present rather than what their audiences might like to experience. The music was good though and so was Arawhata. Perhaps more live bands and maybe just have a dance party with some DJs on the waterfront like they do in Europe - we have all forgotten how to dance! The Jazz festival is good too though!
More advertising in the newspaper or by leaflets.
I can't attend any of these things due to health.
Organizers need to focus on reducing waste and not causing litter
Better public transport. It can take 3 hours to get and from events, such as Bot. gardens
Nothing, my circumstances precluded involvement, no the Council's offerings.
INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS TO TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER FESTIVALS/EVENTS AT THE MOMENT - IT IS FAR TOO IMPORTANT TO IGNORE ANY LONGER - INVEST IN INFRASTRUCTURE PLEASE!
Everything is in Wellington a lot more at night, ask how many over 70's would go into the city at night, on a bus!!! take a car and find there is NO PARKING then have to walk the streets!!! IF WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO FIND PARKING WHAT WOULD THAT COST US? So many of us dont have any spare money anymore to go anywhere at all!! AND FROM THE FEEDBACK FROM THE PEOPLE, I KNOW NONE OF THEM WANT TO GO INTO THE CITY! ITS A SCARY PLACE AT NIGHT ESPECIALLLY WHEN YOU ARE OLD!
All the events I've attended in Wellington have been executed exceptionally well. Massive gatherings, such as Cuba Dupa, have been flawlessly organized without any major issues. Kudos to Wellington City Council and the organisers! Just one suggestion is that, during the last Cuba Dupa, while we were at the Liberty restaurant enjoying the NZSO performance, a large drum procession passed by outside, causing a significant disruption to the music. I would recommend coordinating the event schedule to prevent such clashes.
The only event I felt a little disappointed in was the 2023 Matariki on the waterfront, which seemed to have fewer performers than previously. The few 2023 performers were great (eg Tarrant Dancers with Tree man!
I'm not sure what WCC is tryin to achieve?
There is not enough transparency around process for community involvement. Council always tends to hire the same artists, performers etc for projects it doesn't leave much room for up and coming people Create more job opportunities in the events team for public programmers etc al
I don't goto these because parking is too difficult.
Bring back parking? But you knew that already and have no inclination to do it.
Replace the pipes. These ate your priorities over everything else. And enforce noise control
Make it affordable for food truck operators to attend events & festivals so that more food is available for patrons as it often runs out or the queues are too long.
The community events could be so much bigger when they're more self led. Either that or I would consider stop wasting marketing budget saying its 'going to be fantastic' when really its kinda average on limited budget with little to no support in upholding the cultural mana
I think the planning gone into the provision of the festivals are of high quality. New Zealanders from outside of Wellington also visit and participate. Music events in the Capital are also very popular and I think music companies are encouraged to be able to put on these events here in quality venues.
Ease of parking, very hard now to attend things at the Botanical Gardens (as we used to do) as parking is challenging when these events are on especially the evening ones as it's too challenging to bus. We just don't go now.
They could make more disabled parking available. It is not being able to park and public transport difficult that prevents me from attending more of these.
More of them. More international artists at Arts Festival.
Be more judicious about what is funded. Carefully review all funding of these types of activities; they are unaffordable given the infrastructure problems.
They have done a reasonable job just need better promotions of events
Improve the weather!! I don't like going to outdoor things when it's windy and cold
Stop harming our pets and wildlife with firework displays. Give some support and funding to local venues and bands, instead of just council-led initiatives. Great work overall though!
Kept up with and maintained the most of programmes
Improve transport to events via public transport, walking, safer cycling
Small child friendly (toddler) events seem to have dropped off. There's no kids gardens magic any more (used to be a few during the day on a weekend), Matariki on the waterfront started at 6, (surely 5 or 5.30 would have been an option),
Nothing. It would be most helpful if you got on e we it’s fixing the pipes and getting rid of the cones to provide for parking for those who would otherwise come into the city with their families. Bike lanes don’t cut it.
The festival is as big as the people to go, no surprise there.
Have events run later and allow people party atmosphere
I didn't attend anything this year which is unusual for me. Many things I didn't hear about until the last minute. I nearly lost it trying to find information about the Waitangi Day celebrations. The website led you to the FB page which led you back to the website... It was really frustrating trying to find information. Better promotion and distribution of information.
Better communication about why the kids NYE fireworks went off so much later than their scheduled time. Or that they were running behind schedule.
The gardens magic often so packed it would be nice to have more events or it spread out for longer.
I never see them advertised anywhere so I never know they are on. Excluding the gardens I did know that was on
I feel prouc to live in a city that is culturally diverse and encourages people to celebrate their festivals.
Encourage the whole community to participate. Keep events free. Let everyone come so they learn about other cultures.
More kid activities, Garden Magic was fun for my son
Make them more accessible and with covid safe opportunities. Affordable transportation that doesn’t involve close contact in unsafe conditions.
The cultural events I've attended have been well organised.
I dont find out very easily where/when the events are on. I'd be nice if there was a source we could easily find this info. A website or an app or book/mag mailed to us etc.
Pay artists/musicians adequately for their time (including all preparations they do to make the events amazing!). A living wage would be great
Make sure that they are held in places near public transport connections.
masks required (or at the very least encouraged. cmon man, its been 4 years of this)
Gardens Magic used to champion up and coming interesting original music. These days many of the acts are just performing covers.
Sometimes council arts seem a bit niche and pretentious. I’d have gone to the garden concerns if you played a night of pop music, or a night of movie soundtracks. Who doesn’t want to hear Mission Impossible or Star Wars in the botanic gardens? Same with the other stuff you do… it sometimes seems a bit niche and middle class and designed for a certain audience
More faith-based events. More vents for the majority rather than only focusing on small fringe minorities. Not saying exclude those minority events, but there's not enough majority-based events.
I think it would be great to have a lantern festival for Chinese New Year. Also there was some plans for some hot pools next to Oriental Bay pool - what happened to these?
Given the current financial state of Council I don't think you should be funding any festivals or events until our water pipes are fixed
Nothing they provide quite a lot. I don't attend much these days as I am older and also I don't want to mix with crowds since COVID. When I was younger I went to a lot of events.
I have my own cultural interest that the council doesn't support. It is more interested in supporting event in the name of diversity or other cultures that have no particular interest to me.
Events are often held over the weekend. Living in Tawa it would be convenient to catch the train into town, however the trains are often not running in the weekend/bus replaced which makes it less desirable to make the effort to go into town
Nothing in particular. They add to the feeling of being in a happy, healthy city.
more presence on social media, working with vic uni, local businesses to advertise these events
Public Transport and parking is a challenge to these events
Difficult to find parks and not always suitable to use public transport
arts and crafts stalls, dont go half arse on something, bring back xmas parade and family events
Better parking or reliable public transport.
Providen more festivals/events and a greater variety. Not just in the CBD but in other parts of the "city". We are all ratepayers.
Hold some of these events in Tawa? e.g. Parking at the Botanic Gardens for an event is a nightmare, and public transportation to and from Tawa to the Botanic Gardens is NOT convenient.
We don't always hear what's on (probably more our fault than the councils though).
Make the city an appealing place to come in to. I barely want to have to come into the CBD to do my job, I'm not going to want to tackle impossible parking or inconsistent public transport to do fun things. It takes the magic out of the fun events when you feel stress in advance around getting home afterwards
We need to attract more international bands, they go to Auckland or Christchurch instead. Need a longer runway at the airport.
Traffic control and organised parking areas
Get out of the way of other entities running festivals and events - ie stop imposing over the top health and safety / traffic management requirements that are NOT required under legislation. You are the reason we no longer have Christmas parades.
parking or transport to/from. for us in the suburbs the logistics and travel time to get to many things makes it too difficult to consider attending
Prefer Porirua city for Waitangi celebrations. Attend Indian Association Diwali celebrations.
More general art gallery exhibitions eg like Christchurch
Make them easier to access. With a large family, public transport is not always possible, reliable or convenient or affordable.
Stop them. In this economic disaster that Wellington is in, they are not core. If they are popular enough they can run themselves
Accessibility for people with disabilities and parking availability for huge families and cheaper parking for huge families who want to enjoy a day out but can't afford public transportation or parking

Do you have any other comments you’d like to share with us about cultural wellbeing in Wellington? [optional]
Saving character buildings for the sake of it should be avoided - brutalist architecture has no merit and was just architects getting excited to use concrete. If building owners can’t maintain a character building, careful consideration needs to be made whether it’s worth keeping the building or using the site for a different purpose. Care needs to be taken not to lose character of suburbs through over development.
Live within your means and be sensible in applying all inclusive measures
Stop wasting all the money on Te Reo and fix the water pipes! Think about the other cultures in the city. Its a multi cultural city not a bi cultural.
Wellington does as much as it can within the limits of climate (wind) and topography. It’s good to see Wellington Heritage week growing, and efforts made to have a calendar of events throughout the year.
Te Papa is a national centre of excellence which contributes significantly to cultural wellbeing in Wellington. Local galleries offer challenging experience in the visual arts. Circa Theatre consistently offers drama of an international standard. Generally Wellington is well served by a range of rich experiences in music, dance, drama, and the visual arts which contribute to the vibrancy of the city. The refurbishment of St James Theatre has provided an additional venue for top notch cultural activites such as the national Sheila Wynn Shakespeare Festival for school students last year.
I think there is much publicity about efforts being taken, but actions speak louder than words and we always "hear" more than "see".
Quit the over emphasis on the minority. Stick to your core business.
Heritage areas and building should still be able to change and evolve with the times. In Paris they added modern additions to the Louvre, but in Wellington it is impossible to add a loft conversion to a house in a character zone.
Heritage buildings are costly and waste the valuable land they occupy.
Please retain heritage protections for Mt Vic
I support te reo Maori and the treaty, wai piro e kore, auahi e kore, mauri ora
I think we are currently overstating the value that old houses have in Wellington. In my opinion, heritage homes/areas offer little value to the city, especially if they are cold, damp, poorly insulated and not well looked after. If it's 100-200 years old, it's not a heritage building, it's just old. Better to build something new that will last and provide good housing for many generations than try and hold onto something that will inevitably fall to bits.
Help with the parking situation in heritage neighbourhoods, and don’t assume everyone can bus or bike to work as a reason why we don’t need cars. E.g. busses being unreliable, and health issues preventing cycling to work.
Remove heritage protections across the city
I'm not sure I agree that the character of heritage suburbs is being adequately retained, because in many places they're being allowed to fall into disrepair. If we're going to have heritage suburbs then a certain level of care and maintenance should also be required. As it is, we're ending up with old, drab buildings with peeling paint which provide a completely inadequate standard of living for the inhabitants.
Heritage zones are damaging housing affordability and in turn affecting the cultural vibrancy in wellington. As housing prices increase the people responsible for wellingtons vibrancy are being pushed out of the city. The heritage properties for rent are poorly maintained and developments are hamstrung.
Please allow old mouldy homes to be replaced with healthy, high density dwellings
I would like to see more of our unique culture celebrated
More LGBTQIA celebration outside of pride
Ask the community want it wants rather than deciding for them.
Unusable and unmaintained heritage structures should either be restored or delisted, not left to languish.
I would strongly encourage the council to fund more community-driven arts activities, such as new theatre productions, concerts, poetry events, and other things which are often so difficult to get off the ground.
Just putting Māori words on a sign isn’t actively protecting the culture, it’s putting a bandaid on a gunshot wound
I think there needs to be a practical assessment of heritage buildings and what they contribute to the city. I do agree with the town hall because I think that is a worthwhile heritage building to have that contributes to the city. However buildings like the Gordon Wilson flats seem unlikely to ever be renovated and currently have a negative impact on the city. Personally I live in a heritage building and find that it has not been thought through with liveability in mind. For example, because it has heritage protection there is no ventilation in the bathroom. In the long run this will probably do more damage to the building than having a fan installed.
People living in houses is more important than preserving heritage buildings/suburbs.
Urban development is being stifled by decisions to protect to derelict buildings that offer no cultural heritage in their run-down state, yet we have significant housing shortages. The council and regional council do not seem to share a unified vision for meeting housing demands and instead focus on protecting building facades that are only seen as needing protection by a select group of wealthy, mostly white middle class homeowners. The way the council balances the needs and interests of different groups needs serious reevaluation, such as vanity projects like heritage protection for Flats on the Terrace.
Good use of more te reo in council facilities.
I feel like too much emphasis is being put on Maori culture at the expense of other cultures
More Te Reo! More Māori-run events ! It is CRUCIAL that the council does everything in its power to support Tangata Whenua during this current governments reign
I'm always supportive of more Te Reo and Maori culture being incorporated wherever possible
Accessible spaces that do not cost to use and facilitate large amounts of people are scarce in Wellington now that the library is closed. I also don't feel proud of Wellington's cultural identity because of a lack of community and an increase in people struggling to afford to live.
old, rotten "heritage villas" are an eyesore - and could be replaced with something much nicer! (maybe an apartment/multiple dwellings...?)
Heritage buildings are important but affordable rental housing is extremely important and the two should be better balanced
We protect colonial heritage too much and need to drastically rebalance the visibility of different cultural heritages such as the history and culture of our tangata whenua, and the rainbow community. We need to think carefully about what histories we are remembering, and how we are remembering them.
The new government is going to make things difficult in terms of te reo, but I definitely recall seeing te reo used in signage etc in libraries and pools, so that is good
With this government, please do all you can to fight back and continue to support te ao Māori
It's very confusing and distracting when the te reo version of a text is on the left side and English is on the right side because people read from left to right and automatically look to the left to start reading
I think programs to support art and culture are good, but they're hamstrung by how unaffordable it is to live in Wellington. If it were more affordable to live here, people would have more time to work on their art. I think Wellington's strength lies not in the biggest most popular acts or arts, but in that there are so many people doing their little shows and performances and stuff. Poetry nights and plays and open mics and small gigs. It's what the city is all about. As far as heritage goes, I'm of the opinion we should preserve the best examples, and then increase density everywhere. A few apartment blocks here and there, a lot more medium density, and we'll be well on our way to meeting everyone's needs. Cities aren't museums—they're tapestries. It's our responsibility to add to that tapestry, and make the history that future generations will appreciate, that will provide for us in the present.
I couldn't care less about the heritage of 100-year-old buildings, and I couldn't care less about the maintaining the character of heritage neighbourhoods. We need intensified housing, not leaky old villas. People need to be able to live here in order for culture to exist. Our city does not need to burn money rebuilding a 100-year-old town hall.
While I'm all for protecting heritage, I feel as though a lot of things are given heritage protection when they're probably not deserving of it, and most of this is by NIMBYs who don't want housing to be affordable and will cause the death of the city as a result
It is always great to see more te ao Māori and te reo Māori around the city. I would love to see more information on places of significance around the city, especially in the suburbs. Even the history that is hard to hear is great to see acknowledged.
Far too much focus to Maori, at the detriment of just doing the basic stuff right
Perhaps this is not the right place, but I feel it is important given the previous questions: Heritage and Character areas should be functional within a modern context. Demolishing pre-1930, mouldy single family homes that are uneconomical to repair is a GOOD thing, if replaced by modern, appropriately designed and affordable dense housing.
I think a lot of Wellington's identity is wrapped up in its geography, not in its heritage buildings. Aside from the War Memorial, things like the Town Hall other heritage buildings across town have been too highly protected in face of the cost of earthquake strengthening them.
I don't think it represents NZ well as a country when tourists come to visit our Capital City and see homeless people on Manners Street.
Poorly constructed early and mid century housing has no heritage or cultural significance and should be afforded no 'character home' protections. It dimishes the quality and value of Wellington housing and strongly contributes to the ongoing housing crisis.
this set of questions is way too broad: protecting and promoting maori culture is great; keeping some old ineffective houses while a whole lot of people can't afford a house is not so great.
It’s fine to protect cultural heritage and revitalise things like reo Māori but we can’t be precious with rotting weatherboard houses. Tear them down and build up, medium density apartments that are affordable and accessible for our community.
Heritage has become this massive red herring and is sometimes synonymous with NIMBYism, stands for boomer property speculators extorting rents from poor students living in unhealthy homes, while the Council wastes hundreds of millions of dollars on preserving buildings like the town hall and the central library, diverting money from more useful investments like housing, active and public transport, services like pools and libraries. I also take issue with the folding in of Māori revitalisation and heritage here - these are separate issues.
Historic suburbs are protected far, FAR too strongly.
The independent panel and redistricting of Wellington currently being proposed will eviscerate this city.
The council looks really out of touch with the link between cultural wellbeing and the proposal to close community facilities. It’s really short sighted and ignores the fact that it goes nowhere towards solving a far deeper fiscal problem
Maybe take a more universal approach to cultural wellbeing rather than focusing almost solely on one.
Cultural wellbeing includes health as a high-priority component. Please consider people disabled by COVID-19, which likely makes up at least 5% of the Wellington population (assuming 50% infection rate, and 10% of infected people getting Long Covid).
The council pushes an anti-white/colonial rhetoric. Playing to the gallery of the woke left
While heritage is important, the cost/benefit has to be considered on a case-by-case basis. I think the Council is doing a great job supporting the visibility of te reo and Māori culture.
The concept of heritage is being abused by people to stop anything from changing for those who most benefit from the status quo.
Reduction in focus on cultural wellbeing. Having reliable drinking water is more important
In terms of heritage items, I think the protections are at the right level but are too broadly applied. Stuff from pre-colonial times? Valuable to keep. Old homes maintained as they were when they were built? Good examples of more recent history. Swathes of houses, entire blocks or neighbourhoods all painted with the same "Heritage" brush with no regard given to how livable they are? Not so much. I'd like to see a more discretionary approach taken with a view to promoting the construction of newer, better-built (and ideally cheaper) housing.
Too much value is being place on heritage. Wellington's heritage buildings and housing a not fit for today's purposes, cold, damp and need to gentrified to increase housing supply and affordability.
While Te Reo and Maori is a significant and important part of Aotearo's history and culture, Wellington has always been a mixing pot of cultures and people from around the world. The council should also acknowledge this as well as Maori
I don't caaaaare. No water! Who give a F*** about heritage, the past and the future if we can't live here.
Poorly handled, should be multi cultural- not by-cultural
The best cultural and artistic events in Wellington don't come from the council, they come from the individuals who live in Wellington. The best thing the council could do to ensure culture and arts in Wellington is to make sure permissions for events are easy to obtain, and to ensure that rent is cheap so that we have a critical mass of artists and cultural performers living in Wellington. In recent years the arts scene is not as vibrant as it has been as people can't afford to live here anymore. The council should not try and fix the problem by organising events themselves. They should instead give as many opportunities for artists to organise their own diverse set of events, and the way to ensure that happens in Wellington is to improve the cost of living. Artists tend to be low income and transient, which are categories that politicians typically don't have a strong incentive to look after. It benefits everybody though to have a city with a thriving arts scene. Anything the council can do to improve the cost of living will improve that. I suggest the best way to do that is through dense, affordable housing.
Would like to see more of those acts that go through Auckland and Christchurch come to Wellington.
There is a tension with maintaining heritage buildings and balancing public safety, particularly the seemingly abandoned earthquake prone buildings. I would like to see more visibility or communication of the plans for what is happening with these if owners have not made the necessary safety improvements within the timeframe. As we've seen in the past few months, these buildings pick up addition risk of being targets for arson, property damage and can negatively impact on sense of cultural wellbeing.
Heritage should never take priority over the social and economic wellbeing of people.
Heritage protections are a fucking travesty, I apologise for the language but I cannot think of another way to hopefully shock the reader into recognising the absolutely absurdity of prioritising retention of derelict structures that were INTENDED FOR SOCIAL HOUSING to stand unused like a blight upon the city while the outrage of a housing shortage persists. What soulless, imbecilic monsters would prefer to see a deteriorating blob of brutalism wither away so prominently in the city skyline and act to block such a building and/or the land it sits on from being utilised to address the underlying problem, it is insanity, disgraceful and utterly inexcusable. I find heritage status to be a cudgel that NIMBYs can wield too easily to subvert the intention of the idea to block the necessary changes a city must make to adapt to ever-changing population and need and it has swayed so far against progress and meeting the most basic needs -- as I say, Gordon Wilson is the embodiment of it in our city, again, a vacant social housing block that some disgusting arseholes are using heritage status to prevent being returned to the purpose of the site is just such a moronic distortion of the intention that I struggle to find words to adequately express my outrage.
Heritage areas in the suburbs are vastly over-protected. A damp cold large house in Mount Victoria for example shouldn't be heritage protected for the sake of it. We live in a city, not a museum.
I put neither agree not disagree for most of the questions about Māori culture because as a pākehā guy, it's not my place to say whether representation is adequate.
it sucks that half the time things are in maori and i have no idea what they are for, extremely exclusive really....
More important than the make up of the city, is the people of the city. If they do not have places to live, the city dies as well. No use in having heritage old buildings if they cannot be maintained, lived in or redeveloped. Tourists will look at the heritage areas and the homeless people at the same time shortly...
mount cook needs more love - streets are run down and as the oldest suburb in the city it needs more attention and protection.
As tauiwi, I think council should be bolder about recognising indigenous heritage and less protective of colonial built heritage. Lumping these together along with creative arts in the same section of this survey is inappropriate, potentially confusing and misleading
WCC social media team is amazing at promoting Te Reo on Tiktok and other platforms (and gracefully putting up with a lot of abuse from people who don't want to see it). Ka pai.
Why I appreciate built heritage and I don't want to see it removed for soulless shoe boxes, the deference often given to heritage feels out of touch with the needs of today and tomorrow, and give NIMBY and small minded people a grip they don't need. What special character a damp and impossible to heat rental built in the early 20-centry is often lost on me. I would love to see Council work with Iwi and local Māori groups to tell the intangible stories of Wellington better, making clearer the stories of what was here before the arrival of the New Zealand company and how to navigate and understand the through that lens.
We need to keep some Te Reo but spending so much money on it is a waste , our pipes roads and infrastructure need the money not green washing with our beautiful language for appropriateness and status points
It's great to see the use of the reo in council facilities. Ka Pai!
Tear down all the heritage buildings and give us working pipes, bike lanes, dense affordable housing, and a proper train service across the city. Old buildings in a creaking, leaking city abandoned by artists and diverse communities for being too expensive is not vibrant culture.
We need more affordable spaces for artists and emerging artists.
I would like to see the quality and livability of spaces prioritised over heritage.
"The character of historic suburbs is adequately retained" – I'm not sure how to answer this. I don't think "historic suburbs" should be maintained at the cost of limited opportunities to build medium density housing, and for the sake of keeping old colonial buildings around, so I'm not sure if I agree or not with the premise.
I would like more musicians to be able to perform in Wellington.
There is no point in protecting "heritage" buildings if they aren't heritage quality. Sometimes old stuff is just old. If a building is old and ill-kept, falling down, damp, mouldy, there is no point marking it as heritage so it can continue to deteriorate. Mark out only the best, well-kept old buildings for heritage and let the rest go so we can have enough medium-density housing to fix the housing and climate crisis.
Please restore the opening hours for city gallery, it's an embarrassment in the capital city for the gallery to only be open 3 hours
I see snippets of the local history coming through when new cycle ways are out in. But there could be more. It’s a great talking point with kids as we walk past and explain what used to be there.
it is not the councils job to promote Te Reo, but it should be visible.
I would like to see a commitment to ensuring Heritage properties are well maintained and not condemned. Those that cannot be maintained need to be either demolished or restored.
My POV is a Pākeha one so my comments and feeling of inclusion possibly won't be representative of everyone
The historic suburbs matter less to me than people having warm and dry houses. Other than those houses that are genuinely historic (aka, Katherine Mansfield house), most of the "historic" houses in Wellington are cold, damp and unhealthy. Sure, they're pretty from the outside, but I'd prefer ugly modern houses that keep people healthy and safe than pretty old houses on a hill that are hell to live in.
It would be nice if more big events could utilize the spaces available in Wellington. Particularly Moonlight cinema or similar, which I really enjoy in Australia.
Find a better focus and don't listen to progressives.
Too much focus on buildings, not enough on keeping every day life affordable on a fair basis. He tangata, he tamgata, he tangata
High density housing > character housing. Making the city accessible > character buildings or aesthetics.
Stop all the new high rise buildings that are destroying Wellington’s character. It’s slowly turning into Hong Kong or Singapore.
Heritage listing for homes is way over the top. Protecting so called heritage homes when we are in a housing crisis and need to be building more homes is such a disappointment.
The city needs densifying, not all buildings should be saved, especially some ugly earthquake-damaged ones (1970's apartment building on Kelburn terrace)
I am always pleased to find family friendly interpreted events (2 deaf children), I'm not sure how many were organised by the wcc but I think there was some at capital e and te papa.
Māori culture and reo should be more valued and more opportunities for people to engage
Could be doing much better at displaying and promoting Maori culture and Te Reo around the city
I'd love to see more te reo and Māori culture in Wellington council areas!
Given the vast funding need for the water system, I disagree with the decision to spend hundreds of millions on strengthening the old town hall (and the old failed library)
Transport and housing and environmental must be a part of making Wellington a cultural city
Revitalising is a bit patronising! The council might create civic space but it is the users of the language and iwi, hapu and whanau who revitalise. Does WCC support kura and kohanga reo?
Cultural approach not representative of the community and weighed unnecessarily towards Maori
Support for live music venues would be useful.
Too much emphasis on incorporating Maori language in place or organisational names.
Cultural wellbeing is important for the city, but nowhere near as important as the provision of sound infrastructure for 3 waters, roads and footpaths. The Council must get its priorities right.
A small proportion of the population is of Maori descent, interested in Maori culture or wishes to learn te reo. Maori cultural wellbeing is of of no more (or less importance) than anybody else's. Your spending on these items is out of all proportion. Scale this back to a small portion of the arts budget. We don't need signage and parking meters in te reo, these are expensive and needless vanity projects You'd do well to stop putting people in these boxes, we are all New Zealanders who happen to live in Wellington
Māori culture and te Reo is given too much attention, and therefore out of balance with other cultures.
NFI. Far too much imposed Maori promotions on a largely uninterested population of ratepayers.
As Christopher Hipkins said last week - he's sorry for not bring non-maori along on the journey which then ended up becoming a divisive issue - please don't make the same mistake. Positive discrimination is not the answer.
Wellington used to have a strong, grassroots cultural identity. However, it's diminishing due to: Boomers owning so many rental properties and their self-serving greed is continually driving up rental prices, therefore pushing out many people who provide that identity in the 1st place. This is unlikely to change.
the derelict but somehow heritage listed university flats on the Terrace should be demolished. they are an embarrassment to the city
The Maori representation in the city is over exposed and minorities like the early Chinese settlers is ignored. Just look at the historical Chinese settlement on Haining street. There is a pathetic sign on Haining and a falling down Chinese mission church on Frederick street that has been left in ruins.
Wellington City often acts as though the only cultures that matter are Te Ao Maori and Pasifika. The rest of the population have cultural heritages, sometimes quite mixed, as well. the city does not seem to think this matters. The decision to replace Guy Fawkes fireworks with displays at Matariki was a deliberate cultural insult to those in the city with an English heritage. The Wellington City flag has four St George cross flags embedded in its central motif for a reason.
Today in The Post our mayor (Tory Whanau) spoke of her pet (vanity) project. If she wants to be reelected then she should want to be remembered for fixing pipes not Golden miles and cycleways.
There was no question about whether I thought the commitment to Māori couture was overdone - for the record I do
We need densification and many many of the buildings that are protected by heritage laws are ridiculous pieces of shit that should be torn down. The oil drum in Mirimar for example is ludicrous.
I welcome and applaud the growing recognition of Maori culture and tradition, including the increased use of te reo, by our city council
Often these are not fully accessible. Information is not in Braille, Not in large print, Often there is no audio description,.
Lots of 'don't knows' in this part of the survey; not being difficult, just don't really notice this sort of thing
Doing a good job but please recall that we are a bicultural nation and Maori and Pakeha cultures are our heritage and culture - other cultures are accepted however they have come to our country attracted by our heritage and culture and should be expected to learn and understand it.
Obsess less about performative acts and much more about the water and stupid misinvestments (old library and town hall at the top of that good-money-after-bad list). Note this is not at all a vote against supporting te reo or arts activity. Also please use a more rational system for assessing risks. Poor results over the past decade. Reading much?
Obsession with things Maori to the disadvantage of all other cultures ANOTHER Vanity Project!
Gordon Wilson Flats is a disaster. It needs to come down. Arlington Flats is gone, thank goodness, so let's get rid of Gordon Wilson. Also council needs to put their foot down on all the derelict buildings along the golden mile. They are a huge inhibitor to growth and prosperity in our city.
The Maori stuff is very visible in my opinion too visible. It is vital that it is there but no more prominent than European culture.
Sometimes Maori is given too much emphasis. While the culture must not be lost it should not be above all else.
Yes, I think the previous set of questions omits reference to culture and heritage of other groups that are an important part of Wellington's past and present e.g. Italian, French, English, Scottish etc.
I dont care AT ALL about Maori culture full stop. I do not like a stone age mystical culture being forced on me or down my throat like a bunch of bible bashing nutters. Keep your 'culture' to your self. I have my own culture that goes back before the Romans, far more advanced, knowledgeable, inventive, and inclusive than a Te Kuri Culture.
Basic necessities comes before cultural activities better do the basic right first
The council’s decision to pair with Ramalla is bizarre. A vibrant city pair would have been either Tel Aviv or Dubai.
We a a pro green, pro Maori city and we should seize on this as a point of difference and do more.
there is too much maori stuff being shoved on us
Like the way finding around the peninsula
Still too much attention paid to non important supposed heritage housing in places like Thorndon and the expense of affordable housing potential and other heritage priorities such as city to sea bridge. Too much focus on 20th C Eurocentric rich people privilege.
Needs to step back slightly and more focus on the basic infrastructure
The council spends TOO MUCH money on things related to Maori. Maori are not the only culture in this city and the country.
This is an area for cutbacks. And we can’t protect all our heritage with current earthquake standards.
Far too much emphasis placed on things Māori.
This is always going to be a challenging one......I'm not sure I understand what the Wellington culture you refer to actually is, and neither do any of the different cultures I interqct with.
Seems the council only recognizes one treaty partner, also there's more to NZ than the one maori monoculture that the council only seems to recognize further than token gestures (eg lunar new year)
Concern over expenditure on Frank Kitts Park, seaplane wharf and ongoing neglect of Civic Square as a community space.
Cultural activities which interest me occur independent of WCC input.
I accept the need for Te Reo, however it should be recognised that cultural diversity is much more than that.
Why are you even asking questions about cultural wellbeing. If Wellington Council could do its basic job properly, for example managing the provision of water and keeping control of its finances, then it could then focus on cultural wellbeing. But so far in this survey, there have been lots of questions about cultural wellbeing and none about the important services that residents and ratepayers require the council to perform. This survey indicates to me that you have got your priorities and focus all wrong.
I do not feel qualified to comment on matters of Māori culture, that’s for Māori to advise on
Too much emphasis on Maori things out of proportion to the contribution and history to the city and region
Less of the Maori crap being forced down our throats
Ignore the loud minority of racists, you’re doing good.
please include as much te ao māori as may be appropriate in our city. however the district plan has to reflect the population needs of a contemporary city — that includes an active encouragement that reduces reliance on cars and less protection for ‘heritage’ buildings that hinder development for our neighbourhoods — especially regarding resistance from people (and property owners) my age and above. the population’s needs (alongside the city’s former vibrancy and diversity) is being help back by a minority. introduce rent controls, etc.
People don’t do things if they can’t afford them. Stop wasting money. We are all New Zealanders.
Wellington's "history" is extremely Pakeha (ie white English) focused, with the occasional inclusion of Polish child refugees and Chinese immigrants. Like why do you even continue to commemorate the Wakefield clan?? I'd love to see more about the Maori history of Wellington, and environmental information too.
Encourage and help facilitate co-promotion of group's activities. Eg banners espousing the cultural capital and being proud of it- - attracts visitors
As for Maori input in eg swimming pools, do we really need to have Maori words for slow, medium and fast on the signs at the end of each lane? They just make me cross.
Keep going with te reo Māori use, be brave about providing space for the live culture of te ao Māori as the Crown’s Treaty partner and for the diversity of cultures that are alive in our communities.
on the last screen where the council is meant to be prompting cultural there were 8 question 5 of there where how well to Māori Cultural /Te Reo prompted, please consider other cultural in the Wellington area- we are meant to be multi culturally, not bi -cultural.
