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    • Supporting our Creative Economy
      • As Bill Clinton said, “It’s the Economy Stupid!” There has been very little said during this election campaign about our economy, but without a thriving economy, and increasing productivity, we cannot afford all the other things we want. My vision is for Wellington to be the best city in the world to live in. A […]

    • Fixing the pipes – and spending $2.7 billion
      • Shortly after being elected Mayor, just before Christmas 2019, I received a call telling me a major wastewater pipe had broken on Dixon Street. I promptly headed to the site to meet Wellington Water management and contractors. It was the first of several well reported pipe failures in rapid succession. Some were old pipes, some […]

    • Getting things done for Wellington
      • We all know it’s been an incredibly challenging 3 years. Pipes which had given no hint of collective problems, started breaking almost immediately after the 2019 election. Shortly afterwards the biggest global pandemic in a century arrived to turn our lives upside down. Covid is clearly still significantly impacting us all. It has played a […]

    • Mayor Andy Foster confirms seeking a second term
      • Our extraordinary city needs a leader who is 100% committed to it and our people and gets the important things done – and I have, even in extraordinarily difficult circumstances. I am 100% committed to our City – anyone who knows me knows that. They know I understand the complexities and interconnections. This is not […]

    • Welcome back to our beloved St James!
      • It was a huge day for Wellington yesterday to officially reopen the St James. She looks beautiful. The audience included most of the people in the group that formed in the late 80s / early 90s to save the St James from demolition. Heroes all of them. Rangimoana Taylor, Miranda Harcourt Siobhan Proctor and I […]

    • Lets Get Wellington Really Moving!
      • Today is a big day for Wellington! Big LGWM announcement this morning alongside Minister of Transport and Minister of Infrastructure confirming: 1. Second Mt Victoria Tunnel 2. Basin Reserve Solution – grade separation between North – South and East – West traffic, and very beautiful design too 3. Clarity about the route for Mass Rapid […]

    • You have told us – now lets do it!
      • Thank you Wellington for your feedback on the future of our Central Library! Your input has been thoughtful, informative, and your views have been diverse. Many of you sympathised with us in the decision we have to make – recognising that there were pluses and minuses of each of the 5 options proposed. Exactly on the timeframe I set out in July when Council authorised a ‘Special Consultative Process’ – it is now time for the Council to make a decision. Councillors were fully briefed this week by officers and experts. The Council officers’ report will be published on Friday and we will make the decision on Wednesday week (October 28th). When considering significant decisions, the Local Government Act requires us to provide the community with an assessment of all the practicable options, the information, time and opportunity to provide feedback, and that we must undertake this process with ‘an open mind.’ Councillors have done a great job of being open minded, of listening, and of allowing our community the time and opportunity to tell us what you think – and Wellingtonians you did that brilliantly! We consulted on 5 options, 3 remediation options of differing levels of resilience (A – low, B – medium and C – high), and 2 new high resilience building options (D – existing site and E – new site in Civic Precinct), and provided information on several others (e.g. having multiple small libraries). There were a few people who loudly proclaimed what ‘everyone’ wanted, and we should ‘just get on with it’, not bothering with consultation (i.e. Option A). Last year there was indeed advice from prominent experts that we could strengthen the existing building for $30-40 million. The problem with that became clear when we received the engineering and Quantity Surveyor (QS) advice in March. In a ‘moderate’ earthquake people in the building should be safe, but the building would be likely to sustain significant damage. In addition to the structural issues that require remediation we need to replace services which are at the end of their life, as well as the modernise and refresh the library interior (a la Johnsonville’s Waitohi or Christchurch’s Tūranga) and the cost is $75 – 81 million. That is a lot to risk in a low resilience building, which may well fall below the earthquake prone assessment line if the EQ code is revised again. With 1,456 written submissions, 60 oral submissions, and 1,000 people surveyed it was very clear that there is no one option favoured by ‘everyone’, and showed that consulting properly was exactly the right thing to do. We asked about a range of things that mattered to people. Wellingtonians were (unsurprisingly) clear that you want a Central Library. The four things that consistently mattered most to people were safety, building resilience, cost and future proofing/flexibility. Space for young people was a strong refrain in considering future proofing and flexibility. Speed was less important than getting it right. ‘Just getting on with it’ rated only 6th in submissions and 8th in the survey. Heritage value of the existing building was questioned by submitters more than it was accepted, and ranked only 8th (submissions) and 6th (survey), though it was universal that everyone wants to protect the iconic nikau palms. I agree! So how did you rate the options? Option D – demolish and rebuild was ranked top by submitters (42%) and by survey respondents (35%), Option C – full strengthening including base isolation was 2nd (submitters 31%, survey respondents 34%). Combining the options, submitters favoured a new build (D and E) by 49% compared to the 42% for strengthening (A, B and C). However survey responses favoured strengthening the existing building by 52% compared to 45% for a new build. In short, while Option D was the favoured option, the gap between this and Option C was slight – 11% in submissions and 1% in the survey. The other important point to make is that cost and risk of cost escalation was significant to submitters, particularly those favouring demolition and a new building. I was pleased to hear this so strongly and it is something I hope will not be lost on Councillors in this decision and in Long Term Plan decisions to come. During the consultation period, staff were also working with engineering, architectural, QS and construction experts. I pushed strongly for this because I knew that experts had varying creative ideas about how strengthening could be undertaken, and there were views that the costs for strengthening could be reduced. We do have a lot of first rate seismic engineers in Wellington! This process has absolutely shown its worth. When we started consultation in July all we had was high level concept design. We have now taken designs to the next level, an advanced preliminary design. We did this to speed up delivery of whatever the chosen solution is, and to see if we could reduce cost and risk. It has absolutely showed its worth, and allowed cost saving through design changes, and provided more certainty around costs (i.e. reduced risk). The team collectively have done a brilliant job for all of us. I will focus on Option C which is our officers’ recommendation. Where it was a fine balance between new build and strengthening, especially given the thoughtful submissions on cost and risk, I think the case for Option C is now a strong one. The extensive presentation and Q & A that we received from officers and experts last Wednesday, and the multi-layered peer reviews, all gave significant comfort around design, costings and risk mitigation. Five of our city’s leading engineering firms and the work of architects has shown the design can support a modern, future proofed library which is safe. The QS numbers have been fully reviewed by a second QS firm. In short, this has been very thorough. It is this work which has helped answer the issues rightly raised by submitters who supported a new build option. The table below shows the revised costs through this expert process, which includes the addition of base isolation costs to Options D and E. $ million Option A Option B Option C Option D Option E Resilience Low Medium High High High Cost range July 76.3 – 90.8 131.2 – 151.8 174.4 – 199.8 156.0 – 160.7 156.0 – 160.7 Revised cost range October 75.2 – 81.9 139.4 – 154.0 161.7 – 178.7 153.4 – 168.3 153.4 – 168.3 Submissions 7% 5% 31% 42% 7% Survey 6% 12% 34% 35% 10%   Option C’s design innovations include raising the floor levels to address rising sea levels and help assist in access at ground level. Most importantly it can deliver a modern, future-proofed library. What might our library look like? It is an exciting opportunity to significantly enhance the look and feel of the building externally and internally. We will integrate the library much better to Te Ngākau Civic Precinct, and the plan is to also open onto Harris Street, which is currently a dead edge to the building. Essentially building panels need to be removed regardless to tie them back into the building, and panels on that side can be replaced by glass. That could mean looking out from upper floors though the nikau forest! There is the idea of a civic community space looking out onto Te Ngākau Civic Precinct. It all looks and sounds great. Internally services will need to be replaced, modernised and lifted out of the basement (due to sea level rise). We’re talking heating, lighting, ventilation, plumbing, lifts etc. Most of these are at end of life, and will also be impacted by construction. We also want features like provision for devices, flexible people spaces and creative spaces. It is financially prudent to consider whether some low use stock should be stored off site to be accessible through any branch, and the extent to which other activities should continue to be housed in the building. We’ll think about whether Capital E or other community services can be included in the building. There will be café space – maybe more than one. Nobody should be under any illusion that this is a big, complex, expensive job, and would have been regardless of the option chosen, but I, and I think all Councillors want to proceed with speed. This Council is eager to restore Te Ngākau Civic Precinct for Wellingtonians and visitors to enjoy. I want the library to be part of downtown reactivation as soon as possible. That is why we also included funding in this year’s budget to progress necessary design alongside the consultation time period. Doing this we have saved six months. We plan to be able to share more news about developing Te Ngākau in the coming months. Assuming Councillors give the green light on the 28th, we will get on with the more developed design. The funding will be included in the draft Long Term Plan for your collective consideration alongside all the other many demands there are on Council / ratepayers. Then the detailed design can be completed next year, and we can get construction underway. I am looking forward to the detailed design process, our opportunity to reimagine the building inside and out. I want to deliver a welcoming, flexible, inclusive and modern people place we will love, bringing new life to our Te Ngākau Civic Precinct and city. The expectation is for reopening in May 2025. Like most of you I can’t wait! He waka eke noa. Kind regards Andy Foster Mayor of Wellington This article was originally published on Wellington Scoop.

