Podcast appearances and mentions of Wellington City Council

A major Wellington City Council meeting partially born from its failed airport share sale will be held on Thursday deciding the fate of beloved community assets and water reform in the capital. Nick James reports.

Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Steve McCabe and Jenni Giblin. They discuss a new public artwork garnering harsdh reactions from locals and the bus lane camera raking in cash for the Wellington City Council.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 30 April 2025, KiwiRail's announced the Aratere will be retired this year, leaving us with just two Interislander ferries for the next four years. Education Minister Erica Stanford explains why she's going to introduce financial literacy courses to schools. Heather explains why she's impressed with Nicola Willis' budget announcement - but thinks we need to cut whole ministries to free up more money. Plus, the Huddle debates Wellington City Council voting in favour of allowing 16-year olds to vote in local body elections. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Kiwiblog writer and Curia pollster David Farrar and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Wellington City Council has voted in favour of supporting lowering the voting age to 16 in local body elections. This is never going to go anywhere - is it? The Government's latest curriculum update involves teaching students about financial literacy. Do we think schools should be teaching this - or should it be taught at home? What do we make of Nicola's almost zero-budget one day on? Do we agree with Nicola's plan - or should she be going further? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

OPINION Tory Whanau has said no. She's said no to standing for Wellington mayor for the three terms she always said she'd run for. She's out; she's thrown in the towel. We won't get the exciting election campaign of Tory Whanau v Andrew Little, which I must say I was looking forward to. And I'll be honest; I wanted her to run. I wanted to know if Wellington as a city really believes in the green idealisms she promotes. This election was going to tell me whether it was a flash in the pan or whether it was real. But Tory has pulled out. What I can't quite work out is why this was announced on the same day that she stood on Courtenay Place with her brand new Bunnings shovel, digging up the ground to celebrate the start of the Golden Mile redevelopment works. Clearly, the hole she dug was simply too big. She couldn't climb out of it. Tory says her decision not to run is a better outcome for everybody involved. She now wants to run for the Māori ward on council. She also told the Herald this morning she'd like to be a government Minister one day. You can make your own mind up on that one. Now there have been rumours around Tory pulling out for a while now. Firstly, the rumour was she was going to pull out to let Justin Lester have a crack. Then Andrew Little stepped out of the shadows, and the rest is history. So now all we can do is reflect on her legacy. And what a legacy it is. Tory will always talk about the Golden Mile and her ambition to get the work underway. She'll always mention the amount of work the council has done on our pipes. She'll mention her fight to upgrade the council's social housing, and of course she'll praise her work on building the cycleways that split the city in more ways than one. She told me she rates her mayoralty a nine out of ten. But that's her saying those things. Wellington as a city will reflect on some more colourful aspects of her leadership. The drinking; Whanau admitted to being a bit tipsy when she left The Old Quarter restaurant without paying her bill, and how can we forget the alleged 'do you know who I am' comment. Who will forget Whanau bringing her dog into the council office. That was a no no. And in November 2023 she publicly acknowledged having an alcohol problem following a drunken incident at a bar. Then there was that interview on Wellington Mornings that made national news. Whanau, who earns $180,000 a year, mentioned she was selling her car to help pay her bills. She later admitted that the car had been sold months earlier, and her comments were supposedly taken out of context. But that's her personal legacy. What's her political legacy? Well she pushed the terrible Reading Cinema deal that was going to cost Wellington City Council $32 million in a corporate welfare deal. That failed. She advocated for the sale of the Wellington City Council's 34% stake in the Wellington International Airport. That failed. She got her Bunnings shovel out yesterday to dig up the Golden Mile, but most contracts still haven't been signed and it may never fully go ahead. I think it's fair to say most people in this city feel Wellington has gone backwards in the last three years. That's her legacy. Personally, I have always had a good relationship with Tory. Yes, she cut her connections with our programme. She felt it wasn't talking to her people, and she probably thought I was too tough on her. But we got along. I respected her, and while I didn't like a lot of what she did as mayor, she was a character. I did like the fact we had a character as mayor. Unfortunately for us, it went too far. We started to be the butt of everybody's jokes. Her decision yesterday is a bad good thing for Wellington. I'm sad we won't have an exciting race or a strong contest of ideas. But it means the city is guaranteed a new direction - something a lot of us have wanted for a long time. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The battle to save a central Wellington footbridge is heading to the high court. Spokesperson for Save the City-to-Sea bridge Stuart Niven spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Former Labour leader Andrew Little has today confirmed he will stand for the Wellington mayoralty in the upcoming local body elections. Little said he is standing for mayor because Wellington needs “urgent change” and “serious leadership”. “I'm confident I can win,” he said today. He had previously ruled out throwing his hat in the ring but has revealed this morning that he wants to “end the chaos at council” which he believed he had the experience to do. He wanted to return the council to “what it should be doing” and serving the people. Little says he's been approached by “quite a cross-section” of Wellingtonians asking him to run. “Obviously Labour people but also National Party, Green Party people, community leaders, business people.” He said the city was in a fragile state and believed some major projects could be reconsidered. “We need to make sure what we are doing isn't causing disruption at a particularly sensitive time.” The first phase of the Golden Mile project was scheduled to start this month, but Little suggested further work could be deferred. “For the remainder of the project, I'm not saying don't do it, what I am saying is let's have a think about when it might be best to do that.” The city needed to recover, he said. Little's main priorities have been listed as investing in parks, swimming pools and libraries, prioritising cheaper transport and housing development, supporting small businesses, taking action on climate and honouring the Treaty. He said it was clear to him that Wellington “is in trouble”. He highlighted the city's cost of living crisis, public service cuts and the council being “out of touch” as three of the major issues facing Wellington residents. He said he wants to do away with “regressive” policies like asset sales, closure of community facilities and “millions of dollars in corporate welfare for an international cinema owner”. “My focus as mayor will be getting the best for Wellington. That means being able to work constructively with the Government in the city's interests and it means standing up to the Beehive when needed. It means being clear in my Labour values but always working across political lines to be a mayor for all of Wellington.” “This council [has] on the block a number of community facilities like the Khandallah pool, like Begonia House - those things should be our priorities, they're certainly my priorities. Those are the things that strengthen communities and make a city.