Cultural things are important and good but not when it means we can never develop housing or repair colonial homed beyond repair
The city is suffering significant damage through the water leaks and the cycle ways and the link between the two just watched the cycleway changes and what was a dry road is now a wet road. Cycleways and the impact on the less mobile is just dreadful with removal of bus stops etc so many people are now not able to participate in things that could contribute to their cultural welbeing.
More te reo street signage and names, and street art.
I love all the different cultures of our City-it is a way to learn and be to be tolerant of cultural differences, i would certainly attend more if I could,
I, and many other non-Maori, feel increasingly excluded, overwritten and accused, in the current anti-colonist wave that seeks to overturn history with a new paradigm. (I say 'accused' because even though none of us ever colonised anything, we are somehow expected to bear the sins of our ancestors and be accountable for them). I feel that the Council and other public organisations have gone much too far in appeasing the more aggressive and racist elements of political forces that would extend Maori culture and language influence beyond that which it deserves - at the expense of the many other cultural backgrounds that New Zealanders come from. I recognise that Maori culture is important but more perspective is needed.
I get a bit worried about who is signed up to receive this survey not being representative of all Wellingtonians in terms of cultural well-being. I'd like to see WCC doing more innovative outreach (and not just to migrant groups given lots of cultural groups have been here for generations)
I do not want to sound like a NIMBY, and very much appreciate we need to create more housing stock, BUT allowing companies to demolish beautiful good condition character housing in suburbs to erect intensified housing/apartments creates eyesores in historic suburbs as well as removing privacy provided by mature trees and planting on some sites - all of which can de-value property prices as well as add pressure to services and infrastructure which are already under pressure with current populations. I hate seeing the "old lady" houses from 1940s and before getting bowled without any sense of reclaiming or repurposing materials.
This survey does not address the mess the central city is in the terrible traffic congestion the lack of public transport the appalling state of our water supply The declining cultural initiatives The appalling behavior of notable councilors.
Cultural wellbeing is not confined to Maori or the emphasis on te reo- while this has some importance many cultural events i.e. the upcoming International Festival, is now overbalanced by the emphasis on Maori or indigenous culture, at the expense of those many people whose heritage is elsewhere.
I think Te Reo could be much more prominent. I really like it on the buses (I know that is not WCC, but just an example of the type of activity I mean)
I think there could be more te reo used And also more dog language :) I love the "Woof Woof" signage that was used in the dog parks ... not sure if it's still there though!
We need to put much more emphasis on protecting all of Wellingtons historic built heritage
Maybe there's cultural recognition of Maaori culture and Te Reo that I haven't seen? It's good if it's there but e.g this survey is from Absolutely Positively Wellington City Council in big bold letters with only a small reference to Poneke. Not great support for tangata whaikaha disabled people either. Things like consistency of buttons and signals for pedestrian crossings could be better. Disabed People's Assembly would have many other suggestions too.
it would be great if WCC council members actually listened and acted on recommendations from the members of society, instead of pretending to listen to their members, and then do what they want
The council is excellent at creating and supporting events. I'd like to see more te reo Māori and celebration of te ao Māori. I prefer safe spaces and secure homes to heritage buildings.
There is a large middle class population who probably pay most of the rates but we are largely ignored
I would prefer English to appear first and te reo second. Most tourists need to have instant access to information backed up by te reo
Tidy up our city. Get rid of all the cones. Listen to the people.
Welly is a sad place now. Not vibrant any more. Depressed and depressing. So in that sense, the cultural wellbeing of Wellington is very low. It’s made difficult and expensive to get into town so people just don’t go as much any more. Many council run events I won’t attend as it’s just made so difficult with parking and the buses are unreliable, taxis are expensive and it’s unsafe in town at night now so I don’t attend events I would have in the past.
You didn't ask if the measures the Council is taking to retain heritage was a good idea. They're not. Culture is a by product of a city where youth want to live. The most important thing we can do for Culture is build more and more affordable homes
Multi cultural signs are good. It helps us learn more languages and appreciate more cultures.
I had written a whole lot but but then when I hit your arrow key it can up ‘invalid request’ This is the third time in this survey that it happened…. not surprising really!
I expect the Council to appose shitmore and his anti-Treaty racism and to stridently use Te Reo on Council property and sites to a far greater extent than as present. Maori are a people in their own right with their own history, language, culture and knowledge; and biculturism is Pakeha becoming Maori -not just "integrating" Maori into Pakeha. I notice your survey does NOT cover Maori culture such as Ngati Poneke, Wellington Regional Maori Choir or kapahaka hui etc.
Lack of Disabled Parking & Non Existent Enforcement Of Offenders Abusing Parking Spaces
It is important to do what is required to meet the obligations of the Treaty of Waitangi.
We should acknowledge it, BUT it sure doesn't have to be so over the top with the spending at the present time, as with everything else, a lot of things can wait until we are in a better financial position. LIKE THE CYCLEWAYS WHAT URGENCY IS THERE THAT WE NEED THEM NOW!! and destroying our cities vibrancy that we once had!
I think 'heritage' places need to be protected but privately owned homes or buildings cannot be expected to spend millions keeping them in pristine condition.I do not know what the answer is. I can however see and hear the tensions.
With the changes to the district plan allowing for high-density housing, there is a growing concern that Wellington's historic homes are being demolished to make way for the construction of high-density units, rather than preserving the character houses. I believe this trend is detrimental to Wellington's cultural well-being.
The cost of traffic management has led to the demise of cultural activities that are run by volunteers such as local Christmas parades. Beauocracy has killed a lot of imitative.
Please continue to provide community festivals and cultural events with performers - they liven up the city for everyone!
WCC Seems focused on Maori and Climate change - the personal agendas of it's mayor and councilors?
There is too much importance of Maori culture with not enough English names etc after the words for older People and Tourists who don't understand the language to get to know where places are.
Concentrate on core infrastructure please.
Yes. I am of pioneer stock and I think Maori are demanding too much. We need to live in harmony and as my ancestors have done much to build this country into what it is today I would like to see less Maori and more recognition of what all the people of Wellington do to improve NZ and our city.
What is the point in protecting buildings when the owners can't afford to maintain them to the required standard or their use is restricted because of the protection restrictions. There are a number of buildings around Wellington left to 'rot' (as they can't be altered or demolished) which makes them an eye sore, dangerous, and a waste of opportunity.
We are having Maori culture forced on us to the detriment of all things European. I am made to feel apologetic for being a pakeha.
Support and enable Wellington small business owners to protect and display its history through artifacts, stories, photos, artwork etc.
The Historic Places trust is a nightmare and a joke. The Gordon Walters flats should be pulled down as they are a hazard. Council should lobby central government to get this sorted out. Same with our central library. Grrr
I would love to see WCC merge with Porirua and Hutt councils. This divide and conquer method is outdated and will swallow Wellington. theres far more richness the further out.
I’d rather focus on fixing the infrastructure
There are more than just Maori in this city and the rest of us are feeling left out. If you know anything about history this won't end well. It is time for the council to work for ALL Wellingtonians not a select vocal few.
WCC should think very hard about continuing to fund the Town Hall. It is a beautiful building, and I support heritage preservation but this project's cost is sucking funds out of other community projects that may be more important if a valid reconciliation of their values were taken into account. If we can't do everything, is this THE thing that needs to be done for the hundreds of millions of dollars that have been committed???
Please make sure you protect our heritage instead of spending money on more personal projects eg cycle ways. If you disagree with this statement please make sure you bring the city along with you rather than making decisions and ignoring public consultation
Too much emphasis on Maori culture, what about the other cultures, like Chinese.
please continue to protect heritage including character neighbourhoods.
Historical sites still need information boards written in English so overseas visitors and locals that don't read Te Reo can understand the history.
More recognition on other cultures and people that made up Wellington!
Please fight for continued use of Te Reo and strengthening valuing of Tangata Whenua.
We are all New Zealanders and constant referral to Culture is diminishing the importance of all New Zealand citizens and the contribution they have in this country.
Heritage buildings and "special character areas" are over protected to the detriment of the city. Would vastly prefer density to prioritised to enable active transport.
Heritage buildings and character areas should be demolished, preserving wooden Victorian shacks does not contribute to the heritage value of the city, and that land could be better utilised to preserve and promote the mana and culture of tangata whenua
Generally seems okay, but I would like to see more Te Reo in general, e.g. equal visibility on all signage (bus stops, street signs, etc). I attend shows and listen to a lot of local punk/metal/electronic alternative music and I’m not sure there is council support there.
Too many old "heritage" buildings are an eyesore. If the owner can't afford to repair them knock them down
Stop protecting "heritage buildings" and allow more housing to be built.
Heritage protections of buildings and monuments are constraining development on areas surrounding the heritage areas, even when surrounding development causes zero physical effects on the heritage items themselves. This is making building housing unaffordable. e.g the One Tasman apartments court case.
Typical line of questioning. It’s not the council’s role to focus on the wellbeing of one section of the population
A critical eye at what should be a heritage building seems like common sense, can we review these guidelines
Old character houses of early 20th century that are delapitated and bog standard shouldn't be protected just because they're old and english
it shouldn't be a focus when performance on key issues like infrastructure is so poor
I would prefer to see a relaxation of heritage listed buildings. The cost to repair them is prohibitive, and a more targeted protection of a smaller number of heritage buildings would be preferable to me.
I would love to see more support given to smaller minorities i.e. African, Latin American and Middle Eastern. I would also love to see more reo Maori around the place. I think that Wellington generally embraces that.
As a renter it feels like heritage sites, in particular old housing, has too much protection that landlords exploit to evade healthy homes standards.
Keep up the promotion of te reo because this current central government is trying to crush it.
Continuing to develop and promote Te Reo and Maori culture would be great
Although I value historic buildings/landmarks somewhat, I care way more about affordable housing and urban density, I personally cannot at all justify most heritage protection when it comes in the way of making more housing (since less housing means rent prices increase and cause homelessness). Lowering/preventing homelessness is far more important to me than heritage sites (particularly houses/buildings). We will also push out all the people who contribute to the culture here who can't afford to live in the city.
Protection of historic buildings is ultimately harmful to Wellington as a whole, particularly where buildings are unsafe, unusable, or in the way of densification
I feel that other suburbs like Newtown, Te Aro and Mirimar get all the attention. Karori is heavily populated and deserves more fun stuff
Have more hangi days like at waitangi because it's too popular and always sells out. Heritage buildings should be more selective because the empty buildings are stopping progress and the building of homes for the people that make up the city. Empty ghost towns are soulless and inexcusable when people can't afford to live
rather then in building, if council invest in people to improve, it would be better
I strongly oppose bringing parking meters to the suburbs. It will remove the novelty of visiting the suburbs
I will always support any Council efforts to promote and centralise Te Reo me ngā Tikanga Māori in our city
There's a heritage 1920s oil tank in Mirimar, and a huge number of 'heritage' buildings that are derelict eyesores. There are some parts of Wellington's history that I'm glad are protected; but in the midst of a housing shortage, the extent to which we can prioritise anything and everything that is old (by NZ standards) should be greatly cut back. A leaner selection, which we can actually maintain, would do far more good.
Given my cultural identity I don’t believe my voice should have as much weight regarding te ao Māori in the city. Also character homes are more than adequately protected; they’re at times infringing on needed development
Heritage is cool and great but at present seems to be valued far above basic human rights particularly for unhoused people. Old buildings are cool, especially in the city central areas, but mainting old and unsafe houses over densification does more to harm the city and heritage than help it. Also that oil drum in Mirimar getting heritage status is an absolute joke. Please build more dense housing, especially on train lines even if your committee or whatever thinks that more houses don't equal lower housing costs (I hope you didn't pay much for that report)
There is too much value placed on character housing in this city. People and adequate housing are more important than character Georgian villas.
Yeah, I guess I feel that Māori culture is the way forward for cultural heritage. Pākeha heritage is great aswell, but we have a significant amount of that already. Walking around the city, it would be awesome if I could walk around the city and really feel that this land is based on a partnership between two peoples. I think I could be really proud and fulfilled by that, but I don't think we are there yet.
Heritage listings are too broad and applied too loosely. They both devalue heritage and keep the city from developing.
poor people get shoved out a lot, bougie isn't the only culture there to appeal to. i appreciate the progress on Maori culture being shown but think it could stand to be upped a lot more (couldn't recall any signage at council centres except for in library)
Yes. Residential heritage buildings should only be restricted to implement certain character-reducing improvements if the owner occupies the home. All rental properties should be subject to rigorous wellbeing standards.l regardless of their heritage status and that includes demolishing those which have become uninhabitable.
Heritage has far too much protection in Wellington — I would prefer to see growth, renewal and progress valued far more than heritage
In terms of the arts, see previous comments. Not enough being doing to protect venues and support artist
Stop heritage listing oil drums and random bits
Too much woke nonsense, not enough common sense.
The only people that visible work are the Parks & Gardens staff. Sack all the consultants and employ 'In House" people to service water reticulation and roadworks. These people will do it once and do it right !
The Council has stripped all the cultural identity of my suburb Raroa - changed it name and approved development that's not in keeping with a traditional state housing area.
Too many NIMBYs use culture to stifle development.
Five of the previous seven questions related to Maori or te reo. There is more to Wellington's overall history than that, but it is politically incorrect to acknowledge the role that those naughty colonials made to develop the city to what it is now. Without them there would be next to nothing.
Love the increased use of te reo Māori in council spaces
Currently we seem to be equating the buildings with the culture. This means we don’t have enough money to spend on things that really matter. Stuff the Town Hall and put our money into housing.
Cultural wellbeing actions are all focused on Maori culture at the expense of all others.
As a pakeha I Appreciate the commitment to Te Ao Māori
17% of the population is Maori, why such a huge focus on just a 5th of the population?
As far as I can recall, there are no Heritage items in Tawa, so I cannot say how well they are being looked after or not. As an immigrant to NZ I do not see my culture reflected in Council activities at all.
Please please please don't buy into the coalition governments BS about Te Reo - keep developing WCC as a community-focussed organisation that values our unique culture.
What is the point in retaining historical buildings and heritage at the trade-off of anyone wanting to be in the city now. It's becoming a very forgettable city - who cares about an old building (or old men making decisions about old buildings) - what are we doing to be current / bold / vibrant and unforgettable?
Do better with bi lingual signage and consider changing names back to their original Māori name
I feel some of these questions were misleading / had path dependency. For example, I think heritage protections are appropriate, but that the Council is classifying the wrong things as heritage (the Gordon Wilson flats are a abomination that should be expunged from the cityscape).
In my opinion, WCC has gone OTT re Te Reo, eg Te Reo headings and no English equivalent. Really useful for non Te Reo speakers.
There are only two cultures that seem to matter to the council - Māori and LGBTQIA+. It makes me feel alienated.
With the balance of population - all races - the focus on Māori and te reo is disproportionate.
Celebration of Wellington’s identity seems to have diminished over the years eg promotion of the city as a unique place to live
That's the point. Maori culture is given far too much prominence. I'm sick of it. There is no balance, no effort given to promote European culture, to celebrate European contribution to Wellington. The facts are that Ngati Toa are invaders, slavers and took the area by force. Put that in your promotional material.
Their are many cultures in Wellington both historically and presently it would be nice to see them all reflected and celebrated
I don’t understand the term ‘cultural wellbeing’.

Do you have any other comments about the attractions mentioned in the previous two questions? [optional]
Have been to most of the attractions. They’re not the type of thing you go to annually though
To be honest I would like to know what what the true economic benefit to Wellington and the wider region is of the tourists on cruise boats that come in over the summer and how much they contribute to the ongoing support of the museums and galleries paid for by rate payers.
An addditonal first rate attraction in Wellington is Zealandia. This venue is world leading in providing a safe haven for unique animal and bird life in this country.
Other than Te Papa, the others were somewhat a little boring. Visiting once is enough.
Tourism is key to promoting and growing the city, I think the council need to invest in a welcome centre for the cruise ships .
Ratepayers should not foot the bill for attracting tourists to Wgtn. Businesses that benefit should contribute to that, not ordinary residents.
Visitors will come if the local community is vibrant and supported. Tourists seek 'authentic' cultural experiences, not drivel aimed at milking them like cows.
The staff at Space Place are awesome and made it a great experience for us with preschoolers when we visited. Thank you! A sheltered picnic spot outside for a snack/drink before continuing our walk would have been amazing.
Be interested to know how much money international tourists bring to Wellington's economy.
Tourism is great for wellington - remember the amazing atmosphere and money hospitality and retail made when wellington used to host the 7s!
Cruise ships don’t actual contribute to the wider economy. Despite what WellingtonNZ tries to say.
Work with Singapore Airlines to restore the once popular route to Singapore via Melbourne
The cable car as a tourist attraction needs to be better balanced with the cable care as a mode of transport. It gets super busy in summer evenings which is a real pain when you actually need it for transport. The bus replacements during its regular closure periods are also poorly set up - last time the cable car was closed it was hard to work out if there even was a bus replacement.
Quantification of the benefits of cruise ships required - if not significantly positive they should not be allowed
Weirdly specific, but I think the font size in exhibitions at city gallery is often far too small
Not caring for unhoused people will not leave a good impression on tourists
The Cable Car has developed an unfortunate reputation of incredibly rude staff at the ticket booth, which is likely to leave a lot of visitors with a poor opinion of Wellington
Would prefer the focus to be on improving wellington for residents not visitors
I love the late nights at the gallery and think it should be introduced more places
Focus on making it livable and enjoyable for locals before thinking about tourists
We are lucky to have so many options, especially free entry/low cost options. I love bringing my family members to these attractions when they visit town.
would be nice to balance cruise ship or tour bus tourists with more long-term tourists throughout the year
Space place could be advertised better through cable car
The reason the city gallery experience was very poor was because of the very bad modern art, not the service of the employees.
I'd love to visit a lot of them, it's just hard to find the time sometimes! I think if there were better bike parking by Te Papa I might be more liable to pop in, since my journeys take me past there almost every day I'm out now that I'm out on my bike.
We should be prioritising more environmentally sustainable tourism methods, rather than cruise ships
More events for tourist to come. Concerts, expos, shows, fairs
wellington doesn’t seem like a lively city at night. Things close too early and tourists want something to do in the evenings
Cruise ship passengers are a plague on the city
Cable car seemed expensive. Makes sense for tourists but locals could be cheaper.
I'd like to see more tourism that isn't the cruise ship type of tourism, and less of the latter.
Please make sure that any indoor public spaces are well-ventilated to protect against airborne infectious agents (>5 air changes per hour and/or CO2 levels that are under 800 parts per million).
It's probably best to attract fewer but higher value/wealthier tourists.
Tourism is a nice to have but a place should exist primarily for those that live and wish to move there. This is something increasingly being tackled as a problem in locations such as Barcelona, Amsterdam, Athens, and others.
I'm generally aware of them, and think they're valuable and good for the city to have, but they don't hold much regular draw to me personally.
Who cares?! Honestly. There is no water. Who cares if we have a few more or less tourist ... or museum.
I've enjoyed the exhibitions at City Gallery in the past year, especially the late night events with live music.
Ban cruise ships, all other tourists are ok.
the museums are good in wellington, plenty to look at and learn about
No, but Cruise ships are gross and we should discourage that kind of tourism
With the city being in such disrepair, plus that the weather so many times does not help, it is a long way to be an appealing city to visit. Before it was a cultural capital, with events that were valuable and culturally rich, with proper investment. Now everything has a budgety flavor.
With the homeless problem, doesn't really make it appealing for the tourist
These attractions need the continued support of Council and plans for sustainable investment so they can offer bigger and better experiences should be a priority. With the bad press they have received in recent years I worry they have lost their shine and national positions.
Although we haven't visited in the past 12 months or so, we will continue to visit in the future.
It's great that facilities like capital E are able to be used by schools for trips etc.
I can't understand why the curation at City Gallery is so bad. I've been there a dozen times and never see anything good. Meanwhile the art at the Dowse and Auckland Gallery and many other venues is awesome.
Tourism brings value and keeps our city alive and pumping with everything that makes Wellington magic and a special place to live
If Wellington continues to have cruise ships berth here, then the Wellington local guides need to do more to get them to behave on the footpath. Every time I go to Woolworths lambton quay recently they're blocking the entire footpath while they wait to get on the cable car, they step backwards into traffic to get better photos, stop in the middle of the footpath to check their phone, and are just generally a nuisance.
Cruise ship passengers don't spend money here, they only go up the cable car, to Te Papa, and then shop at the supermarkets.
Wellington needs to focus on fixing itself and putting effort into itself before it focuses on increasing visitors… no point focusing on bumping up tourism when they’ll just walk past drunks and people suffering mental health episodes or aggressive beggars on the sidewalks
Space Place is pretty expensive for the size of it. It feels more worthwhile when the weather is good and telescopes are going but limited days of the week and time of the year when my kids are up late enough to see night sky makes this tricky! We loved Capital E when my eldest was small but have avoided it since Covid hit. Should probably get back there though.
There needs to be an emphasis on Wellington made, Wellington designers, artists and creatives, to reflect the uniqueness of Wellington that no other town has. Our people!
It would be nice if the Cruise ships could depart from Wellington.
Tuatara open late sessions at the gallery were great, it's when I most went to the gallery
Wellington city should build marine parade and big kids play grounds like Napier and free parking facilities during weekends, after hours and public holidays
Again, it is very good that as a city we have so many freely available kid friendly places (especially indoors for bad weather days). When we had much less money we relied heavily on these not just for entertainment but for warmth with little kids.
i am not sure where the question is trying to go but crusie ships can just go away they are just floating pollution
I don’t like more people but if it’s good for the city I guess that’s what’s best. Maybe
Personally I find City Gallery too eletist and (unintentionally) off putting to a lot of people.
I was surprised at the level of investment into the cable car museum, but if it generates a return that's OK. Tourism is an unreliable industry - can evaporate if economic or environmental conditions turn bad, plus tourists create short-term stress on infrastructure.
Travel for tourism needs to be reconsidered so that fossil fuels are diminished toward ended
The balance between tourism and infrastructure needs revaluation. I am dubious that any of the recent events I have attended at Takina are any more than commercial placements. I fail to see how the cruise ship industry makes any contribution to a modern carbon zero target.
Tourism makes cities poorer - it creates low paying jobs that are seasonal. There are better forms of economic development that would raise the quality of life for residents.
Access limited due to removal of parking
Should be more "user pays" than WCC footing the bill
Wellington has some good attractions but many are not readily accessible due to the lack of affordable and available car parking.
I find the City Art Gallery quite depressing in its presentation and selection of art to display.
For tourists, after 2 days wandering around, there's not a lot to do. It will likely continue to be event based in order to get tourists to visit. Wellington is pretty boring otherwise
I am aware of and have visited in the past all of the listed attractions for visitors and residents.
Attractions need to be more accessible and inclusive.
seems to me: City Gallery is fine if you want to see art from overseas; Wellington artists don't get a look in. HAHA seem to often find 'installations' when I go there, which I utterly despise
Cruise ships pollute the harbour and air without bringing a lot of tourist dollars.
The environmental aspects of tourism - especially cruise ships -should be a factor in any tourism strategy.
City Gallery exhibitions are often artistic bull. Why pay for this when budgets are tight?
More visitors to Wellington are good unless they have to walk through Courtney place and Manners street especially at night.
Wellington has nothing to offer anymore, its been hollowed out and then hollowed out again. I dont go into the city anymore, because there is nothing to go to or do. Very sad, but this is what managed decline is. Weak men/women create hard times, and here we are, and without strong leadership.
Visitors, especially cruise ships clog up the city. Spend is not that great. Benefit is 4,000 people buying a coffee and a tee shirt.
Council needs to entice specialty shops selling NZ made goods. When people travel overseas they go for the shops. Wellington's shops should be talked about. Souvenirs should read made in NZ.
Attractions need to be for the city and the region first,the tourists will follow.
Nope. Wellington CC does all this very well
If only we had someone who could build a film museum ... hmmm.
Been to all of them many times, always enjoy our visits
The city probably needs to do a better job of attractions and sights for cruise ship passengers. I quite often observe them looking bored and underwhelmed with queueing for the Cable Car and it isn't easy to recommend other things that are worth the effort of their attention (as in, it isn't easy to direct them to such things given the time constraints of cruise ship visits and their relative levels of unfitness or difficulty walking very far).
great facilities for all people to visit
while Wellington needs to attract more tourists, the aforementioned attraction, and others you did not mention, go someway to bring in tourists. BUT are people coming to Wellington to spend money in the shops? NOPE. We have the same shops in Wellington as anytown in New Zealand. There's little to no local flavour on Wellington streets, unless you count food shops. I'm not talking rates cuts for business - that doesnt work as the landlords keep the money - but getting stores open with people selling local content or one or two unique international brands
Visitors are over continually overvalued by spurious survey data.
I enjoy seeing visitors enjoying Wellington if only briefly
I have no connection to tourism and don't know don't care about attracting visitors.
Niche museums are not often repeatedly visited. Perhaps some consolidation would be a good idea.
With the state of the city and council I tell as many people as possible not to bother coming to Wellington. It’s become a shit hole
It was a terrible decision to have the City Gallery only open from 4. Although I love the gallery, I'm unlikely to visit while the hours are so limiting. This should be changed!!!!
We do not have enough to draw people into Wellington With a lack of activities and things closing around the city it’s a dying place and who would want to come here ? Love the gardens, te papa , east by west ferry but need a lot more attractions to draw people in and take advantage more of our waterfront areas
When cruise ships are here Lambton Quay isn’t up to scratch for a Main Street and there are too many beggars and sleepers on it.
So Wellington needs fewer cruise ships. These visitors spend very little money outside tours organised by the cruise ship, because they have already spent their holiday budget going on the cruise. Cruise ships are terrible generators of waste and pollution, and the COVID event on the Diamond Princess highlighted how awful they are as ideal disease spreading environments. Plus, they are truly ugly to look at. I am fine with people visiting Wellington if we can support them to do so in a way that is respectful to this place and those of us who live here - and where the economic benefits of those visits go to local people.
Wellington Museum is fantastic and should be promoted more imaginatively - eg "Walk around Wellington on the carpet"; scale models of well known ships and yachts; loved the hologram legend; children love the taxidermy animals...
We don't need cruise ships. Whatever happened to the promises of climate action and so on during the Covid lockdowns?
My use of many of these was much higher when my children were younger. They are brilliant and important places for building depth of experiences and view of our history and culture.
Are the tourists spending money when they visit?
Prefer less cruise ships for environmental reasons
I sometimes feel the council can’t afford to be supporting all of the attractions. I would rather basic needs were met - water, cycleways, roads lighting etc.
I do visit Nairn St Cottage and its garden and Wellington Museum, just haven't been there in the last 12 months.
we need to attract visitors to the central City more . talk to the shop keepers more about how to do this.
I have visited them all, but not in the last 12 months. They are the kind of places that one only needs to visit once.
I have been keeping away from over populated events, especially indoor ones, because of the COVID risk, but may start going out and about again later in the year. At present I find it too much of a strain in the hot weather when I have to rely on buses to get places.
some tourism is good, but 100s of cruise ship customers in Lambton Quay are super annoying. I saw some tourists hired tandem bikes one day-that is the sort of tourism I think would be great.. I really do NOT want the airport extended, as I think less flying is good for the planet
The Botanic Gardens which are constantly advertised as one of Wellingtons top tourist attractions is chronically underfunded and short staffed as you well know. Tourists don't use cycleways!!!!!
I used to go to more attractions and events before Covid. Mobility issues now limit my visits. I plan to see some exhibitions at Taakina if I can afford them. Tight budget for pensioners.
Council needs to fix water infrastructure before inviting more people to add load
Just because I haven't been, doesn't mean they are not valuable for the city
don't visit these facilities as again, I'm not allowed a dog in them. Very angry that the Council has reduced the bus services it offers to Tourists coming off Ships. Not everyone wants to get on an organised tour. Many people want to explore the city on foot. It's the perfect city for doing that. I am so tired of being a spokesperson for the city as I walk along the waterfront with my dog. Talking to tourists about what to do & where to go in Wellington. Shame on you WCC for not engaging with these people.
The city is now underwhelming and not a good advertisement for international tourism
Never mind the visitors, get the drains fixed please.
The cruise ships are a bit much at times. They pour people in to the city and we need to think of ways to see they help fund the pressure they put on places.
We need more facilities and better public transport to attract more visitors. All our empty buildings, dirty streets, and drug users/drunks, are very unattractive. We could and should have a more attractive capital city with better public transport.
City needs to be tidy and not left to neglect and have full retail attractions to be attractive to retain tourists
I love the listed attractions - I just don't get to them enough!
I have been to all the attractions in wellington many times, years ago, when I was younger, I dont go now as no point! I have seen them. Except for the botanical gardens there is no point in relooking at things that haven't changed. What we over 70 retirees (that dont play golf or can't play bowls) want is some good 'stuff' to do in the suburbs some fun, laughter, quizzes, games etc where we can get together have a coffee chat play a game or too bingo maybe, I dont know what other people want, but just some fun!
Tourism is good. Too much tourism might need a definition soon. How many COVID carrying ships can we really accommodate in one season? People love the extra income from tourism but we have had a huge summer increase in COVID.
I would love to visit the attractions mentioned, but often I don't hear about the events or activities taking place there, which leads me to forget about those places.
WCC needs to focus on the operational running of the city first and foremost, water management is a mess, public transport is broken, cycle lanes are just poorly thought out and dangerous, my neighbors are telling me they are leaving to move up the coast for a better and cheaper life. People with money are leaving Wellington and those left behind really can't afford to live here any more?
Council needs to invest more money in our city museum and space place in particular. We have many many overseas visitors coming to these two sites and this is the best we have to offer. The fault lies with council for not valuing it's own assets and people who run these places. We could have the best city museum in the world. The Carter Observatory could be so much more but the complacency of the council is what stops people who run our unique spaces from developing and enhancing these special sites
I think we should get old buildings such as the band rotunda fixed. It is a wonderful asset and now looks awful. A blot on our lovely walk around the Bays. Other neglected buildings need to be fixed and the owners chased up - they are a disgrace. DON'T spend money on attracting visitors if you don't know what they are spending i.e. what is the return to Wellington from cruise ships? Spend on essentials such as water and sewerage pipes and getting rid of, or smartening up, eyesores.
I cannot see how hordes of bored tourists wandering all around the city clogging up footpaths and shops but spending virtually nothing “we eat on the ship” while said ship pours out diesel fumes - does anything for the city at all.
The attractions are great. Its a shame you cant get the same buy in from your own locals
Wellington is closed at Christmas and New Year especially restaurants and cafes. There needs to be a list available so we all know what is open and closed. So many visitors and tourist over this timeframe over the last two years just wandering around looking for somewhere to eat or have a coffee. But most places are shut. Please get businesses to cooperate a bit more and at least have a database that is easy to find for those who want to enjoy the centre at this time of the year
Changes to arts access were not good ie city gallery hours
Space place was dismal! queued for ages to see the planets for 1 minute and saw nothing as it’s so old and dated .
Again, the Town Hall is sucking out a huge amount of money from the budget, and there are other attractions that need work. I am very concerned that the Town Hall commitment has been made without fair consideration as to what will NOT be done because of this commitment; or WHAT ELSE could be done with the same money. What would give us the biggest bang for our buck? I am not sure it is the Town Hall (and this is despite being a great fan of this lovely building).
Nairn St cottage garden is a mess. Some new plants are planted and then not cared for. The tags don't relate to the herbs any more as most are dead.
Do not like the majority of exhibitions at City Gallery.
I may agree that Wellington would benefit from more tourists but would not prioritise spend on marketing over spend on infrastructure (esp water pipes)
I have enjoyed visits to all those attractions in the past.
I’m not a fan of cruise ships. They are bad for the environment
too many boats full of tourists arriving in wellington
Our attractions are fine. I feel a little sorry for cruise ship visitors when our winds are up. But otherwise on a beautiful day, wellington is a gorgeous and unique place to visit.
We should continue to attract visitors, while also focusing on the cleanliness and revitalisation of our central public places
The city needs to look nice for those who show up.
Capital e does well with what it has, but it's clear that it's a tiny place - the old capital e was amazing, the current one is more of a box ticking exercise so we can claim there's something for pre schoolers in the CBD. (staff are brilliant)
Need to extend the runway to get more flights in and out of wellington. There is also a strong group of plane spotters that want this
Tourism allows for more temporary infrastructure and development, but does not address nor contribute to boarder issues of inequity and racism around Te Whananui a Tara
Whenever there is cruise ships it may be good for local business for a short time but it makes it deeply unpleasant to be anywhere in wellington as everything is packed and awful, even out in wilton bush bus loads of tourists get flocked there and it makes it annoying and stressful to walk and live there
Wish they were more affordable to hire but they are off the charts expensive.