    • Keep up to date with Andy
      • Kia ora, It has certainly been a year like no other! I hope that you and those close to you have got through it well. Today it’s a year since the last Council election. That makes it a good milestone for a report back on what’s been happening over the last year. An enormous amount has happened since then and there are a lot of big decisions coming up before Christmas. This includes decisions on the library, Civic Square, social housing, wastewater sludge treatment, and Shelly Bay. There will also be hearings on roughly 3000 submissions on Planning for Growth, holding an Economic Summit and ongoing work towards next year’s Long Term Plan. I would be delighted to keep you up to date with good, accurate information that’s often not provided through other sources. It will inform you on how the big issues fit together and why decisions are made. Would you like to receive updates via email? If you would like to receive email updates please opt-in here: www.andyfoster.org.nz/sign-up-form/ Don’t want to subscribe? Not a problem. If you prefer you can always contact me directly on andyfosterwellington@gmail.com or https://www.facebook.com/andyfosterforwellington/ Thanks for your time. Kindest regards, Andy Foster Mayor of Wellington

    • Town Hall strengthening – huge and complex but going well
      • This week included a visit to our Town Hall to see progress on the strengthening.  This is a huge and complex job, but so far it’s going well. Naylor Love and the subcontractors are doing a great job. The timber floors and main stairs have been carefully identified, removed and stored off site. Diggers and drilling rigs are hard at work. The left photo is inside the Ilott Chamber – reinforcing is being laid out in advance of concrete pour. Nick and I are standing beside one of what will eventually be 462 piles screwed down approx 15 – 16 metres into the ground. Base isolators to come on top as well as beams to tie into the 1904 brick walls. There will be about 8 separate concrete pours in the Ilott alone. The walls will eventually have reinforcing through them as will the ceiling. The photo on the right is in the main auditorium with the crane mid picture. It has given me a clear picture that the strengthening done in the late 1980s was only partial, and didn’t address the ground / connection to the ground. A long way to go, but so far going well!

    • $7.6 million in new funding for world-leading Predator Free Wellington
      • Absolutely delighted today to join Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage MP, and Predator Free Wellington Director James Willcocks at Otari-Wilton’s Bush for Eugenie’s announcement of $7.6 million in new funding from Jobs for Nature to drive Predator Free Wellington’s world-leading work to eradicate rats, possums and mustelids from Wellington City. We are already very close to Miramar peninsula being pest predator free (possums long gone and now mustelids too and just a few rats left). The next stage is along an axis from Island Bay to the Central City. This new funding is aimed to halve the time from 10 years to just 5 for our entire city to be predator free. It also means 42 new jobs. This is a massive team effort involving Wellington City Council Greater Wellington Regional Council, NEXT Foundation, Government, and so many thousands of Wellingtonians who trap in our reserves and in backyards right around Wellington. Thank you each and every one of you ! You know you are making a real difference, even if you aren’t catching anything. Please keep your trapping going, and encourage friends, colleagues, family to get involved. Together we are doing something special in the Capital City. During the announcement today we enjoyed seeing several kereru flapping around us. That is your work. Ka pai Wellington!

