Te whakaiti ake i te kino
Reducing harm

Preventing sexual violence

The Sexual Violence Action Plan and Roadmap was published in December 2023, which sets out a vision of Pōneke free of sexual violence (and the fear of harm). Read more about sexual violence prevention in Pōneke.

Safer Venues project

A key action in the plan is the Safer Venues project, focused on the prevention of sexual harm and violence in Wellington venues at night.

The project is a joint initiative between Hospitality NZ, RespectEd Aotearoa and Wellington City Council. They're creating a network of hospitality venues that actively foster an environment where everyone can enjoy their night out free from sexual harm and violence.

Drug Checking

We have provided funding to Know Your Stuff to support them to grow their clinic offerings in the city. They offer monthly clinics at Newtown Community Centre on the first Saturday of every month.

Drug checking is a free, legal and completely anonymous service that provides accurate information to people who use drugs to allow them to make informed decisions and how (and what) they’re taking. You can find all upcoming clinics in the Wellington region on the Know Your Stuff NZ website.

You can stay in the know with currently circulating dangerous and adulterated substances through NZ’s early drug warning system, High Alert. Subscribe to updates.

Know Your City Limit

Know Your City Limit is a campaign in partnership with Police with the intention to raise awareness about the liquor ban area and highlight the consequences for people drinking in public spaces.

The boundaries of the liquor ban are shown in a poster and highly visible signage in prominent places around the city.

Crime prevention tool

Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) is a tool that makes communities safer through strategic neighbourhood planning. Through a set of safety principles, CPTED helps to deter criminal behaviour, reduces fear of crime and increases perceptions of safety. We're applying the methodology to all public space improvements across the city.

Get involved

If you'd like to get in touch or if you're interested in getting involved with the sexual violence prevention mahi, email communitysupport@wcc.govt.nz.

Our street community

Our streets are for everyone. We need to look after vulnerable residents and ensure our streets are safe, clean and accessible. We take a partnership approach to supporting Wellington's street community.

We work with Downtown Community Ministry (DCM) to support the most marginalised people in Wellington. We fund the Assertive Outreach Programme, where teams go out on the streets and connect with rough sleepers. They aim to increase their mana by ensuring they're housed, connected, valued, and thriving in their community.

Find out what we are doing about homelessness.

Using CCTV cameras

We use our network of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to improve safety, collect data and understand what's going on in the city. We support agencies to prevent crime and reduce harm including NZ Police, community controls and Hāpai Ake.

Read more about how we're using CCTV to make our city a safer place.

Eyes On

Eyes On is a programme for businesses in Wellington to share information and build retailer skills to manage and reduce store thefts effectively. It's a joint initiative between First Retail, Wellington City Council, and NZ Police.

To find out more, including how to join, visit the Eyes On website.

First Retail and NZ Police are also working together to deliver safety, welfare and proactive crime prevention training sessions for customer-facing businesses, supported by DCM (Downtown Community Ministry) and Wellington City Council.

Who to call

If you think the behaviour of someone on the street is unlawful or unsafe, phone the police on 105. For emergencies, call 111.

If you'd like to report an issue with lighting, busking, cleaning, CCTV, begging or rough sleeping please use our online form.

You can also call our Contact Centre on 04 499 4444.