Love that city gallery and Wellington museum are free (koha donation).
I would like a gallery in Karori instead because parking in the city is a nightmare
City Gallery needs to make itself more accessible to a broader range of Wellingtonians. Too high brow.
Good attractions especially for the funding they get. Good that the museums are affordable to all and support locals
In some of the places, it requires chargers and they are increased, plus parking is problem these days
Needs to remove the struggle of finding a car park more. Its still too difficult.
Love Wellington's museums and galleries... slightly saddened to see Wellington Museum looking a little empty these days. An issue many museums face. Under-funding, perhaps?
Happy to welcome people to New Zealand, whether for the short term or the long term, but tourism is a fairly low value add industry, and one which comes with some major negative externalities in terms of house affordability (See Queenstown). In an area with a lot of existing high value add industries like Wellington, take it or leave it when it comes to tourism.
The Wellington Museum needs to improve its reo rua displays.
Te Papa needs to either keep up Te Waka Houruas redacted treaty, or replace it with an English translation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
is wellington museum Te Papa? coz if it is then I've been there 3 times but if its not then I've never heard of it. also lmao cricket museum, is that really the best we can do?
Tourism is not a viable or sustainable industry and should be actively dismantled in order to mitigate and relieve human impacts on climate change. Reducing international tourism is of utmost importance. Domestic tourism is acceptable.
I'm quite aggrieved the defaced Treaty display is still up and hasn't been fixed however understand it has brought attention to the museum and exhibit/topic.
Get rid of Nain Street cottage and Cricket museum
Need to attract high paying visitors to stay longer and spend more instead of just people passing through, cruise ships and backpackers
Agree that we need more visitors, but infrastructure and public transport are not ready yet.
I don't go to these places now because I don't want to catch COVID again
Cricket museum has become a noisy children's playground. It focuses on indigenous imagery that had nothing to do with the development of the game in NZ. It has lost its charm and interesting displays it used to have.
more festivals pegged on near the sunday markets or at waitangi park, need more events over the winter
The attraction of tourists should not be to the detriment of locals, ie costs should not increase for all. If there is an entrance have a separate one for locals, by way of showing an NZ drivers license or similar if the person doesn't drive
yes we need to attract more visitors, but please not cruise ships.
The display in the Space Place has not changed in years.
I'm embarrassed to recommend Wellington to friends from out of town / from other countries. I tell people not to bother now (when for years I sang proudly about "my city")
I knew there was a Cricket museum but i didn’t know it was council funded. Get rid of that, there’s some savings for you
I am aware of all of those attractions, and have visited them in the past. But I am not sure how attractive they would be for tourists, as opposed to Wellingtonians who are interested in their heritage.
Access to most of them is difficult without using a car, and parking is impossible.
Cable car museum is very well done and I highly rate it
Looks like I need to start getting out more again.

Why are you [GOVERNANCE_SATISFACTION] with the process by which Council makes decisions?
The council doesn’t listen. Cost benefit analysis on decisions is either non-existent or very poor.
Political affiliations (from certain) councillors do not often have the best interests of the City foremost.
The decisions seem to be made, or preferred options seem to be selected before asking public for their opinion. I don't think the process is very transparent. It also seems very slow
Don't believe they are acting for the greater number of residents
It feels like no matter the feedback, if the council wants to do something, they just do it anyway.
Consultation is a lie and it is obvious that the councils mind is made up before any consultation begins and any respondent replies with an answer that is not what the council has already decided they want to happen, that reply is largely ignored. There is no good faith in any consultation with the council.
Common sense doesn’t seem to matter over agenda and faction politics that seem to predominate
Councillors have predetermined views based on their political parties
You don't advertise well enough when you want submissions about things like changing the roads with cycle lanes. I just happened to be told about it so many people I know - knew nothing about it.
Decision making by the Council is unclear, as are the role of lobby groups or commercial interests in final decisions where they apparently over ride the advice given by Council staff and those working on behalf of council. Where those decisions have adverse outcomes are there any sanctions for those who influence the decisions.
it seems like its usually a fair and thorough process
The process is reasonably transparent and visible
Look at the state of our water infrastructure
The distinct lack of transparency surrounding key issues and funding prioritisation seems to have continue from previous councils
It follows standard local government processes but could perhaps be more proactive in face to face consultation
I am dissatisfied with the process of Council decisions because I think its decisions need to be evaluated by outcomes achieved. For example, the current discussions leading up to the adoption of the ten year long term plan do not so far seem to be likely to achieve the key outcome that I expect: a reduction in rates increases. There is a need to reduce costs across the board, both by scrutinising in-house Council expenditure (for example, reduction of staffing costs, less emphasis and expenditure on "worthy" projects like predator-free Wellington), and by pausing or cutting major expensive but not essential expenditure on capital items (for example, the Golden Mile project, development of cycle ways....). Even the costs of necessary infrastructure projects like replacing the water pipes need to be spread across several years, with contributions from Central Government.
The economic and psychological state of inhabitants and businesses is very poor.
It appears all councilors have a say and therefore democracy is working.
The don’t actually take feedback on board. The plans that are proposed are never really reconsidered or compromise reached to try and appease people for and reduce impact to those against
They are spending money on things to get re-elected like conventions centres and not on the things that matter like putting in water meters to manage the leaks as these are not popular decisions
We don’t know of any decision that the council is making until the work commences or is done. Like the bike lanes and speed bumps in areas we didn’t ask for.
Decisions do not make long tern sense and are fiscally reckless.
I feel I often find out about things through word of mouth, like the cost if restoring the central library.
On certain issues, unelected officials have too much say on decisions. Things are rushed through busy meetings. Sometimes officials say things in their advice to councillors in meetings that are uncontested. So a lot of faith in those policy people. I think we get decisions reflecting the class of young professional policy people who are advising on these matters.
A snall group railroad there own agenda, without considering the views of the public
You don’t listen to surveys, most people want water fixed. Answer from you, it’s budgeted for cycle ways not water, change the budget and fix the water. No one wanted a crossing on Cobham drive was pointless and hardly used, but we waste money putting it in. We want better access through the city to the airport but no we are not improving it, stop start motoring does not improve getting around Wellington and cause less pollution it emits more pollution.
The Council doesn't appear to have a coherent understanding of how climate change and zero carbon will affect how people live in cities. I am thinking of the decision to take most expensive option in re-building the Central Library. Doing a 100-year renovation on a site that is likely to be inundated in 50 was odd. The choice also implied that it was acceptable that the facility be closed for too many years - impacting both library and Te Ngākau users.
The council steam rolls in vanity projects that often do not serve the community.
Fundamentals of good governance and leadership are missing
The process should be more transparent and simpler
Would be more satisfied if for potentially controversial issues the final decision was explained to justify the decision made and why other options were not taken. i.e cost benefit model across all council activities and not just for the specific issue / decision. So that significant decisions on high cost projects are not taken in isolation and the impact on all services is understood.
Too much favouritism given to the extremely harmful alcohol industry and neglect of the homeless, snobbery in some members favouring the wealthy
I disagree with cuts to cycle way funding and to repair the 'city to sea' bridge - I think this is incredibly short-sighted.
Trust the elected councillors to land on the right decision particularly when staff and independent panels propose misguided ones
Just have to look at the statistics for the consultations you do, eg parking changes that affected retailers in the city. From memory, the majority was against the change and the council didn’t listen. Most people view council consultations as a ‘tick’ that they need to do, but don’t actually care about what Wellingtonians want
I have had involvement with council decision making processes and the democratic services team made me feel very welcome and supported. They’re great at what they do.
The actual decision-making doesn't seem very transparent. The consultations are also a massive time waste when actual work could be happening. I understand this is something Council is legislatively required to do but surely there's a more streamlined consultation process that could be followed because the process seems to drag on forever.
The surveys that the council puts out when consulting on various projects makes it easy to have your say. I like how some projects give you the option of giving simple or detailed feedback.
They have too many people on council. They don’t take into account what the residents want. Students have too much sway, when most of them do not even pay rates. The council are not accountable for how they spend our money. They should be looking at council itself to see how they can cut costs, rather than increasing rates
our voice doesn’t seem to matter eg the newtown parking scheme is strongly opposed by most staff in the hospital but this was ignored. my say doesn’t seem to matter
Decisions that the Council makes seem to be nonsensical and often fly in the face of evidence and what residents actually want.
There appears to be no business acumen or financial competency amongst many Councillors. There needs to be an annual review by somelike the Institute of Directors as to individual Councillor and Mayoral performance.
I can see that there is generally a good amount of consultation. It does often feel like there is a big gap between making decisions and making things happen though.
I feel like I have recieved lots of comms online and int eh post. I vote when I get the option, too, and really like that.
Consultation process seems to be not well considered if public opinion is against what is proposed. Local community consultant seems ad hoc and it is very difficult to find any follow up on what decisions were/were not made following the consultation process. One example of this is the Townsend road, otaki street proposed around about. Was open for consultation (only found out about by wors of mouth) and now unable to find any info about what happened following that.
Opportunities for engagement are plentiful, full council meetings and minutes are publicly available, advice given to councillors by staff seems to be of a high quality. Most around the council table appear to care about the city and its residents and try their best to make the right decisions around what are often difficult problems with no perfect solution
Too many poor quality decisions being made (Town Hall renovations, water infrastructure, questionable decisions about where to put cycleways), some councilors are clearly obstructive and do not seem to make decisions in ratepayers best interests. Some councilors are already showing rent-seeking behaviour and failing to meet their obligations
Not enough accountability and public consultation
It feels like they don't make the best long term decisions for the city, but for their own aspirations
It makes decisions for benefit of community
For example making bike lanes where not needed and causing more harm than good.
Because they are a bunch of pen pushs that are way out of touch with the needs of residents. Remaking the road to put cycle lanes in that aren't used often enough to justify the masive investment and impact on drives of motor vehicles wich are the overwhelming majority. Pipes aren't being updated and there are some leaks like the one at the bottom of nigo gorge that have been there for 4 months.
I feel that it is difficult to understand how decisions are made - televising or otherwise publicising council debates or similar could be a way to mitigate this.
In so far as council decision-making is portrayed in the media, it appears to be a messy process with rather public disputes amongst councillors.
I do want to say that it has improved heaps and the engagement team in the last year has been doing great! I still think though its inaccessible and inequitable process. If you think about how Wellington City Council funds residents associations and how much access they have to council, compared to the disengagement from youth....
Public feedback is not taken into account, issues (such as anti-social behaviour in Manners St) are not resolved at all
Communication is great and always aware of things happening in my neighbourhood and know where I can have my say
There are too many meetings and plans and reports and hearings. Just build more housing and public transport infrastructure!!!
I am just very tired of seeing the infastructure in this city that i love falling apart, and i dont see any indication that this is changing. The city looks tired and weary and broken.
Able to talk to councillors, get involved in council decisions
Because they are all hippies that drive bikes but they didint think about everyone else who has a car
It seems as though a lot of decisions go directly against what is best for the city, and only cater to NIMBYs who want to preserve their house prices and their ability to drive a hilux that's never seen dirt through the CBD
Makes the right decisions, just the timeliness and proactiveness that needs to be improved
Not very well documented, and very short sighted
BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T PRIORITISE WATER ISSUES AND NOW WE'RE FACING WATER RESTRICTIONS BECAUSE YOU DID NOTHING FOR YEARS
Because of a lack of priority for housing development fixing pipes and supporting small local businesses instead of large corporations
Too many personal and political agendas. Also look at what happened with the cobham drive pedestrian lights. 90+% of respondents, both residents and businesses opposed the lights. You went ahead and did it anyway. Not only that I heard Iona Pannett state on the Heather DuPlesis Allan show live on air, when Iona was asked about the above mentioned project submissions and the responses received by ratepayers that “that’s not how we make decisions at council” wow really? Last I checked we live on a democracy where elected officials are just that, elected by the people, for the people and to be a voice and advocate for the wants and needs of its constituents. I couldn’t believe what I heard. At that moment I believed democracy had died at Wellington council and rule by committee confirmed. As a born and bred Wellingtonian frankly I was disgusted to hear her response.
The WCC is captured by minority interest groups and is not focused on core roles. No transparency in decision making - Courtney Central shady deals in case in point
I don't believe that council decisionmaking takes a long-term, strategic view of what is in the best interests of all Wellingtonians
The process itself is simple and straightforward, even if I disagree with many of the decisions.
there isn't really a platform that list out what decisions has been made on what, no transparency on budget allocations, nor what are the things that they are making decisions on
the peoples vote on library was ignored; the costs of the remediation will explode like the town hall. Infrastructure and resilience should have been a priority.
Wellington council's decision making process seems be vary between completely arbitrary to heavily influenced in lobiests and a tiny minority of noisy wealthy individuals. It's not reflective at all of the views of the majority and is completely unaligned with any regional strategies that would be in the best interest of the city
its much more complicated than some checkboxes allow!
I feel like I have good awareness of it.
The interests of rate payers are given disproportionate weight - particularly those who seek to underfund council through incessant pressure to keep rates low. Their successful campaigns to keep rates low since the 1990s has caused the city to literally crumble.
so far, the decisions I've participated in have been made against the people's voices (first come to mind is the Wellington city library).
Council regularly ignores feedback received from public consultation, is unable to get the different factions of Councillors to agree on the best way forward for Wellington, in short it's fair to describe it as dysfunctional. It is sad to see the NIMBYists hold a whole city hostage with their outdated views.
Councillors clearly follow their own agenda and political beliefs regardless of what their constituents say.
Sometimes it can be impracticable,or they will make decisions based on what is easiest rather than what is the right thing to do.
Lack of transparency is a major issue e.g Wellington Water, reading complex, old town hall etc.
Not especially transparent, with no rationale or evidence made public. Just vague press releases
I’ve engaged in public consultations previously and it was embarrassing how I’ll prepared most of our councillors were - weren’t even armed with basic facts to aid an educated decision. The influence of national body/party alignment on many local candidates is bad for local outcomes
Because like with the library, they get a result from the people and don't acknowledge that result.. they say they engaged but they didn't listen to the result.
The discussions during meetings which I have watched seem reasonable, and appear to have a good representation of the population.
The CE and other Council officials run an ideological approach to Council policy, largely ignoring the Councillors and completely ignoring the wider public. Bike lanes aren't for the benefit of the public but instead for rich people who like to bike because of it's seen as high status. The Council is opposed to new developments that would help reduce the housing bubble.
If the council were a private business, it would go under in the first financial quater. Information held from the citizens and woke ideology reign supreme
In general, I do not believe that individuals' concerns are sufficiently taken into account by Council when making decisions. On previous occasions, Council has consulted on a range of options only to then choose an option which was not consulted on. Consultation could be framed more clearly to advise residents that the actual proposal will be going ahead even if residents disagree, and really what they are consulting on is finer details only. Special interest groups who often consult in numbers are given a lot of weight compared to individuals' concerns, when it is often difficult and time-consuming for individual residents to participate in numbers on numerous detailed proposals.
Even though decisions are made that I do not agree with. I still generally feel that I have been honestly and fairly heard. I also appreciate the efforts made by council staff to correctly isolate efforts by groups to actively mislead council through the use of loaded questions in unaffiliated surveys.
Feedback is lip service, the community strongly provided feedback regarding cycle lane changes in Karori that was ignored.
It’s standard representative democracy. We just need to elect better representatives.
As far as I can tell there's a good amount of representation on a variety of axes (geographic, cultural, etc) and the decision-making process appears fairly straight-forward and democratic.
It's not open or transparent and there appears to be a lot of infighting and ego involved without the city being the main concern
No idea how it works but the mayor and councilors are often in the news to let us know they disagree with each others. Bring on some technology and ask city residents to vote on decisions, then get rid of this useless city council members and mayor.
Community engagement is widely seen to be tokenism- council never listens to the masses - just the fringe lunatics. It’s a joke and everyone knows it.
My perception is that the council tries to hedge against controversial decisions, like cycleways, the district plan, new road layouts etc by spending far too much time consulting with residents. This leads to years of effort and wasted money before work even begins on a new project. I wish the council would shorten the time they spend consulting with residents and begin work on projects much sooner, and maybe remediating problems after the fact. You can't please everybody so the council needs to ignore the noisy minority who are anti everything to some degree. Overall I think the direction the council is taking the city in is good, but it is taking too long. For example, I was surprised to learn this week that the district plan is still being consulted on with a board of advisors suggesting changes. I thought we sorted all of that out last year! I am actually so tired of submitting my opinion on the district plan, please just finish the process and implement it. It's no wonder we haven't seen enough development of housing if investors can't reliably know what land is zoned for what purpose.
See earlier comment - too much infighting and public division over issues. They should express robust views at the council table, and present a united front once a decision has been made.
The results speak for themselves. *How can I be anything but very dissatisfied satisfied with the cost of LGWM relative to the output? *How can I be anything but very dissatisfied given the state of our water infrastructure? *How can I be anything but very dissatisfied with the current restrictions restricting the supply of additional housing in the city? *How can I be anything but very dissatisfied with my experience in the central library in the last 5 years -- oh wait, I can't go to the central library now can I? *How can I be anything but very dissatisfied with the backwards nimbys on the council who seem to be of the sort that bitch and moan about bike lanes and seem to have no shits to give for anyone who's not already a rich white a-hole in an SUV? Fucking disgraceful, they're holding the city back, stagnant and would see it gutted and dead if they got their policy wishes.
I understand the process even if i dont like the iutcome
too busy pandering to a minority of people that thinking about the majority. to busy wasting money on irrelevant woke rubbish. too busy getting pissed, drink driving or sucking dick in the bars ay Tory?!
Stop trying to score political points and just focus on delivering value and cooperating. It’s embarrassing watching the council behave the way it has and the historic underfunding of infrastructure is a classic example of council mismanagement. If you need to raise rates, do it. But use the money effectively. Stop caving to nonsense from Heritage NZ and NIMBYs and build a modern, efficient city. Take the opportunity the earthquake provided and think about rebuilding new, not arguing for years about whether these old buildings are worth saving and wasting millions.
Because it privileges members of the community who already have resources and power over those with less expendable time and attention
The implementation of the district plan is both unlawful and just blatantly wrong. What is the point on having submissions and hearing the people, when the facts presented are dismissed with without any proper reasoning. WCC are seeking to maintain the status quo, which means the city falls further and further into disrepair. WCC should focus on the future, which means investment in public infrastructure that should have started a long time ago, not revamp of old buildings that would have been cheaper to replace.
All we seem to hear about is councillors bickering and prevaricating in the paper. The mayor seems to be the only one with vision and grit!
We wouldn't have the situation of poorly maintained core infrastructure if there was a functional process to stop that from happening in the first place
Council does not think long term and values groups that lobby strongly for certain issues rather than having a true wholesome view with the future and the residents in mind.
Because they are run by idealogues that push through projects that do not have public support.
we’ve participated in community reference groups in mount cook but views have not been listened to. waste of time.
I often see councillors explaining in the media and social media how and why decisions were made. This is good for transparency. I don't like it when I see councillors leaking confidential discussions - I respect that some discussions ne d to happen in private and after the decision is made I trust my councillors to explain it
Money spent on external consultants, not enough interaction or communication with the citizens
I believe in the council process (for example, cycleway projects proceeding despite vociferous but minority opposition), but am disappointed by the decisions the council is now having to make in the face of the water crisis, including potentially closing or reducing some services which make the city worth living in.
Because it has led us to where we are now, with a broken city. There is far too much bureaucracy involved.
Our mayor is a disgrace and the people are not engaged with enough. This survey is an example, you can email everyone this Survey but can not email us all when it’s time to make big decisions like spending millions on building that don’t serve the people or want to sell assets that the people actually want to keep just because it “looks green”
The mess they've got is into with the water supply - the number of random projects that hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent on while our water system was collapsing under us. HOW can the council claim to be using a sound decision process when this is the outcome? O no, they just blame previous councils and wring their hands. Useless.
I think it's the water issue which residents feel progress isn't being made as quickly as it ought to. It also would be useful to understand how much rates are collected Vs say from a year ago and what the gaps are. This could be as part of the rates invoice that is sent to rate payers annually.
I'm not convinced they listen to the comments submitted during consultation and press ahead with their own personal agendas.
In aggregate the decisions over time are not aligned with my values of wanting to prioritise long term infrastructure, public transport, walkable city, dense and affordable housing. If the decisions are not good, surely the process is not good.
The council's focus is not what is affecting Wellington right at this moment (we need the leaks fixed not more cycleways)
I don’t get a sense that the council has a unified direction for the city, therefore it’s had to anticipate how decisions are and will be made.
Our suburb has just had bike lanes installed that were not required (already wide roads), this has made the streets difficult/parking etc for people with mobility issues. Often people with mobility difficulties chose Lyall Bay to live in as it is on the flat.
I feel like it's something that basically only people who are retired, or aren't working and don't have other responsibilities in their lives realistically can have the time available to be involved in. I work 9-5, subscribe to every newsletter I can, try to keep up with things, but don't really have any transparency on what's going on when it comes to actual decision-making, and how I can influence that.
I'm not feeling great about the state of the city right now including financial priorities and the relationship with central government.
Things seem to be running smoothly apart from some gossip about the mayors drinking behaviour
Because you focus your priorities on the wrong things.
Decisions are already made before residents have their opportunity to contribute.
Decisions take foever and seem to be politically motivated, and some are not made in the interests of Wellington
Political party influences are to the fore, meaning the well-being of the City is not the first and foremost consideration
Seems like people give input into consultations etc but voices don’t seem to be heard.
The majority of Karori residents opposed the bus lane changes but Council is going ahead anyway
I’m not sure enough common sense is applied to some decisions
Because it seems to be as deliberately obscure as possible.
The Council don't listen to feedback. They follow their pet projects without the need to balance their budgets. They treat rate payers like an open cheque book. Lobby groups have an outsized influence on decision making e.g. cyclists. The silent majority rate payer is not consulted.
Because of the push forward for bike lanes when the whole of Wellington had leaky pipes and wasted water on the streets . And only now slowly getting fixed . The people voiced this a year ago it could've not been this bad if cyclists just waited .
I personally don’t believe national politics should bleed into local politics and we have a council which can’t seem to agree to put party politics aside to made decisions without leaking to the media, etc - it’s a disgrace
Not very transparent to the average person.
Frugal in all the wrong places, self interestedly generous with the rest
I don't feel like council are very clear on why they make the decisions they do. More knowledge about how and why things happen would be helpful
Some priorities have taken a back seat to others. Controversial additions such as the golden mile and bike lanes should not be prioritised above water etc. Increasing taxes to accommodate remedial water works just adds pressure to households and has a knock-on effect. Home owners experience frustration and children experience the ass end of it in terms of less money for extra educational or curricular activities for children etc just as an example. Tenants experience further hard ships also.
I'm generally dissatisfied with local government - most councilors lack experience in the issues that matter and don't listen to people with expertise in those areas. This is reflected in some historically poor investment decision making.
It's relatively transparent and in line with general expectations of council decision making processes
There is generally good feedback sought by the council with many opportunities for everyone who wishes to have their say.
consultation and submission processes seem like performative or a farce. i think the council has preferences or have already made the decision before they seek consultation. i may be being cynical, but having some understanding of what has been happening with the southern landfill extension and the new tip shop proposal, i feel the council will do what it want to do because the impact will mostly be to my small community and not wider wellington.
There isn't a huge amount of transparency around decision. The options for members of the public to have input are limited and biased toward ratepayers (those of us renting get limited say)
From my understanding I can see that there is information tabled from council officials that is then debated and voted on by elected councillors. There seems to be a clear and appropriate distinction between the executive and political arms of council. there is also ample reporting of what goes on at Council partly fed by the medias desire to portray issues as crises or conflict when really most are the normal functioning of a city.
Again, agree with general direction but WCC is slowed down by various things in and outside its control
Decisions that affect the public are taken behind closed doors, where certain people can interact. The public need to be taken into confidence where major issues are concerned i.e fixing water pipes leakage and water meters
As indicated by my comments, I disagree with some decisions - eg to refurbish the old library and town halls, but I accept that these were decided democratically.
Lack of vision. Ignoring infrastructure for too many years.
Factions, in-fighting, political careers put before public interest
I think some decisions have been made without adequate consultation. There are clearly issues around the bike lanes and intersections changes that have not been thought through properly. For example, kerb extensions in Lyall Bay Parade create pinch points and make the road less safe for cyclists. The island at the intersection of Rongotai Road and Mahora Street means that buses can no long turn left from Rongotai Road into Mahora Street and the tickle sticks on the east side of Kent Terrace just before the intersection with Majoribanks Street makes it impossible for long vehicles, including fire appliances to make the turn from Kent Terrace into Majoribanks Street. It does not seem to occur to the council that there are buses and long vehicles using the roads and they need space to do so safely. Who did you consult with when you made those changes, a group of people on skateboards?
Recently attended a community meeting where council officers and councilors seem to be embarking on a tone-deaf process over the new tip shop. There seems a huge gap between the council officers and governance the was explained by "sorry we have to do this process even though it may come to nothing....and inconvenience you in the process." AND I am broadly supportive of the idea. Has nothing been learned about how not to antagonise a community?
Zero meaningful engagement and discussion with community
Not impressed with disruptive behaviour of rump of right wing councilors
I do not believe that majority of Councillors have adequate training in their Governance roles on the city council.
No-one appears to have any understanding of what the City needs - its all what Labour/Nat/Greens policy needs are. The Green Party's philosophy is slowly strangling the city with idealogical visions rather than practical commonsense solutions.
Personal and political party agendas determine a large part of council decisions. Elected representitives should all be working for the good of the City.
Council appears to have no processes to ensure that its core functions are prioritized over all other functions. Its core functions are the provision of quality infrastructure to support 3 waters, roads and footpaths. These essential infrastructure components have obviously been neglected by Council over many years, in preference to other less important functions. The Council decision making processes can only be considered to be broken given the current state of the city's infrastructure. If good decision making was present then the current water crisis would not be facing the rate payers of the city. And it is obvious that the poor decision making has been present for many decades based on the current state of the infrastructure. Hence it is impossible to claim that the Council Governance and Decision making is at all sound making me very dissatisfied. The evidence is clearly evident to all citizens of the city.
Decisions made for minority groups over majority needs.
The process seems to be good. The councillors though are another story but that isn't a process issue but a political one.
because we have groups of people on council blindly follow their political affiliations regardless of what is good for the city
I'm looking at the results. See earlier comments. Less lefty vanity projects, get to fixing our infrastructure and protecting our historical assets
Citizen feedback largely ignored. Consultations meaningless as decisions already decided. Arrogant attitudes pervade he whole process.
Sensible Councillors bulldozed by a surfeit of Luddite Greens and others, with no real life experience.
no-one seems to make sensible prioritised timely decisions - more bike lanes whilst our water drains away. No second tunnel but more bike lanes and less parks. We need a business outlook not some wishful thinking on the back of an in-flight magazine article.
It's often shrouded in secrecy and usually results in stunningly bad, money wasting and out of touch outcomes. It's as though they are oresented with a range of options and always choose the least desirable one
Why is there so much water loss in water pipes across the city? Where’s the infrastructure budget gone?
Decision making processes opaque, not fully informed, not inclusive enough, too much behind closed doors. Not democratic or truly representative,
I believe some consultation is manipulated to achieve answers that many councilors and staff already want. I believe that in some areas many councilors and staff are captured by special interest groups (e.g. promoting cycleways). The Council should use independently run telephone surveys to find out the widest range of views of residents, rather than relying on lobby groups.
When proper process is to consult, then approve, then action. The order is important. So it listening to the consultation (ie, if the majority of feedback is in contrast to the plan, the plan needs reviewing) It's not: action , consult, approve
Because there has been very little progress over the past 10 years and because of a strong green Council progress is stalled and the city is now falling behind. Traffic congestion, stupid city lanes, lack of parking, numerous road works and slow and costly rebuilds make driving and visiting the city frustrating.
On the long term plan I made a submission and asked to be heard. I was never contacted about this. I was initially invited to a briefing on process but then received an e-mail before the event that the numbers had to be limited for health and safety and only those that had accepted by a due date could attend. I did not get to read this e-mail until too late. Fiasco. I was effectively "locked out" of the organisational briefing on hearings by late and poor notice. Since I am not supportive of the direction of the council and objected to its plan to designate 30+ hectares of my land as an SNA and all of it as a SAL this was not a big surprise.
Secrecy, political adjendas, infighting, lack of meaningful consultation and council officers arrogance
It seems to me that the executive team makes the decisions in liason with a select group of councillors and that decisions are railroaded through the full council. The mayors style encourages this method. Excessive secrecy is also an issue.
because the council is so polarised it makes political decision
Local residents make submissions and provide feedback often council is influenced by people who don’t live in the area. When communities raise issues of concern especially around safety they are ignored.
The council makes decisions based on the political ideologies of the left leaning group of councillors, not on what's best for the city. The councils consultation process with communities is a sham. It disregards or twists survey results to suit its own purpose.
the water crisis. this should NEVER HAVE HAPPENED. Councillors totally caught up with vanity projects and orchestrating 'pizzazz' for CBD hospitality businesses, and ignoring Council's fundamental responsibility to provide reliable infrastructure.
Because party lines and personalities cloud effective decision making
The council has created a chaotic roading system for cars. 98% of us will continue to use cars for speedy movement around the city. I am a tradesman frustrated by idiotic road planning which has removed parking and car lanes in favour of bike lanes and bus lanes. Keep Wgton moving -HUH!-nonsense.
You don’t listen to average residents- just special interest groups
Council decides what it wants to do, consults, then does it anyway. Only a public outcry at the absurd cost calculations stopped the council proceeding with 30kph speed limits on all streets
The council is made up of disparate people. This is good in terms of representation but hard in terms of getting a consensus. Because they are elected thinking tends to be short term which has led to many problems, water being the most obvious. It's a problem with democracy generally, but seems to be magnified in council
Decisions are often motivated by political agendas as (cycle ways, ped crossings, city speed limits) as opposed to what is best for the community (delay in water infrastructure)
Private discussions in Council, really poor leadership, the Mayor and her Labour/Green Party Councillors do not share decisions with independent Councillors and do not involve the community with the decision making processes. The Mayor has lied to the piblic over investment decisions relating to the Reading Theatre and water investments. She’s appalling.
You spend money you don't have on stupid **** and we still have a third world water and electric infrastructure. (I have lived in VN and Cuba so that's not hyperbole on my part)
There are closed meetings such as the lease details of the building by the area by MFC. The idea of buying the land under Reading Cinema is ludicrous - that is a multi-billion-dollar corporation. Too many cycleways in a hilly city - this isn't flat Amsterdam or Copenhagen.
Some things seem to happen. or not happen. without my prior knowledge
The Red/Green Cabal in Council is steadily destroying what was the 'Cutest Little Capital' Pandering to vocal minorities
The major issues are simply not being rectified
Have watched council meetings and been part of consultations and happy with what I see
Some decisions seem to be made without any public consultation and yet cost the rate payers dearly. The handling of the Reading Cinemas building and surrounding secrecy seem ridiculous.
They are focused on pet projects which are not necessarily beneficial to the betterment of the majority of rate-payers. Too often they ignore the desire of the people (eg Island Bay cycle-way) to push their own political agendas. Too much weight is given to the wants of ideology motivated minority groups like the Cyclists
Council is dominated by ideology (green) councilors & mayor who don't represent (ignore) the views of local communities for pet projects e,g. cycleways. They assume they know better.
I have a big problem with the perception of dysfunction within the council. All I read in the media about WCC is dysfunction and arguing. I also read a lot about vanity projects being accepted while our water infrastructure continues to crumble.
Because most Councillors have already decided how they are going to vote before they go through the charade of public consultation. Special interest groups have far too much influence. Political idealology is a predominant factor for many councillors. Most have zero interest in ratepayers concerns.
Too many councilors are working to promote their particular interests and don't have a balanced view of what wellingtonians want (and/or need).
They are a bunch of lying numbnuts. They did not consult properly BEFORE going ahead with their own agenda. The council has failed to take into account what should be the proper democratic process. They are deaf to their rate payer wishes.