    • The law and the library
      • Our Central Library is hugely missed by so many of us, a place to go, to be, without cost or expectation, a place to learn, a place to find adventure in the pages of a good book, a place that added life to Te Ngakau Civic Square – the heart of our city. There is strong demand ‘to just reopen it.’ Problem is the Council cannot ‘just reopen it’. The 2016 Kaikoura quake was massive, but it was 200 kilometres away. It didn’t damage the Library, but it did cause significant damage to the Civic Administration Building right next door, constructed with similar methodology. The CAB remains the subject of ongoing discussion with Council’s insurers, and has not been occupied since. Our advice is that it was just the angle of the waves from the earthquake that determined which building was damaged. It could equally have been the library. Thankfully we had recently removed the portico which joined the two buildings together. The Statistics building on Harbour Quays had floors collapse in the quake. Several other city buildings were also damaged and subsequently demolished. Parliament’s Bowen House is undergoing strengthening as are others. Every one of these buildings was constructed using precast concrete floors. These floors sit on ledges. The simple fact is that in the event of a major quake there is (high) likelihood of the walls moving, meaning the floors could become unsupported. That could be catastrophic in a building with 3000 plus visitors a day, as well as Council staff and CAB and café workers. Reopening requires doing something (major) first. Because of its significance that also entails a public consultation and decision-making process first, which I’ll cover shortly. Councillors and I will approve a Special Consultation Process and Statement of Proposal on Tuesday. That will allow everyone to have a say. So what are the options? Let’s start with what we want to achieve: Get the /a library open as quickly as possible Ensure the library is life safe in an earthquake Ensure the library building itself survives an earthquake – so the building is reusable Minimise costs to the ratepayer In addition we should consider whether the library building can relate better to Civic Square. We should also consider how to modernise the actual library service. If you haven’t visited our new Waitohi (Johnsonville) library, or Christchurch’s Turanga, I encourage you to do so. We will ‘build back better’. Finally the plant (heating, ventilation, AC, plumbing etc) in the building is mostly now 30 years old and most of it in need of replacement regardless of what we do. There are several different options, and multiple variations on those options. Every option has pros and cons. Broadly the options under active consideration are to strengthen the existing building to varying degrees, or construct a new building either on the existing site, or elsewhere in Te Ngakau Civic Square. Other options are mentioned but haven’t been expanded on in the officer’s paper for the 21st. They include: 1. A disaggregated model. Essentially several smaller CBD libraries, building on / expanding what is now in place with this week’s opening of Te Awe (Johnston/Panama Streets), following on from Arapaki (Manners St) and He Matapihi Molesworth (located in the National Library), with some less used stock now warehoused but accessible in Johnsonville. This model wasn’t included because of the difficulty in costing it, but would undoubtedly be the cheapest option. It would also enliven a number of parts of our Central City and potentially be more accessible than a single site, but clearly wouldn’t add so much to Te Ngakau Civic Square, even if one of the smaller libraries were located there. 2. Building a single Central library away from Te Ngakau Civic Square was also not assessed in detail because of the difficulty of locating a suitable site, costing such a proposal, and determining how long it might take to deliver. Creative feedback will be welcome on any options. 3. Undertaking minimal strengthening now, and then doing further work ‘in a few years when funds might be available.’ This was discounted because it would involve another future lengthy closure, and probably the need to find and fund another temporary CBD library network. How do the potential proposed options respond to those 7 outcomes? First thing is that cost numbers are at this stage based only on preliminary information. For the existing building that is based on the engineering information fully available on the Council’s website. Those costs will become more accurate with developed design and further with detailed design, and of course finally tendering and agreeing a contract. I am particularly interested in the feedback from engineering, architectural and construction sectors who will undoubtedly be able to make helpful suggestions which might save ratepayers’ money. For the purposes of comparison, a new building is assumed to be the same size as the existing library, though if a new building were chosen it could clearly be of the size necessary to accommodate the library, or the library plus additional (office) space as the current building does. One aspect is that roughly a 1/3rd of existing Central Library stock had not been borrowed in at least 2 years. The paper quite sensibly notes that, and the possibility of holding such stock in a lower cost building outside the CBD, as we are currently doing with the bulk of the CBD stock. Decisions will likewise need to be made about the internal layout and space allocation should the existing building be retained. What is clear is that every option has pluses and minuses. In essence the more resilient the building, the greater the cost and the longer the delivery timeframe, regardless of whether it in a new or the existing building. You will note that costs have ranges. They are derived only from high level concept designs at this stage.   (*The estimated one off increase in average residential rates, noting that this would be sustained at that level over the life of building) (#These will be inevitably indicative, but reflect risk of increasing seismic standards impacting on building life. Personal view is that we in New Zealand should be expecting buildings to last longer) Why not just decide on an option and get on with it? The answer lies in the Local Government Act (LGA), the most significant piece of legislation giving Councils wide ranging powers, and imposing commensurate responsibilities. The legislation is there for obvious reasons. You may be passionately in support of a particular approach to the library and consider that obviously ‘everyone’ thinks the same way. However, judging from even the most initial feedback, our community has a wide range of views on this as on many significant issues. We need to allow people to express those views, and the law says we must do that. Imagine if we just made some other significant decision because we knew ‘everyone’ wanted that, but which you passionately disagreed with. I would encourage everyone to read the LGA – sections 76 – 83. Section 76AA and 76 say in effect that the Council has to identify significant assets and services, and when making decisions about them needs to engage with the community to a level commensurate with the significance of the decision. The library service, Civic Square and the dollars involved are all clearly significant. They are of a level that our clear advice is that we must undertake the ‘Special Consultative Procedures’ set out in the LGA (section 83). Section 77 says Councils must identify all the practicable options and assess them all in terms of their advantages and disadvantages. We are required to have a proposal; that is a preferred option at the outset. The key point is that the proposal may well change as a result of public feedback. That is eminently possible in this case regardless of which is the preferred option at the outset. Section 78 says Councils must ‘give consideration to the views of people affected by or likely to have an interest in a matter.’ Section 78 doesn’t compel consultation. Section 76 certainly does when significance is considered. Section 79 talks about the detail of information to be considered. Section 80 talks about consistency / inconsistency with other decisions /policies of the Council. Section 81 says Councils must provide opportunities for Maori input. Section 82 is complex but essentially says Councils have to provide interested and affected parties (the wider public in this case) adequate information, adequate time to consider that information, encouragement to provide feedback to Councils, and Councils must receive that feedback and give it due consideration – with an open mind (clause 1 (e)) Just in case you wonder why Council doesn’t consult extensively on every minor matter Clause 82 4 makes clear that all of this is subject to consideration of the significance of the matter. Essentially this requires a common sense consideration of the scale of the matter versus the cost / time involved in consultation. The ‘open mind’ requirement is particularly important, and elected members can find themselves unable to participate in decision making if they go too far before or during the consultation process. Section 83 sets out the specific requirements for the Special Consultation Procedure. In short – Subject to a decision about the significance of a matter, the Council must consult, must consider all practicable options, must provide all relevant information, must provide the time to consider it and encourage feedback, and must do all of this with an open mind. Elected members can most certainly argue a position but must remain open to the possibility of changing their position in response to public feedback and additional information. This is about good process. Failing to undertake the process properly risks our Auditor’s wrath, meaning having to do it all again, or the possibility of legal challenge. We are all very keen to get on and make a decision. We so greatly value our city library services. That’s why the Council moved with speed to set up what are now three interim libraries across the Central City. That is also why we are undertaking this special consultation now, allowing a decision at the end of October, and not waiting until the Long Term Plan consultation and a decision at the end of next June. It is also why we have allocated an additional $2 million in the just approved Annual Plan to do further design work this year, in advance of the Long Term Plan funding decisions in June next year, so as to speed up delivery of the finally agreed option. This will be an important decision. I encourage all Wellingtonians to take an interest, make a submission from the 27th of July. Can I also ask, that in the spirit of being all in this together, you also take time to read all the material, ask questions rather than making assumptions, listen to the views of others who have different views, and consider them thoughtfully, and with the open mind your elected representatives are required to have.   First published on Wellington Scoop, 19 July 2020.