“ He said the recent rates rises were “not acceptable” and making the city unaffordable, and thought the council needed a “much tighter grip on council finances”. While he believed cycleways were a good thing some routes had been poorly executed. He said his track record showed he was able to work with people from across the political spectrum. “We all love this city. We're creative, we're full of talent, we're diverse, and we're a place where people from all walks of life can feel included and make a home. “Wellington is the place I chose with my wife Leigh to raise our family and there's nowhere else we would rather be.” He has submitted his nomination seeking the Wellington Labour Party's support for his mayoral campaign and a formal campaign launch will follow in the coming weeks. Little entered Parliament in 2011 and was leader of the Labour Party and leader of the Opposition from 2014 to 2017. Little was a senior minister under former prime ministers Dame Jacinda Ardern and Chris Hipkins. Candidates who have confirmed plans to run for the mayoralty are Tory Whanau, councillor Ray Chung, businessman Karl Tiefenbacher, conservationist Kelvin Hastie, Wellington Live owner Graham Bloxham and former city councillor Rob Goulden. The election will be held on October 11. Little joined Nick Mills to discuss his candidacy. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I sort of hinted at this the other day when the monitor for the Wellington City Council put out his second report. My question was, given there was leaking and dysfunction and the punter was at their wits end, what now for Wellington? Do we just get more reports? Well, lo and behold, another Wellington operation has their own monitor in the form of the Commerce Commission who have been brought in to oversee the mess at Wellington Water. The Minister has not seen any improvement, there's been no real change and unless stuff happens, there are rate rises galore for no real gain. So once again we can ask, what do the Commerce Commission do? Do they write reports too? If those reports tell us the place is still a shambles, how many reports does it take for someone, somewhere, to actually fire up a bit of action? I can also add, and this is an overarching observation, just how dysfunctional does Wellington need to get before it literally implodes on itself? The electorate changes last week were all in Wellington. Why? Because people have left and, to be frank, who can blame them? Then we come to Tamatha Paul, who made what most observers seemed to suggest was one of the most extraordinary comments about police anyone had ever heard. Her good friends in Labour called them stupid. The Prime Minister called her insane. Yet she holds an electorate. The good people of Wellington central, and by no small margin I might add, looked at her credentials and decided they liked her enough to vote for her. So Wellington, what's the story? What level of madness and dysfunction are you willing to tolerate before change comes? Is change ever coming? Do you actually want change? Do you mind paying a lot more than you need to for stuff that doesn't work? Is a crummy council, a lot of broken pipes and a mad MP OK, as long as your cycleways are fun to ride on? Oh, did I mention the trains? You can't beat Wellington on a good day. When, Wellington, was your last good day and why are you putting up with it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business owner Karl Tiefenbacher has officially joined the Wellington mayoral race. Speaking exclusively to Newstalk ZB Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills, Tiefenbacher announced he plans to stand as an independent candidate for the mayoralty. He has yet to announce any policies but said his core priorities include changing the culture of Wellington City Council, keeping rates down, and stopping wasteful spending. Tiefenbacher, who calls himself “Wellington's ice cream guy” as the founder of Kaffee Eis, has previously run for council twice and lost. Last year he fell short by only 45 votes to the Green Party's Geordie Rogers in a byelection for the Pukehīnau Lambton Ward. His campaign website is now live, with the slogan “Wellington, It's Time!”. “Wellington has expensive challenges ahead. As a business owner I understand it's essential to invest wisely, with responsible and affordable decisions”, his campaign site states. This time around he also plans to run for a council seat in the Motukairangi Eastern Ward. His biography states Tiefenbacher was born and raised in Wellington and had “a successful career in the finance sector for 18 years” before starting cafe and gelato manufacturer Kaffee Eis. Tiefenbacher has previously been critical about the Golden Mile project and moves to pedestrianise Cuba St. He describes himself as a centrist. Earlier this month, the local branch for the Labour Party confirmed it had to extend nominations for a mayoral candidate, after no one put their hand up to run for the party. Confirmed candidates for the mayoralty include incumbent Tory Whanau, city councillor Ray Chung, predator-free champion Kelvin Hastie, Wellington Live owner Graham Bloxham, and former city councillor Rob Goulden. Of the confirmed candidates, all but Bloxham and Whanau have previously run for the mayoralty unsuccessfully. Diane Calvert, a third-term councillor and former mayoral candidate, is rumoured to be eyeing up running, telling the Herald this month she still hasn't decided. “As an independent, I'm not on a deadline set by a political party,” Calvert said. John Apanowicz, another current councillor, said he's still keen to run but is seeking the support of his family and will announce his plans at a later date. Luke Pierson, a businessman and founding member of lobby group Vision for Wellington, had been rumoured to be considering a run for the top job, but has confirmed he's not going for it. “I can rule it out. My focus is on Vision for Wellington - which is inherently apolitical,” Pierson said. The local election will be held on October 11. Candidate nominations open on Friday, July 4 and close on August 1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The equivalent of the entire population of Levin have become jobseeker beneficiaries in the last 12 months, with more than 200,000 people now receiving jobseeker. How do we get people into work - and will things get better as the economy improves? Also, The Wellington City Council pocketed $24,000 per week in fines from the new fixed bus lane cameras in Manners Street between June and December. The AA says it's abhorrent, and is punishing hard-working people from getting from A to B. Are these fines fair or should people know not to drive in bus lanes? To answer those questions, legendary broadcaster Polly Gillespie and Hutt City Councillor and mayoral candidate Karen Morgan joined Nick Mills for Friday Faceoff. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington mayor Tory Whanau claims her council is the "government's punching bag" and has labelled the Prime Minister "not a nice person". Is there some truth to the government constantly beating up Wellington City Council, and was it right for the Mayor to go personal? Also, the Coroner has released her report into the death of Sandy Calkin, who died after falling into Wellington Harbour after a night drinking in July 2021. The report found the council had consistently ignored the risks of people falling into the harbour, despite 7 deaths and 17 others falling but surviving. Is this proof we need to fence our waterfront? Green MP for Rongotai Julie Anne Genter and Wellington City Councillor Nicola Young joined Nick Mills for Friday Faceoff. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellingtonians have weighed in on whether the city council should spend millions of dollars installing permanent fencing along the capital's waterfront. A coroner says the council must act, following the death of 30-year-old Sandy Calkin who accidentally drowned after falling off Queens Wharf in 2021. Lauren Crimp reports.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins says he's grown supportive of the idea of Wellington's four city councils amalgamating into a super city, despite previously being against it. "I do think some consolidation in the Wellington region would be better for Wellington ratepayers," the Remutaka MP told Nick Mills. "But also, the lack of strategic oversight for the region is actually holding us back. If we don't sort that out soon we'll get left behind as a region." Hipkins also discussed the latest Taxpayers Union/Curia poll result showing Labour ahead of National and what a potential coalition would look like. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