The range of discretionary things the council does are only for a minority that obviously have your ear, and spending is inflated significantly over and above a reasonable cost, for example Frank Kitts Park. I wonder where the money actually goes. Given the track record of the council over the last 10 years, I really have no confidence that ratepayers money is being disbursed in an honest, useful and transparent manner and it just seems to be getting worse. Decisions are made behind closed doors with only those that have an interest in whatever scheme is going on get to have a say, the rest of us get to hear about it after the decision is made. Everything that is being decided on by Council needs to be clearly and obviously public before any decisions are made. We have the internet now, public notice boards and advisories about council expenditures and projects being discussed should be public and published to a website that is known to all ratepayers at a minimum. Referendums are also cheap given the internet.
We have a Mayor that is all about 'Self', poorly educated, poorly organized, only cares or pretends to care about those that give the Mayor oxygen. Such a disgrace, should be ashamed of her self. Any man should steer well clear of this 'Broken' person.
Because they end up making some dumb decisions. I don't like the way the council is politically divided, some councillors seem to block-vote on political lines, and there is not enough working together.
consultation and feedbacks mean nothing in the process
Council doesn’t listen to what people tell. Council has a strategy and goes for it no matter what people in surveys say
Council appears divisive with internal infighting getting in the way of management of the city.
While there is a process, few people participate so the process is dominated by a minority and Council does what they want which isn’t necessarily what rate payers want.
The current council ask for rate payers input / the ignor and implement there own agenda
They are irresponsible, wasting hard earned rate payers money on useless projects with no accountability
The priority is wrong, instead of repairing the demage infra structure, council is putting money in the Cycle way, making the mess of the roads. Not Many cyclist in Wellington.
Too many councillors who do not know how to spend ratepayers’ money
Wellington City Council members lack sufficient business experience to make appropriate decisions for the future direction of the city. Far too much money is spent on projects that do nothing for the commercial benefit of ratepayers.
Priority is infrastructure. Anything that is not this needs to be discontinued.
They are not united nor proactive. The city is going backwards fast
I think that the council has a mandate to do things and that they consult adequately on it. But when some minor voices, such as little business people, oppose they take too much notice and slow down the process. We need to just get on and do it.
The process is clearly flawed as the council cannot manage to solve the major problems (i.e. water) that it faces.
Councillors are too aligned to party politics rather than what is good for all the citizens and the city.
Island Bay cycleway should never have been forced on us. Why cant the council decide to fix the water leaks ?
In a difficult environment you do ok. Watching meetings on line helps get some understanding on issues
It appears to still come down to individual councillor bias, with the same councillors being anti public good. I don't believe my submissions (or even this survey) will have any difference.
Public feedback largely does not get considered, except the on trend minority groups
The council is extremely wasteful with ratepayers' money. That indicates a very poor decision-making process. If the process were good, the council would not be so wasteful. In any case, the council will take no notice of what I am saying so I don't know why I bother.
We seem to get poor options put forward and then have a factionalised council that can’t agree to a strategy
Because they are hopeless. They only think of themselves and their respective political persuasions. Transport has been an issue for years, and a second Mt Victoria tunnel is a must. However, all LGWM did was a pedestrian crossing and a roundabout. The pipes have been an issue for years, but the Council focuses on stupid cycleways. Again, there is a distinct lack of mayoral leadership.
Two reasons: because of the makeup of council, they vote in blocks which are aligned to their political bent. This is not necessarily what's best for Wellington. When ratepayers voice their disapproval of a project, it is pushed through anyway, which means the entire process a farce, and further disengages the small voter base eg Cobham Drive pedestrian crossing.
It is neither clear or transparent why decisions are made, and most decisions appear to favour fringe groups or big business......cycle paths and Reading cinema Courtney place to just name 2
I have submitted my thoughts on a few projects and all my friends seem to agree with me that the council seems to do what it always wanted to do regardless of what me or we thought. Maybe I'm just a minority?
Its all about the mayor and councilors not about what the majority need or want
priorities are not aligned with people's needs
It's democracy - the terms are too short, but the disfunction within the council is apparent - especially with the last mayor - we are still seeing that
I get that councillors come to make decisions with their own pre-supposed ideas or inherent biases, but a lot of the decisions council have made don't make a lot of sense or appear to be based on pretty weak lines of logic or argument and questionable benefits to the city.
Because from an outcomes based perspective, there is enormous waste.
What was the last successful big project that wellington city council signed off on? How was it decided to be done? How many closed door meetings did it take. How was the public informed of the pending decision, the progress and the outcome? who was involved? what were the impacts and benefits to me?
Too much secrecy and not enough working to gain greater consensus with Mrs
Too much politicing, seeming inability of elected officers to work together.
They ask for feedback, take surveys, but don't really seem to listen to the results.
Consultation is a sham. Decisions are made then the public consulted, with council already having decided.
The process is fine, my issue is more with the decisions made, which I am not convinced are always in the best interests of residents.
Incompetent decisions Rates too high Focus on the wrong thing
It’s a matter of trust in the people who are elected to the city council
Lack of communication. Council website is somewhat clunky and needs revitalising. Lack of long term planning and funding of infrastructure especially water. Council members see unable to work with each other and compromise when necessary.
See above: money wasted on beautification that needs to be spent on waterways
In general we do not know what and what decisions are being made
Councillors are not being led by local preferences on issues, but instead putting forward their own personal wishes, disregarding the effects on many citizens. e.g. taking out many car parks, both in the city, and suburbs to cater for hardly used cycleways. Destroying businesses which rely of accessable parking nearby and ready access to medical facilities for disabled citizens.
It appears the council has an agenda which does not address the concerns of the majority of its residents
They are trying to balance culture/art/look and feel and infrastructure. Years of under investment by consecutive councils on the under ground pipe work is coming home to roost. They are doing their best, I hope.
I told Wellington Water about a nearby leak; it took 6 months to have it fixed. The leak occurred twice more before it was completely repaired. If WCC has oversight of Wellington Water it needs to improve a lot.
Lack of transparency and poor rationale for decisions
Council seems to be at odds with itself, and too many decisions by the Green-leaning councillors don’t seem to be in the best interests of our citys future.
It appears that Council is not briefed properly by its staff - I have heard of at least one case where important information was released to councillors only the day before they had to make a multi-million dollar decision.
Decision making process is skewed in favour of personal agendas. Consultation feedback is largely ignored in favour of personal agendas. Council perceptions of what is best for the city are at odds with most of the community.
There has been a lack of transparency by the council on its processes and decisions including commitments of very large funds to multi-national corporations. Read the main story in The Post on 14 February 2024 for more details.
Because when you take part it seems more like box ticking on your part rather than mutual participation. Questions aren't really taken seriously and the engineers when it comes to roading get rid of you as soon as they possibly can. My wife generated a petition about road surface along the Esplanade in about 2016/2017 but never received a final answer to her questions. It just disappeared in the whirlpool. Who knows what happened to all the suggestions at the townhall meetings for the original cycleway. The earthquake risk assessment on old local buildings kills the owners and its not them that fail, not even that old abandoned pub on Adelaide Road, oh dear no, it's the modern buildings on the waterfront. The Newtown residents that tried to talk to the council about intensification got short shift.
There is too much of a partisan approach reflecting an Americanisation of politics. ��
I am unaware of the decisions they made until they are presented, and perhaps they need to sell them to us. Explain why they made these decisions a little. Explain the down side (spending on X means not spending on Y) but justifying it in a sentence or two.
Many councillors on the WCC have lost touch with civic and fiscal reality, assuming they ever were in touch.
The city is being destroyed by green agenda politics
It appears that the wishes of the population about transport are being ignored, especially re bike lanes.
The council appears not to be listening to what the constituents want. Plenty of survey results that ask for one thing and the council has regularly just done the opposite
Too much squabbling and vanity projects taking attention and resources needed for core services and infrastructure.
be brave. commit to changing the city so that it is suitable for the challenges of the 21stC (diverse transport, more affordable housing, encouraging dense housing developments for people of all means). stop wasting money on white elephants (the town hall), fix the pipes & take as much of LGWM that remains and build it. we can't wait for another 2 decades for this city to become the place it claims to be — that we’re otherwise proud of. the progressive (green, socially, community minded) councillors need to step up!
Because we will be bankrupt in 10 years if they continue. We need targeted projects not grandiose idealistic schemes that are not accurately costed.
I believe they are acting in the best interests of rate payers
I have no idea what decisions get made but from what I hear and see they don’t seem to be what’s best for everyone rather political and based on what was campaigned on
It's hard to find out exactly what is going on, and the impact to me, in a timely way. It's hard to discuss this and provide my input in a meaningful way. I think conversations in this realm get dominated by "the usual suspects" I have appreciated it when there are opportunities to head down to the library or community centre to learn about what's going on, and discuss it. But this appear to be infrequent and irregular. For those of us who work and have other things going on in our lives, this makes it harder. Also, my Councillors have different views to me, I don't feel that I can go and talk to them about what I care about.
It doesnt seem to be constructive debate and listening to each other
No matter what most of the public say, no notice is taken
The consultation for karori cycleway was a joke
Because nothing I've ever tried to tell them has worked so I've given up.
Because the council are just paying lip service the people are NOT listened to.
I think earthquake strengthening requirements are leading to the loss of much of our heritage buildings and are far too stringent.
Too much money wasted on green issues get the water pipes fixed
the council is made up of inept councillors, who put their party politics ahead of the city, have no appreciation for rate payer money, and the mayor is an alcoholic.
The council has proceeded on a number of projects that the public were not happy with including Get Wellington Moving, Spending money on the Civic Building repairs ( which by the way continue to increase) The buses changes of a few years ago , and the pipes
I don't know how we get councillors that will work together for the good of the city. I also want councillors who will be brave decide to uplift rates to pay for infrastructure.
I cannot participate in any consultation as you film it all and due to the role I play I cannot have my face and address put together. I did ask that I not be filmed and the Council said no, they did not even listen to the reasons. I sit in Court and cheerfully deal with all your by law prosecutions and the many disorderly offences I do not want an aggrieved defendant knowing who I am as I walk round town or where I live.
I have attended a number of so called ‘consultations’ I get the feeling they are only being held to tick a box and not change anything. The council just want to tell us they have consulted. I attended a one on one consultation where the people asking the questions were rude and hid behind computers. Far too much money is being wasted. We do not need the library restored. The libraries around the city and suburbs are more than adequate. I use them all the time plus their online facilities. Fixing roads and leaks is ridiculous with the number of worker’s spending hours standing, sitting or even lying down with cellphones in their hands. The town hall project is out of control. Trees rather than an expensive playground on the foreshore would be money better spent. Have I mentioned the leaks??? Also parks constructed for dogs with expensive fences round them!!! Please stick to essentials.
The council may ask for the public's view on issues but them disregards them
Making closed door decisions isn't how a well functioning democracy works. What was council thinking in regards to Reading Cinema??!
This is only through the media, but it appears there is some friction between councillors and between council staff and councillors. A constructive working relationship must be maintained in the interests of the city. The city is here for much longer than any one councillor or mayor.
Karori cycle lanes community was consulted and ignored - the plans driven forward by people not living in karori
I don't like the way local politics get in the way of doing what's best for the city.
They are thinking ahead for the long term even if it isnt always the most popular decision for today
They ask for public input and ignore it. Especially the cycle ways which might have worked if the reading problems had been addressed first but have destroyed large areas of of the city
They appear to make their decisions without taking into account the wishes of the citizens. T
Having attended various meetings about the future of the suburb I can see that decisions are made in the way that the Council wants to make, only paying lip service to the stated needs of the people
The Council have completely ignored feedback on cycle lanes and gone ahead with them anyway.
They are not looking after our interests. Just niche areas.
They've obviously made some pretty bad decisions with the city infrastructure which presumably has not seen to be 'sexy' enough to put money into at each stage along the way. So I think Council has alot to answer for in that respect.
A lot of discussions with no clear decisions and some decisions are stupid
The council structure is a mess and a few councilors and the mayor seem to dominate and push their own agenda
Because they keep doing things like cycle lanes that barely any cyclists use, majority of the city don’t want and have been very loud in saying this - then they all still cycle on the blimmen road anyway, and don’t address real issues in the city. Continue to destroy Courtenay place and Lambton quay, by destroying car parks and killing off retail because no one wants to go to the city in the weekends anymore. Then we have the alcoholic mayor sashaying around the city boozing up at all the bars - get back on track sis and do some work like you told us you would.
Spend too much on what I consider to be the wrong things. Making illogical decisions - if I am correct in my memory, the Council chose a more expensive option to refit the library rather than the cheaper option to rebuild. And since the library has a temporarily functioning alternative, might it be wise to redirect that money to the water system?
The Council does not listen to the peoples opinions
In part because I feel that the current councillors and Mayor hear and understand my concerns and the council staff work hard to be fair. I have concerns about policy changes the new Government is imposing on councils - more roads, less work on climate emergency, active transport and protecting the environment. I have concerns about who may replace Tamatha Paul on council
They seem to argue a lot and don't give prior notice about the issues in a transparent way. J feel we are lobbied by 2 opposing teams and given a biased summary of the options ahead
because they consult the public and then do what they want anyway .... the consultative process is just to tick the box and nothing else
council appears to create opportunities but ignores the responses and carries on with its own agenda
I don't think council has the right priorities. We need water infrastructure fixed before town hall renovation
I'm engaged, so informed enough to be more active if I want to be. I'd reflect that some of the counsellors do not act credibly or in the best interests of the city, but that is outside council control
Because they don't listen to experts. Anyone with half a brain knows the old town hall is built on reclaimed land. Putting new piles down into a bog was always going to be fraught with issues. There are times when you have to let go of the past, or adapt the plans to reflect the past, but look to the future. The $$ being sunk into the town hall is a disgrace. That & many more $$ besides should have been going for infrastructure. Like renewing water pipes.
I usually find out what Council has decided by reading the Dominion ie what has been leaked. I would like to see more transparency with the Council and the rate payers
I’d like council to get on with doing things rather than spending so much time discussing, and publicly arguing
Consultation when there is a preordained outcome is unwise. Lack of transparent governance A green agenda that dominates consultation feedback Business's are being destroyed
Council needs to prioritise urgent items, ie water leaks and put cycle lanes on hold. Leadership needs to be strong. Leaders need to recognise that they are public figures and act accordingly. Council needs to recognise that they did not get a huge majority and assess what the city wants. It is very time consuming to use public transport to go from a northern suburb across the city. Public transport should be improved before investing in cycle lanes. When residents are surveyed they council needs to take note and not ignore results.
Because the decisions seem To be influenced not by input from residents but rather by council staff a lot of the time I know there is a shortage of funds but.water problems and sludge problems are a disgrace Citizens can’t understand chaos and competition among councillors either .!ait is a tough job but!!
They do not consult with the general public (rate payers) about building more cycle ways
I think councillors vote on party lines without considering the good of the city I think they should pay more attention to infrastructure and how the city functions and less to comms and public relations
too much squabbling amongst councillors; too much politics; not enough transparency
You say you consult but you then dont listen.
Because of think the Council has a lot of priorities, but it doesn't think about the impact on people. The problems with the water pipes are something they could have avoided, but they have spent so much money on some many of things that they could have put delayed while they attended to something that is critical to the city. We need water and situation the city is stuck in is appalling.
Easy! You’re not listening to the people. You say you do but you don’t. You just do your thing.
I don't believe that input from processes like this is reflected in council decisions
some council matters are discussed with media which is unhelpful as media interest is to spin but that damages both those councillors and council
For example, why did WCC wait sooo many years before starting to address the water pipe leaks and water loss!
We seem to be an after thought! I will see a road being dug up and then the notice comes through the door about the new cycle lanes ! When the town plan was drawn up a few years ago, no one came to talk to us about the plans for Thorndon and getting rid of some old houses for higher density living with very little thought as to what it’s like living in the dark for all of winter let alone having more buildings in the gloom! It was by chance that I happened to come across a ‘have your say ‘ form on the website and then after word got out the council went to public consultation and had to backtrack some of their decisions. Their process is not a process ! I just cannot see how you can prioritise building cycle lanes over fixing Wellington’s water problems - I can only assume the council was trying to meet some bogus emissions target rather than worrying about wasting a great resource called water!
I don't know what the process is, but it isn't delivering good outcomes at this time in my opinion.
Too many middle-class spoilt brats involved. Councillors need to live and on the street and go hungry as part of their "training" . The terrible waste of money on the over-designed, 3 artificial, twee concrete channels and "sheep yards" entrance (with no problems over the previous 33 years with access) at Warwick Street park is an excellent example, The play area at Nairn Park in Khandallah is still loved after 20 years the same. Budgeting means "NO money!!! -not being spendthrift.
I think their decisions are influenced too much by a vocal minority and there doesn't seem to be any mechanism which asks them to justify their decision
Not working on critical fundamentals and spending money on non vital programmes
prioritizing cycle lanes, pedestrian crossing in Kilbirnie could have been an overbridge for the same cost
Decisions are made and we are not informed eg Reading complex and extra funds needed for underground work on the Town Hall
We get asked, we tell them, they read what we say, IN FACT THERE HAVE BEEN GREAT NUMBERS THAT ARE TOTALLY DISATISFIED BY THE DECISIONS SOME OF THE COUNCILLORS AND MAYOR HAVE MADE NOT ALL OF THEM...JUST THAT LOT THAT DO WANT THEY WANT TO DO AND TO HELL WITH THE MAJORITY. So, what is the point in us actually giving our opinions on what we want to happen in our city IT JUST A COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME. I really dont even know why I am completing this survey it will be as it usually is completely ignored and deleted.
because I haven't taken an active interest so am not really qualified to give an opinion
Council is not using multiple platforms to get messages regarding consultation out nor doing enough local suburb based consultation. Non urgent issues are being prioritised over urgent issues such as water.
I don't believe consultation with the public is genuine
I feel excluded from the decision-making process, as I only become aware of decisions after they have been made, typically through news sources such as TV or online platforms.
Need I say cycle lanes vs repairs to leaky pipes. And what sbout the narrowowing of Kenya Street or the stupid round abouts by Bombay snd Myesore Streets, arrgh
It would seem that some councillors are not given the chance to voice disagreement safely
One example of a poor decision we're dissatisfied with sis the Reading cinema deal where the multi-millionaire sisters met secretly with the new Mayor. That $32million deal, which seems to be a complete waste of tax payers' hard earned money - why?
The mgmt of WCC appear to think they're running a private corporation and don't need to be open and transparent - there appears to be a lack of accountability and willingness to misrepresent costs and issues
council polls ratepayers and does what they want regardless
It lacks transparency because council are complacent and lazy when it comes to informing Wellingtonians. The lack of diversity in its staff does not help the situation either. Why have we had only one Pacific councillor ever?
They seem to be a secret society and not enough information is given out to the Public for consultation until the decisions have been made.
Too much emphasis on politics and listening to single viewpoints, not considering the overall needs of ratepayers.
They totally ignore public feedback. The Town Hall is a debacle and the Central Library will be no different.
They hold secret meetings. Force through their own agendas and do not listen to what the rate payers are saying. FIX THE PIPES.
The decisions to prioritise expensive projects over fixing basic maintenance and then expect rate payer to just agree and foot the bill accordingly is frustrating. Whilst future proofing a city is beneficial, getting the basics right is an integral part of a well maintained city.
Patch protection and infighting plus political interference. Let’s get Wellington…making consensus decisions?
Obvious devision amongst councilors. Process seems a bit hidden at times
It appears that you ask for feedback and largely disregard it and do what you want regardless. Our disastrous cycleways and the golden mile are examples. No lessons are learned from prior mistakes. Rongotai road looks like a slum with cars parked on the grass median strip as a result of poorly thought out and incredibly unsafe cycleways. Island Bay all over again
They undermine decisions and fight internally. Insufficient business experience on Council. Spending not properly controlled
Decision making is opaque and the citizens are being treated like idiots by people who do not have enough courage in their decisions to come and face negative feedback and overcome objections.
There seems to be a lack of consensus and understanding that infrastructure and planning for the future is the most important issue for the council right now. Too much infighting and a lack of confidence and leadership
bike lanes in karori were strongly opposed but went ahead anyway at great cost. Schools were visited and students encouraged to make pro bike submissions on WCC site
The Council has frequently ignored the wants and needs of our community and seeks only to pursue their own agenda.
The decisions seem to be good, I like the mayor.
It seems to have splintered into factions which creates secrecy and lack of communication. I think there are too many "other" agendas that donn't have a lot to do with council business
Councillors do not act as a group with the whole of Wellington's best interests at heart. They promote things that they have personal support for or barter with other councillors for votes. I know from my involvement in making submissions to council, and hearing the committee discussions, that decisions are made despite what members of the public say. Council Officers also have definite points of view and at times, give advice that is ill-informed. There is little sound debate around things that really matter and meeting documents are un-manageable. How can anyone read and understand 1000 pages of agenda?
They call public meetings so they are able to say they have consulted the citizens but take no notice. Eg Kilbirnie bus hub, pedestrian crossing lights on Cobham Drive , cycle ways in Kilbirnie.
Too many personal projects and voting on party lines. A complete disregard of Wellington consultation recommendations. Publicly deaf to request for information
It is driven by populism, individual politics and not long term considerations
They often put out information for people to comment or give feedback on.
Because a noisy minority have to much of a voice and the rest of us are too tired to fight their rubbish and hope that common sense prevails. Unfortunately it frequently doesn't work that way
Councillors engage in too much infighting and have not found a way of working together. Mayor is disengaged, does not know her job and is not participating in vital meetings.
Too much consolidation, spending money and nothing changes.
I don’t feel the council makes fully informed decisions or that they sample a large enough group of people to the honest opinions
The council calls for submissions but ignores the feedback.
They don't seem to take local peoples views into consideration e.g. the council decision to take away car parks on Johnsonville main street. Cycle lanes in Johnsonville and are hardly used by cyclists.
Very little consultations Even when it was done, they decided not to follow what the community wanted !
An inexcusable situation with our water supply. Access and safety for the elderly and disabled is not good.
It’s a difficult job and local councils are not funded adequately
we wouldn't have the problems of budget blowouts on eg town hall and new library, water woes and bad behaviour if WCC actually did something about these issues
The secrecy around the Reading cinema future, and providing council funding for to a wealthy international company. No idea how decisions are made around prioritisation of water leaks, road fixes.
Council don't listen to ratepayers. There are too many people on council pushing their own agendas to the detriment of the city and its citizens. The council and Mayor are dysfunctional and need to be replaced by an independent Commissioner.
I’ve experienced an open, collaborative, responsive and resourcing council this year.
Lack of long term plans re water infrastructure Poorly planned new developments
council completely disregard what residents say, even when asked for feedback for different projects
Insufficient information for ratepayers, often Council session are closed, councillors don’t take into the views of ratepayers into account adequately, councillors are not unified in the best interests on the city but spend too much time fighting with one another.
Probably because I don't agree with their prioritisation and don't understand their process for prioritising key civic issues.
The Council has not given enough focus to the issue of the leaky pipes and the water crisis. As a rate payer I am appalled that rates are rising at a totally unsustainable pace and the council seems to think it is ok to continue to with another huge rate increase next year. While I like the extra cultural activities and renewal of suburban centres the time has come to change focus and only focus on the absolute necessities such as water, sewerage and rubbish collection and safety. We can no longer afford the extras such as Gardens magic, Cuba Dupa etc. Wellington will become unaffordable and the city will decline if the rates increases continue. Projects such as the upgrade of Khandallah pool are totally unaffordable and would only benefit a few residents. The council needs to be responsible and make the hard decisions so the basic requirements are met and the rates increases are ones that residents can actually afford.
You have a political party that controls council - how can you think the council is effective when it doesn’t let councillors express their opinion- the deputy major has tried to take disciplinary action against members that have disagreed with the major - our council and mayor are an embarrassment
I feel the Councillors make decisions based on their own agendas, rather than the good of the majority of the city. There is too much influence from Government party affiliated Councillors trying to push their agendas that only meet the needs of a small group of people. The whole LGWM shambles, the push for new cycleways etc These had strongly worded feedback AGAINST them and the Council still pushed ahead with them. You have focussed too much on and spent heaps of money on events and things that will benefit those in the city and close suburbs, that those of us further north feel alienated and forgotten about. Cycleways and events in the city only benefit those in the city - what about the rest of us. Your Councillors need to think bigger than themselves
They have the job of balancing books, liaising with central government and other agencies on a diverse range of areas such as commerce, transport, emergency planning, etc. Because I don't always agree with the process/outcome I'm not totally satisfied but do understand some of the strictures placed on making decisions solely for the benefit of Wellington.
Feel that all viewpoints get a chance to be heard
You don't tell us anything, give an opportunity to voice our opinions, and if you do ... you don't listen. You are disorganized and ... you get the picture. Do better.
I am absolutely sick of tick box consultations which are written to get the answer the council wants and in which residents views are ignored
It’s slow, not transparent and generally the results don’t seem to be in the best interests of the community
Would like less consultation. The point of having elected representatives/officials is for them to make decisions, rather than consulting with everyone to the nth degree.
They pay lip service to consultations. Councillors keep infighting instead of trying to fix the city
The process is sound, and I frequently hear about it
There is a good level of communication and engagement. I don't agree with every decision but the process is fine.
There are plenty of opportunities to reach out and get opinions from the general public and I've seen feedback others have mentioned being implemented into changes and plans.
Well they care more about building cycle ways and infill housing rather than fixing the water and waste pipes that are in dire need of repair
Consultation is a foregone conclusion. Lip service only. Predisposition to bias
We need more radical change and density, and the council is unwilling to make this. Also, rates should be higher and council is the one to do this. Things need fixing, and fixing costs money. People who own property already have the money, especially is valued over 1millon
there seems to be plenty of engagement and opertunity and surveys. Sadly though I rekon this gives a lot of baias, as i feel like i'm often the only one in support of new cycleways and inferstructure where everyone is encouraged to battle them on these surveys
Seem to be along the lines that we voted for
the council frequently makes unilateral decisions against the publics wishes
The council always takes a very long time to make decisions
Most decisions are transparent and communicated. Some decisions are in and of themselves poor.
Councillors are elected to make decisions – it's adequately democratic.
To some degree I don't know what that process necessarily looks like (so more of 'don't know'), but judging from some of the decisions e.g. around the town hall funding and cutting of community facilities it does make me question the effectiveness of the process - how often do the various councillors physically meet with the communities their decisions specifically affect?
It seems like the council often disagrees and is not tied to a strong shared vision for the city
I don't pay super close attention, but generally feel like they listen to residents and make choices that are evidence based and don't bend to lobby groups eg. local businesses (eg. anti-bike/pedestrian sentiments without evidence)
Generally heading in the right direction, but consultation is exhausting and unimpactful
Need to take into account need of all residents, renters and owners, as well as what future residents may need.
It's not clear the closed door discussions aren't transparent
Because the decisions ultimately benefit the few and often are illogical. A magic 8 ball would probably be more consistent and provide better outcomes for the city.
It is not very publicised, there doesn't seem to be much consultation or letting people know of what is happening.
Consultation process is a box ticking exercise. Surveys are designed to get the responses they want to hear only. People who disagree are just ignored. They are never given a reason why their concerns are being ignored. The council nexlver explains it's decisions. I am dissatisfied with the Reading Cinema debacle because I suspect money has been put aside for something we don't really need but the process lacks transparency.
Consultation materials are clear and explain what is happening. I am given opportunities and ample time to submit and helpful prompts to do so. I am given the opportunity to provide oral submissions. WCC seeks further community engagement on particular issues. Honestly it's pretty good! Haters gonna hate but I think the process is good.
Because they seem to do what they want even after lots of people give feedback saying not to do it
Sorry for taking a repetative tone here but I struggle to undertstand the rationale behind investing in cycle lanes when only a handful of prviliged people use them and barely no one on a windy/rainy day. Yet many of us continue to struggle to find car park around the city. I also don't understand why we are not building more multi level car parks and taking away prime spaces.
Not transparent and they don’t listen. Tells the public what they want and not upfront about matters that are unpopular i.e raising funds through paid parking; getting rid of parking spaces for bus lanes
we get informative material but i believe City council makes their own decisions
I dont believe it acts in the best interest of the city often enough. The govt, external pressure influence it too much i believe.
Conservative counsellors not supporting climate and socially positive initiatives in the city
Because democratic processes including public submissions are good
Again I feel that the council is doing the best it can with limited resources.
Because they aren't consulting the public enough. I have never been asked about airport expansions? Even though the polluting industry is going to be destroying my future.
Too much local feedback is solicited in ways that skew responses that are unrepresentative of Wellington and overrepresent reactionary opinions.
It seems to be a very passive process- its on the people to make time and energy to engage. we have to sign up to the emailing list, its not automatically done. most of the participation i've done has been because other locals put petitions or submission forms in local facebook groups. yall are only taking submissions from people who go out of their way to educate themselves and contribute, not actually seeking input from the actual general public. I also find it challenging on my adhd, but thats more a me thing.
Council values entrenched interests of those with time to submit over younger people just trying to get by. I would prefer council (and associated planning processes as set out in the RMA) take a more active role in soliciting a wider spectrum of views across the community rather than the typical retirees and residents associations
I don't feel the council does adequate research before making decisions, and often has to wind up redoing things cos they botched it the first time
Feels like the Council ignores most the public and it took an election to shit can the biggest burning money pile, the ironically named "Let's get Wellington moving" which in my experience equated to longer commutes. Top job team
Because we need to keep roosters in the cities
The independent housing panel is completely unrepresentative of the interests of the city and genuine expertise in housing economics. The planning and heritage processes are suffocating this wonderful city and making it unaffordable. We are going to fall further an further behind the likes of Auckland and Tauranga and even Christchurch as dynamic places that attract and retain businesses and workers
The consultation public meetings I attended, it was obvious that the decision had already been agreed to by council, and that the public meeting was a formality. This is at best devious practice and gives little credence to the community that bear the weight of council decision making
Often there is widespread opposition for some initiatives, yet the council pushes on like it's some vanity project.
The information given to Councilors is biased by Council staff and often just plain WRONG
Has recently surveyed the community about parking in and around Johnsonville and then the results were not used due to a technical issue.
to much party politics we need to make decisions for Wellington
Because they make stupid decisions and don't listen to public feedback
Council decisions are made with self interest in mind and Political Party doctrine in mind.
Because I don’t think the council is adequately democratic in its processes. I tired of endlessly trying to inform the council of the community’s opinions but outsiders of my community seem to override any local requests. I spoke to hundreds of people while canvassing during the elections and a huge majority requested no cycleways but even that has been overriden. We seriously need a decent bus hub. Getting people to wait on one of the coldest roadside to catch a bus is a health and safety issue. But none seems to care.
There is little time for public consultation sometimes. Sometimes there seems to be no public consultation.
If residents/hose owners had more of a say then we wouldn't have problems with leaky pipes etc. The council should be fixing basic stuff first. It never should have got to this point but now it has it has to be fixed. Spending money now on water meters rather than fixing pipes is ridiculous
We need more transparency and fewer expensive dinners out for the Mayor and the CEO. They are out of touch with how the people of this city feel.
Council meetings should be open. They should be streamed live so ratepayers can observe and ensure accountability from councilors. Council is too busy making things look good or pet projects than doing the right things for the city and ratepayers. Interacting with the council is not easy and appears cumbersome in the modern age.
decisions are made with the lack of consultation
decisions are made pushing agendas that do not represent the majority of residents in my view. that is not democratic.
Expensive and ineffective, consider wants of small groups rather than greater community
fix the pipes! make the city somewhere that tourists and the community want to go (downtown looks awful - closed shops, drab), more parking options (affordable - no one wants to come in), cyclelanes good but also taking away parks. tram options would be good. Want to be living in the future and roads and public transport to be flash and modern
I view the council as a bunch of rich elitists who are in it to make decisions to line their own pockets. Such as Wellington housing panel members have millions in undeclared property interests. It doesn't inspire trust. Costs go up each year, results go down. You need to stop spending on arts and events until the infrastructure is solved.
Because the public is often excluded and, as we elect and pay the salaries of the council, they should not be making secret decisions.
They do not seem to protise the most important happenings under the Wellington City council
Inadequate consultation and Inadequate information to inform decision
Because you're wasting money on useless round abouts, cycle lanes and Golden Mile, City Hall revamps that no one wants
Too opinionated or not exoskeleton or informed enough to make the right decision for rate payers.
It still feels like priorities are wrong, and not all options are being clearly and reasonably looked at. Costs are being heaped on rate payers with the assumption this can be afforded, which is an incorrect assuption.