    • Mayoral Update for 5 June
      • Kia ora Wellington, I hope everyone is well, it’s great seeing more people in the city and we are looking forward to Alert Level One. I have been talking with leaders in the public and private sector about getting people back into the CBD, which will be good for retail, cafes and restaurants. We are also working hard on an events programme to revitalise our city. Ask anyone around town what project they’d like to see prioritised and chances are they’ll mention the Central Library. It’s a priority for you, and it’s a top priority for the Council too. That’s why we’re doing everything we can to speed up the process to make sure we all get our beloved library back as soon as possible. On Wednesday, Councillors and I agreed to speed up the project timeframes, with the revised process seeing early consultation with the community, as well as design work being progressed on options for the current building. We’ve been advised on a way to speed up the project by six to nine months, which is excellent news. READ MORE: Mayoral update for 29 May Mayoral update for 20 May Mayoral update for 12 May Playlist of mayoral videos We gave a clear message at Wednesday’s meeting that, while we are considering all options, the preference is to strengthen the current building. We will allocate funding in the 2020-2021 Annual Plan to start the detailed engineering and architectural design process now. This will include the building services and if any refurbishment is needed. We have also agreed to bring forward the consultation required under the Local Government Act in the Long Term Planning process, so we can get earlier decisions on the way forward. There is still a lot of work to do, but I believe we are now on the quickest path available, while still meeting our legal obligations for everyone to have their say in this significant investment for Wellington and our communities. Today is Arbor Day, marking the start of the native tree planting season in Wellington. This winter, Council’s Berhampore Nursery will provide 95,000 native plants for community, partner and council plantings. Our goal to reach 2 million trees planted in the capital in 2020 has been slightly impacted by Covid-19, but we’re still aiming to reach 1,962,000 in total this winter. I’ll be joined by Councillor Teri O’Neill at a small planting event with volunteers. As well as marking Arbor Day, we’ll be celebrating World Environment Day as a part of the Forest in the Heart of Wellington Project, plus Wellington being named one of the Tree Cities of the World. And finally, congratulations to all the Wellington writers and illustrators announced this week as finalists in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. They are far too numerous to name individually, but locals are in the running for a host of prizes, proving once again that we really are the cultural and literary capital of New Zealand. Well done everyone, and good luck. Thanks everyone, I’ll be back with another update soon.

    • Mayoral update for 29 May
      • Talofa lava Wellington, it is of course Samoan Language Week – I hope you’re enjoying it. It’s been a big week for the Council, with a lot of discussion about the future of our Central Library. This is a hot topic for many Wellingtonians, as the Central Library is much loved by so many people. It plays a key role in our city. On Wednesday, Councillors and I went through a report which outlined options for strengthening the building to different resilience levels, as well as the timelines involved. This raised a number of questions, particularly around the engineering assessments, and the timeframes to begin the work. Look, we know people want action sooner and so do we, so we’ve asked Council officers to look at options to speed up the process. We’re meeting again on Wednesday, and we’ll keep you updated. While we’re on the subject of libraries, it’s great that we’ve reopened four more branches this week. Brooklyn, Khandallah and the Mervyn Kemp Library in Tawa all reopened on Monday, with Miramar Library reopening on Wednesday. The Island Bay and He Matapihi libraries are next on the list. READ MORE: Mayoral update for 20 May Mayoral update for 12 May Mayoral update for 7 May Playlist of mayoral videos Our library staff really adapted amazingly over the lockdown by changing the way they operate, and it was really exciting to see we welcomed over 1,110 new library members in March alone, a 300 percent increase on the same period last year. So well done to all of our hardworking and passionate library staff across the city. Other big news this week is the announcement of the dates for this year’s Visa Wellington on a Plate. Originally scheduled for August, it was postponed due to Covid-19. It will now run for the whole month of October. Visa Wellington on a Plate really is the highlight of our culinary year for a lot of people across the country – not just in Wellington – and even though this edition will be a little different, it will still involve all your favourite local restaurants, cafes, bars, breweries and suppliers. The full programme will be announced in August – it’s going to be fantastic. Sports fields will be humming this weekend, with restrictions easing on gatherings from today. I know a lot of people can’t wait to get out on the netball court or rugby or football field, so that will be welcome news for a lot of you. I’m lacing up my boots tomorrow too – can’t wait. To make things easier for everyone, we’ve made the use of Council facilities free for sports clubs until the end of June 2020, and we’ll extend the winter season for our sports fields. So good luck to all those sportspeople having their first kick around this weekend – it’s been a while so make sure to stretch well before you start. Finally, a reminder to have your say on the draft Annual Plan and draft parking policy. There are some really important issues in there that will affect a lot of Wellingtonians, including our budget, rates options, major projects, fees and user changes. The parking policy will guide all future parking decisions so it’s important to have your say. Consultation is open on both of them until 8 June, go to letstalk.wellington.govt.nz and let us know what you think. Thanks everyone, I’ll be back with another update soon.