OPINION What is it with Prime Ministers from Auckland giving us a bad rap? First it was John Key telling us we were dying. He of course was right - he just got his decades wrong. Now we have Christopher Luxon calling us "lame-o". I haven't heard that phrase since the 90s, but that aside, he's dead right. Why? Well last year the government announced it would be offering councils the opportunity to sign up to what they called 'regional deals'. These would be a 10 year plans based on a 30 year visions which would provide a range of options for funding. Maybe toll roads, maybe a new train line, a new tunnel. Whatever it might be, the idea was to try to help the regions with the high cost of infrastructure and unlock a bit more productivity. It's a great idea. The government invited councils across the country to come up with ideas by the end of February from which it would select five regions to put forward for more in depth proposals and eventually a truckload of cash. Basically this was free cash for a big idea. It was a very good opportunity for Wellington. But guess what... we didn't even suggest anything. Eighteen proposals were submitted last month but none were from the Wellington region. Well Prime Minister Christopher Luxon didn't like that. That's where the lame-o comment came from. Luxon said every other region has been able to work together for the last six months while Wellington hasn't even shown up with a proposal.. Chris Hipkins even criticised our councils too. He said our councils need to get it together. What this really demonstrates to me is that our councils simply can't work together. How often have we said we need a super city? How often do we discuss the fact that our Mayors are not all on same page? Look at Wellington Water. They couldn't keep track of all these cost blowouts and they couldn't agree on whether to sack chair Nick Leggett. And now we find they can't agree on what is essentially free money for a big project. The rest is history, well not quite history. The name calling isn't stopping.. Wellington mayor Tory Whanau said the comments were “poor form” for a Prime Minister. "With due respect Prime Minister we will deliver a deal it'll just be on our time frame. We are determined to get this right," Whanau said. Why does she think its the council's job to dictate timeframes to a government wanting to dish out free cash? Apparently they were told by the Crown observer to concentrate on their water issues and not to put a submission together. Because its really clear our councils have been focused on water.... come on. Whoever you want to listen to, it's clear the relations between the government and Wellington councils have sunk to a new low. They keep trading jabs. What is it with the Wellington region? Why is it that they can't work together for something as simple as putting a proposal together to get some money from the government? And why do we have to keep talking about combining Porirua, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Wellington into one council? If ever we needed confirmation that this is required for us to grow it's this week. No unanimous decision on the future of Wellington Water and no discussion to submit something to the government's regional deals. These deals were quite literally money for nothing and we didn't even want it. Frankly we are lame-o for not grasping that with both hands. This just confirms to me how desperately we need one council. One council table to take the region forward, not four. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A coroner is urging Wellington City Council to spend the millions of dollars required to install permanent balustrades along the waterfront, following the accidental drowning of 30-year-old Sandy Calkin in 2021. Reporter Lauren Crimp spoke to Corin Dann.