They ask for opinions but seem to have already decided
actually the process is probably okay if it was followed all the time. Consultations over Xmas period is a waste of time - people are on holiday, and it can be seen as devious to try and push something through. Council is quite divisive and I don't believe all are acting in the "best interests of the city"
cycleway projects should have never been given so much precedence
It seems that whoever has the slight majority view of elected councilors will always prevail, and elected councilors with different views and/or the public can and will be ignored
1) lack of transparency 2) inconsistent outcomes 3) no evidence that stakeholder feedback is incorporated 4) lack of innovation -- Proposed changes will kill Wellington
See my earlier answer about councillors prioritising themselves before the long-term interests of the city.
Consultation often feels like a process that can be ticked off and not something that will create change.
I see a bunch of short-term people, elected from a small pool of options, making decisions that give them the opportunity to stamp their name on something and by them some long-term relevance. Where are the bold, inspirational leaders who are willing to fall on their swords for the greater good. Where is the investment in having strong, long-term representatives who can master the craft of strong governance?
Not really clear on how they do this and need stronger community voice rom less privileged people
It seems that a lot of decisions are made in secret and are driven by non-elected Council officials
Council appears to ignore consultation and make decisions behind closed doors
Shouldn't be making decisions behind closed doors eg cinema site
The consultation process is barely legitimate in form, but definitely not in substance. Questions are slanted and drive people towards specific answers that deliberately twist the intent of submitter's answers. For instance, I have answered surveys where the question "do you think cyclists should be safe" was clearly directed towards a certain outcome: prioritising cycling over any other transport mode, regardless of utility and practicality. There were no follow-up questions about how cyclists should be made safe. It is unlikely that any respondents would answer that cyclists should be killed or injured; this was not an open-minded consultation. The results of consultations are ignored, and "technicalities" are used to ignore the voice of suburbs - neither Johnsonville nor Karori agreed with the traffic/cycleway proposals, but non-council surveys and petitions were ignored.
Yet again, signs of a fractious council. Really good for the city. Things done in secrecy at times. Signs of some councillors having a personal agenda.
When I complain I am ignored. When councillors object, they are ignored and threatened with legal actions to silence them. Indeed we have a dysfunctional council and mayor. I got charged rates on a sold property, and it took 2 months to get my refund ie wcc processes are broken
Their priorities are wrong. We need to focus on basics like the pipes before we prioritise cultural and arts and social things.
some of the decisions made are not wise or agreed to by majority of council - seems to be split opinions
They don’t consider the financial impact they have on residents. Rates have increased substantially over last 5 years.
Because I hear discontent about the cycleways having priority over fixing the pipes.
Because the financial management is abysmal and the Mayor is an alchoholic who doesn't turn up personally to enough meetings.
You are good at asking people for their opinions but you don't listen to those opinions. You have already made up your mind and do it as a token gesture making like you care what the public think. I.e. traffic lights in kilbirnie on main road to airport. People stop giving an opinion as what's the point - you only listen when it suits you
They take absolutely no notice of public opinion, sliding out of any changes to their own opinions by nullifying opinions on ridiculous grounds. Not answers to our questions, so opinions don’t count.
Sometimes it's done in secret so not using democratic process
Council bickering and factionalism. Cohesive leadership and a clear “face” of Wellington is lacking.
Because councilors are making decisions based on Green Party and Labour Party ideology, not on what's best for the city
Nit enough effort is made to keep people informed. They need to be proactive and more informative. There also needs to be some empathy regarding hikes in rates and extra costs like the sub fee or whatever it is for the sewerage project. I can barely afford the fees and my mortgage this is very poor timing by the council just appalling. Are there no emergency funds put away for a rainy day????
I don't believe they actually listen. There are probably too many of them to listen closely to our needs or too many to come to an agreement. I referred to my 4 year request for a safety zone outside the Malvina Major apartments. The Council is not listening to the residents who live here and see near misses on the Burma Rd area where there are no crossings close by for two large apartment blocks. Keeping to Council rules and guidelines just for the sake of it suggests a one size fits all- it clearly doesn't fit here in our case. One day very soon someone will be killed on this road and the Council might then act. Is it really all that difficult to do what they (Council) said they 'would look into' last year -it's more urgent than yet another cycle lane.
There are bike lanes all over the place, making it very hard for pedestrians, cars and buses to navigate the narrow streets. The water pipes are long overdue for being replaced. Use of the term "earthquake prone" infuriates me: in many cases these buildings have withstood many earthquakes; while they may not meet the current building code, they're not "earthquake prone".
They don't listen to the residents of the city!! The council has made a mess of this city now by not listening

Do you have any comments you would like to share with us about the governance at Wellington City Council? [optional]
Some Councillors are not "professional" enough......Citizens living in Wellington expect far greater accountability from Councillors and officers.
Can you share more about governance and about the councillors in the quarterly brochures and on website. It's hard to trust they are making good decisions if we don't know much about them and what they actually do.
Govern more like central government, publish a budget, prioritise what the city needs over what a single counciller or sub-set of councillers want. End the pet projects and nice to haves and concentrate on the basics of what makes a city run.
I was a three waters supporter, so not having this go forward was very disappointing. It seems we just don’t have enough money to fix our infrastructure issues as well as create a modern up to date city in line with the rest of the world.
I believe council does the best it can for the people of Wellington
Reduce the level of rates increases! The governance of Wellington City Council is good in theory but not so good in practice.
I feel the council overall is doing a good job during difficult times but would like them to pressure Wellington Water to get organised. I would be happy to give more information re my Wellington Water experiance if you require it
Poorly managed! Fix those water leaks already before you build another speed bump or take out parking spots for a bike lane that not many people uses.
Get on top of your governance responsibilities re Wgtn Water. Make it your business to find out what they are doing. Don't just take pot shots like Cr Matthews. If you don't trust Wgtn Water, get on top of it. Employ a water engineer perhaps as an advisor and fewer Comms people (who for ages were describing the folk at Wgtn Water as 'our friends'). Too much spin and fake cheeriness in your Comms. I don't want a new best friend. I just want the facts.
Listen to the people and be honest, let people know the true results of surveys.
Community consultation processes have become increasingly superficial over the years. I can understand the frustration that too many community groups were not being captured by consultation methods, but questionnaires and constrained response field consultation methods now common feel like a cynical response. Alternative consultation methods eg. invited workshops (with some kind of koha for participation), liaising with community through schools, neighbourhood street corner meetings perhaps even - might be ways to overcome the limited demographic who respond to traditional consultation methods. These are obviously expensive but consultation doubles as information distribution and community building activities.
Paying extra rates for declining services kinda sucks. While I understand deferred maintenance must be paid choosing the most expensive options for the civic square area hurts.
Council desperately needs proper support to enable strategic investment decision making
I have experienced discrimination and been slandered and gossiped about
Extremely appalled at the recommendations from the IHP on the District Plan. Completely untethered from reality, evidence and basic math, and council staff have clearly failed the legislative requirement under the UDA to appoint a panel with economic knowledge. The panellists who had undeclared conflicts of interest need to be reviewed by the Auditor General and ideally never get trusted with governance again.
The Council (mayor and councillors) need to get together and form a cohesive plan for the future. Staff are great though.
Please devolve more decisions to the community. More citizens assemblies, participatory budgeting etc
You need to cut the number of councillors. You need to decrease their salaries. You need to clean up the city. Fix the water pipes. Forget about the bike lanes. Get rid of the hardly used bike lanes on Kent Tce and Cambridge Tce…. They are causing unnecessary traffic congestion. So so bad!
Ben (the councilor) is awesome, providing great commentary on Reddit, keeping people up to date. No idea about his political leaning - but more information for the people is always better.
Very little governance experience and no transparency. When information is requested it is often provided in a format that appears deliberately difficult to interpret. Financial, business and property acumen is lacking. Too much idealism and not enough realism. Get councillor performance assessed and published so we as ratepayers and voters can decide who is competent. No desire on part of Council to work with business or property owners except for regulatory reasons. No understanding of financial implications of Council decisions. Senior management team seems to come from other council or government organisations. Get some private sector people in there who understand performance outcomes and timeframes. Too much weight given to non-ratepayers who don't have to pay for idealistic decisions. Ongoing rates increases are driving people away from Wellington City. Ratepayers are not an endless bank account for Council to tap when it wishes to pay for idealistic projects. Council has ground rent income but wastes it. Council should get rid of all Social housing as this is a central government function and WCC ratepayers are being double taxed.
I would love if Wellington could get another say in whether we rebuild the town hall or not. So much money is getting poured into that building when we don't NEED it. It's just a Heritage Building.
People don't really know what decisions are being made or how. I think the council needs to communicate a lot more, especially to those who may not be well-versed in technology, or may not have strong literacy skills/high levels of education.
It seems like the council does not always act in the best interest of the city as it could have negative repercussions on their perception or a specific councillors term. It seems as though some long term investment has been postponed to prevent rate increases but is ultimately costing more.
I don't really visit the council website or libraries for information, so meeting me where I do go (social media, news sites, bus stop ads) may be better for information dissemination
Given how they handle everything else I don't trust them at all to hold my personal data
Need better communications! Council website I sometimes find quite difficult to navigate, sometimes I find myself on a page then when I try find that page again I can't find it but find all these other pages and its confusing! Also think need more comms to a wider audience about essential things such as water restrictions
Need to do better. WCC needa to prioritise spending on critical issues such as the water pipes and anti-social behaviour in Manners St.
I just don't know very much about it, so I don't feel qualified to answer most of these questions (which is why I selected I don't know)
I feel sometimes like there's too much consultation. The status quo bias seems enforced by the ability of people to at the last minute pretend they weren't consulted, to have the process of getting anything done slowed down again by more consultation. I like being asked what I think, but I don't think most of us are qualified to input into a lot of decisions, and I think generally the experts know what they're doing. I've got more faith in hired rather than voted-for public servants, and I think a lot of pushback on council projects is made by overly emotional old men who feel like they're losing the ability to exert control over others.
The councillors are completely dysfunctional
with the cycle lanes it seems the council tend to not care about the community's say/wants submitted
I don’t know where to start. My previous comments state a few things I’m unhappy about as a multiple rates payer and nbotm and raised proud Wellingtonian. The council is degrading the pride we should have. Disgusted with a lot of the decision making. Just seems to really lack common sense and that’s the scary part when sense is no longer common in the officals that run the show. Obviously the basics aren’t sexy enough to win the votes so we get vanity promises with no one bold enough (as councillors) to really stick their necks out and say enough ls enough, bring full transparency to the people so we know what’s going on and can vote in the light, not the dark.
On the previous questions: I believe that Council is proactive in informing residents about their City - yes, however, I don't think Council is proactive in informing residents about how it makes its decision, or the detail of the decisions it makes, or in some cases, why they came to a certain decision.
stup playing politics and trying to get one up on each other and get shit done
Maybe in the next major comms some light refresher info on how decision making works could be useful for the community.
I believe the Council has a political and cultural agenda that does not reflect the Wellington community nor its interests and needs.
It’s at an all time low - I have zero confidence in our mayor and council to drive the city forward
Your more concerned with your rate payer paid lunch than furthering wellington as a city.
WCC needs a science advisor that is present at all meetings, and can advise on the current research in discussed topics.
The city needs to build massive new housing options if it is to home the large increase in the population and get house prices back under control.
It would be great to have a section of the WCC website that has a more dense list of links. The home page is fine for the most common use cases but it can be annoying to dive through 4 links to hit a page that you know you want.
My child was victim of data breach by WCC libraries (letter with child's details sent to another patron)
There seems to be strong reluctance to make decisions about hard issues facing Wellington. As a city, Wellington feels tired, old and crumbling with chronic infrastructure problems. Addressing these is critical. A political legacy is not about tenure but rather the ability to make hard decisions that set the course for significant improvement.
Stop having closed doors meetings. We hate you for it as we don't trust any of you to start with. Adding secrecy only shows you can't be trusted to do what is right for the city.
Very poor governance - city is a national laughing stock.
Recommend a downloadable app through which to communicate with public about upcoming decisions as well as events (with settings to limit or enable notifications for subjects people are interested in). I've never seen the quarterly brochure and I don't regularly check websites.
The idea that some of you entitled moronic fucks think that being able to attend your rich a-hole events at the town hall is more important than transport or water infrastructure is nothing short of infuriating and a perfect example of why you should get the hell out of politics as having one's head that far up one's own arse is obviously an incapacitating condition; and that you'd be so fucking stupid as to tell the media that you'd make such a trade-off in light of the water infrastructure crisis is mind-boggingly dumb, but in addition to the other terrible attributes self-awareness is one you seem to lack. Do NOT take money from cycle lanes to complete the town hall -- or prioritise that over the former; the town hall is a 'nice to have,' transport and water infrastructure is not, I wouldn't think I'd need to explain that to anyone over the age of about 5, but apparently we've managed to get some real fucking morons on our council who don't understand that, you know who you are and can feel (I hope) properly ashamed of yourselves for your imbecility. A by-election's cost would be worth it to be rid of such dead weight and incompetence, loathe as I am to waste more money, at least we'd be able to move forward.
Have a spine and stand up to NIMBYism in this city. Build for the future generation. Have some vision.
I think that council should engage in greater direct democracy and citizen assemblies and give communities a greater voice in the decisions that affect them
I am disappointed in what seems like a minority of councillors trying to undermine the democratically elected majority through the media
STOP 'FIXING' ROADS THAT ARE FINE. The bike lanes are a good idea in theory but the way cambridge/kent tce has been executed has been utterly ridiculous. Why was the center park of that entire road not used? Why was that not used as the drop off/pick up point for busses, adding more sheltered areas and creating a hub for public transport on that side of town? We could see a boom in businesses around there but instead we lost majority of carparks for a way too big bike lane on one side of that road? Kick the unnecessary amounts of car sales yards out of those streets and bring some more accessible businesses and venues into those areas
I think the Councilors are doing an incredible job under difficult circumstances. I do worry about the health and well-being of them as people and have genuine concerns that some people in governance are not acting in good faith. Further to that, I feel there are some in governance who have been there past their time and find it grating when they comment in a way that suggests that current issues are not the result of decisions they made under their prolonged time in the decision-making seat.
Fluffy bits of what's on are easy to find, how much money successive councils have frittered away is buried deep, summed into meaningless totals or not available at all.
The website could do with a bit of a revamp. I often want to know about a) events that are on and b) parking, and that's not easy to find
I get my city council news from Ben McNulty's reddit posts and the WCC RSS feed. I'm guessing most people don't know about these channels but I find them really informative.
Issue i have is the various communication methods - understand that you need a varitey of methods to reach as many people as possible, but i miss information because its not clear where to find it i.e details about what on at rec centres/pools, not on website, but facebook pages but should i look at Keith Spry FB page or Wgtn Rec pools FB page? it gets tiring and makes me not want to engage with services
The council is good as asking residents for opinions on proposed changes, but it feels like then council just ignores those comments and does whatever they want anyway.
The pipes... I do think it needs to be a bigger focus. If WCC didn't trust Wellington Water with more than $2m then there is either a problem with Wellington Water being untrustworthy that needs to be resolved or a problem with WCC not trusting them... which needs to be resolved. So many leaks in a time of water restrictions. Festivals etc are lovely but not the top priority when fresh water is running out of the streets. I've put a few on Fixit as have my friends and family. Some are gushing litres and take ages to fix. I realise this is a problem of inadequate investment in ageing infrastructure for decades but really... it does need to take higher priority. Smaller festivals with less council investment (more business sponsorship??) might help?
Tory is great, I am sorry out sexist and racist NZ media hounded her for being human and enjoying our city.
Greater transparency in the final decision making around large projects.
Not good governance in light of money issues and water troubles
I don't know that I've been helpful on this topic as I don't always know what comes from city council and what's from higher up. I'm a bit ignorant.
More visibility from councillors after being elected. Door knocking over big neighbourhood consultations would include those who don't wish for their feedback to be posted online, are unable to attend local meetings when the occur and to ensure everyone has time to share their views.
Focused on the wrong thing and not listening to the public on certain issues
Figure out exactly how small the proportion of narrow-minded bigots is and get on with giving tangata whenua the rights over land, water, and governance they ought to have.
A) I’m so sorry about how shitty the mt Vic residents association is to you guys sometimes B) Simone is amazing C) I’m very engaged and understanding processes because of the type of govt work I do, but I’m not sure if it’s accessible to a layperson (and by definition I and many others participating in this self selecting survey are going to have a higher view of the WCC’s ability to communicate.)
There is too much public consultation and large projects go too slow.
I get some council news from scoop. Could more councillors write articles?
Roadside tree and flower plantation is required,
There’s lots of options to engage in district plans etc - I just don’t usually take them, even though I probably should. The quarterly mail out booklet is great though, I always read it - lots of good ideas for activities and events.
I am concerned about the state of the water system. The huge leakage rate suggests poor management over a long period of time.
My impression is that the council is very divided on several issues, particularly those to do with finance. The there is a matter of priorities. Some councilors seem to argue for cycleways regardless of cost and others for restoring the town hall. It is sad to see so much division and this must affect the quality of the decisions made.
Again, it feels like progress is frustrated by a handful of councillors who are more interested in causing trouble and stymying processes than getting the work done.
I'm concerned about the desperation of some councillors who get in the way of improving transport for pedestrians and cyclists.
Information flow outward is good but repeated requests for simple information were ignored by council officers until I got a liaison officer to ask on my behalf. The final answer was simple but the undertone was "go away, nothing happening here".
This council has an inability in most functions
Governance at Wellington City Council is demonstrably broken, with the evidence for this clearly evident to all citizens.
I guess Wellington gets what it votes for.
I want to put in a good word for our mayor, who is doing very well considering the circumstances we are now in.
I assume it's more of a rubber stamp. I doubt many spending decisions would pass a governance layer with business experience or fiscal responsibility
Councillors undermining council decision making when outcomes don’t go their way demonstrates a lack of integrity, and an attack on democratic process.
Sort the water leaks out - stop the cycleways until the water is sorted and I am a keen cyclist
Demonstrate to be flawed flawed, struggling and failing for decades. No improvement apparent.
Councilors need to work together and focus on the essentials of running the whole city, rather than local interests and 'nice to haves'.
The sending of PII in response to a LGOIMA request shouldn't have been possible.
Yes, I am so disappointed in the Council, especially our current mayor that I have now disassociated myself from the WCC and no longer will vote in the elections.
The governance of WCC is terrible. All the recent "code of conduct" argy bargy says it all. I own property in another council area in NZ. It's a modest sized district. I wish they could take over the running of Wellington. They are not perfect but overall they do a very good job. They have built cycleways in sensible places by a sensible process and these are now extensive. They are not motivated by an thinly disguised agenda to punish those that have to use a motor vehicle for their emissions, that are covered by the ETS anyway. The council runs events but these are largely funded by the accommodation sector, which is the main beneficiary from them.
Currently, governance decisions appear to be determined by those councillors who consider themselves to be socially aware and favour more equitable wealth distribution among citizens to spending on essential services.
There was no mandate over golden mile, cycleways, fixing quake prone buildings and the council staff look incompetent
Stop consulting, start building. Don’t let our dumbass hard neoliberal government privatise our public good facilities and services. Densify Te Aro. Densify Adelaide and run light rail down it.
Information shared by WCC is often not fully accessible. Often there is an assumption that everyone is online. If one is able to access WCC’s website, often information is not accessible, Maps, images, and document formats are not accessible and don’t meet NZ Government web standards. How are people to be informed, or make submissions when information is not accessible?
the water crisis. nobody had their eye on the ball. as the crisis emerged, and sewers started bursting through the streets: council staff assuring us that there were no fundamental issues involved. just "oops", not even "oops - our bad"
Governance at Wellington Council is not good at all in my experience in dealings with Wellington City Council
I find overt political party allegiances and involvement rather concerning
Hopelessly Incompetent at Governance and Senior/ Middle Management Level
Poor leadership shown over the water leakage debacle. 200,000 plus ratepayers but only 90 water tanks - got it wrong somewhere when the announcement was made in December. Should have anticipated the response better and got supplies in sooner. Mayor shoud have been more visible instead of silly activities at Gym - don't care about that.
Spend my money on fixing the pipes, not building rain gardens.
A more balanced and encourage business approach should be addopted.
Corruption! Incompetence! Stupidity! Ignorance! Arrogance! Immaturity!
Needs significant improvement. I know its a hard job, with lots of things going on, but you put yourselves forward for it so do something for the wider community and stop throwing our money away on the same old "consultants" who are just on the gray train and provide very poor advice for too much cost and are well past their use date, overpriced art pieces that only a very few can appreciate or enjoy, and concentrate on a few important thigs at a time. We will all survive if we don't have more cycle lanes, art and consultants to name a few things, but making Wellington a safe place with clean running water and decent public transport should be your only priority for now until it is sorted. Without these basics, Wellington is going to be a hellhole within the next 20 years, and everyone will have moved to Australia.
In general I think that council decision making appears overly long, complex and bureaucratic. There are reported issues with the delivery of timely and accurate information from council management. If that is true then that will undermine the quality and timeliness of decisions. I am also of the view that an unfortunate consequence of our democratic system is that we elect councillors who almost universally lack the experience and skills necessary to run a city efficiently and well.
Wellington needs a Crown observer, ASAP.
When is the mayor going to demonstrate the ability to get people to work together that she boasted about being good at during the election campaign?
Needs more emphasis on growth from overseas commercial organisations to establish business here in order to produce greater prosperity and employment opportunities.
Set aside personal agendas and focus on what’s important for a sustainable and affordable city.
Sack the lot and Minister should employ a Commissioner to manage the varied problems the city has
It’s naive to run for mayor or any political position if you expect your public behaviour will not be scrutinised.
Poor! WCC suffers from a lack of councillors who have the experience to make the decisions that are commercially acceptable to ratepayers.
It would be good if ward councillors actually came and talked to us.
The council's decisions now and for a number of years, and the priorities it holds, are disappointing and do not reflect the issues facing residents, residents' values, and in many cases, are worsening the quality of life for Wellingtonians. For example, a lack of action over freshwater leaks, sewage leaking into the local streams, constant roadworks that end up being redone a few months later, money poured into some heritage buildings while others are neglected to the point of forced removal etc.
Maybe community engagement could stepped up a little including understanding of CE process
Needs less left or right political agendas and more focus on core services for Wellington residents
It is abysmal, reflected in the wasteful spending of the council.
It is going to be a slow road to build back citizen trust.
The Mayor has a lack of transparency; she hides behind the 'personal' aspect. When you are Mayor, you are representing the city 24/7, and things are seldom 'personal' - particularly if you are 'putting yourself out there'. If the Mayor cannot lead and be transparent, then what hope is there for the Council?
Focus on whats best for Wellington and ensure that ratepayers are represented as equals.
I think it's pretty good and there is the law that you have to follow as well.
Do you really want me to say its piss poor? It might help if councilors took their role as representing everyone and not one special pet interest group more seriously.
Stop the in house fighting, get a sober mayor
Nothing comes to mind, largely because the council has the councillors it does because communities elected them (and so any issues arising from the often fractious mix of councillors in recent years is far from the council's fault). That said, I do wonder if council sometimes applies to far-off a lens to its decision-making with little regard given to managing or addressing the short to medium term impacts on Wellingtonians from such long-term decisions being taken.
Focus on the basics. We are not a wealthy city - let’s not act like one.
Are you guys still infighting? Are you all too busy trying to get your names onto vanity projects rather than getting things done to make Wellington livable? Are you busy fighting each and every idea from your team and dont see that wellington is slowly dying by 1000 paper cuts?
Please remind those working in governance who employs them and for whom they should be working.
Lack of governance over a number of years has led to this water crises.
The Council need to refocus on sorting out a programme of funding to reinstate our three waters infrastructure. Get rid of the old Town Hall instead of rebuilding it, stop street transformation funding and sort out the Second Mt Victoria tunnel which was promised back in the 1960's!
WCC is not managing our water resource sustainably and clearly has priorities in other areas. Fortunately reliability of public transport has improved since the restructuring of Wellington Transport.
Governance is poor and councillors do not understand their roles
The focus of this survey is wrong. It should be about the key issues facing Wellington such as the mis-management of the water system and the financial mis-management of the Town Hall, Central Library, Reading Cinema, Golden Mile, Lets Get Wellington Moving and other projects.
The waterpipe shambles says it all. No one takes responsibility. It wouldn't make any difference if it was a 6 year election cycle. The permanent staff are invisible or seem to do their own thing as they please.
Many councillors should grow up and learn how to count and get the basics done before any frills.
We need government appointed monitors. The current council is hopeless
Look. I support the whole bike lanes thingee but holy heck, you need to communicate it better and get those flippin' pipes sorted or you'll build resentment worse than what you're already dealing with.
It costs to much to process forms through the council. We are starting a renovation and the council cost are prohibitive.
There may be an opportunity to further engage on challenging issues. 1) vision 2) strategy 3) data 4) plan 5) engage with options & implications inc near-mid-far 6) engage to converge (the hard part as you are no doubt aware!
So I don't want anyone to be able to know my address or other personal details without my consent - but I am not sure this information is safe with the Council.
Ideological. Unwilling to change direction according to public views. Driving people away because of anti-car attitude. Know of people who have moved to Wairarapa and Palmerston North because of being fed up with Wellington's management and priorities. Public transport and ease of walking and cycling are not ever going to be same as in cities where the population is much greater and terrain flat. Cost of Ubers and taxis mount up very quickly and are not always available when required. Cars - esp hybrid and electric - are advancements on bicycles - for all ages, physical and health conditions, weather proof, carry more at once...efficiencies. Decisions influenced by singular-minded people - and often old-fashioned in fact.
It's hard to answer these questions, as I'm not super proactive about it. I'd rather the council emailed rate payers with important alerts, rather than rely on social media as I don't use it much. If they do email us, I don't get the emails. I'd prefer my information that way.
Rates rises scare and worry me. I don't know how much longer I'll be able to afford to live here.
I sometimes am concerned about the level of information given publicably.
This council is not transparent, at all, they dont listen.
The confirmed breach of code of conduct - particularly the councillors who slagged off others with no chance to respond because of confidentiality requirements - is a concern as it shows that some elected reps don’t hold to shared rules when it doesn’t suit them politically. More discipline needed.
I received a letter saying a number of noise complaints made about our house & when I contacted to ask about it (since very unlikely), they responded "I doubt we would have sent that but if we did we have no record of it". I don't think it would be malicious but seems records not a thing for WCC contact centre
Please stop printing wasted brochures. We can all be emailed and delete as needed rather than clogging up recycling bins. It is such a waste of money
Collaborative approach to decision making and less politicking.
listen to what the people of Wellington really want . As the council has taken more car parks away in areas in town ,small businesses have gone under. Gubbs is a good example of this. They lost the foot traffic needed to be viable and closed after fifty years. People don't want want all the car parks going from Lambton Quay but again the council won't listen. Yes -you will have less pollution but you will also have a dead inner City. People don't want cycle lanes -they want their pipes fixed . Water is more important!
My previous comments apply: I sometimes feel that leadership, teamwork and a sense of duty towards ratepayers and voters is lacking.
Community ignored - council has own agenda - money not put to things needed like infrastructure
Our council has failed the community it should be serving. Wellington was a vibrant interesting centre but is no longer. Shopping has moved to Porirua Petone and Lower Hutt. It is really sad.
I have no confidence that governance is as transparent as it should be.
well, I agreed to the roadworks in Karori (so I was "consulted" and thought they were a good idea), but had no idea that meant EVERY road in and out of karori would be clogged for hours at peak times at the same time. I sometime think the contractors are a problem. Clearly previous councils have done a terrible job on 3 waters
Do better. Stop WASTING rate payer money.
Please put on your practical hat and deal with immediate essentials. Reducing our carbon footprint by building cycleways is fruitless if we die of thirst.
For some decisions it seems that they are made to address philosophical beliefs rather than potentially the the best solution to the problem. Having watched some on-line council meetings I am surprised at the coming and going of councillors and their consequence awareness of the content of presentations.
Not governance specifically but access to communications. Glaring yellow on website is painful for people with vision issues like photophobia (sensitivity to brightness or glare). Producing documents in glossy hard copies or PDFs on website but not as simpler black text on white background without bright photos, and similar for read on website or as Word or RTF documents, would help with access to information. If people can't access information, they can't ask about them or vote or submit their views to consultation exercises.
Too fractured a council to get much achieved. Rates inequitably distributed. CEO has too much power.
Simone on the social media is a super star and deserves a bonus. She's so darn good.
I think there needs to be more community involvement in the decision making process. For instance I saw that the Master Plumbers want to contribute to solving the water issues. It is heard to see if the council is keen to do this or not.
I am very tired of the disunity in council and certain councillors’ tendencies to bitch about their colleagues for political purposes
I am unimpressed with Tory Whanau having such a strong Insta presence What is her view and what is the view of governance
Very concerned about council spending on unnecessary stuff while ignoring basics like water, drainage and pipes
New mayor needed and council need to listen to the public.
The problem is not that the council's publications are unclear. The problem is that everything which isn't published is a secret. Which makes basically everything a secret. Despite putting effort into tracking the Council, there are so many things I want to know about which I don't know about, and I am constantly being caught off guard by what does eventually get published.
Things just don’t seem to get done in a timely manner any more. I can remember when we first arrived here in 2013 that I could log a request and within a day or two there would be a response …. now you send a request and it disappears into an internet dark hole and may or may not get done until months later!
Fed up with cycle lanes being given priority over such things as fixing leaks. Can't see the need for road bumps as a speed deterrent when lower speed limits would suffice.
Need to control terrible waste of money e.g the replacement of my water toby probably costing seven to ten thousand dollars due to gross and appalling mismanagement - and no one in Council prepared to even care - and communication even just cut off after person lying.
I just know what I see on the news - Wellington City Council sometimes seems dysfunctional. I do like how the mayor accepts her issues and has had help and support around her. I do with everyone would work together to get infrastructure in Wellington sorted once and for all - even if it means cutting back on some 'nice to have' items - and focusing on the items that are 'needed' -
NZ generally does not have good data security laws. No one appears to do more than the legal minimum. Even DHBs are having breaches.
Replace the mayor and the majority of the council, we need action!
I think the public would like more transparency about WCC's decisions, especially on the massive expenditure items. We also want to have confidence that real experts have carefully considered the options with a view to keeping Wellington safe (from earthquakes and climate uncertain events), but also good and affordable for people of all ages, abilities, backgrounds, and incomes, to live in.
I have heard stories where WCC employees have leaked residents complaints to social media websites and political parties - seems privacy and information security is lacking?
Having Tory Whanau as mayor is heading in the right direction. I hope though that more effort is made for WCC to be more inclusive, more transparent with their processes and show a better mix of our community in the overall staffing at council.
The council seems to be going down hill since we got this new Mayor. She seems to lack accountability and is only interested in the Greens.
I don't know enough about the governance. I don't even know who the town clerk is. I am unaware of what goes on at Council meetings. I am unsure how Councillors vote or even what they are voting on. It would be good if we were all emailed about the issues under discussion at meetings and what happened at those meetings and how people voted so we know who to vote for in the next election. I find the info. we get before elections to be extremely vague and unhelpful. It is not easy to make a decision on who to vote for.
Too much focus on feel good projects or ones that benefit a specific group of residents instead of making sure infrastructure is properly maintained and reliable. Needs to be a rethink of priorities, and be more open about what is going on.
More governance training should be provided for counsellors.
Dont know enough about the governance systems to comment in full. But I observe a consistent high level of WTF'ery happening at a senior decision making level that causes me not to trust that WCC has the community's interest at heart in any way. I see younger reps being dismissed over age, I see older representatives that have outdated and opinionated focus, I see disregard for operational efficiency, and I see poor outcomes from poor decisions. I have no doubt that good people are doing some hard work in WCC and I'm very grateful for that. Unfortunately thats not enough to outweigh the sad things.
Governance needs to be balanced and without hidden agenda. I feel in this current council, not all councillors are showing 'fair governance' and act within their own rather than in the best interests of its public (who voted them in). Not all have been true to their word and it is an overall a disappointing collaboration. I feel the Mayor lacks knowledge of how to conduct and lead and therefore should resign (if she truly cares for progress) therefore making opportunity for someone capable to step up and do the Mayor's role to advocate for Wellington/Te Whanganui-a-Tara.
Terrible council. secretive and corrupt, not engaged, Mayor shows no signs of even wanting the job
The website is a challenge at times. I know certain information is available, but it can be difficult to find out where .
I am really angry about the way the present councils making decisions.
Based on how you treat water issues and consultation I have concerns about the amount of money spent on keeping information private - guessing not enough
It’s poor. Letters the mayor about officer decisions are not forwarded to the mayor if officers decide they are about management and not governance.