    • Mayoral update for 20 May
      • Kia ora Wellington, another day of no new Covid cases around the country, and 96 percent of all cases recovered – fantastic news. Things are slowly coming back to life across the country under Alert Level 2, and it’s really good to see our city reawakening day by day. People are out enjoying the lovely weather, and retail stores, cafes and restaurants are opening their doors again. Let’s get out and support them. People seem to have a real spring in their step. I must say it felt pretty good, and a bit strange at the same time, going into the office on Monday for the first time in nearly two months and seeing people for real rather than over Zoom. Bars will be also be reopening from tomorrow, which will provide another boost to our social lives and to our economy. Wellington is world famous for its bars and breweries and I know punters will be looking forward to re-visiting their local – as will the business owners. We still need to be really careful, and maintain good hygiene and distancing, so to help that we’ll temporarily close Courtenay Place to traffic for safety reasons this Friday and Saturday night. READ MORE: Mayoral update for 12 May Mayoral update for 7 May Mayoral update for 4 May Playlist of mayoral videos We are closing the road in both directions from Cambridge Terrace to Taranaki Street between 10pm and 4am to allow for physical distancing if needed. We’ll reassess the situation after the weekend. You may have noticed businesses around the city are displaying QR codes to help with contact tracing, and people are being asked to scan the codes with their smart phone on entry. As I’ve mentioned before, the Council has partnered with the Rippl app, which we are using at our sites and helping make available to Wellington businesses. The uptake has been huge, with more than 550 businesses registrations so far, and nearly 30,000 downloads. It was interesting to hear Dr Ashley Bloomfield – who has also been using Rippl when he buys his morning coffee – speak about the official Government contact tracing app at his briefing today. We welcome that app, which can be used across the whole country. It works similarly to Rippl in terms of putting privacy first – and the two apps will complement each other, as Dr Bloomfield pointed out. In other news, we held the first two of five ward-based consultation webinars on Monday. These have a particular focus on the Annual Plan and Parking Policy, but also include a great Q&A session with myself and local Councillors on questions raised by the audience. These are proving to be a great way to talk to people when Covid restrictions prevent holding public gatherings. We’ve had lots of great feedback. Many people are loving getting information, and having a feeling of personal interaction without having to leave their homes. I’m certainly enjoying the opportunity, and am delighted so many people are joining us. We had around 70 people attending the Southern Ward event on Monday night, with over 100 live questions for the panel. Next up is Lambton Ward tomorrow evening, followed by Eastern on Friday morning, and Onslow-Western on Saturday morning. I encourage you to register on the Council website, where we’re also publishing videos of the webinars, and answers to the questions. I want to finish by saying a huge well done to everyone on how well you all responded to all the Covid restrictions. Staying home, staying local, keeping separate, following the hygiene rules. All of this helped us get this far, and we kept each other safe. We’re not done yet, but we are in a far better place than most countries – and all of us can feel proud of playing our part. He waka eke noa – we are all in this together. Thank you everyone. I’ll be back with another update soon.

    • Pandemic Response, Recovery and Rebuilding – Together
      • We are in uncharted waters, going through something humanity has never experienced before. There have been many pandemics in history, but never has our modern, internationalised global economy and society been quarantined in this way. As we emerge from the lockdown and partial lockdown of levels 4 and 3 we face significant potential business failure, job and income losses. There are varying estimates as to how many jobs will be lost. What we know is that businesses in tourism, hospitality, accommodation, events including arts and sports, retail and their many support businesses are, and will be, doing it particularly hard. The economy as a whole will shrink. We will be collectively worse off overall at least for some time. There is no question we face a recovery and rebuilding task, but it is one which we can and will achieve – together. Council’s initial lockdown role was to ensure provision of essential services, like the three waters, transport, rubbish and information, and to ensure initially the orderly withdrawal, and now the reopening, of the huge range of services Council provides. It was also to work with community welfare organisations to look after the significantly increased number of people in need of accommodation or food. During lockdown Wellington Water and its contractors have continued doing a fantastic job with operating and repairing essential services. In Wellington City the focus has been on three jobs deemed ‘essential’. The Willis Street replacement sewer was made operational and Willis Street reopened on time on 31 March. Contractors then switched to relining the critical Moa Point sewer interceptor. That is nearing completion. The third task is the complex Mount Albert tunnel sludge pipe replacement. German firm Amex Sanivar, and Kiwi firms Hadlee and Brunton, Brian Perry Civil and Stantec are doing an outstanding job. As I write the first new polyester pipe is now in place and will be operational within a few days. I expect to report more on this later this week. Your Council is now very much focused on resuming services, and on helping our city reopen and return to life. We are focused on recovery, while not for a moment forgetting the ongoing longer term transformation of our city. Over these last few and the next few days we will resume recycling collection, public access to the landfill, and reopen a host of community services Council provides from libraries to sportsgrounds, pools to community centres. Financially our immediate response was to allow for deferral of rates and many commercial/ community rentals, as well as freezing fees and charges, in the current quarter (April – June). Council as a business will lose up to $70 million in revenue from parking, recreation facilities, venues, rentals, airport dividend (etc) between 2019/20 and 2020/21. This is the rainy day, and we will debt-fund that, because that revenue will progressively recover. It will impact on future rates but spread over time. It is not so possible to make the case for debt funding the ongoing ‘groceries’ – that is, the Council’s operating expenditure. Consultation is underway on the 2020/21 Annual Plan. Most importantly we are allowing for targeted rates deferral, which could allow ratepayers particularly badly affected by the Covid-19 lockdown to put off rates payments without the usual penalties. Rates themselves will be a challenging balancing act. Our starting position for the next four years was agreed in the 2018/28 Long Term (10 year) Plan at increases of 7.1%, 6.8%, 6.2% and 7.0%, and that didn’t even include Let’s Get Wellington Moving, Civic Square/Central Library, temporary CBD libraries, additional 3 waters funding or, of course, Covid-19 impacts. We’ve started the engagement with 5.07%, achieved largely by capitalising the above specific additional costs for a year. I will be really interested in the feedback, and the ideas we get. In my view we need to carefully examine every aspect of Council spending, both for this Annual Plan and for the Long Term Plan for next year. The Chief Executive has been tasked to do that, while elected members have agreed to make input too. In my view holding back operating costs (which need to be rates-funded in the current year) while increasing capital expenditure (the cost of which is spread over the lifetime of any given asset) is the right balance. There will certainly be a variety of views about that. The most important actions though are all about recovery. What we expect is that only a proportion of the workforce will immediately return to downtown Wellington.  We know that physical distancing rules under Level 2 will reduce the capacity of most service businesses including retail and especially hospitality. We are engaging daily with businesses and community organisations across the board. There is no substitute for that coalface intelligence to help guide our actions. Immediate actions The key is drawing people back to support businesses, especially in the central city. The collective spending of a region of nearly 500,000 will have far greater impact than anything Council or even Government can do. Now is the time that our businesses need that team of 500,000 backing them. Emerging into Level 2, it is essential we do this safely – and we all have to play our part. The Prime Minister has talked repeatedly about a ‘team of 5 million.’ This is still very much the time to be about us and about ‘we’. ‘We Wellington’ safety advice and decals are going into venues and businesses. We want our city to feel – and be – welcoming and safe. Council and WellingtonNZ launched a new Wellington-developed contact tracing app this week, called Rippl, an essential tool for reopening safely. We are making it available free to all businesses and community organisations such as sports clubs. We are working with hospitality, Police and transport providers to try to ensure our entertainment district reopens safely. The initial focus is on trialling closing Courtenay Place between 11pm and 4am, next Friday and Saturday night, to try to ensure safe physical distancing. We are working with attractions and venues on plans to open up under Level 2. Obviously the significant health limitations will affect venues to different degrees, but it is exciting to be reopening. Events are so important in drawing people to Wellington. The limitations of Level 2 are more severe than originally anticipated. (100 people outside was not expected – originally it was 500, and neither was the maximum of 10 people in a group) That means that any major relaunch is largely focused on Level 1. The expectation appears to be that this will be late winter – early spring. We are looking forward to showcasing the best of Wellington all the way through to Christmas. Winter events such as Matariki are being rethought potentially as we did Anzac commemorations. Extensive, collaborative work is being done on all of this. Tourism clearly has to be domestic for some time, though we all hope our bubble will extend to Australia and the Pacific nations at some point. Wellington is relatively well placed as we were more domestic and Australia-focused than many parts of the country. Tourism marketing resources will focus on encouraging tourism back to Wellington when we approach Level 1. The more we can all support our local businesses through this the better. Businesses employ us, sponsor events and organisations. This is their hour of need. That’s why through WellingtonNZ we launched the ‘Love Local’ concept, and then supported Visa Wellington on a Plate’s ‘At Yours’ initiative. WellingtonNZ has provided business advice assistance supported by NZ Trade and Enterprise to many hundreds of businesses already. WellingtonNZ offshoot Creative HQ is running a series called ‘Thrive’ to help businesses rethink their business models if required. Sports reopening has been one of the more confusing areas. We will look forward to seeing our professional sports teams returning soon to the field or court albeit without spectators. At community level the 10-person limit obviously and frustratingly prevents team sports in particular resuming for now. The four local city councils will do all we can to make field and court space available to allow a decent winter code season for as long as is required. Our artificial turfs get heavily used during normal winter seasons, but much less during summer so that space in particular will be made available. I am also making what’s left of my Mayoral Relief Fund available particularly to help sports organisations financially impacted by Covid keep participants safe when sport resumes. Jobs are critical. We all need constructive purpose too. Yesterday’s Budget included $1.1 billion to support employment in environmental restoration work. In recent weeks I have been talking with the Department of Conservation and others, and have written formally saying Wellington City wants to participate. The idea is to provide meaningful work while delivering an environmental legacy. We have been on a remarkable environmental restoration journey since 1992, and this would allow us together to supercharge the next steps. Construction work is also important in keeping jobs. It is also critical in rediscovering our civic confidence. Absolutely Positively Wellington worked because it was built on the substance of Te Papa, the Stadium, a fantastic downtown hospitality economy and nation-leading events programme. Construction is back underway on Council’s Town Hall, St James, and Convention and Exhibition Centre projects. We’re supporting heritage restoration and strengthening projects including St John’s and Wesley churches and the Athenic, National Bank and Hooson’s buildings at the corner of Tory and Courtenay Place. Karori’s Events Centre fitout is to finally be completed. We’re also investing in resilience, for example strengthening a major road wall on Grant Road, while the complex Ngaio Gorge project is about to start. We will discuss a paper on the Omaroro Reservoir next week. We have sought Government support for a wide range of shovel-ready projects. This includes, with our GWRC and NZTA partners, accelerating some $350 million of transformative safety, walking, cycling and bus priority projects. This week we heard submissions on safer (30kph) speed limits for the central city by Zoom. We want to get things done! Submissions on the citywide Parking Policy close at the same time as the Annual Plan (8 June). Work is also proceeding at pace on the business cases for State Highway and Mass Transit investment. Among the shovel-ready projects we’ve also sought support for core water infrastructure investment and building projects like Te Ngakau Civic Square. On 27 May Council will discuss a public paper (at last I hear many people say!) on our Central Library. You’ll be able to look at the engineering information, and think about the opportunities for a 21st Century library, and the wider context of Civic Square. Those are just some of the multitude of areas of work done in this Covid-19 environment to help our city get through, recover, and rebuild. There will be some tough times ahead, but we will get through, and if we learn the lessons from lockdown, we will come out kinder, stronger and better. He waka eke noa. Originally published in Wellington Scoop, 16 May 2020

