Labour candidates for Wellington City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council (Wellington City) today announced a plan to invest in vital public services and infrastructure to turn around decades of underfunding and neglect.

Labour’s Wellington 2023 election commitments are focused on affordable housing, better public transport and action on climate change.

“Wellington is a great city to live in but it’s clear to everyone that our infrastructure is in urgent need of investment, from the pipes through to our public transport network and our housing shortage”, says Wellington City Councillor Rebecca Matthews.

“Wellington needs an active Council focused on investing in the things that matter to residents. Our policy platform gives Wellingtonians an assurance of where Labour councillors’ focus will be and how we would work to make council more accountable.

“Labour councillors will continue work to tackle the city’s housing crisis by encouraging more affordable housing across the city. In addition, we will impose a targeted rate on landbankers who are holding back new development and increase support to DCM and Wellington City Mission to eliminate homelessness.

“We will push for faster progress on Let’s Get Wellington Moving, rapid public transport for the south and east including a second tunnel for Mt Victoria as per the preferred option. Alongside this we will support lower public transport fares, an integrated ticketing system for trains and buses and further electrification of the public transport network.

“As Wellington makes these key investments, action on climate change has to be at the forefront. Labour councillors will support native tree regeneration, a city-wide food and green waste collection service and an adaptation plan for residents vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.”

Cr Matthews says Labour councillors will support investment in community facilities that everyone can access.

“Every child should be able to play sport and participate in our community and cost should never be a barrier. We will work with clubs, schools and sporting organisations so that every child in a low-income family can play sport, fund swimming lessons for low-income families and expand community library hours to be more family-friendly.

“This will be backed by a ten year capital upgrade programme for playgrounds, libraries, and community and recreational facilities across the city to support our increased population and housing supply.

“We have heard the frustration from Wellingtonians who want to see more transparency and accountability from local government. We will push for WCC and GWRC to publish an online, publicly-accessible record of councillors’ decisions and voting records, end the practice of closed Council and Committee meetings unless strictly necessary, and demand greater accountability from Wellington International Airport and Wellington Water to their major shareholders, the people of Wellington.”

Labour Councillors have made significant achievements on Council over the last three years including ending overdue library fines and wiping existing debt, converting unused offices to affordable apartments, extending council plans to deliver more affordable housing, establishing a new community centre and youth hub for a safer inner city, extending the Green Belt and putting in place more Jobs for Nature bringing more people in nature-based employment.

Labour’s local government candidates include:

Nureddin Abdurahman for Paekawakawa/Southern Ward

Afnan Al-Rubayee for Pukehīnau/Lambton Ward
Rebecca Matthews for Wharangi/Onslow-Western Ward

Ben McNulty for Takapū/Northern Ward
Teri O'Neill for Motukairangi/Eastern Ward 
Matthew Reweti for Te Whanganui-a-Tara Ward

Daran Ponter for Pōneke/Wellington Constituency for Greater Wellington Regional Council

https://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/2208/Wellington_City_Local_Govt_policies_2023.pdf

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