The process of governance may be robust, but it is the personalities within that process that cause issues
Very secretive in dealings and it is not done democratically
it time to deal with all the hard issues from ie water, transport and safety. Water meters would be a good start!
I appreciate the hard work and aroha of WCC in a time of change and challenge for our city. Please continue to lead with integrity and openness. Kia kaha!
I don't feel majority of the WCC councillors have the best interests of the city and its residents in mind when they make unrealistic decisions making changes that cost extraordinary amounts of money which should be spent first on the infrastructure repair and improvements
The Council needs to act in the interests of the ratepayers and they are currently failing in this respect by enormous rate increases and lack of action on the water crisis
It is important that local councillors keep in contact with their area to explain and discuss decisions.
Needs a complete refresh with review of spending and more accountability
The council routinely makes decisions I think go against the best interests of the city
Seems like councillors doing what they always do and blowing smoke up their own asses, greasing the loudest (and most time and money-rich) wheels, as with most councils. With a few good eggs. The hidden assets of the housing panel is utterly predictable (I assume there will be no consequence for these rich shot-callers, but I guess I could be surprised).
See earlier comments - the handling of the district plan has been abysmal.
I've never heard of this quarterly magazine, but I'm a big fan of the ever patient Simone who runs your social media
Check website informtaion, phone numbers lead to non-existent numbers.
Refer my concerns as earlier expressed. The council is dysfunctional. No evidence thst councillors understand their governance role.
The best communicator I've seen so far is Ben Mcanulty and open communication on the wellington subreddit. Even if I don't ways agree, the engagement is good.
Place more value in workers, allow their decisions to reach the top of the reporting line.
I hope that the Council can start making the not exciting decisions that need to be made for the city's future. Sometimes the council's process for getting feedback is a bit bizarre and a barrier to democracy. There was one where I had to deliver a written copy of my feedback to the council and the applicant... That seems inefficient and cumbersome.
Less infighting between elected members if possible. Everyone behaving like adults.
The quarterly publication seems like an expensive exercise. And it's just not very engaging.
I hope that wellington council pushes hard for expanding zoning (ie. make it easier to make denser housing), make it a pedestrian friendly city, continue to improve public transport (golden mile), and support/promote environmentally positive decisions (like the above).
I don't really know very much but I get info from WCC council LinkedIn which is always easy to access and digestible info :) would like more info about decision making and how people who live here can have input - I don't see that information as visible to me
A complete shambles, self interested waste of space
I didn't vote last election because I didn't think there was a clear favourite but I now regret that.
Keep up the good work. Kia Kaha! Keep taking us on a journey to improving our infrastructure and resilience against climate change and inclusive culture!
Seem to prioritise land banking and penalise poor/disadvantaged people by cutting services like the library- so many use the computers to study or get jobs
Not a comment on governance, but if you're reusing this quiz, one of the earlier questions is formatted incorrectly. No capital letter for 'disagree'.
More citizens assemblies would be so awesome! having a local area group and then a whole city wide (which you are already doing) would be great. But smaller ones in neighborhoods would be awesome :)
needs more proactivity and encouragement from locals- I think there's people out there who don't really understand that they actually can have a say? or that saying something means anything? because yall are quite aware there's plenty of dissatisfied people, but they never get further than facebook comments, and i think they should. I want to see people encouraged in engaging with their governance and understanding that that engagement has an effect. need more posting online about things coming up, submissions to be made, how the comment/submission process works, and advertising these specifically to residents and those impacted demographically (car drivers, bike riders, bus users for the roads; everyone needs to use toilets so as wide a net for that)
Lack of overview, lack of awareness, lack of ability to look at what has worked or hasn't worked in other cities around the world, lack of forsight
Please dismiss the independent housing panel and reconstitute it with a more balanced and representative panel of real experts
The council needs entirely new leadership, starting with the mayor.
Get rid of secret and public excluded meetings
I think the council has and continues to neglect issues related to health and safety. Put our water supply at the top of the list of needs.
I think being clearer about why all the pipes cant be fixed at the same time so that people aren’t getting so worked up about it all the time would be good
Before COVID I went to meetings to see candidates for the council for years. I voted for people I thought would look after the basic stuff as well look after "nice to have stuff". I asked questions. It didn't help. All councils should be made to spend most of their budgets on the basic stuff like water and sewerage infrastructure, rubbish collections, roads and facilities like public toilets and libraries.
The council appears to be driven by party politics rather than experienced people with the best long-term interest of the city as their focus.
More transparency. Be cognisant that you are representing the people of the city and respect that.
I do not have any confidence in Wellington City Council delivering good governance for ratepayers and citizens.
Very difficult at times now to differentiate truth from fiction because of biased reporting and toxic social media I think this is an issue that all Councils need to address/ combat and work with government on
Panders to the left, wastes money and wants more.
I’m concerned about some of the recommendations from the housing panel. I hope the Council will agree that we do need to increase density.
As far as I can recall there was no consultation from the city about the crosswalk change at Collins Ave / Coates Str in Tawa. And the change has been terrible. People are less safe now. Who makes these decisions? What data are they using to decide where to put crosswalks? Will there be a review of the decision?
Probably no better or worse than any other local government entity in NZ, but then the standard is woefully low.
It's awful. The latest rates increase along with the proposed methods to cope with financial issues is naïve at best. The issue is poor decision making. I've posted on Johnsonville live about this previously and am incensed at the "let's do it and worry about the cost later" approach that's always taken. Greenie councilors have little understanding of how to operate a budget and prioritise accordingly. The Council's main job is to provide water, sewerage, rubbish collection and roading. The other things come after that's provided and for the most part should be provided by from outside of the council. Do the basics right.
I consider it is ruining my city. Answer by 6th generation Wellingtonian.
Can be in democratic at times. Not always focusing on core work
Doesn't matter what any citizen says (unless you affect with it) you'll do what you want anyway. Consultation is a sham
Listen to the residents! We don't want bike lanes. We don't want paid parking in small suburbs. Sort all the water leaks as a priority.

To finish, we just have a few questions about yourself and your household to make sure we have spoken to a good cross-section of Wellingtonians.Which ethnic group or groups do you identify with?Pleas 7 = Other (please specify)
Jewish, Dutch, Scottish, French, Irish, Yorkshire, Israeli
Y'all, that MELAA option is real out of date, y'all shouldn't be lumping the whole global south together

Please let us know which iwi you are affiliated with below Optional, click next to skip
As mentioned in my previous answer, I don't feel that the council can't meet its obligations under the privacy act with regard to my iwi affiliation
Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Whakaue (Te Arawa) , Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Te Atihounuiapaprangi
Te Aitanga a Mahaaki, Rongowhakaata, Ngai Tamanuhiri, Whakatohea, Ngati Kahungunu

Do you…?
live free of charge in a home my parents own but do not occupy
Rented by US embassy as diplomatic housing
own home without mortgage but not in Wellington

What have you read, heard or seen about the Wellington City Council in the past month?
The Mayor - unacceptable public behaviour.
The quarterly brochure Articles online about the Wellington water problems Radio ads about our wai running dry
Water pipe woes. Cycle lanes taking precedence over public transport improvements. (Not everyone can or wants to cycle, especially in our unique climate.
Current programmes at the CP community centre, stuff on at Waitohi, gardens magic
Cost blowout with Town Hall, water leaks
Media beat ups of the Mayor, water woes, cycleway concerns.
Parking meter installation amidst of water leaks.
A report that a rates increase of over 15% is expected for the next financial year. This increase is unacceptable.
Information and Upcoming events on the library notice boards. A letter advising of the brooklyn water system maintenance.
I have read your magazine and also your webpage
Media, social media posts, positive stories, info about Courtney Central work that needs to be done.
Infrastructure issues, cycle lanes, the election of a Councillor, social housing, cultural events,
We have a significant issue with our water infrastructure, the town hill strengthening costs have blown out, the cost to fix the library have blown out, lets get Wellington moving has been stopped, the Council appears to be disfunctional.
Funding into Wellington Water in response to growing leaks
Events that are on through social media and through the delivered booklet
A lot. More than I can write here. I read The Post, The Spinoff, The Herald, Stuff and plenty in those news sources.
I have attended and contributed at public presentations on city planning
News, social media, our Wellington magazine, letter about parking changes
That the Berhampore cyclewsy construction and extra parking for the sports fields is underway, which is great. No more getting stuck behind cyclists while driving, and no more nearly getting hit by bad drivers. And ofcourse the water issues, please give us water metrics so the rich folks can pay for our water issues :)
About the Mayor. An ad based in New York to get tourism (which was amazing - the yellow button), water works, people moaning about bike lanes even though this is in the long term a great sustainable infrastructure and they’re likely the same people complaining about the water situation. I understand the need for investing in cities future. Others don’t but also moan when it’s too late.
The quarterly mailer, and the tv news of the leaking pipes. My Nana in the South Island was talking about the pipes too… just sayin
Can't remember exactly but I frequently see articles on social media about WCC
everything published in the various news outlets. lots to do with water and the golden mile.
The fact that the council may not be addressing the housing crisis issue adequately
A few articles. They all seem to be hatchet jobs on Tory
News articles about the mains water system, the number of leaks and WCC possible options to fix.
News items mostly - how we need to conserve water use; leaky pipes; upcoming district plan.
Minor updates mostly from newsletters, sometimes things online/on social media
It’s decision to give funding to help fix the water system.
Terrible decision making around the District Plan
Media about our failing pipes and additional rates increases due to fix this. During a time where families are already immensely struggling with the cost of living - some having to work two full time jobs to afford to live.
Several news articles plus council promotions (billboards etc)
Livestreams of council meetings. Always great viewing.
Various announcements of what you're up to (eg on Facebook/stuff)
That Geordie is taking over from Tamatha as Wellington Central rep
Negative press regarding water, housing and parking
Information relating to the water crisis.
News about pipes/water infrastructure. Communications about the Lambton by election.
What is reported in the Dom Post or RNZ news
Water based issues. Budget issues. Closures of services to fix pipes. By-election
The Mayor's social media Bielection results Comms about water issues
A lot about how they're dealing with the leaky pipes
LGWM, cycle ways, poor prioritisation and decision making. Water shortages and pipes in dire need of replacement. Significant press about Mayor.
The current election for the lambton ward
Rates bill, walk past their office, new city councillor voting forms
Events mainly, art exhibitions and parks
It's poor performance in infrastructure and poor decision making in so many areas.
Lots (in the news mostly). It's often a bit negative but it mostly sounds like there's just not enough funding to do everything properly
I get the Magazine/Brochure, I walk past out iSite building lots, I have a friend who works for WCC and hear about it through her, and I attend events where WCC have a presence like PARK(ing) Day 2023.
Regular Facebook updates including what cuts will be made to help with the pipes (saw today)
I often see the content posted on Instagram. I really like seeing when new things are installed or built or upgraded. I also like seeing announcements of activities that are upcoming
Calls for engagement on new cycleways, seen information about events on in the city run by council, articles in the dom post about leaks
Facebook posts, most recently about the Karori road works. Also love hearing from Ben McNulty on reddit, he has thoughtful and considerate replies to people about a range of Wellington topics/issues.
Updates to mountain bike trail build, community engagement notifications about traffic and parking resolutions
Lambton ward by-election. Social media posts. Newsletter
Mostly about wellington water decisions - both people having uninformed opinions about why we are in the crisis and what we can do about it, as well as information given from the council and mayor. also about filling tamatha pauls seat on the council
Water issues, rates increases, other negative issues, nothing positive
The Alcoholic mayor performing sexual acts in a public venue, not paying for her dinner bill, council dysfunction, all of which has been well publicised in the media
The new councilor bi election, the Newtown festival, love to ride involvement
Lots of things. Everyone is constantly talking about the councils response to the pipes. The hoarding are up for council election. There are council related ads and billboards, council emails, council social media, council in the news
Countless articles about the mayor’s alcohol problem
Lots of information, can't think of one specific thing
Posters for parking changes in Newtown/berhampore
New traffic light crossing system proposed in khandallah
All of the media coverage about the water leaks and restrictions.
Updates from newsletters, the Mayor, and by-election
Social media updates (functional), library changing hours, lots of water restrictions, poor mayor behaviour.
About the bielection vote, libraries and te tiriti
Water infrastructure issues in the media.
Instagram mostly, from WCC and mayors insta
Australian media called Wellington an "NZ tragicomedy". Multiple local and international outlets have ridiculed (or pitied) how dysfunctional WCC is
I believe I have seen some stuff in the library and maybe received something in the post?
Water leakage, Newtown parking management plans and cyclelanes
We’ve been to Gardens Magic. I’ve voted in the by-election and used the Arapaki service centre to sort out residents parking. (Shout out to Debbie at Arapaki she’s so patient and kind!)
Stuff on twitter and the news and social media from councillors I follow
I keep abreast of information regarding cycleways and the Golden Mile project mainly, but it's impossible to avoid discussion of leaks and water issues.
Lots of things like water restrictions, new year celebrations etc.
I’ve read the quarterly brochure, read about the Council privacy breach and events that the Council runs via social media
Everything. I check the news page daily cause why not!
Local councillor election, district plan, suburb development changes
Quarterly Brochure and regularly use the WCC website for updates regarding lane changes to the public pools and for recycling information
A range of stories, including around three district plan and how rubbish the initial proposal is
The quarterly booklet, library and pool opening times
The new Frank Kitts playground, and the works on the library
Tried to apply for a job with you guys and got rejected despite being the ideal candidate; ongoing water issues
chrome browser suggests news articles related to the council - concerns over the speed of response to and damage to private properties from burst pipes. Concerns over cycleways. Discussion on the Mayor's journey with addiction. Community activities hosted by the council. Historic attractions.
Many articles in the Post, NZ Herald, the Spinoff, etc. I also get news alerts for WCC news items. I'm a glutton for punishment ��
My rates bill and the weekly email newsletter
Media reports on council plans/decisions
Numerous updates about roadworks, council decisions, the impending council elections, water shortages, upcoming events, and various other matters.
How disfunctional it is across the board. It’s become cartoonish
Media articles on how sh!t the water system is being dealt with
Nearly everything in the news. Difficulties with Wellington Water. I am closely following developments on the Proposed District Plan (and hoping heritage areas are kept to a minimum!)
Several articles indicating problems with the Mayor's performance and dysfunction within the Council
Various articles about the water situation, the increasing cost of the town hall works, things like that.
Council has refused to expand housing developments in updates to the District Plan, claiming no connection between supply and demand
politics about WCC budget spending, LGWM and water issues
I am following closely the Spinoff's coverage of the Wellington District Plan. Obviously, I see, read and hear a lot about water pipes LOL!
Many miserable reports of 9ur failing water infrastructure and ongoing water restrictions.
Loads - I visit the council site semi-regularly, I visit the FB page of WRAC, I use the library website every week or so, etc. Not to mention news articles / advertising material.
water stuff. stuff about spending on non-water stuff.
Social media post about the Miramar Peninsular being closed to traffic for a day in March. Project update on the Karori traffic works, project update on the Berhampore to Newtown works.
Stories about Mayor Whanau, gardens magic info, sludge facility, rates bill, Councillor Calvert being negative on LinkedIn,
Tobys (water shut-off valves) are supposed to be located within 450mm of the property boundary.
Lambton councillor election; water shortage
Endless criticism about how the WCC is not doing its job.
Political point scoring on water management, long term plan, community centre and pool closures, reduced library hours (and how poorly that proposal was communicated), Cuba dupa,
Only the issues with pipes and cycle lanes
The recycling for this week is rubbish and glass crates.
Newspaper articles, TV news, blog posts, radio, the terrible job you are doing is getting a lot of media coverage.
The Mayor sucked a guys dick in Havana bar. Also central government pulled the pin on get wellington moving because they dont trust you to run a hot bath
That it is looking to invest more to fix the on-going water issues but that this is likely to come alongside spending cuts to important community services and rates rises, without reconsidering other very expensive projects like the Town Hall rebuild.
General news items and social media posts.
I got my rates bill today. I read the news. I've seen news about earthquake repairs to civic buildings, the water issues, funding, Lambton ward by-election, transport projects (Karori. Berhampore, Thorndon)
Various social media posts/news articles about the town hall, bike lanes, LGWM, water meters, water restrictions, and council funding decisions
Lots of discussion about water pipes, metres etc in particular other than that normal events and information.
Media articles, quarterly rag, email etc
Articles on decades of mismanaged funds resulting in massive water infrastructure failings (with no apparent accountability) and Wellington council willing to be bullied into decisions by central and regional councils rather than talking to the people
Pipes are f*cked, I can't use much water. And despite my increasing rates, these pipes will be a problem forever it seems.
Water issues Running Waitangi Day events
Poorly functioning, infighting, bad management, alcoholic
News about the mayor and the council. News about the by-election. News about the leaks. Ads from the council. News about the district plan.
Consultation on parking in Newtown, social media, quarterly brochure
Apart from the imminent by-election, just some moronic remarks from obviously entitled out-of-touch councillor Young about needing to finish the town hall over transport or water infrastructure, surely there's some children's movie that's missing their villain as she looks the part and the way she speaks of council projects that don't benefit those of her station, she seems to want to act it as well.
Mostly negative statements related to our water infrastructure
Mostly stuff about the pipes and the by-election
Dog is this a survey or a marketing exercise
Traffic management Water issues Cost of earthquake strengthing and other large projects Car parking changes in my rohe
Events guide for the Botanical Gardens events.
News about infrastructure, priorities and the recent report from the ridiculous Independent Hearings Panel
Water pipes are fucked due to lack of maintenance
That the long term plan is underway and more $ is being invested into water infrastructure
District Plan hearing reports, Water leaks, etc
Broken pipes, cancelled projects to fund pipes, opening of playground, Waitangi day, opening of new mountain biking trail, the Cuba st upgrade will go ahead
That the city is in great disrepair, i.e. the water and sewage system. Also the public transportation woes.
Their ineptitude is daily news. Lets start with the drunken mayor and their failure to provide data on water infrastructure requested by central government.
negative news stories about governance and infrastructure
Allocation of more budget to fix water leaks across the Wellington City
Whatever is in papers, a couple of newsletters sent by WCC, word of mouth
Most things in mainstream media - Central library rebuild - townhall - cycleways
Water issues, possible water meters, mayors drinking problem
Worrying discussions about funding water crisis and budget reductions in the long-term plan. WCC emails about Karori Connections, which are great.
More complaints from citizens about poor decisions (Newtown/Berhampore parking changes...?)
Ongoing coverage of the water crisis as a result of leaky pipes and the discussion on how to fund it from savings elsewhere. Coverage of the Lambton Ward by Election.
Yes our mayors disturbing “don’t you know who I am” restaurant behavior and her display of sex in her car .
Newtown & Berhampore parking scheme, rogue councillors, water works
Multiple posts on social media about how they're planning to can services given the water problem is going to cost many millions to fix - but haven't heard it from the council.
Mainstream media, local councillor Facebook page, local councillor responding to queries on community Facebook groups.
Water issues and possible cuts to other areas on order to fund our water problems.
Lots of talk about water security. Gardens magic promos.
The letter sent by minister for local govt on water to wellington council
Wellington water woes and the Mayor meeting with Ministers.
News stories about the pipes and water restrictions
The quarterly brochure, facebook, and emails (I'm on the cycle lane/traffic improvements mailing lists).
WCC's RSS feed and Ben McNulty's reddit posts
Incompetent re water issues, overspend in non essentials,
Email news updates.,facebbok eg gardens magic, library notice boards.
Discussions about the state of the city water pipe system
The weekly newsletter - I look forward to knowing what's on in the city each Monday
I received my voting papers for the new councilor.
I read the Post and the Spinoff. I also follow WCC on social media
Social media posts (Facebook), the quarterly magazine, and posters around the city and at the library for events like Gardens Magic and the recent share the road campaign
A huge number of newsletters around changes to the city, including the weekly newsletter. Info at public events like Bike To Work day, Gardens Magic, and the quarterly brochure.
Lots about the pipes, and funding for the pipes.
They are changing the parking rules on our street
wellington water woes, complaints about the Mayor, issues with cost overruns.
One Tasman resource consent approval I looked up
Social media about water restrictions, fixing the pipes. News articles about water restrictions, the pipes. News articles about the housing plan.
Tory Whanau opening an exhibition at Te Auaha.
Water issues Cycle ways Khandallah pool possible closure Classes at rec centres this term
Bike sheds at public places like WRAC. Watering restrictions
Council have sent mail and emails. I follow WCC on Instagram so see posts made there. Most people talk about how unhappy they are with council at my work.
The booklet in the mail (my daughter was in it for the playground challenge so we now have loads of them). Social media to find out about events
water restrictions, 40% of our water being lost to leeks, new parking meters, having a crown observer in the council mooted, Mayor offside with new transport minister, proposal for Berhampore & Newtown Parking. Mayor comments on Waitangi day.
A number of things on RNZ news, on WCC website. Tory Whanau speaking to govt about priorities. RNZ item about the things that may be cut to save money. Future of town hall refurbishment. Info about central library rebuild. Sponsorship of festivals (Island Bay, Newtown). Sponsorship of Makara Peak Bike Park (which is a fabulous facility). Info at Otari Bush, which is also fabulous. Map at Trelissick Park. Info re water restrictions. Info about council recycling across the motu.
The latest decisions relating to housing intensification (Which were very disapointing)
News about how the council will help fund pipe repairs.
Mostly bad things about the water pipes. I think it Is over-publicised to provoke anger amongst residents. I don't care what did or didn't happen, just what happens now.
Multiple articles about Wellington water and council involvement. Articles about rates hikes and new levy charges.
Comms about water restrictions, mayors drinking problem
There are signs all around the city with WCC on them. I also got the quarterly in the mail and we keep it around to catch events.
Water! Local library and community centre closure and reduction of hours... Events that are on. Recycling.
read the quarterly magazine, visited the website, read facebook and instagram posts.
Instagram social media, waterfront playground, voting,
The leader liking to drink. Council holding meeetings but not listening to public and just going forward.
About the water pipes in the news (mayor meeting with minister), about cancellation of let’s get Wellington moving, summer gardens magic advertising
What’s On brochure, Facebook posts, mentions at Gardens Magic concerts, looked up how to report two leaks near my house.
Water pipes/infrastructure funding issues. Long term plan/10 year plan up for consultation.
Proposal to close the Khandallah Pool while charging a massive rates increase. Not everyone in the northern suburbs is well heeled, and we have fewer council services here already. It costs money to go elsewhere for services
Many articles about the water situation, lots of about the Wellington comedy festival and the fringe festival, updated on bike plans and the canning of LGWM, etc
News articles about various council activities and decisions and some reporting referencing the mayor in recent government resignations. Have also received voting information in the mail for the upcoming election to fill the vacancy left by Tamatha Paul
Reduction of budget and savings in some weird places.
Water issues, golden mile, Cuba supa, fireworks, rates increase/proposal
Plans regarding parking and cycling around newtown berhampore area. Water restrictions and water leaks
Plans for road changes/parking plans/cycle lanes etc
Newspaper articles & FB posts about leaky pipes
In scoop, other news media, gardens magic
All of the news coverage related to the council's discussions with wellington water and Minister Brown
Facebook posts about Karori roadworks, The Post articles about various things.
Heaps - media, on-site info at the library, direct mail outs, etc.
Ben McNulty's updates on social media, some media about district plan process, events at Johnsonville library
well, stuff in the news about our Mayor who has been the target or racism and sexism by some public and media
Ben McNulty and Diane Calvert posting information about upcoming/possible council decisions in community Facebook groups (eg about Khandallah pool, spending changes).
Someone complaining on a local community Facebook page about their responsiveness to fixing leaks
Responsible dog owner courses, the proposals regarding financing the $1.1b needed to fix the water (thanks Ben), dogs n togs, wildflowers on Lambton, water restrictions, Diane Calvert trying to save Khandallah pool again
News articles, social media posts from Council and Councillors, press releases
Notice of roadworks in my street, notice of road closures for Events in the city.
I follow Tory Whānau on LinkedIn and WCC on Facebook
Many articles in The Post, Spinoff and RNZ.
Infrastructure issues. Planning issues. Funding issues. Behaviour issues.
Where to start ... cycleways, town hall, golden mile revamp, possible rates hikes, water pipes, water restrictions, the Mayor's travails
The huge problems with the water reticulation system and arguments about the cycleway project(s) have been in the media regularly.
About water supply issues and restrictions.
I read these articles - Wellington City Council is the most poorly run council in New Zealand / Review finds Wellington Water not properly reporting spending. Not a great impression of my council at the moment with water running everywhere, and locally some fixes have begun leaking again weeks later.
Mostly articles in the Post. Some negative and some not so negative. Cycleways and the water supply seem to dominate the narrative.
Too much to list. A lot of negative comments about infrastructure, rates, the long term plan, heritage buildings, cycleways. It's a tough crowd out there
What haven't I read, heard or seen? Really
Regular news and online comment on issues like water and infrastructure.
The usual reactionary propaganda from Stuff
City long term planning, Water services and Town Hall budget blow out meetings
Water pipe voes.. need fixing instead of cycle lanes
Inability to concentrate on repairing leaking water pipes - instead pursuing idealogical bents of some councillors
New levy to be charged on top of rates for sludge remedial processing.
Much more than I ever want to. The media is reflecting my comments relating to poor governance, poor decision making and poor prioritization of rate payer dollars. Every day the result of these factors is displayed in the media for all to see. Potable water has been the highlight during the last month, but many other issues such as poor management of the town hall strengthening has been another. I cant find a single media item in the last month which has been positive towards the Council.
The Mayor was drunk and the water is running out.
water infrastructure issues, long term plan housing issues.
How the council has done a u turn on the installation of watermeters,the windback of the golden mile project
How long have you got. What a silly question. Media is full of comments, news etc.,
MSM reports on the behaviour of the "Mayoress"!!!
the quarterly booklet, news items on radio and tv
Bad press - an inability to govern and manage the complexity
The Mayor stating some garbage about water pipes with very little follow on or impact. Burst water pipes leaking phenomenal amounts of water whilst we have water restrictions in place. General bland statements from the odd councillor with no meaningful impact or relevance to the people of Wellington
Various reports and news items in The Post
This survey. Leaks from within council.. Poor public antics by mayor. Central govt. / local govt. disputes over water management. The pollution of Wellington land and waters. The poor workings between WCC, WRC and sub contractors.
News articles on the state of WLG's water woes
That's even the Government does not trust the WCC to get things done and has pulled the Lets get Wellington moving campaign and have given the WCC a hurry up to fix its failing water pipes. Sums it all up really!
Financial mismanagement. Water crisis. Swimming pool rules. Mayoral meeting with Minister of Local Government. Council failure to provide information in response to request about water management and Minister using his statutory powers to demand them. Very unwise criticism by council of amount of advance warning given by Minister he was issuing statutory demand for information. There is no obligation on the Minister to warn the recalcitrant to a request they will face a legal demand for not providing the information.
Council committee meetings determining future expenditure priorities.
Equivocation bu the Mayor and Council on what’s important - water leaks, building repairs, bike lanes, vanity projects
Leaks, Leaks, leaks, bad money after bad money U turns
Quarterly booklet. District plan. Khnd new world. Lots on the news....
Loads of stuff. Congrats to Gavin and tell Tory we need her to do what she was elected for. The housing density working group should fuck off, that was embarrassingly terrible.
Water supply is at crisis point, mayor seen drunk in public, cycleways are both welcomed and deplored
The state of our pipes and water issue. Water Meters, Town Hall cost run-overs, Cycle Lanes, the Golden Mile, Library, The Mayor and meeting with the Minister, the Mayor and her personal issues.
Leaks, the mayors drinking problems, the council did not adequately respond the the Minister of Local Government regarding leaks, public dissatisfaction with the Thorndon and Tinakori cycleways, public dissatisfaction with the redevelopment of Lambton/Willis/ Manners/Courtenay Place, potential extreme rates rises.
The pipes/ cycle ways/ parking fees for motorcycles( and that last one SUCKS!)
Have heard about the water infrastructure issues, cycle lane issues
I have read in correspondence with WCC that they do not how to manage facilities as they should be.
Proposals to charge motorcycles for parking
This survey! Also; news stories, What's On in Wellington mailout
A Flyer in the box about upcoming events. Facebook post
Council budgets, water investments, Councils LTP.
Useless comments on water rationing and meters despite the many leaks. One past mayor is even a member of parliament now, does she acknowledge her mismanagement and dodging of responsibilities on our infrastructure when she was in charge?
Squabbling/Incompetent Councillors/Senior Managers Wasting money on Vanity Projects Lack of Direction
Rates Bill. Articles on Scoop and Stuff.
Post articles on WCC fixing pipes and cost cutting
Discussion of improper behaviour by five councillors; partisan attacks on the Mayor; considerable discussion about water pipes.
They are trying to make cutbacks in order to fund needed repairs to the water pipes
People complaining regarding the water infrastructure
The continuous disharmony within the council.
Is all about the water and the social mistakes of the Mayor.
Long term plan, budget cuts, water leaks, council meetings
Dysfunction in council. Mayor not present at major events. Councillor quits to become an MP, so there's a new election.
Rates bills, newsletters, radio reports - Music school
Articles in The Post, Independant Herald and on Stuff - there is lots to talk about.
That we will have no water shortly despite being constantly drenched for the last 8 months, everyone is complaining about missing work start times and important meetings because the buses are total rubbish and trains are now following their example, that the Mayor is an alcoholic bully and apparently has magically sorted it all out now. All of which is demonstrably true apart from the last item.
This survey, social media posts, consultation documents
Wellington is in a Managed Decline Process that is about to be put on steroids.
Water: I’ve heard that Approximately 45% of Wgtn’s water is lost through leaks. That council takes 40 days to respond to water faults that should have a response within 5 days. Master Plumbers association CEO says plumbers has the skills and qualifications to fix the problems but council / Wgtn Water does not make use of them. Small jobs are made into big jobs via health and safety overkill in areas such as traffic management. This suggests regulatory overload placed on Council.
The Wellington Council places and things to do
E-mail newsletters, the website, videos of council meetings, "Our Wellington" magazine
making traffic worse, less and less car parks, an alcoholic mayor, not working well with the central government
The quarterly magazine that is delivered to our mailbox.
Media coverage on water leaks and on the Mayor.
Council has considered water meters to waste money on not finding leaks in pipe network.
Issues with water, transport and unaffordable rate increases, cutting services
Articals relating to the poor performance / service from the Mayor / and councilors
It is a useless dysfunctional organisation
Rates demand. Always out right on time while everything else languishes.
New parking controls in Berhampore and Newtown
Articles about the Mayor, Articles about Get Wellington Moving - positive and negative, Articles about the water issues, my rates invoices,
Mostly on the progress on our water supply, development of the bikeway, regional plan and housing density
council neglected to take advice that could have mitigated the impended water shortage
Lots discussion around leaky pipes. Proposal to buy land and lease back Reading centre.
the water leaks and cycleways - i can see them and they are related to the WCC...to fix and stop
WCC needs to fix the water pipes (and thus the water shortage)
Follow council news on social media & other media plus engage with officers & politians on regular basis
The water issues. Further review of preserving and expanding historic areas
About the Mayor. Bikes Lanes, Get Wellington Moving and the water infrastructure issues.
Much media - mainly on water to lack there of. And ongoing non- critical projects
That the Mayor and Council failed to respond to the Minister of Local Government on the water and pipes issue. That was very poor, but also, unsurprising.
Water problems, increased taxes as a result......still no notice to fix the river of a leak down Helston road again
Lots about the mayor, who I have met on the past 12 months and thought she was OK. Lots about the pipes and water issues. I've read about events, I have been to events at the MFC and Opera House several times.
budget crunch whilst wasting money, infrastructure, services, secret dinner, council moving, wasteful bi-election that should be paid for by the previous incumbent who obviously was campaigning in bad faith, infighting caused by militant green-block of councilors, mayor defending incompetence over infrastructure, rates rises as a consequence of 'greens' incompetence, the list goes on...
Issues regarding Council cost cutting to try to hold rates at the same level
Media articles - commonly regarding water leaks and restrictions
How central government is considering taking over Wellington Water
today - the expensive dinner for millionaires!
Articles in The Post or online on Stuff or the NZ Herald covering the Wellington Water situation and decisions being made around adjusting the Let's Get Wellington Moving programme, among other matters.
That you cannot mange the water, some how a 3 billion water bill just magically appeared and no one is accountable for failing to maintain critical assets, and plundering the depreciation budget.
Water issues around area Proposed car parking charges in the suburbs.
axing of lightrail, not happy about this
Complaints about the cycle lanes and water pipes.