    • Mayoral update for 12 May
      • Kia ora Wellington, just two more sleeps to go. On Thursday we move into Alert Level 2, taking another step towards getting our economy and our social lives up and running. I know you’re all interested in what this means for Council services and facilities, so I’ll get right to it. The great news is that most of our services and facilities will be up and running as soon as we’re able. But there will be some added restrictions, and initially the opening hours may not be what they were before we entered the lockdown. This is to make sure we keep our staff and the community safe, and to meet the health restrictions imposed under Level 2. We cannot afford to do anything that might risk undoing our great work getting this far. From Thursday all parks and open spaces will reopen. This includes sportsfields (but not changing rooms), outdoor courts, playgrounds, skate parks, the Berhampore Golf Course, plus for completeness all tracks and trails, beaches, boat ramps and marinas. Libraries will also start reopening. Ngaio, Johnsonville, Karori, Kilbirnie and Newtown branches will open from 10am on Thursday. Arapaki Manners Street Library and Service Centre and the Wadestown Library will open on Monday. READ MORE: Mayoral update for 7 May Mayoral update for 4 May Mayoral update for 30 April Playlist of mayoral videos Most Community Centres and Recreation Centres will reopen over the next week, however hours will be limited and not all programmes will be available. We’ll also be opening the landfill on Thursday – I know many of you have been asking about this. Normal hours will apply, except on weekends, where it will close at 3.30pm to allow the likely queues to clear. No cash will be accepted – it’ll be contactless transactions only. Only a certain number of vehicles will be allowed in at any one time – so it’s just like how things have been working at the supermarkets, one in and one out. We’re expecting queues, so please be patient and kind to each other and our staff. If possible, come to the landfill on the same day that your recycling collection takes place – this will allow us to better manage queues. Swimming pools will also reopen over the coming week – starting with Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre and the Freyberg Pool on Thursday. However lane space will be limited and not all programmes will be available. Keith Spry, Karori and Tawa will follow by Monday 18th. All of this is very exciting. Our city is slowly opening back up and it will be pretty special after such a long wait to be able to visit the library for some new books or do some lengths at the pool. More details for all our services and facilities are available on our website, so make sure to log on or check out our social media channels. Finally, I wanted to talk about a brilliant new initiative to help safely manage the easing of restrictions. With so many Council services reopening we needed a secure tool for contact tracing which was easy to set up and use, and which protected peoples’ information and privacy. So we partnered with Wellington software developers, PaperKite, to use a contact tracing app called Rippl. Once you have the Rippl app on your smartphone you just scan a QR code as you enter a Council facility, and check out on your phone when you leave. Local businesses can also take up the offer for a free three-month licence by registering on the PaperKite website from 9am tomorrow. It’s a really safe, smart solution, and it will really make it easier for people to get back to work and play at Alert Level 2. Wellington, the war against Covid-19 isn’t over, let’s not for a minute think that it is. But you’ve done each other and your city proud with your actions so far, and I know you will continue to do so as we enter the next stage of the fight. Thanks everyone, I’ll be back with another update soon. Kia kaha.