Wellington Water's boss says local councils have every right to be angry at them. Tory Whanau yesterday described her council's relationship with the organisation as “tense” at a special meeting, following revelations last week it wasn't getting value for ratepayers' money. Wellington Water CEO Pat Dougherty told Mike Hosking he and his staff are doing everything they can to find the issues and fix them. He says there's been a culture of putting too much trust in their contractors, and he wants a more tense and accountable relationship. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A coroner's report says a man who drowned on Wellington's waterfront may not have, if the council's safety procedures had been better. Open Justice reports 30-year-old Sandy Calkin drowned in Wellington Harbour in 2021 after accidentally falling in after drinking on Courtney Place. Coroner Katherine Greig's report says Wellington City Council knew about identified safety risks at the waterfront but failed to act on them. The report says the risks were identified in 2013 and since then, seven people have drowned in the harbour. It also found there was no council record or investigation into any of those deaths. The victim's father, Roger Calkin, told Nick Mills the fact that his son's death could've been prevented is absolutely gutting, but it justifies everything they've been pushing for for over three years. He says it's a bit of a struggle seeing the situation playing out in the media like it is, but it's got to be done. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington City Council removed car parks near the botanical Gardens to create more space for cycleways, now they might be bringing them back. The council says residents were complaining after being unable to find parks to visit the gardens. Wellington City Councillor Diane Calvert talks to Ryan Bridge. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington City Council has revealed the final design for the Golden Mile upgrade on Courtenay Place, but a contractor for most of the project has not yet been hired. Nick James reports.