Rates, water, infrasructure, leaks, drains, Library, Civic Square, Town Hall, earthquake ratings and risk, public transport, cycle lanes, built environment, housing intensification.
Street works, upcoming by-election, cycle lanes, rates increases, water leaks, Lets Get Wgtn Moving funding via Govt removed?, Town Hall strengthening cost increases
Overrun costs on old town hall. Issues with burst sewerage pipes and leaking fresh water pipes. Mayoral drinking issues.
I am a daily reader of the Dom paper and there is usually a couple of articles in there regarding g the council
Reallocating funds from various service to fix the water pipes story on RNZ
A fixit job regarding a water lid in the road that has been marked as completed. But in fact nothing has been done.
Drunk mayor Inadequate spending on essential repairs Wasted spending on beautification
Multiple press reports. Local issues - water, roading, maintenance issues, earthquake damaged council buildings, delays in fixing child playground on waterfront (far too long!)
That the council is progressing with plans to look into parking fees in the suburbs, despite the objection of business leaders in those communities and the overwhelming majority of the residents.
Multiple items, Facebook, news items. Mainly about the problems with water infrastructure.
Water restrictions, rates going up, charging for parking in residential areas
The programme re the Summer Garden events
Rates demand; newspaper articles explaining how WCC has failed to manage maintenance of underground assets.
Failure of Council to address water shortage issues
Largely concerning water; cycleways; car parking; town hall rebuild
Newspaper reports in The Post. Items on RNZ.
Possibly making Motorcycles pay for parking in the city which I am very opposed to.
Water and other infrastructure issues, cycleway issues, rates issues, central city layout and business issues, traffic issues, parks and recreation issues, proposal to increase swimming pool charges, bus and other transport issues, housing issues.
I read The Post every day and listen the Radio New Zealand National so the number of mismanagement stories about Wellington City Council is too long to list here but if you do a google search then you will find them.
That you're introducing a levy for waste water. That you're getting grilled by the new government about water.... I do not agree with the current government, BTW.
This survey, the rates bill, whatever is being said on radio, whatever shows up on RNZ news site.
Wasting money replacing parking meters with more extensive ones that require a card and additional charge to use
the local regional newspaper had some stuff in it (I think)
Numerous news reports about the state of the water, cycleways and the Mayor's gym membership and new house.
Many posts and news stories, most of which have been fluff.
Lots about the budget, rates increases, water infrastructure, bike lanes....
It's all bad, you're increasing rates, you're struggling to repair the pipes.
Someone pointed out media articles about behaviour of staff
Our water pipes are made of paper apparently and we’re all going to have to suffer thanks to the negligence of multiple prior councils over decades.
The Post, Stuff, Newsroom, The Spinoff, TVNZ, Bluesky, X
There's a by election. Only 1 guy is advertising. Everyone hates the council. That pretty much sums up what I've been hearing.
Water woes, Golden Mile (prefer a Cuba Street or Courtney Place focus or near waterfront where the visitors and locals hang out), new bike paths (they definitely work for me), the amazing waterfront (a robust and enduring investment) lots of defunct buildings (be good to modify investment protocols with “time sensitive or hand it back”options and least but not least- Oriental Bay Beach which I regularly use and clean. Another robust investment given use by locals and visitors alike. Thanks
in fill housing stuff policy .... slow progress re newtown etc
Media about the water infrastructure issues
Only things about the Mayor and her get fit and sober campaign etc
Water pipes and impending water restrictions because of years of bad management We will be punished because of lack of planning.Rates will increase but I have little hope the increase will be used wisely
Gardens magic The events booklet Parking
issues around Wellington Water, meeting with new local government minister and our Mayor, debates around where to cut costs and make savings to minimise rates rise, cost overruns Wellington town hall
All through the news negative press about the water problem and cycle ways
Discussions relating to water issues and funding
The wee What's on booklet, some ads on social media (I think), news reports on Stuff/The Post, posters around town?
Goldlen Mile project, Karori roadworks, Mayor not responding to requested information from Local Government Minister, cycleways
Tory taking overseas trip with colleagues. Lots of info on water crises! Water leaking everywhere and not fixed. I could go on andon
The the city needs a crown observer, and the mayor is an alcoholic who is wasting ratepayer money on a lawyer to go after sober councillors.
Daft question - a wide variety of material! It’s the council that runs my city on behalf of the population…
Music in the Dell and other things put on in January Pipes Council members drinking
Infighting among councillors, Tory Whanau’s alcoholism
WATER, CYCLEWAYS AND THE GOVERNANCE ISSUES
Water issues, meeting with Simeon Brown, rates increases for Moa Pt, local ward elections
Issues relating to water and unjustified criticism of the Mayor
Lots and lots. Too much to mention. Unfortunately not too much positive. Please get someone who understands about budgeting to run things. If we don’t have the money, we can’t have it. Please stick to the absolute basics for a few years
Water woes ad infinitum, faulty street lamps, officials and mayor meeting Reading owners over land deal, latest Victoria Uni/council plans for music complex, Waitangi festival, Cupa Dupa
i have looked up on media a number of reports about council issues . The Town hall , The Water problems the leaking pipe problems
I had a rates notice (which was incorrect) and a letter saying that we are going to have to pay an extra levy from August onwards for improvements to Moa Point treatment works. Stories about dissent among Councillors and the Mayor continue to hit the headlines and socials.
Water woes, roading woes, unsettled governance, factions in the council, I guess trying to leave these behind and have positive press with the infrastructure progress would help the functioning of the Council. hard to break the cycle of negativity some people feel towards the governance, the prioritising of our rates.
media items about water, infrastructure, council decisions on budget cuts etc.
Just what appears in the local newspaper and I also get your Karori connections enews on email
Receive emailed news updates, have participated in consultations and received targeted resident emails
Roadworks & cycle ways Karori Event Centre Water leaks Events & Arts Parks & Rec updates Community facilities proposed restrictions
Went on line for information about the Botanical Gardens
Regular news about Council chaos, mayoral shortcomings,lack of attention to important isssues, lack of relevant information to suburbs and bus companies about road disruptions, water woes, financial woes.....etc etc.
Facebook grumbles about roads, cyclists etc etc. Activities in libraries and Gardens magic. Recycling rules
Upset over water pipes, road issues in and out of Karori
Constant talk about our disastrous water situation
Water issues mainly ... also discontent amongst Council members who don't seem to be able to work particularly well together.
Activities happening, water restriction updates
Nothing good! Today is the reading cinema spending by the major
Skank mayor at Havana bar. All the councillors fighting at meetings. Mayor doesn’t attend any meetings.
Various reports re Council decisions on the radio, on TV and in the newspaper.
I get several email newsletters, I watch the news - I'm not going to regurgitate specifics
Post articles re water, rates, Long Term Plan, What's on this Month, entertainment in the Gardens
The Mayor has a drinking problem and she goes to the gym $$ was spent on a dinner and airfares for the owners of the Reading complex to come to Wellington Wellington water says it doesn't have enough $, one of the mayors says the have $ unspend and various commentators say Wellington Water is terribly inefficient and should be disbanded. The district plans decisions... eg charging for parking in suburban shopping centres, the music school will now go in the library building etcetc
Regularly visit website and read media items on RNZ, Stuff and Newsroom. Also watching/ listening to Checkpoint cover issues such as Wellington Water and WCC responsibilities to fix issues
I have read about concerns about the cost of the Sludge Minimisation Project and I put a comment on the social media item saying it is crucial it goes ahead so that waste does not need to be trucked to the landfill to mix with the Sludge. A councillor replied to my comment saying that the project was going ahead.
Water issues Proposal to introduce parking payments into the suburbs Proposal to reduce library hours and sites
The Post letters to the editor and column pieces about water woes and WCC performance Weekly email from WCC with latest happenings, initiatives and activities
Whatever is in the Post, quarterly What's On
how utterly useless they have been in managing our aging water pipes. How they are becoming as dysfunctional as the previous council. How they are introducing a new levy to the rates bill for residential & businesses. How do we know that this levy will actually go where it is supposed to go?
About the water. Also aware of the Gardens Magic being on.
Negative articles about our Council and Mayor
The reprioritising by Council to address budget constraints The review of the town hall upgrade Council members found to hv broken confidentiality The mayor going to the gym
Water leaks, cycle lanes, voting on 10 year plan, approach to Khandallah pool, mayor’s behaviour in public and mental health isssues.
Lambton election Water problems Tory Whanau challenged by local government to prioritise water issues Discussion about delaying district plan ,but mainly water challenges from Central government.
I read The Post each day and also listen each day to a local talkback radio show which gives me lots of information about Wellington City Council and what is going on
A lot about inadequate attention to infrastructure and council infighting and the inadequacy of the mayor
Seriously? Headlines in all media sites.
water leaks; past Council failings re water reservoirs; Mayor not responding to Minister re water leaks; cycle lane failures; Lambton Quay upgrade being stopped; water leaks; Reading cinema proposed buy-out; water leaks
Items on the news about the water problems.
The sad story of the old town hall not getting fixed. Because the money got spent on nonsense and now a heritage building in the heart of the city is left as a building site to cut costs.
news items, the quarterly magazine council sends out, council websites including the library, otari, botanic gardens
I receive the quarterly booklet which is good. I watch the tv news and listen to radio news several times everyday.
Adverse media about governance. And an inappropriate focus on issues around the mayor that would be unlikely to happen if she was a male
Stuff nz articles about water. And Chinese new year celebrations
They have been on TV regarding all the leaks and potential water restrictions. I had notification of some street water works to be carried out but they only came for one day and never finished the job , heard about the mayors drinking problem,
I get rates bills. I have had to file for a building permit extension. I have received the mailers, not sure if there has been one exactly 'in the last month'. I have seen all the headlines in the papers concerning water. I have read that although costs have spiralled, the amount going to contractors doing the actual work has not increased. It is sickening.
A lot about the council's poor management of water infrastructure.
Water issues, golden mile changes, mayor
Media reports, quarterly bulletin, website for information, radio
water crisis and nonsense that spending huge sums on meters rather than on broken reticulation pipes has any merit at this time. Fixing known gushing waterfalls is most important first.
The issues with the water infrastructure and how to raise money to solve the problems including which projects to continue with and which to put on hold. This, of course, has not been helped by the change in government as they do not seem to have any firm plan for the way ahead for local councils. Plus the lack of cohesion between the councils in the area and the regional council
The Mayor's drinking issues. WCC is using Wellington Water as the whipping boy for the poor decisions made by various councils in the past.
not fixing water leaks and how manages wellington water
Our Mayor didn’t file a report to Wellington Water so had to do a “please explain” to the minister.
Water pipes breaking everywhere - water shortage - byelection - rates increase - street lighting needing to be fixed - The mayor has had some issues she is dealing with.
e-newsletter about what's on (bakeries :-)
Disruptive road works in Karori, water issues, mayor meeting with minister
Council by-election, problems with the pipes, earthquake prone buildings, Golden mile project, cycle lanes
We were told to conserve water due to the significant amount being lost through broken pipes. A meeting was held to discuss funding options for repairing the aging water infrastructure. I came across an online comment by someone questioning the rationale behind constructing the Omaroro water reservoir, stating, "Another incompetent waste. Don't spend money on fixing pipes that supply water daily—waste it on 2-3 days' worth of water for a 1 in 500 year event,", a perspective I find noteworthy.
Information on tawa community Facebook page by Ben McNulty
Social media comments on poor water infrastructure and cycle lanes. News items on possible closure of Khandallah pool.
News articles, quarterly brochure in libraries (about what's on/coming up), WCC website. I phoned the WCC about a leak on our shared drive/access road, and it was fixed super fast - well done!
Media articles describing the detailed dysfunctionality of WCC, local neighborhood meetings to discuss WCC and next steps to address their lacking performance and focus on the city
Desire to spend rates money on things that should not happen right now - rather than putting more effort into repairing the pipes.
new and substantial levy being tacked on to an already large rates bill notice came by email, try living in wellington and paying rates on nothing but nz super
Have not safe-guarded infrastructure in the past, has engaged in projects in the past that do not benefit the majority of the community
The amount of Water leaks in the city and the slowness to get these repaired.
Being asked to explain how our water infrastructure got so bad by the grownups in central government.
I have accessed their website and read the WCC booklet.
What’s on in Wellington. Water issue information. Accessed website.
Following the water issues - so disappointing there has been a lack of foresight
In the media regarding - Wellington water woes, Golden Mile project, Lets get Wellington moving, New Years fire works displays, Gardens Magic.
Water leak problem Mayor has a drinking problem Councillors argue a lot
Lol. Pipes, politics, tourism, the fact that we have the most unaffordable housing and the poorest district plan, that the spatial plan doesn’t govern the district plan, the rates may go up, the whole LGWM fiasco coming to an end, the bus lanes, the cycle lanes, the infighting amongst councillors.
'Our Wellington' email. Voting information. News items in the Post and on Stuff
Water pipes, and some behaviours of significant people
Considering how to save money/ make cuts
I dont remember what its called. A monthly events calendar. I'm signed up to some mailing lists from the library too. I see volunteers guiding cruise ship people around. I am familiar with some of the Ambassador crew. I work in a place that has WCC connections.
That they might stop wasting money on these ridiculous cycle lanes and spend more on water pipes that need fixing
Water woes, an undignified mayor, pause on Golden Mile, talk of canceling fireworks
The WCC social media team seem to think it is a megaphone and not an opportunity to get out of their own little echo chamber and listen to the vast majority of residents who are rapidly disengaging with the council.
Television and Social Media news about lack of water infrastructure etc. in Wellington and the greater area.
Newspaper articles - usually about dissatisfaction with councils decisions
Water issues stories. Garden magic info.
All bad. bike lanes, road cones, water leaks. It is very depressing. It is a nice place to live only due to the geography, harbour, central nature of the city, and public transport.
Tory on water meters Get Wellington Moving -scrapped by Govt.
Chinese NY fireworks, Facebook page, communication re water work, rates notice, by-election.
Wellington's water woes - hard to miss since it's reported on ever day. The public dissatisfaction with "nice to have" projects over essential infrastructure projects.
Updates about roading projects, social media posts, etc
Social media re traffic issues, issues with water pipes, Town Hall funding blow out, I receive WCC email updates. Mostly negative stuff this month!!
That they are planning to put parking meters in the suburbs. That they are considering selling the airport!! That our rates money has been spent entertaining owners of the Reading complex!! I read everything about the council and despair!
issues regarding pipes and water management
Water pipe problems, rates rises, the end of cycle way plans
News reports re concern about mayor, attended a council bielection meeting, seen lots of water running down streets at the same time as I am being asked to save water, read about district plan review, complained about noisy rubbish collection at 2am etc, etc.
Tory Whanau has mental health issues and a drinking problem and is rude to people. You are asking people to conserve water when you do nothing about the massive leaking pipes all over Wellington.
Water leaks and supply issues Complaints about cycle lanes causing traffic delays
Rates increase proposed. Not addressing leaking pipes. Council imposing water restrictions.
Articles in the newspaper and on tv news
Meeting minutes regarding Karori upgrades
Regarding water and funding and historical earthquake prone buildings
In newspapers. We need more direct reporting of Council decision making, like the ODT (Otago Daily Times).
voting for Lambton ward and water issues
Read in the newspaper about Water leaks, charging parking in suburbs, rates rises
I read Stuff.co.nz and there have been plenty of articles about WCC in the last month
Yes, social media, and the newspaper, and Stuff and TV news.
Article by Thomas Nash about the need to reconsider levels of rate contributions to support infrastructure. Very persuasive and helpful.
regularly read Facebook posts and updates
Media reporting on the mayor meeting with Minister Brown, many articles on water leaks, reporting on the meeting about looking for financial savings
Read the quarterly newsletter, weekly eNewsletters
Read a lot of information about the water situation and the threat that we will go to level 3 water restrictions. Read about the possible decisions re plan to reduce spending and what might be cut form the initial plan
Letter left in my letterbox. Checked website for some details. Media reports on council meetings. Media reports on Wellington Water.
The water infrastructure- our major telling us that she has changed blow out in costs for project - our council refusing to work with the new government all negative
Possible rate rises. Water restrictions.
Rates rises to pay for your incompetence, sludge levy, Mayor meeting with the Local Government minister Simeon Brown about Wellington's water crisis, the water crisis
News about Tory Whanau's social life. Social media post by local councillor re water problems. Lots of info on water restrictions, current and possible in the future. Recycling info.
Dog park info. Rates info. Library notices
Seen news about the mayor and her drinking, social life
Ben McNulty is active in sharing updates in our community Facebook page. News articles are probably biased but I’m aware of the movements and controversy of the mayor, and upcoming significant rates increases (again)
Various billboards, have had discussions with friends about the by election to replace Tamatha Paul
News about the long term district plan and the baseless and evidentially flawed recommendations of the IHP
Hidden assets of the housing panel. The god-forsaken by-election campaigns and news.
Mostly just odd updates here and there on works in progress, some clarification from the WCC FB page.
Coverage in The Spinoff about the district plan.
media articles, Wellington city council marketing/promotion
You're having a tough time with some pipes and are slashing fun stuff to make up the shortfall
News about district plan, water/pipes, local elections
Elections! Unfortunately you've got the awful icecream man to deal with now. Maybe he could start paying his employees better?
The spinoffs war for Wellington, the results of the by-election, media about water reform, stuff about the district plan,
Everything that has been published in the Post.
Wellington Water Issues, Anger with rates increases
Reporting in The Spinoff, RNZ, Stuff.co.nz, The Post. Know Wellington newsletter
Nothing that reflects well on the council.
The projects that are being put on hold to cater for funding the water issues
Water woes, housing committee, well done events, jobs available
Lots of upset people about karori, which is insanity to me, they're all complaining about getting fixed roads and that the work has to be done DURING THE DAY GASP, looking forward to getting the cycleways there, nearly been hit by many a karori driver and also verbally abused. Go council!
Multiple items, including the district plan, long term plan, activities, cycleway and safer streets changes
About how the council is looking at all the available options to save money, which included scrapping community facilities, even though this was never really on the table. Reporting is wild...
Ads for local elections, but I didnt know how to vote (I moved house and didnt recieve a voting paper)
Facebook page and possibly the quarterly brochure, plus news articles and follow the Mayor on Insta
Funding issues, tactical efforts to work through leaking pipes, water restrictions, emergency preparedness
The embarrassingly (and literally NIMBY) IHP report! And the Lambton Ward by-election.
Website information (planning, rubbish collections), Wellington Active and weekly email newsletters, news articles
Facebook, Twitter, Our Wellington, WCC website
Gardens Magic, water campaign, share the road, bi-election information, Cuba Dupa, Newtown festival
I get information from LinkedIn which is always good but don't really recall the information. The first thing that comes to mind is a post about planting natives in the city? I think that was from WCC
Regular flier, rates, emergency mgmt, water restriction stuff
Rates letter, news articles about water leaks in the region
The WCC is wanting to buy the land under the movie theatre to help the already wealthy overseas investors
The by elections, Let’s Get Wellington Moving plans (RIP)
Social media - mainly about the water infrastructure
Everyone being mad about pipes and cycleways
Results of the by election, water shortage updates, the rusty oil tank in Miramar that now has heritage status for some bizarre reason
Lots. Mostly misinformed and unfairly critical.
As I mentioned before, lately I have heard about WCC in news/media only with negative sentiments such as 1) councillors not approving public behaviour displayed by the Mayor, 2) Member of Public not happy with introdcution of car par fees in Suburbs 3) Rate hike 4) Ageing water infra.
Election. Pipes. Allowing empty buildings. Not taxing air bnbs enough. Supporting community events
An article in the paper about Mayor asking councilor's to not attack each other, just for one of them to send a disparaging email 3min later attacking one of them.
Lots of negative social media posts on paid parking, cycle lanes and getting rid of parking spaces
Bills, letters and information about work
Social media posts about water issues and road maintenance issues
About needing a new councillor. Mostly about the councillors actually. Probably because of social media. Not much about what has been done
Facebook posts, letters from Council in our mailbox, posters on pillarboxes and buses, complaints about water...
Newspaper articles regarding water woes and the reading cinema deal
Media regarding district plan, pipes, council politics etc
Proposed District plan and response from independent hearing panel
I hear we probably just elected some numpty that thinks minimum wage increases are what's making it hard to run a buisiness.
Lots of stuff. Social media, tō tātou Pōneke, the website, news reports, YouTube live feed of council meetings.
Reddit & facebook posts and articles about how much Mr Kaffe Eis sucks and doesn't represent what Wellingtonians want.
lots regarding the water issues (facebook, talking to people, the water leaking out onto roads and walkways) yalls subscription emails facebook posts prompting submissions
Information about proposed service cuts in the long term plan; further information on Council’s poor stewardship of water assets through Wellington Water
Bad social media engagement, criticism and complaints regarding dying arts scene and removal of carparks etc without providing alternatives
Proposed motorcycle parking charges - put that idea in the bin because it's ridiculous
lots of criticisms levied at WCC by community members concerned about management of water issues (including but not limited to leaks)
Mayor press issues - dog, drinking Water pipes …
The council won’t allow more houses to be built because of the heritage panel trying to dezone housing, and also a story about the panel wanting heritage protection for a worthless oil drum in Miramar
Rates are going up, streets full of Leaks, corrupt lobbyist dinners - no election
Issues around water, transport, the town hall, the Mayor's behavior etc
The Mayor spending thousands of dollars on a lunch.
Secret meetings about selling property in Courtney Place to American millionaires
Council secret deals re Reading Cinema, Johnsonville Mall etc. Council Mayor bad behaviour etc
Leaking water pipes, proposals to charge for parking in the suburbs instead of stopping expensive projects like the Golden Mile and the Town Hall renovation which would actually save money
How errors have been found around financial affairs. Of water issues. Of mistakes made in council processes etc
Discussion over closure of Khandallah pool. News items about water issues and water restrictions
Alcohol license applications WCC Resource consent applications Response from a FIXIT APP request
Mostly about the water leaks, lack of maintenance
Our councillor is active on social media, plus the rates notice came through!
Issues around water/infrastructure. Let's get Wellington Moving.
Accessed the WCC website to look up various things. WCC is also in the news frequently recently regarding water pipes, a by election, water restrictions, rates discussions
Cost of so many things. I know water is the Regional Council, but really - what is your role here, WCC? Years and years of Council CEOs etc strutting about pretending this is a great city. Get a grip.
Lots on social media and none of it is positive. TV news - leaky pipes, including Wellington Water turning down support from the local plumber association. In the middle of a water crisis that's a plus eh - NOT. Heard of the Mayor at the completion of some water project saying it was a significant step forward which is bull. Storing more water doesn't help if it leaks our before getting to where its needed. Some project came in $800k under budget, why didn't she immediately announce that the saved money already budgeted for be redirected to the water issue and employ those plumbers? Too busy looking good rather than dealing with the real issues and being open and honest. Also saw there was an issue with the ling term plan and some people taking part not declaring conflicts of interest. Absolute wastage and disaster around LGWMA.
Newspaper and social media / facebook… Council docs and have attended community meetings where councillors are present
news articles relating to water infrastructure, transport issues and reading cinema negotiations.
Pipes issues. Council election. Rates increases.
Reddit / Wellington - Wellington housing panel members have millions in undeclared property interests
Their plan to buy the land under Reading Cinemas in Courtenay Place. Their inability to fix water leaks. Their plan to install water meters to detect water leaks when they cannot fix the ones they already know about.
Negative publicity on a range of matters,
I follow the Council on Instagram, I read the Spinoff and Stuff, I used to use Twitter, I visit libraries. I enjoyed the Summer Reading Challenge. I saw social media from Ben McNulty apologising for worrying people about reducing library (and pool?) hours.
Information on what services may be cut in the community to fund the fixing of water pipes; information on potential car parking fees in suburbs which would kill the business owners in the suburb I live in with the funding to go and fix water leaks; information on what Council is not willing to look at that would go towards funding to fix the water pipe leaks; dissatisfaction at the potential level of rates increase.
Water issues are in mind but our water woes show otherwise
I'm interested in a number of bigger-picture issues around rates, water, cycleways (more, please), public transport, and urban densification (more please). I keep my eye out on the mainstream and social media for things that interest me so I bump into WCC things a lot of the time.
Numerous project updates, event brochures, Council LTP documents. Bad media publicity.
Subscribe to the weekly email, I've read the quarterly booklet, I get rates notifications and also read about WGTN City Council in the news most days...
Proposals to reduce library and pool facilities
Pathetic stories about the Mayor and drinking (stop wasting our time), more leaks - arguments about said leaks, and doom and gloom about how much our rates are going up and what is getting cut. But okay, let's still focus on all the bike lanes. That should stop immediately!
The crisis with the water supply. Election of a new councillor. Secret deals about the Reading Cinema.
Underfunded water infrastructure with catastrophic consequences. But grew wildflowers at the same time
A lot of discussion about water leaks note being fixed
Lots of things about pipes, cutting services and rates rises
A by election for the empty seat that tamantha Paul vacated
Extremely negative coverage in the media. Minister of Local Government's letters to the Council requiring information. Pamphlet from the Council trying to highlight irrelevantly minor "positive" things happening in the next quarter in Wellington.
Infrastructure and resource management critiques
Extensive coverage of council decisions in The Post, almost on a daily basis.
Simeon Brown meeting with Tory Whanau. Karori cycleway
Lots of complaints on how the council is performing and lots of trite answers.
Ben mcnulty Facebook page is good at keeping us informed locally
Stuff articles & social media around water issues, closing of pools & rates increase
ongoing problems with water leaks throughout Wellington region and council slow to fix them, council members in disagreement with each other, new councillor elected with small majority, mayor concerned about councillors being right wing or left wing
About a candidate that was standing to take Tamatha Paul's place.
All the proposals to increase rates and pay for the new water treatment plant and for planning initiatives
Constant comments re water. My feeling all the huha was to get water metres. Even if it wasn’t Council is to blame anyway for putting cycleways before water attention
Water issues, council secret meetings/decisions, mayor doing stupid things
Council division, Reading, water leaks, heritage vs high density housing, suburban paid parking intentions, budget strife.
Parking meters in my suburb. Stupid move.
Lots of stuff, mostly either on social media (facebook) or news items on Stuff or TVNZ1
The Reading Centre cluster. The Town Hall cluster. The drunk mayor cluster
information about meetings, LGWM project, challenges among council members
News about are dire water pipes and how the council is restricting outside water use
The Mayor's personal difficulties; new councillors elected; water woes; closure of some amenities; infrastructure issues; earthquake prone buildings
Proposed charged parking in Newlands Johnsonville Tawa
Radio and newspapers comment on council decisions and actions
The pipes, the pipes are always calling.
Rates bill came through. Read the Wellington booklet. Read about plans to cut some public services to pay for water infrastructure. Read about issues reaching agreement over the future of Reading Cinema. Saw social media post about the opening of the new playground at Frank Kitts Park.

Finally, is there anything else you would like to share with us about the topics covered in this survey? [optional]
I understand that you can’t blame a new council and mayor for bad past decisions, so have high hopes that we see some improvement. I find it a little embarrassing that we have a lot of cruise ship tourists but not a lot of shopping or things to do on Lambton Quay where they all go. Lots of vacant shop space, due to high rents? I overheard an American tourist comment that this wasn’t a city, it’s a village! I love our city but I have travelled a lot and Wellington is falling behind.
By asking for ethnicity etc there is potential for reiterating division, instead of accepting all people and their diversity
Why are rates for rural so high in Makara when we get nothing, not even a good road, no water, sewage, no public transport, no parks, no library etc etc etc
My husband would like to see more cycleways.
While the topics in the survey covered in the survey are admirable, they do not address the major problem facing ratepayers: an unacceptable level of forecast rates increases. Council needs more engagement with and funding support from Central Government.
While I believe that the Councils has good intentions, please take a serious look at your constituents and their actual needs - financially as well as both physical and mental health. I am not certain that funds are spent in the wisest ways.
We need a bigger Welcome to Wellington sign.
If my memory serves me correctly the words "agree" and "disagree" sometimes changed places on pages instead of being constantly on the same side for the whole survey.
There are many things that Wellington need to maintain and fix, but always seems to be pushed aside. The water leak problem and the infrastructure issue should’ve taken the higher priority, instead, these seems to just being pushed aside because they aren’t something immediately recognisable by face value. Just don’t see why water, one of the most vital natural resource for survival, is less important than a cycle lane or a speed bump! Seems like the council is more invested in building more of those than fixing the water leaks that’s happening all around Wellington, which should be the first priority.
It would have good to see what people's support of different areas of spending would be. For instance cycle lanes, pipes, buildings etc. I would be happy to pay a one off amount to help fix the pipes, but haven't been asked. Also not happy with finding out how much the rebuild of town hall is costing.
Questions fishing for rough sleeper bashing is not appreciated. The council offloaded its housing portfolio to Kainga Ora - what is the Council doing to help these people? The level of alienated people living on our streets is a disgrace and a symptom of a society that is increasingly unequal, corrupt and dysfunctional. I am very sick of having to explain to my son why our society thinks this treatment of people is acceptable.
The topic of active transport, walkable & bikeable city would be quite important to cover.
The regional plan process is very complicated and difficult to follow
Manaaki, may ihowa te Atua abundantly bless y’all in te aroha nui Ihu kaiwhakaora and wairua tapu tino aroha nui + rangimarie ake ake ake amene shalom in the wonderful love of messiah yeshua heavenly peace
Allow for more housing higher density buildings, reduce heritage neighborhoods. The Johnsonville train line is mass transit
Would be happy to meet with Councillors but nothing ever changes
The question about household income doesn't make clear what a household is (do my flatmates count?) Not sure where it fits in, but I feel like the communication about water restrictions has been catastrophically bad. I only found out through word of mouth, not because there was any official communication or advice that I saw. And the advice I could find about emergency water didn't really suggest anything useful for people in apartments.
I would like WCC to put a tax on AirBnbs though! The new development on Crn Vivian and Victoria, by my guess, is about 50% AirBnbs!!! Makes me sad and really angry.
Please do everything you can to save the environment before it's too late. I didn't see any questions about it in this quiz and given we are in a climate crisis, and overrun with waste, it should be a key issue.
Many wellingtonians feel the city centre has lost much of its vibrancy and spirit, and showing clear signs of economic depression. It is especially sad to see so many closed shops on Courtenay, Manners and Cuba St, and far too many franchise/ chainstores replacing what were once unique, locally-owned shops
It's great that this avenue is available for people to have their say. I hope you get many diverse responses and take action on what you can.
In terms of homeless people, I would want that the council gives them proper, generous help out of their situation. I don’t want any rules or regulations about where people can sleep in the city because too many people like me clicked “it makes me feel a bit unsafe” on a survey
Please clean up Manners Street! It's like Skid Row.
No but thanks for your Mahi! Very proud to call Welly my home :)
I don't like the music they play at the WRAC. It's always bad music sung by male vocalists. It does motivate me to put my head under the water and swim instead of breathing on the side though.
I generally wish the council were more aggressive in its aims, because overall I support the direction things are going in. I feel we're held back by a lack of access to sufficient debt, and by a lack of experienced workers. What we need is the Ministry of Works back building housing and safer streets. Then let artists loose with the paint.
Look into helping extend Wellington Airport runway. Larger planes can land in Wellington if done right which could mean more domestic and international tourism for the Wellington region resulting in more economical growth.
Useless as council couldn’t even finish off the playground in time just get like 20 bros from china to help us finish it on time
More info on what’s happening in welly. More info on what sports and activists are available and more on what the council is doing. But also keep doing a good job !! Loving progress and this servey is a good idea
No I think my satisfaction level is evident without going on more. Happy to be contacted personally to talk
Re. the Arts - affordable rehearsal space for community groups is an ongoing problem. Similarly, affordable storage space for equipment, costumes, etc, is also a problem. Toi Pōneke is fantastic, but does not service the needs of the community simply because it is not big enough. The city needs a second Toi Pōneke focused on providing rehearsal space for the myriad of community groups here, ideally with rentable storage space. As someone who runs a community theatre group, we would much prefer to pay the council and see the money go back into council services and opportunities, rather than paying private storage companies.
Just sort out the people on Manners Street.
more rubbish bins on main arterial routes or mains town hubs would be good
I believe, the survey undertaken by me will not have any positive impact towards me and most likely will be stacked in some corner for record keeping.
Tory's doing a great job and it's terrifying how much she is being attacked by the media.