    • Let’s talk Recycling
      • Kia ora Wellington. Let’s talk recycling. You’ve all been asking about it, you’ve all been waiting for it to resume. I know I have. Well, I’ve got some fantastic news for you. The kerbside collection of recycling will resume in Wellington next Tuesday, the 12th of May – but the scenarios will differ depending on the Government’s Alert Level status announcement on Monday. Regardless of the decision we will restart glass collection. For the time being it will not be hand sorted at the kerb by our contractor’s truck operators. It will be sent to Auckland for processing without any physical contact with staff. For other mixed recycling (plastics, paper, metals) collected from your wheelie bins or recycling bags, if the Government announces a shift to Level 2, these kerbside recycling collections and recycling processing will resume. However, if the announcement is an extended Level 3, the Oji regional sorting facility at Seaview will remain closed. This means it will not be possible to process mixed recycling, but for those who want to put their stockpiled recycling out for collection, our contractors will be restarting their collection services regardless. That means any recyclable material collected at Level 3 will be disposed of at the Southern Landfill as there is nowhere for these materials to be safely stockpiled in the meantime. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen – I know we all want to do our bit by keeping material out of the landfill. However if Cabinet decides we are moving to Alert Level 2, then the Oji regional sorting facility will be able to reopen which will be great news for all of us keen recyclers. Regardless of Alert Level 3 or 2, collections will be on the same days and the same recyclable items will be picked up as they were prior to lockdown. Where collections would usually be on Monday 11 May, these will be collected on Saturday 16 May to ensure you don’t miss out. Most of us will have forgotten whether it is wheelie bin / recycling bag week, or whether it is glass crate week. You can look up your property on the WCC website here. Only official recycling bags, wheelie bins and glass crates will be collected. The exception to this is that neatly bundled cardboard will be collected if placed beside your bags or bins. We will be putting some additional trucks on to progressively help collect the backlog. Requiring the use of official bags, wheelie bins and glass crates only will help prevent the capacity of the trucks and the Oji plant from being overwhelmed – and minimise the amount going to landfill. If you have a lot of recycling, putting it out in stages will help us to manage volumes. If you don’t want to have your mixed recycling collected and taken to landfill if Level 3 is extended, please continue to clean it thoroughly and hold onto it if possible until Level 2, when the recycling sorting plant will open. Free packs of recycling bag deliveries will restart, for those households that usually receive them, with an estimated distribution time of 6 weeks. We have had more queries about recycling than any other Wellington City Council service since lockdown started, so we’re really pleased to be heading in the right direction. It’s also great that Wellingtonians are such passionate recyclers. Wellington, have a fantastic weekend, I’ll be back for another update on Monday – when hopefully we’ll get the good news we’re all hoping for. If that’s the case we’ll have a lot more news on Council services. Kia kaha.

    • Mayoral update for 7 May
      • Kia ora Wellington. Today we got a glimpse at what Alert Level 2 will look like for New Zealand, and I must say, it looks pretty good. The Prime Minister announced the details this afternoon and overall it was very encouraging, particularly around reopening of businesses, recommencing some social and recreational activities, and the ability to travel domestically. Obviously the decision to leave Alert Level 3 hasn’t yet been made – hopefully that will happen on Monday following the afternoon Cabinet meeting. The Prime Minister described Level 2 as designed to get as many people back to work as possible, but with the principle of ‘Play it safe’. That means everyone should stay at home if they’re sick. We need to maintain physical distance, and remain vigilant around hygiene. Eradicating the virus remains utterly critical. Really importantly, retail will be able to reopen under Level 2, along with cafes, bars and restaurants – as long as people are seated, separated, and with a single server – the three S’s. It is critical to know who you have been in contact with, just in case somebody is diagnosed with Covid-19. READ MORE: Mayoral update for 4 May Mayoral update for 30 April Mayoral update for 28 April Playlist of mayoral videos This is great news for our city, for business, and for jobs. Schools will also reopen when we go to Level 2, as well as public venues such as markets and museums, albeit with hygiene and distancing protocols. For the Council, the team are hard at work looking at how we can reopen our facilities like libraries, pools, community centres and sports facilities. You’ll be the first to know the details when we can release them. All of this is really welcome news for Wellingtonians and Wellington businesses, who have been doing it tough for the past six weeks. The road to recovery will be a long one, but seeing just how restrictions will ease under Level 2 provides some light at the end of the tunnel. Interestingly, a discussion document out of Greater Wellington yesterday suggested Wellington – because of the nature of our workforce – may be in a better position to get through the coming economic downturn than many other parts of the country. The Government has indicated we will get 48 hours’ notice before any move between Alert Levels, which could mean we get to Level 2 as early as 11.59pm next Wednesday. Fingers crossed. Locally, Councillors and I today agreed to put forward a wide range of temporary street changes that could be rolled out over coming months subject to Government funding assistance. As you know our response to Covid-19 has provided a rare opportunity to experience and enjoy our streets with more people out walking and cycling in their neighbourhoods. The Innovating Streets Fund, run by Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency, will meet 90 percent of the cost of any projects approved, so it’s a great opportunity for the city. We had a lot of community input at the meeting, and it was really good to hear the different – and very passionate – points of view that people had. We agreed on seven projects, including a footpath extension in Stout Street to provide more space for people coming from the Railway Station; a range of bike lanes across the city; plus a shared path on the Miramar Peninsula between Shelly Bay and Scorching Bay. If approved for funding, these will be subject to a traffic resolution process, which will provide a two-week period for affected parties and others to comment before Councillors make a decision in June. Finally, tomorrow marks the start of the consultation period for our draft Annual Plan – please make sure to have your say. Details will be on our website and social media channels from tomorrow. That’s it for today, keep up the great work everyone. I’ll be back tomorrow morning with a special update. Kia kaha.

