The annual Residents Monitoring Survey (RMS) provides an estimate of what the city population thinks, with samples randomly selected from the Council’s Capital Views Panel.

Mayor Tory Whanau says: “Pōneke is going through a huge transformation at the moment – and all the work we are doing now is setting the city up for generations to come.

“This survey will continue to help Wellington City Council make informed decisions about what residents want and need.

“It’s such a great sign that people are increasingly finding it easier to get around the city using public transport and cycleways, and that they are satisfied with our community facilities that serve so many Wellingtonians.

“We know that Pōneke has a longstanding reputation as an arts and culture capital. Our creative community shapes the cultural landscape of the city, and gives Wellington its personality, so it’s awesome to see that this remains the case. I’m also heartened by the recognition of te reo Māori around the city as part of the Council’s work to be a bilingual city by 2040.

“It’s good that satisfaction with the Council decision-making process has improved from a low of 12 percent in previous terms to 20 percent, but there’s still more to be done. We are committed to further improvement through initiatives like the recent Citizens’ Assembly and further work around ensuring voices from all communities are incorporated into decision-making.

“Perception of central city safety has remained static after a number of years of falling perceptions, but perceptions of the central city's liveliness is declining. Separate analysis of Police victimisation data between 2021-2023 for the country’s six biggest city centres show Wellington figures increased by 12 percent while others increased between 30-50 percent.

“We are committed to improving safety in the city centre by reinvigorating it through the Pōneke Promise, the City Centre Precinct Plan and the Golden Mile which will make the CBD a more friendly and attractive space. The 2024-34 Long-term plan also increased social grants for safety initiatives in the CBD by $500,000 a year.

“With collaboration, community and compassion, we can make our city safer for everyone,” adds Mayor Whanau.

Key findings:

• 58 percent of people found getting around on public transport was easy, compared to 38 percent the previous year.
• 41 percent of people thought it was easier to cycle around Pōneke compared to 27 percent in 2023 and 17 percent in 2022 (excludes approx. 45 percent of respondents who answered “I don’t know”). Thoughts about driving and walking around the city remained relatively unchanged.
• User satisfaction is high with Council facilities with a 75 to 95 percent satisfaction rate across the Council’s seven pools, 80 to 90 percent for libraries and community centres, and 71 to 89 percent for the dozens of sports fields and recreation facilities throughout Wellington.
• The city’s reputation as a cultural capital is strong, with 81 percent of people agreeing Pōneke has a rich and diverse arts scene, and 86 percent satisfied with Council events.
• 73 percent of people also recognised Māori culture and reo was visible at Council facilities, and just under 70 percent believed culture and te reo Māori was recognised and visible across the city.
• Satisfaction with waste collection services remained high with both recycling and rubbish kerbside services rating around 80 percent.
• Perceptions around governance remained steady with the key measure around the process by which Council makes decisions trending up to 20 percent since hitting a low point of 12 percent last term in 2022.
• Dissatisfied respondents mentioned Council not listening to residents as a reason for their response.
• Perceptions around how attractive and lively the city centre was, as well as general pride in Wellington, continued to dip since the mostly COVID 19 pandemic-related declines of 2020 and 2021.
• Respondents’ feelings regarding safety around the city centre remained steady but were low after dark, with 43 percent of people reporting they feel safe.

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