Can honestly say that the dysfunction of our council seriously detracts from my desire to stay in Wellington. As a long time resident that’s sad to say but it’s got to the point that I have no faith in the councils ability to really make material changes that benefit the city long term. I admire our vision around creating a city that can thrive in the face of climate change and all of the associated pressures and know that comes with short term pain or disruption but the leadership is so lacking that I’ve lost faith in our ability to move towards that as a unified Wellington
Yea sort the pipes, scrap the vanity projects.. sort out reading cinema.
Wellington city council is legitimately, a shower of shit. Its so bad, its actually sad but also entertaining to watch. A group of lefty woke ideologs, argue about who has the least pheasible solution to adult problems
In terms of getting information out into the community, I really appreciate Ben McNulty's consistent communications with the Wellington subreddit, as that's the hub mainly I use to see news.
You haven’t talked about climate change in this survey which is strange. One issue is find concerning is the pollution and disruption caused by the large numbers of cruise ships during summer. The pollution levels (air quality index) in Wellington increase dramatically on days boats are in town and I’m not sure the expenditure per customer who disembarks is high. There should be a a charge per customer that goes to Wellington councils to support the facilities toilets, free museums and galleries. Also there is significant disruption when cruise ships are in town to public transport. Why should cruise ship bus tours go thru the bus route spine of Courtney place to Lambton quay causing more disruption to the bus network. A lot of people are getting concerned about this and nothing is being said. We have electric buses and moving to cars and walking/cycling yet an unapproved power station in essence is sitting at the port during summer pumping pollution into the air. It’s ridiculous to be giving them a free ride when everyone in Welly is trying to improve things. Really needs to get more attention and be taken seriously. Or the climate change language of the council is a bit of a joke.
Wellington Coincil needs to be more open, transparent and accountable for their actions. The community needs to be involved more and the council streamlined to be more efficient with a focus on delivery
Feels good to express myself. Although, I am 100% certain it makes no difference. The same wheels will keep turning the way they already are.
Heritage buildings need to go, they’re unsafe for Wellington and too expensive to remediate. The Council should have pulled the plug on the Town Hall and demolished it.
Used to love this city, am now ashamed by it
Open to connecting regarding app idea. I believe a prototype has been developed specifically for councils.
only my apologies for the anger it has induced and that to you, poor first reader, you're not the focus of my rage, I hope you won't take it personally, and will just tell the NIMBYs on the council for me, from the bottom of my heart that they can go fuck themselves the fucking fucks and their fucking moronic willfully blind sabotage of anything good and productive that's being attempted. I wish they would go to Hell because then they wouldn't be around to be the albatrosses that they are.
Please restart the Friday night market on cuba street, and the underground market. This were great for tourists and for Wellingtonians alike. Also the saturday night market is dearly missed
I think more can be done with ensuing our whenua and water ways are cared for In Newtown it appears to be a more reactive approach to ensuring the streets are clean and free of rubbish and access to water ways eg storm water is challenging
please stop the woke stuff, first of all only 2 genders...stop with the stupid questions that make no scientific sense
Fix the fucking pipes, even if that means taxing rich people so you can afford it
Just get your priorities in order. No point in having nice amenities (ie libraries and town halls) for a city that no one can safely live in, or drink water in. Resort to maslow's hierarchy of needs to reassess the goals for the city. Ensure you are checking off the bottom before moving up.
The other day I drove past some workers installing the extremely unpopular cycle lane on Ngaio gorge right next to a water main that has been leaking for over a month. About sums it usp for me.
Please try to get more finance and budget from the government and fix the water leaks affecting the city. Also may be proactive steps to avoid such issues in the future with the help of technology such as sensors underground. House prices in Wellington City can become affordable. More cctv camera for safety of residents. More countdowns and pack n save branches in Churton park. More waste bins in public places.
I question if it's appropriate to be asking a politically loaded survey like this while voting is underway in a council by-election
Thank you for building cycleways and pedestrian improvements to make us all safer. Please continue with the Golden Mile upgrade and consider carefully which services to reduce when trying to fund water improvements. There's no point living in a city with fixed pipes but no heart.
Cannot fathom how the council doesn't feel it owes the city an apology for its utter failure to meet its basic function
I do think council staff across the board from waste collection to leisure facilities take pride in their work. It isn't always straightforward delivering council services and dealing with community members who may have different views and needs. So thank you for continued mahi.
Please fix the pipes. I'm rapidly approaching the point where I become a single-issue voter except no-one has a comprehensive solution to the pipes. Second priority is the library.
Newtown library has a conmunity notice board but the others only take council news. I miss the Victoria St noticeboards. The libraries should all have spaces for community news. The fixit app is patchy and frustrating. Water needs to be handled by central govt and protected. Creatives need more support. Overall the council does well.
The staff at Kilbirnie Library are great :)
I didn't love the implication that "Rough sleepers" or "Aggressive begging" were something that I was made uncomfortable by or scared of when they are very much systemic issues. I'm made much more uncomfortable and scared by sharing the road on my bike by giant SUVs and bad drivers, for example.
Keep up the great work. What an awesome city to live in with a cool mayor who represents us.
Really appreciate the libraries and pools thanks. Great for families with kids the age of ours. We make use of many of the family friendly tracks and activities around Wellington.
The housing panel should be fired and investigated for corruption. Screw the pretty old houses, give us somewhere warm and dry and safe to live first. Spend less on vanity projects and fix the pipes; invest more into homeless shelters, street lights that don't fall down, libraries, pools, community centres and get the Karori Events Centre open.
It would be great to see choice of answers expanded. There was no agree or disagree which is different to somewhat agree or strongly agree. That makes for slightly skewed responses.
Fix the pipes - even if it costs us. It needs to be done.
No mention of those key infrastructure: pipes, public transport, cycleways. And no mention of climate action.
Please don't give anymore money to the town hall, please plan for more housing especially in walkable areas, 15-20 minutes is a reasonable walking distance, 10 minutes is nothing. Please don't cut library or pool funding
It would have been good to talk about infrastructure & water
I’m Scared my rates are going to continue to rise and I won’t be able to afford to stay in my home.
Please stick at teh cycleways and get them connected up.
Thanks for the chance to take part. Can you have a unified survey that includes related regional council matters such as public transport?
Show some discipline and leadership on critical social and economic issues facing Wellington. Council needs to unite on major difficult problems in Wellington. The city isn't what it was for decades.
I found the survey interesting in what it left out. Too much money being spent on things we can't afford when we clearly have to focus on basic infrastructure - fixing the water issues should be coming ahead of roundabouts, road humps, bike lanes, more crossings etc. WCC need to follow up on the independent report and recommendations on Wellington Water Ltd by sharing clear actions and timelines to be taken.
I have concerns about the effect of the cycleways on the ability of emergency services to respond effectively. The speed hump in Onepu Road is fine by me, I can slow down. But if I'm an ambulance responding to an emergency and carrying someone to hospital I cannot go over the speed hump fast but if I take too long to reach the hospital that person could die. And how are tradespeople meant to access houses in Onepu Road? Are they meant to park in the middle of the road and block traffic or walk carrying all their tools to fix someone's plumbing?
I understand that the council is currently operating in a unique and challenging space - immediately on the heels of a global pandemic and recession, after decades of infrastructure under-investment, with a government that appears openly hostile to the council, and with the difficulties that social media and dis-information create. It is a lot to juggle at the best of times, let alone now, and I hope that council staff know that some people really appreciate the work they do (at all levels) even if there is a lot of visible hostility. Thanks!
WCC council staff must be kept in their place and not let the neo-liberal dominance of the senior staff bully or distort council proceedings. They do now.
I was surprised the survey did not focus at all on either transport or urban planning issues. Council needs to push on with focus on facilitating active transport modes despite the capture of the Beehive by the current rabble of hillbillies. Not at all impressed with the "independent panel" on district plan - looks like a bunch of folk from rich white suburbs labouring to keep their suburbs rich and white.
Feel city centre is less attractive as a place to visit now.
Spend on fixing water pipes and stop spending on cycle lanes. Prioritize work that needs to be done
No, but please make the survey so that I don't have to scroll down every single page (except this one) when on many of them the size of the content means that this could be avoided.
Will the results of this survey make any change occur? I have been very negative in many of my comments and quite rightly so. However, I have little confidence that any of this genuine feedback will even be considered by the Council. I think they all believe that they are above criticism and have no concept of what good looks like.
Do you actually do anything with the survey results? Do they get published? What do these surveys cost the city to run so frequently?
Wellington could use some programmes to increase social cohesion in the city. I am sure the HRC could help there.
Why not sell the social housing portfolio.Most other Councils have sold their portfolio
Stop asking people about their ethnicity, gender and sexual preferences if your intent is genuinely to improve the city for all. Which group are you going to put first? None? In which case why ask?
Front line Council Staff, are normally very helpful and. over the years have performed their tasks wonderfully, when I have had interaction with their services., however, the further up the greasy pole you get, the less assistance and more obfuscation Ratepayers receive. This trend has only been apparent for the past 7 years. Prior to that, I got on very well with both Councillors and Staff, on the occasions with whom I had personal interaction.
Get the priorities right and drop the nice to haves - get back to what are essential services. Like it or not cars are here to stay in the short term and are essential in a city where public transport will never be fit for purpose - embrace it and make it efficient.
Wellington is an increasingly restrictive and unpleasant city to live in. It has lost its "mojo". It is also slipping behind many other councils e.g. CHCH; Hamilton; Tauranga and on. Very poor performance overall,
No. It takes longer than 15 minutes to complete, would you say that is misinformation from Wellington council
The mayor should step down for her continued behaviour and indiscretions
I thave hought Wellington City Council isnot performing well for some but a couple of years ago thought that surely it could not get worse. I was wrong. It has.
Just to reiterate that the Karori community will feel very let down if Council decides to not complete the Karori Event Centre to which many in the community have donated to get the building structure completed.
Just that the library online is a hugely valuable asset
No mandate, survey the general population where council policy is going to affect them
WCC takes a stand on many issues but I don't feel/see that they support the needs and safety of older persons and disabled people. Nearly 25% of us identify as disabled, but bad design of facilities, footpaths, cycle lanes etc, dont reflect this. Access to information and services are not fully accessible.
WCC get your act together and focus on the major infrastructural problems rather than spending millions on vanity projects that benefit a small minority.
I'd personally like to see a Commission of Enquiry into Wellington Water, and the councils who own it, and their historical malfeasance. Seems to me, there has been disgraceful, ongoing incompetence at all levels. No heads ever roll, do they. Looks like every incompetent has a job for life, regardless of how much they stuff things up.
The WCC should get people who know how to manage their facilities instead of ones they have now
Wellingtonians know we have a funding issue. We know we have water infrasture issues. Personally, i am ok with increased rates/water meters IF those dollars are going to non-negotiable investment projects - ie fixing water pipes. Suspend spend which are non-essential/vanity/politically driven like cycleways - bring them back once the other projects are on more sound footing. Get the basics sorted first. Invest into those areas which will have a positive ROI - ie attracting visitors/international investment to the city. Get rid of dead wood - how some of these councilors get voted on is beyond me.
The Mayor is an embarrassment to our city.
The Council, whether councillors or employees, is very poor at delivering what matters to the inhabitants. You spend too much on ideology services rather than pragmatic ones eg cycleways, Dixon St boardwalk. Your staff are useless at negotiating deals - FKP playground - hire professional negotiators who are incentivised to produce a good deal for Wellington people.
Far to long and in parts 'wishy washy'. Leading questions Unlikely to lead to change of direction and better Governance or Management
There are way too many domestic and feral cats in wellington. They are killing our native birdlife and other wildlife.
How can the council and bike path installers not listen to the Fire and emergency folks about the need for cars to be able to move over to get out of the emergency services needing to get to an event in a urgent fime frame? Have you consulted cyclists as to their reasons for not using the bike paths? Do cyclists not using the bike paths understand how irritating it is to drivers when they slow traffic with a bike path right next to them?
Encourage diversity and education & Culture
We need a commissioner to take over WCC to make sure our money is spent wisely, to stop the "extras" that council is pushing ahead with despite being told to stop, and to spend on absolute essentials like the water. I am happy paying rates when they are spent wisely by the council but not when some of the councillors have a party agenda that is far too costly for minimal numbers of people to use.
No, apart it has made me angry and frustrated just having to think about lack of responsibility and accountability shown by the council. That should really tell you all that you need to know.
Yes, consistent with my first point I think the council should concentrate on delivering core services very well, address our very substantial infrastructure deficit and stop spending money on things that are (i) unaffordable (ii) politically motivated
Mayor to stand down and resign. Crown observer brought in. Mystical Stone Aged Culture and language removed. Ease of access into the city returned. Fix the pipes. Fix the roading network, remove stupid cycle lanes. Stop the waste at council from the top down. Remove the CEO. Remove unelected officials. Hollow out WCC just like its been done to the city. To make Wellington great again, remove those that got us here and that continue with the Gravy train, all need to go.
It’s great that Kiwi are making a comeback in Wellington. I would like to see greater education of dog owners, including kiwi aversion training for their dogs. Off lead dog’s poop on mountain bike tracks, off lead owners don’t pick it up, it flicks in the faces of riders. Off lead unattended dogs are a crash hazard to riders. It would be great to find a way to enforce lead use that makes everyone, including dog owners, happy. WCC has done great things for mountain bikers and walkers in Wgtn, it’s a great place to ride! Thank you!
Why has my rates gone up but the house prices havent
The council needs to understand what the key function of a council is and stop spending so much money on stuff that doesn't fit within that.
i didn’t believe it but it turned out that John Key was right about a dying city, and wellington city council is doing a good job accelerating the process.
Good on you for commissioning this survey.
As I mentioned before sack the lot employ a decent commissioner who can deliver the goods
One thing that frustrates me is the amount of "boy racers" creating overwhelming noise and danger levels as they zoom around my neighborhood with no apparent restriction or consequence.
Explain to the ratepayers how announcements re. Water emergency can be made with out having sufficient water tank available or at least a system to put your name on a waiting list- not stand in queues for hours only to be turned alway!!
disappointed in the councils performance, particularly as rates continue to rise while major issues aren't resolved.
fix the leaks and stop the cycleways.... remove the Island Bay cycleway
General public has little understanding on councils role & challenges. Maybe civics education is one solution across all education
The council needs to stop taking away residential parking by building bike and bus lanes and use these funds to fix the water and sewer infrastructure to make the city functional for the future.
Good luck. We’re not in great shape. I have become so alienated that I am considering leaving the city.
As previously indicated, the Council needs to have more focus on what is important to Wellingtonians. Apart from fixing the pipes and water, the Council needs to 100% finish the Town Hall and the Library strengthening, and also to partner with Central Government to address the city transport issues, including the second Mt Victoria tunnel. There should be immediate consultation with Wellingtonians as to the priorities if they are looking to reprioritise spending affecting the above. And if the Council is really looking to cut costs, the Mayor's travel would be a great place to start.
I may be a grumpy older man, but I do think it is the best city to live in and ive lived in at least 6 cities round the world for long periods.
The traffic is just getting worse and worse. Bike lanes are often counterproductive to traffic flow - I'm in favor of cyclists - one myself, but it's a mess. Get rid of the Town Hall - don't spend any more money on it. Our rates are significant and every dollar is important so when you read that it's used to buy wine, it a kick in the teeth.
Fix the water, give up on the earthquake probe buildings, stop wasting money.
The head Council position used to be the city engineer, now we have a CEO, and the town clerk was an accountant. Now we have business managers, not practical roles. All activity is contracted. No institutional knowledge retained leading to repeating mistakes and costly oversights. Let's Get Wellington Moving and predecessor a gross waste of time and money. Wgtn Water needs restructuring or replaced, maybe by City Works dept. Make previous Councillors and officials accountable for spending infrastructure depreciation funding on expansion projects rather than maintenance.
Spend more getting the basics right; water and roads !
Keep up the good work to spite our awful new government!
Cut back on spending, maybe it is time to give up on the old town hall. Postpone upgrade of Lambton Quay with money going to water infrastructure. Postpone cycle tracks and walkways and instead put funds into water (and other) infrastructure.
Nothing about Infrastructure or Water Meters...hmmm
I could not reach my age (80 years) among the options in your list.
Resurfacing streets and roads appears to be done far more often than necessary
Thanks for the opportunity to contribute
Where are the questions about the tough issues?
You’re the ones we’ve been waiting for. The current [national[ government is just going to make it harder, so why wait to improve the city? (eg: raise rates! have us pay for water! reform Wellington Water! hire more council workers instead of contractors!)
I've lived here most of my life and am impressed by what the city puts on for it's residents. But no one will care when there are shennanigans, both personal and operational
Wellington is way better than Auckland. I am glad we moved here and am proud of wanting to be named ‘Wellingtonian’.
We had a great city. We can have a great city again but insurance costs and badly targeted WCC spending is destroying us. Let’s get back to the coolest little capital in the world. Not some rundown town.
Based on 25 yrs of observations and non private motor vehicle travel, my recommendation would be to prioritise 1) foundational investment 2) then an approach that builds on the strengths, high visibility, and high use, building from the waterfront back, in a value add model until a majority of users see a “beachfront of successes” on which the are will to invest further.
Hospital and Newtown Parking a bigger issue than effort to sort.
Really happy that you are (finally) going to license plate based parking. Please make the pipes your first priority I wish you had rebuilt the central library from scratch. By all means keep the nikau palms, they are nice, but the rest of the structure is sub par as a library or a community space. The Johnsonville library is awesome - a place to wait for the bus out of the weather, the only decent cafe in Jville, lovely interior, makerspace, community meeting rooms. Not enough parking, wish there was a drive through book return. Please pause the bike lanes and anything else non critical to fix the (@#$! pipes. Please direct priority, energy and resources to making Wellington an affordable and safe place to live for everybody. This includes earthquake safety, council housing, community inclusiveness, third spaces, support of essential ngos like Citizens Advice. Arts support is OK if its inclusive. Let wealthy patrons pay for ballet, opera, and other performances, I'd like more Cuba Dupa, Gardens Magic and arts that people can participate in.
This took 3 hours to complete. A waste of time really, as no notice will be taken of it...
Only to reiterate that I'd prefer the council interacted directly via email on matters of importance, rather than relying on the media/social media. Maybe they do, but I don't receive them.
do what your paid for stop spending our money on consultants. listen to the people, because your making a bloody mess of it.
There’s a lot missing. Nothing on transport including walking and cycling and scooting options. Nothing on open and green spaces other than playing fields. Nothing on urban design in particular the facilities at street and neighbourhood level that support community connection and culture. Nothing on the level of council support for the community networks that weave it all together.
Wellingtons should get a card that provides discounted access to our local satisfactions eg Zealandia, the zoo, anything that requires an entry fee
Streets would be safer and more liveable if local roads were 30kmh.
Wellington wants fix the leaking pipes fixed and should be the priority not cycle lanes or other areas that can be put on hold.Talk to shop owners where you are taking away parks and how this is going to affect them. The council seems to have only one agenda of taking out cars but not how this will affect the shops owners. The city has already lost long standing shops because of doing this. public transport will not compensate for taking away carparks ,
Whilst I did answer that I think that there are channels for having a say in Council decision making, I think there was an important question missing from that section: "Do you feel that the Council actually listens to your opinion?" The answer would be that I can't always be sure that they do. Especially on issues like cycle lanes.
I work in comms and didn't find this survey well written. It wasn't always written in a user-centred way – often in a more council-centred way. If you want to find out stuff, you need to figure out how to ask it in a way that is easy for a normal person to understand vs a beauracrat. I expected better and feel that previous WCC surveys have been better configured. I also wonder what WCC is doing to broaden the outreach for surveys like this.
Wellington council staff appear to have a realistic attitude towards resolvign issues. They do a great job overall.
Fix the water No more stupidly designed cycle ways Reduce the numbers of paper pushing employees Listen to all residents, not just the loud minorities.
Wellington is becoming rapidly unaffordable for this single mum. I’m starting to get ready to sell my home so I can move to a smaller, cheaper location.
Big shout out to the WCC Call Centre who are there 24/7 I think - and who really try hard to help each time I've needed to ring them! Also, despite all the controversy about cycle ways ... yesterday I was waiting at the lights by the Embassy Theatre and a posse of cyclists (at least three with children on the back) rode across the street en masse in the cycle way with their own green light! It was pretty cool ... felt as though I was in Amsterdam!
We need a stadium with a roof. We need more activities along the waterfront such as the water bikes at https://thewaterworks.co.nz/ and fun things to do. We have a huge waterfront and very little water based activities. An outdoor pool near Oriental beach would be sensational. The Bondi Beach pools are very popular: https://icebergs.com.au/ The two recent incidents involving people swinging off the Len Lye water whirler sculpture indicate that people would use water based fun things. Lets make Wellington waterfront vibrant and not boring like I hear a lot of tourists mentioning "There's nothing to do! What a waste coming here!"
Please, please start listening to rate payers when you put surveys out. Overwhelmingly, no one, no ONE wanted Cobham Drive crossing.. yet it still went in - why????????
Pleased WCC is supporting Pride Festival. Hope it does more to support disability community needs
I would like the WCC to ban smoking on footpaths and in any 'garden bars' that face onto or use the footpath. I don't want to smell like cigarettes when I use the active mode of walking or inhale poisons.
We need to get the basic stuff right (eg keeping streets clean, getting homeless people off the streets) before adding in big projects like the Lambton Quay revamp. Need to go back to the drawing board and totally rethink where cycleways are being located because they don’t work properly where they are being positioned on the sides of roads. They interfere with bus stops and drivers can’t easily pull over for emergency vehicles.
1.Rates are inequitably distributed. Every time there is a PERCENTAGE increase, the inequity is exacerbated, yet we have no services other ratepayers don't get. As pensioners we pay more than $14,000 for a tiny section which is eroding, due to a failure of council supervision when the land (just 200 millimetres from the house) was excavated to enable units to be built 4 metres below. Our land loss has not resulted in a drop in rates and our home is compromised. 2. We have just returned from visiting relatives in 4 sites in the North Island. This trip has highlighted how neglected Wellington is by comparison.
Wgtn council wasted water doing full-time waterblasting of newtown running track during first announcement re water restrictions. This went on for 10days and included a day of work with leaking water blaster. Unforgivable.
Art and culture, food and beer makes this city great. We need red light cameras, and to focus the city around walking, cycling and PT. So many buses and cars speed, run red lights, drive in bike lanes, etc. We should make money by properly fining them.
Please prioritise our infrastructure - water, transport, roads. I know it will mean some hard decisions need to be made but Wellington is the capital of New Zealand. We need to be a great city.
The mayor is a problem- she should hv stepped down.
Just do a better job please and prioritise fixing the water leaks
The city may be turning the corner but some people are still thinking of leaving Courtenay Place and Manners Mall are really challengingAnd unsafe .
Finish the playground on our waterfront.
cashless libraries is a bad idea. The issue machines are broken at Miramar library. Please fix.
You're question on rough sleeping was at best insensitive. I am disturbed that the Council does not do more to house people. Rough sleepers are proof of the councils failures.
I’d like to know what WCC is doing about all the empty buildings and lack of public transport I’ve described.
Will anything in this survey make those incompetent bunch of councillors run this city efficiently!
All of the cultural and recreational facilities are nice to have, but not essential services. Please provide the essential services.
If Council is allowing private contractors to damage ratepayers hearing, then our rates bill should be reduced to pay for our health costs associated with this. Why have cats been allowed to decimate the rural population?
Re non communication I think a "fill" in The Post stated there is a bi-election this month. Where (ward ),who, how vote?
Please sort out the pipes without making the financial burden too much for ratepayers
I am not myself LGBQ etc but have several close friend who are and believe it is important that we continue to be an inclusive city for my friends whatever their sexual or gender preferences appear to be and whatever their cultural and religious preferences.
I acknowledge the commendable work the WCC is doing in areas such as organizing events and promoting cultural diversity and inclusivity, and more. However, they need common sense approach to major funding decisions. Decisions like reducing car parking spaces in the central city without first improving the public transport systems result in inconvenience without effectively reducing car usage. Similarly, constructing a massive water reservoir without first addressing the issues with old water pipes make no sense as to where the priority is for the city's water supply. These decisions raises concerns and seems indicative of decisions made by individuals lacking competence.
Somehow the costs of fixing the city's issues with water, etc. need to be fairly shared amongst Wellington's population.
Sort your acts out before a statutory manager is put in place?
WCC have done a lot for the arts in our city and it has also worked hard to alleviate the housing crisis by providing affordable and sturdy homes for our people. Keep up the good work. Councillors need to be seen more in the city doing work alongside our people. Whether it be helping out at the Soup Kitchen or DCM, regularly attending our sites and attractions, as well as the events council puts on.
Please concentrate on fixing actual problems rather than making all our lives less enjoyable.
yes - I would like to see the parks tied up especially on perimeter areas
One important group of residents that is increasing being squeezed out of Wellington is retirees with regards to housing options suitable for the elderly who want to live in their own home but downsize to a smaller single level property on the flat. Affordability for all residents is an issue of concern.
I strongly believe that WCC should be involved in supporting this residents in the Northern suburbs affected by plane noise after flight path changed in December 2022. WCC needs to be pro active about dog control and giving priority to pedestrians over cyclists and E scooter users. Council needs to spend more time and money fixing leaks and patrolling suburbs to stop drivers parking on footpaths, including Council's own contractors who collect rubbish and recycling. Thank you for the chance to do this survey.
The Botanical Gardens are a daily joy. I'm mostly a pedestrian and I like the little parks and pathways around the city, the artwork in the footpaths and on the waterfront, the trees never far away. I love the waterfront, and I'd be glad to see our streams liberated.
I am happy for Council to stop fireworks
The water pipes need sorting and don't even think about putting water meters in till they have been half our water goes down the drain and there's talk of water meters I don't think so
The survey asks nothing about the Councils ability to address priorities- lots of stuff about culture and whether Maori culture is visible. That is important but we need an emphasis on other issues now- like development and infrastructure
Time to focus on the needs of the city and get us back on track then maybe we can do the nice to haves. Fix the water and get the roads moving again.
Wellington is still a fantastic city to live in. I’m not a fan of crowds but appreciate the many activities that are available in the city. Fixing leaks must be a priority and the council needs to find agreement and more commitment. And a better Mayor
The council officers are ok to deal with but the elected council is failing
Please attend to important infrastructure rather than the “nice to have”. That is what you are there for. Like any household we don’t buy fancy furniture and artworks if the roof is leaking.
I'd like to see the results of this survey
Council is a very challenging organisation to deal with at a grass roots level. EVERYTHING takes so long to do and often not done well. I do LOVE the Fixit Ap, and have to admit that things are usually sorted out via that, but sometimes it is not a quality fix.
I hope I have not wasted my time doing this. I feel the council never listens to the public unless it is something the council wants to push, eg cycleways, a total waste of our (ratepayers) money.
Nice to be asked - guess the result will be the same - completely ignored
Fix the pipes and dump your pet projects nobody wants. We can't afford rates increases. Please stop it.
Please take more notice of the safety of pedestrians from cyclists. Their behaviour is appalling and dangerous fielders walkers and they have become emboldened by mayors support.
Your top age category was 40-44. I am older than that.
Just to reiterate. I think the council needs to concentrate on getting the basics sorted out. I find it unfathomable that our rates have increased enormously and lots of new houses and rates have come and yet we are having major problems with basic amenities. Where is the money being spent? Why so many contractors and sub contractors which swallow up the funds with little accountability.
Surveys and meetings seem a way of putting off action- and 'ticking the box' for consultation with the citizens.Then I suspect is shelved in the New Zealand way. I hope somehow the information the participants give in this survey has an effect on decisions and actions of the Wellington City Council
Fix the pipes before there is loss of life or more property damage.
Replace the current council it has been a shambles since elected stop political parties from been involved in local government elections
Local politics are considered to be "unsexy" by too many. To most it's all about the cost of rates and issues that affect them personally, such as bus timetables, road works and issuing of various permits. The low turnout at local body elections is indicative of how people only see the council as serving them, nit us being part of the team serving our city. Publications arrive with lots of info, such as what's on for the next few months but probably don't get read by many. Not sure if there's much on radio but citizens need to feel included and not always just asked for money. More social media presence? Younger folk need to feel included too - not sure if we still have a scheme for junior councillors??
Upzone the entire city, remove all character precincts entirely
Thank you for all the hard work on the ground.
The council is doing great with the resources it has, and there are great staff that work there.
Give your social media team a raise - they’re amazing. Informative, unfailingly polite and positive, a little bit playful and indefatigable.
This isn't the arts capital anymore. It's too expensive to live here. Wellington was hugely creative in the 90s and 00s when you could rent for cheap in slightly out of the CBD. Now, even on a six figure income, I cannot afford to purchase a place in this city. Rent is crazy. Why would students want to come live in the city when they can't afford it and they can attend class online? Vagrancy is up in downtown. I won't walk near manners street at day or nighttime. Please support local community facilities. If we can't find affordable spaces to explore a craft or bring our communities together, we will need to find somewhere else that does support this. Lower Hutt has more facilities that are cheaper, bigger and more readily available. Thinking about moving events out that way.
Appreciate the opportunity to give feedback :)
Conservation of Wellington's forest and bush areas is crucial and an iconic part of the city, this needs to continue
I think it's a shame that heritage status often trumps accessibility and our obvious need for adequate housing
the surveys are getting bigger and lenghter can they be short
- More higher density housing! Increased climate positive transport - e.g. electric buses, bike routes, walking - Food waste collection
The council is doing good work. The main thing is to keep going on its current direction.
The council needs to support the arts and independant venues etc. Most of the existing bars these days are owned by corporations who care little about community and more about profits. Landlords charge exorbitant prices and there is nothing to stop buildings sitting empty if no one rent them. Removing carparks and expecting everyone to be able to cycle is foolish. Better public transport is needed. People moving into apartments in the central city shouldn't be able to complain about noise from existing venues. Research what has helped or hindered in other cities!! Take the advice you've been giving from externally contracted sources who know better!
Despite rants and raves about wasted money on cycle lanes successfully increasing commute times and emissions (top job) - the community events such as events at the botanical gardens and CBD events were spectacular. Homelessness is certainly a concern but if we had a magic solution we'd be living like the Jetsons. I also adore the diverse nature of Wellington and despite some rabid, raving protests that seem to crop up every few months here it's a fabulous city of fabulous people that truly welcome all. But put the motorcycle parking charges idea in the bin
Councillor's need to take back the decision making in Wellington City
The CBD after dark really needs some urgent attention. It puts me off visiting restaurants or bars late at night.
As for taking 15 minutes to complete the survey is a huge under estimation. And I feel that it’s been a waste of time.
Lights need installing & fixing much quicker.
I've said enough already and don't expect that it will make any difference.
Reduce the spending on the Library & Town Hall and put it toward fixing the water issues.
Please think about those people who live in poverty and those who are homeless. Keep all the Libraries open and don’t restrict their hours of opening, they present such an important and non-judgemental space for so many people.
changing the parking meters is a waste of money
I am sad about the stoppage of most Christmas parades due to council compliance costs and issues. This has been a big loss in Johnsonville, Tawa and Wellington for our diverse communities. Thanks for the opportunity to share this.
more electric vehicle friendly chargers, better parking options in the city (especially weekends), More family friendly events and activities, modern and exciting, fix the water pipes, make the city something that Id want to come and spend time in
Get back to basics, fix the infrastructure, stop wasting our money on vanity projects.
I don’t like the way councillors seem to be in two factions. I don’t like Nicola Young, Diane Calvert and Ray Chung making snarky comments. I am disappointed that Tony Randle seems to have sided with them. I support Māori wards. I feel that Tory Whānau has had a lot of negative press in Stuff that she might not have had if she were a white man.
I sincerely hope the information provided by respondents is genuinely taken on board.
Please fix the pipes without raising rates, installing more parking metres or introducing a congestion charge. Be innovative and find a long view solution to a long life problem.
Please fix the council and get it working for the city.
Stop the national party from turning the Capital city into a third world city. Fix the ferries the vital connection between 2 islands. Be proud of how we are viewed by tourists.
I am concerned about the housing density vs heritage building debate. Both are needed but at present I have no confidence that the essential character of some of our suburbs will be retained. Quality of infill housing leaves much to be desired and places pressure on storm water etc. I would like to see some requirement for open/unsealed space. Water quality of local streams is a concern. Requirements for extensive “traffic control” are too one size fits all and often excessive eg stop go for trucks leaving a building site on a quiet neighbourhood street eg loss of Johnsonville Christmas parade (and hence Tawa) - requirements need to be proportional to the risk.
Current council appears dysfunctional. Cycleways over fixing leaks.