    • Mayoral update for 4 May
      • Kia ora Wellington. Today, as you may have heard, there were no new cases of Covid-19 reported in New Zealand. That is fantastic news. On top of that, 86 percent of all confirmed and probable cases reported in this country since the beginning of the pandemic have now recovered. These are really encouraging figures, and we should be proud of our efforts in getting this far. But as Dr Ashley Bloomfield said today, we cannot squander all our hard work by slackening off now. We must keep our discipline in terms of following the health and safety guidelines of physical distancing and keeping to our bubbles. The vast majority of you are doing a great job of doing just that. You may have read today that across our country police received 685 reports from the public of people breaching restrictions – and that was just over the weekend. I’m sure we’d all like to meet up with friends or socialise like we used to be able, but under Alert Level 3 that is simply not allowed. It risks undoing all the good we have done, and costing more lives, and more jobs. So please don’t do it. Please, please stay home, and save lives. We’ll get to where we want to a lot faster if we all stick to the rules. READ MORE: Mayoral update for 30 April Mayoral update for 28 April Mayoral update for 26 April Playlist of mayoral videos In other news, I’m glad to say a wave-warning alert system has been initiated for Wellington’s south coast. It’s follows damage caused in Owhiro Bay last month by big swells driving up from as far south as Otago. MetService will provide the swell warning to the Wellington Regional Emergency Management Office, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Wellington City Council and Hutt City Council. I’d like to thank all parties who’ve worked together in the past couple of weeks on this. It’s a really important initiative and I’m sure other councils and emergency organisations around the country will be looking at it closely. WREMO staff will also report back soon about what happened, and what else can be done with South Coast communities to help further reduce risk and improve their level of preparedness. Since the lockdown started, the need for food bank services and distribution across Wellington has increased dramatically. The Wellington City Mission would normally deliver around 80 food parcels each week, but that number has climbed to around 250 since lockdown started. The Compassion Soup Kitchen offers hot meals to Wellington’s homeless population – their takeaway service has increased from about 70 meals per day to about 130. Those are just two of the organisations doing wonderful work, which your Council is supporting. Another is Kaibosh. This year they are asking us to donate what we’d usually spend on a meal out to help put a meal on a table for people who need it. Just $20 can provide an incredible 29 meals. Check out social media or our website for more information – and if you can help out by donating to any of these wonderful organisations, please do so. Finally, a reminder that there is a Council meeting on Thursday at 2pm. That will again be held via Zoom, and you’ll be able to tune in via our Youtube channel. The agenda for the meeting is already online. Keep up the good work everyone, and May the 4th be with you. Kia kaha.

    • Mayoral update for 30 April
      • Good evening Wellington. Today we agreed a draft 2020/2021 Annual Plan. We are trying to strike a balance between reducing immediate impact on ratepayers because we are all in such uncertain and challenging times, and doing the things we need to do – to help our city’s recovery, and deliver the transformative programmes that our city has been crying out for for a decade. It includes increased funding for our water network, projects such as the new central city library network, and finally getting transformative action underway through Let’s Get Wellington Moving. The draft includes a 5.1 percent increase in rates, down from the 7 percent proposed in our Long Term Plan. Public consultation will take place between 8 May and 8 June. I am really conscious that many people, many businesses in our community are being very hard hit by Covid-19. I also know that many people are really fearful about the future. READ MORE: Mayoral update for 28 April Mayoral update for 26 April Mayoral update for 23 April Playlist of mayoral videos Council itself as a business will lose up to $70 million in revenue as a result of the Covid pandemic. We’ve agreed that we will debt fund this rather than trying to balance our budget and recover those costs now from ratepayers. This is the rainy day. That’s also why we’ve pulled back rates increases. It’s also why we’ve already provided for the deferral of rates due in June and will consider targeted rates deferral into the 2020/21 year. At the same time we are very conscious of the need to maintain infrastructure, and make progress on key projects to ensure our city comes out of this crisis in good shape. We have a city we all love and are immensely proud of and there are places where some TLC is needed. Doing nothing is not an option. It’s a tough balance to strike, and I look forward to your feedback. We’ve also included another option of a 2.3 percent rates increase. This sounds attractive and normally I would be all for a lower increase. However this represents the increasing cost of maintaining and renewing our core infrastructure like water and wastewater pipes. It would also result in more significant rates increases in future years. We’ve come up with what we believe is a great package for our city and our people. Please take the time to have your say. We’re going to be listening very carefully to our community to best respond to your needs. You’ll have noticed that slowly but surely the Wellington buzz is starting to return to our city under Alert Level 3 – especially with the return of our favourite cafes and restaurants operating on a click and collect or contactless delivery basis. You’ll be loving getting a barista flat white, I’m sure you’ll agree, but it’s important that we don’t forget about the safety protocols which are still in place. So remember to observe 2-metre physical distancing on the footpath when lining up; make sure to pre-order, so you can turn up and simply collect, so you can keep things efficient and contactless; and avoid touching shared hard surfaces. Payment should happen online or at the point of entry and no customer should be asked to come beyond that point. Businesses, if you are experiencing crowding on the footpath, please contact the Council and we will see what we can do to enable people to maintain their physical distance. On the subject of food, the Council is #LovingLocal by providing partial fee refunds to the hospitality sector. Businesses that have paid a renewal fee for a food registration or pavement lease between July 2019 and March 2020 can apply online for a 25 percent refund. We are legally required to charge but fees for the current quarter until June have been set at a nominal $1. Any businesses that have paid fees after 1 April can apply for a refund. We’re also supporting commercial rate payers to apply to defer their fourth-quarter rates without penalty, and to pass on these benefits to tenants. I also want to highlight a new tool we’re supporting to provide some help to victims of abuse. The Wellington City Council website is now a Women’s Refuge Shielded Site, which means anyone can access help from the homepage. As a Council we’re wholly committed to supporting the agencies and organisations that help people at risk of family violence. Finally, this weekend will mark the first under Alert Level 3. Enjoy it, enjoy some local exercise with those in your bubble, enjoy a few takeaways At Yours from your favourite local restaurant – but make sure to keep up the social distancing. Please don’t slip into bad habits, travel out of the region or break your bubble – it’s just not worth it in terms of the potential health and economic consequences. Keep up the good work everyone, and I’ll be back with another update soon. Kia kaha.

    • A chance to transform Wellington
      • To help mitigate some of the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government asked for worthwhile projects to reduce unemployment. It received more than 1500 ‘shovel-ready’ public and private sector projects from around our country, including Wellington. This is our opportunity to transform Wellington. The thinking today is the same thinking behind the important […]

    • Andy chooses Cr Sarah Free as Wellington’s Deputy Mayor
      • Wellington Mayor-elect Andy Foster says he has chosen Motukairangi-Eastern Ward Councillor Sarah Free as his Deputy Mayor for the 2019-2022 triennium. Mayor Foster describes Cr Free as an experienced and personable City Councillor who will bring the necessary leadership skills to the Deputy Mayoralty role. “It has always been a pleasure working with Sarah over […]

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