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce says the council needs to financially compensate businesses affected by the Golden Mile works. Construction on the Kent and Cambridge intersection with Courtenay Place will begin in April, as part of the project to revitalise the city's tired night-life stretch. Mayor Tory Whanau previously floated a business support package, but officials yesterday said that was no longer an option. Business Central CEO Simon Arcus told Mike Hosking that while the works need to be done, support for operators is a must. He says it's not good enough to put businesses and livelihoods in peril and not offer any protection. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington City Council will dig up a thousand cubic metres of asbestos, arsenic, lead and other materials at a scenic South Coast beach. Nick James reports.

This interview incorrectly states that Wellington City Council voted to support the name change. Hutt City Council voted to support the name change. Petone will stay Petone, rather than Pito-One, after Minister Chris Penk declined the name change. Palmerston North Maori Reserve Trust chair Liz Mellish spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Tonight on The Huddle, journalist Clare de Lore and Auckland Councillor Maurice Williamson joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The Government books are deeper in the red than expected - and it's going to get worse. Should the Government make harsher cuts than it is already - or introduce more taxes? Wellington City Council has voted to make a submission on the Government's Treaty Principles Bill. Is this really the council's business? The old SPQR will soon be reopened - under the new name Jacuzzi. What do we make of this? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even people who think councils do a fantastic job must by now understand why the Government is going to have to pass law to get councils to focus on doing their jobs. It has been clear to councils for about four months now that the Government wanted them to drop the distractions and just do their work. Yet, councils just can't help themselves. Even last week Tauranga City Council voted to install unelected Māori representatives on the council, who will not improve ratepayers lives at all but will cost them money. Hastings Council did the same thing three months ago with the youth councillors. No extra benefit for ratepayers, but extra cost. Wellington City Council is today going to debate whether they should submit their feels to the Government on the Treaty Principles Bill. That's not their job. A bunch of other councils have done that too. These guys up and down the country show no sign that they understand they are supposed to be cutting out unnecessary spending and focusing their minds on doing their actual jobs. So it's come to this – the Government announcing yesterday it will pass legalisation to force them to do their jobs. The four wellbeing pillars that task councils with looking after economic wellbeing, social wellbeing, cultural wellbeing, and environmental wellbeing will be scrapped. That was a bad idea from the last Labour Government anyway, which was so broad and meaningless it gave councils an excuse to expand their meddling into pretty much anything, because everything is a wellbeing. Councils will be forced to report clearly and simply, and publicly, on what they're spending money on and what they're charging ratepayers. Hopefully getting out the big stick will mean the excuses are cut, distractions are dropped, and these guys focus their minds on doing more work for less cost to ratepayers. Because hoping they get the message and do it voluntarily hasn't worked. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At this time of year it's traditional for political commentators to pick their politician of the year. And interestingly, the NZ Herald this past weekend went for Simeon Brown. Now, I think Simeon's right up there. There's a reason he's called Golden Balls. But I don't think he's the one. I think that honour has got to go to Erica Stanford and it's not even a competition as far as I'm concerned. No disrespect to Simeon Brown, because he is fixing up a bunch of stuff that needs fixing up like speed limits, potholes, Wellington City Council, speed bumps, Transpower etc. And he's done it without causing days of drama. He's decisive and rarely makes mistakes. You get the impression he's absolutely not taking BS from public officials behind the scenes. But that's all regular running-a-Government stuff. Erica Stanford though, has done something pretty special - she banned phones in schools. Now, I have a feeling this is going to sound silly to some people as my reason for picking her as the politician of the year. But that will only be if you don't realise how distracting and addictive those phones were being in school time and how much they were hurting kids' grades and social skills and ability to just be kids, like we were. Remember how we ridiculed her when she did it? Now, you find me a teacher who doesn't think it's a wild success. This is so important that international experts who study the impact of phones on kids say this is one of about four things we must do to help kids out, and she's done it. She didn't have to be begged. She didn't have to be cajoled. She just did it. Watch the impact it will have on a generation of kids. As far as I'm concerned, no politician has made a call this significant for a group this important, all year. So never mind any of the other stuff she's done, like the State Abuse Inquiry, for the phone ban alone she's the MVP of 2024. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Infrastructure NZ's Nick Leggett and Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The Solicitor-General has revised her prosecution guidelines - saying people misunderstood what she meant when she told prosecutors to 'think carefully' before charging a person who is Māori. Do we agree with this move? 24 hours on from the Government's infamous ferry announcement - what do we think? Wellington City Council is in damage-control mode after the latest draft budget proposed a 15.9 percent rates rise for the next financial year. Mayor Tory Whanau says she wants to bring that down - does this seem believable? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Begonia House supporters worry the Wellington City Council isn't considering viable alternatives and that it could be the next Wellington landmark set for demolition.

