Podcast appearances and mentions of Wellington City Council

A social housing block that has sat empty in central Wellington for more than a decade will soon lose its heritage status - and there's hopes it could be demolished this side of Christmas. The Gordon Wilson flats on The Terrace have sat empty since 2012, with Victoria University buying the land in 2014. But the buildings held heritage status, making permission to demolish the buildings difficult to acquire. But now the government will progress legislation to remove the flats' heritage status, allowing demolition. “The amendment will remove the flats' protected heritage status and will make its demolition a permitted activity under the RMA. This means the building can finally be demolished, without a resource consent,“ Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. He joined Nick Mills to discuss the decision. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington City Council is being called on to review its rating system over fears increased rates are driving businesses out of the capital. Newly released figures show Wellington's average commercial rates bill is $47,881. That compares to $20,716 in Auckland, $18,059 in Christchurch, $24,768 in Hamilton, and $25,670 in Tauranga. Director of The Wellington Company, Ian Cassels, says there's a lot of overspending going on - with 'eye-watering' levies impacting businesses. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday Nick was invited by Arts, Culture and Heritage minister Paul Goldsmith to tour the Wellington Town Hall project - the $329m project funded by the Wellington City Council to bring the city's hall back to its former glory. The town hall was also be home to the National Music Centre, housed in the basement of the hall underneath the stage. While the redevelopment of the hall is funded by the council, the National Music Centre has been jointly funded by the NZ Symphony Orchestra, Victoria University, Wellington City Council and the government. While there, Nick spoke to Goldsmith and new NZSO chief executive Marc Feldman. LISTEN AND WATCH ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Luxon says he's expecting a “pretty seamless transition” as Winston Peters hands over the deputy prime minister role to David Seymour this week. The Prime Minister spoke live to Newstalk ZB Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills today as he reaches the halfway point of his three-year term as leader. Luxon was sworn in as Prime Minister in November 2023, after National secured 38% of the vote at the general election. He negotiated a three-way coalition agreement with New Zealand First and ACT. As part of that agreement, the leaders of the two parties, Winston Peters and David Seymour, are sharing the deputy prime minister role for half of the parliamentary term each. This week marks the midpoint for the three-year parliamentary term. Peters has been serving as deputy prime minister with Seymour set to take over this Saturday. When asked how he felt he was tracking in the job, Luxon said he was “absolutely loving it” but acknowledged it was a tough time for the country. “It's essentially like the recession of the early 90's. We inherited a hell of a mess and we're happy to fix it up and sort it out.” Luxon said he and his wife continue having date nights on Fridays despite the demands of the job, and had just been to the movies together to see Mission Impossible. “I really want Amanda and the kids to be able to carry on their life without being defined too much by what I do.” He said there was “no question at all whatsoever” that he would do it all again if he had the chance to start over. “I kind of knew what I was getting into . . . the hard stuff comes to your desk. If it's easy, it gets solved somewhere else in the system.” When asked whether he was spending too much time appeasing coalition parties, Luxon said they were doing something that had never been done before. Mills asked whether Luxon's party would be more effective if they could work without the coalition parties, and Luxon said that was not how New Zealand worked with the electoral system. He said it was “okay” and “normal” to not agree on everything with partners, but in the majority of cases they were aligned in what they wanted to do. Asked about the handover from Peters to Seymour as deputy prime minister, Luxon said he expects it to be a “pretty seamless transition”. He said Peters and Seymour were different people with different personalities, and Luxon's job was to make that work. Christopher Luxon, David Seymour and Winston Peters after signing their coalition agreement in November 2023. Photo / Mark Mitchell Mills asked Luxon what he thought was going wrong with Wellington, referencing public sector job cuts and the appointment of a Crown Observer at Wellington City Council. Luxon referred to other major cities that were making bids for big events, such as Sail GP in Auckland and the supercars in Christchurch. He criticised a bike lane being built on Molesworth St. “You've got way too much ideology and party politics in your local government. “Wellington should be more than just a public service town. We've just gone and invested $500 million in film rebates in this country.” He said there was ambition and aspiration in Wellington, but there needed to be a council that did the basics well, such as managing water. He said Wellington Water was a “total basket case”. Luxon wouldn't be drawn on who he thought should be the capital's next Mayor, instead saying “whoever is the next mayor needs to have a vision where it's going to, they need to get the finances under control. “It's a big city, it's an important city to New Zealand. I live here, I love this place, it's got so much potential.” Luxon then turned the questions on Nick Mills asking if he was going to be throwing his hat in the ring. He jokingly exclaimed they had managed to confirm Mills was not running for mayor. The six men vying to be Wellington's next mayor are Andrew Little, Ray Chung, Graham Bloxham, Karl Tiefenbacher, Rob Goulden and Kelvin Hastie. NZH composite image The pair also discussed the recent death of Palmerston North teenager Ryan Satterthwaite, who died after taking part in a private “run it straight” game on Sunday. The 19-year-old was taken to Palmerston North Hospital with severe head injuries. His life support was turned off on Monday. Satterthwaite's grieving family say his death was an “accident waiting to happen” and have urged others to stop taking part in the social media-driven trend. Speaking to the Herald, his uncle Peter Satterthwaite said Ryan was a “top kid” who loved his mates, enjoyed playing rugby, and “would do anything for anybody.” He said “run it straight” was simply a “stupid idea”. “Just don't do it. A little bit of fun has lifelong consequences.” Palmerston North teen, Ryan Satterthwaite died after suffering serious injuries in a "run it straight" game. Satterthwaite said it was “disgraceful” the events are being promoted as a sport, and is calling on the All Blacks, Warriors, and other high-profile sportspeople to publicly speak out against it. “People don't listen to us, we're just Joe Bloggs, but they [the public] idolise our sportspeople.” Luxon said the situation was “incredibly tragic for the young person involved, for their family, for their friends. It's just an absolute tragedy”. He said it was a good reminder for people to take “personal responsibility”. Luxon said adults and influencers driving the craze should be “thinking and reflecting very strongly right now”. He said it wasn't something you can ban at a government level. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Aimie Hines and Simon Wilson. They discuss reactions to Budget 2025, Wellington City Council's decision to save both Begonia House and Khandallah Pool from demolition, and dig into the changes around jobseeker elegibility.

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.

The Wellington City Council's long term plan committee will tomorrow vote on what to do with the unfinished events centre in New Zealand's largest suburb. The Karori community fundraised millions for the events centre after many of Wellington's local halls were closed due to earthquake fears. The events centre is built – but the trust ran out of money for the fit out. The group then gifted the site to the council, who promised to finish the centre but have since proposed to demolish or sell it amid budget fears. Karori Community Hall Trust Heather Baldwin joined Nick Mills to discuss the project and the council's response. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

Wellington mayor Tory Whanau has announced she isn't seeking another term as Mayor and instead will run for the city's Maori ward council seat. What's her legacy as mayor, and has she made the right call? Also, Act leader David Seymour says there are too many ministerial portfolios and government departments in New Zealand. Is he right, and what should we slash? To answer those questions, former Wellington mayor and DotLovesData director Justin Lester and Wellington City Councillor Nicola Young joined Nick Mills for Friday Faceoff. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.