There are fears big Wellington City Council budget cuts don't go far enough. The council yesterday voted in a mammoth meeting to make hundreds of millions of dollars of savings by slashing projects like cycleway spending, and demolishing Begonia House in the Botanic Gardens. Councillor Tony Randle told Mike Hosking the projects Mayor Tory Whanau managed to save, like the Golden Mile redevelopment and climate initiatives, should have been cut too. He claims they add more spending to the budget and says they now won't be able to make enough savings. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington City Councillors will hold a crucial meeting on Tuesday where they discuss which programmes to cut to find hundreds of millions of dollars of savings. Independent Eastern Ward Councillor Tim Brown and Independent Lambton ward councillor Iona Pannett spoke to Corin Dann.

Lindsay McKenzie has been appointed the Crown Observer to Wellington City Council. McKenzie spoke to Alexa Cook.

On today's episode, the government will formally apologise to people abused in state care on Tuesday morning. The Prime Minister and opposition leader will each make speeches ahead of the introduction of a new law aimed at preventing further abuses, more than 1000 participants arrived in Whangarei on Monday night, after their first day of travel towards Wellington, and Lindsay McKenzie has been appointed the Crown Observer to Wellington City Council.

Local Government Minister Simeon Brown says Wellington City Council's new Crown Observer Lindsay McKenzie will sort through its “dysfunction between personalities". Former Tasman and Gisborne council boss Lindsay McKenzie will start in the role tomorrow. Brown told Mike Hosking that McKenzie will be “working with the mayor and councillors to help them get on.” McKenzie's other role would regard Wellington City Council's long-term plan, after the council “decided to throw it out and start again.” “That's created some significant concern about the financial position of the council.” Brown says he'll be getting monthly reports from McKenzie ahead of a final report at the end of his term on July 31. He said McKenzie would provide external advice and assist with a fresh pair of eyes, though it's up to the council whether they follow the Crown Observer's guidance. “[He is] someone else who … has not been part of all the drama over the last little while and can provide an extra set of advice.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington City Council is walking a tightrope as it considers amending its Long Term Plan, with 14 projects and programmes on the chopping block. Ashleigh McCaull with that report.

Multiple parties brushed up against scandal this week as National struggled to defend a bumbling minister and the Greens farewelled a rogue MP. Meanwhile New Zealand First and Labour were at loggerheads over an alleged conflict of interest. It all played out in the same week the Government intervened at Wellington City Council - trying to sort out the capital kerfuffle. Deputy political Craig McCulloch looks back at a busy week in politics.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden speaks to Willie Jackson about an independent commissioner being appointed to Wellington City Council, the government's review of Ihumātao, and cuts at Whakaata Māori.  For States of the States this week they speak to Andre Fa'aoso from the Yale Daily News about polling numbers less than two weeks out from the election and they speak to Tom Unger, political activist and former political show host at Radioactive, about political violence in the US ahead of the election. And they speak to Amanda Turnbull, Lecturer in Cyber Law at the University of Waikato, about the negative environmental and social impacts of AI.  News and Editorial Director, Joel, speaks to Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Auckland, Marcelo Rodriguez Ferrere, about the concerns surrounding New Zealand's lax regulations regarding cross-breeding companion animals. And for City Counselling, Tuesday Wire host Castor speaks to Councillor Julie Fairey about progress on Maungawhau train station and power outages on the Western line. 

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party Wire Host Caeden spoke to Willie Jackson about the independent commissioner being appointed to Wellington City Council, the government's review of Ihumātao, and the cuts at Whakaata Māori.

Eyes are on Wellington City council, officially. The local government minister's appointing a crown observer to monitor and report back on what he has described as a shambles Things came to a head after a plan, that was supported by Mayor Tory Whanau, to sell council's stake in Wellington Airport was vetoed. fracturing the council further. The money was to fund development and an insurance gap the city would face if it had to rebuild after a disaster. Meaning it's back to the drawing board for a long term plan. Councillors held an urgent meeting following the announcement and have ten days to respond to Simeon Brown's move to appoint an observer. Tory Whanau told media afterwards that she wasn't surprised by the minister's decision. Wellington City Councillor Tim Brown spoke to Lisa Owen.

The government is being accused of setting a low bar for intervening in local councils, after appointing a crown observer at the Wellington City Council. Giles Dexter reports.

Victoria University professor Dean Knight says the Government's Wellington City Council intervention sets a worrying precedent. He spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Georgina discusses the Wellington City Council's fiasco last week, with the Government threatening to intervene over the decision not to sell airport shares. 

Wellington City Council has been under scrutiny this week, with the coalition government threatening to intervene. Last week, the capital's councilors voted to stop the sale of its 34 percent stake in the Wellington Airport. The decision has left the council's Long Term Plan in limbo - its investment plan for the next ten years. Political reporter Lillian Hanly breaks down the capital kerfuffle.

The local government minister Simeon Brown said he still has concerns about the workings of Wellington City Council. That's despite his meeting with Wellington's Mayor Tory Whanau at parliament this morning. Tension has been building around the capital city's council after it's long term plan was thrown into disarray by a vote to stop the sale of its airport shares. It prompted a flurry of criticism from ministers - and even the threat of intervention, Kate Green reports.

Mayor Tory Whanau said she won't be resigning despite claims Wellington city council is a shambles and the government is considering intervention. Councillors are still in a closed door urgent meeting that started at 2:30 this afternoon. They voted last week to stop the sale of council's stake in Wellington Airport, putting a large financial hole in the long term plan. Some councillors are calling for the government to step in and Minister Simeon Brown has confirmed he's looking at options. On the streets of Wellington, people had a mixed views about what whether the council needed intervention. Reporter Nick James was outside Wellington City Council waiting for the meeting to wrap up and spoke to Lisa Owen.

A closed door crisis meeting of the Wellington City Council has broken up in the last hour. The government has signalled it could intervene, with one minister describing it as a shambles. Some councillors have been highly critical of the Mayor claiming there's been a lack of leadership, with tensions bubbling away since they voted to stop the sale of council's stake in Wellington Airport. But Mayor Tory Whanau said she has no intention of resigning. She told RNZ there's a high threshold for government intervention which the council doesnt meet and she'll be presenting a plan to the Local Government Minister, Simeon Brown tomorrow. Wellington councilllor Tim Brown spoke to Lisa Owen.

"More focused on themselves than serving the city," that's the scathing assessment from the Finance Minister on Wellington City Council which she also described as "shambles." Local Government minister Simeon Brown is now taking advice on whether the government can intervene. It all comes after the capital's councillors voted on Thursday to stop the sale of its 34 percent stake in Wellington Airport, which throws its long term plan into jeopardy, Kate Green reports.

The government has signalled the possibility of intervening in the Wellington City Council, after the council halted the sale of its airport shares - leaving its Long Term Plan with a budget shortfall. Wellington City Councillor Diane Calvert agrees there's a need for outside help. Calvert spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The government has signalled the possibility of intervening in the Wellington City Council, after the council halted the sale of its airport shares - leaving its Long Term Plan with a budget shortfall. Councillor for the Takapu - Northern Ward, Ben McNulty, doesn't agree that the council needs intervention. McNulty spoke to Corin Dann.

The leader of the opposition, Labour's Chris Hipkins, says the threshold for intervention at the Wellington City Council hasn't been met yet. Hipkins spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

A Wellington MP says the government looking at intervening with Wellington City Council is a thinly veiled attempt to assert control in a city where it was overwhelmingly rejected by voters. Rongotai and Green MP Julie Anne Genter spoke to Corin Dann.

On today's episode, the leader of the opposition, Labour's Chris Hipkins, says the threshold for intervention at the Wellington City Council hasn't been met yet, the number of beneficiaries being sanctioned has dropped under the government's new traffic light system, a general manager at Palmerston North Hospital told a thousand people on a WhatsApp channel that Indian nurses had to stop using their language in any public space at work, legislation giving family violence survivors the power to quickly dissolve abusive marriages is expected to pass with unanimous support on Wednesday, and it is three weeks until Americans go to the polls to choose a new President.