We can continue to invest in making Wellington thrive but need to balance the pace of our investment with what we can afford. As a community, we need to make some tough decisions about what to prioritise.
Formal consultation on our 2024-34 Long-term Plan is open until midnight 12 May 2024. Providing feedback is an important way to have your say on the future of our city.
Find out about the key proposals below and make a submission at wcc.nz/ltp.
Investing in our three waters network
How much should we spend on fixing the pipes?
Our water pipes are old and in poor condition. We know that fixing our water network is a top priority for the community, so we’re proposing to spend more than ever before on fixing them. This is expensive and will increase rates and debt, so we need to decide how much we can afford.
There are three funding options being put forward.
A: $615.1m for operational funding and $896.7m for capital funding over 10 years.
B: $617.5m for operational funding and $1.0b for capital funding over 10 years, with additional operational funding for a business case on water meters.
C: $676.7m for operational funding and $1.2b for capital funding over 10 years, including extra funding for a business case on water meters, as well as additional operational funding for the drinking water network and capital funding for the wastewater network.
Find more details at letstalk.wellington.govt.nz/three-waters-funding and in our consultation document.
Waste collection and funding changes
Do we introduce Council wheelie bins for rubbish and organics to reduce landfill waste?
We need to reduce waste going to landfill. We could do this by introducing new Council wheelie bins for rubbish, and separate ones for food scraps and garden waste. We’d introduce a new targeted rate to pay for this. If we change one part of the waste collection system it makes sense to look at the rest, so we are also reviewing our recycling and glass collection services. These changes are proposed to be introduced from July 2026 – any targeted rates would not come into effect until then.
There are six options for rubbish and organics, and a further four options for recycling and glass. Find the details and tell us your preferred options at letstalk.wellington.govt.nz/waste-collection-changes.
Managing insurance and investment risks
Do we sell our airport shares to help manage insurance and investment risk?
Insurance is getting harder and more expensive to get, and the Council’s assets – like buildings, roads and pipes – are underinsured by $2.6 billion.
We’re exposed if there’s a natural disaster, and our biggest investment assets, including our shares in Wellington Airport and ground leases, are poorly diversified and are exposed to the same risks.
We’re proposing to sell our shares in the airport and some ground leases to set up a new investment fund as a form of self-insurance, so we can diversify our investments and have money to help with recovery if there’s an earthquake or other disaster.
There are three options we could choose. Visit letstalk.wellington.govt.nz/insurance-and-investment-risks to find out more and let us know which option you prefer.
Suburban and motorcycle parking fees
Costs are increasing and we are facing major financial pressures, so we are proposing some changes to parking to reduce pressure on rates.
We are proposing to introduce parking fees in suburban centre shopping precincts to better manage demand and be consistent with the rest of the city. This would affect Tawa, Johnsonville, Newlands, Khandallah, Northland, Karori, Aro Valley, Kelburn, Newtown, Berhampore, Island Bay, Kilbirnie, Miramar and Rongotai.
We are also proposing to introduce fees for motorcycle parking in the central city, to align with our Parking Policy and reduce non-compliance and increase turnover.
More information is available in our consultation document or find out about the other proposals we are consulting on at letstalk.wellington.govt.nz/other-proposals.
Community services and facilities
We’re also proposing changes for some of our service and facilities to reduce pressure on rates. These proposals include closing the Khandallah Pool and the Arapaki Service Centre, and selling the Wadestown Community Centre.
Khandallah Pool
Built in 1925, the Khandallah Pool is no longer up to current built aquatic facility standards. The risk of flooding from the nearby stream combined with the earthquake prone status of several of the buildings means that a full upgrade and flood mitigation work is required keep the pool open.
The estimated cost to deliver this would be $11.7m which would result in a potential increase in ratepayer subsidy per swim from $25 per swim to $60–$80. We are proposing to close Khandallah pool and landscape the site to improve flood mitigation and create a new community space and entranceway into Khandallah Park. The current estimated cost to deliver this option is $4.5m.
Arapaki Service Centre
We are proposing to close the Arapaki Service Centre and Temporary Library on Manners Street. Arapaki, along with Te Awe and He Matapihi, were established as temporary central city libraries following the closure of the Central Library in 2019. The temporary libraries were scheduled to close once the new central library, Te Matapihi, opened in February 2026.
This proposal brings forward the closure of Arapaki Service Centre and Temporary Library by about 18 months. The Arapaki Service Centre supports several customer requests, with many more requests and transactions managed via digital channels such as phone and online. We will retain the services which need an in-person response by moving them to some of our local libraries.
Wadestown Community Centre
Wadestown Community Centre is part of the wider Community Facilities network, which includes community centres, halls, and bookable spaces. In comparison to other similar community facilities, the Wadestown Community Centre has relatively low usage at 29.9 percent of the hours it is available to be hired, and its location means it cannot feasibly be modernised to achieve the features required of a modern community centre.
There are other fit-for-purpose community facilities in Wadestown and the surrounding areas that allows for the relocation of the current community groups using the site. We will support the centre users to find alternate venues. The site has a ratable value of $1.38m, and selling the community centre will also achieve $65,700 per year in net operational savings. Alternatively, the cost to deliver the deferred maintenance is estimated to be $660,000.
What do you think about these proposals? To learn more and have your say, visit wcc.nz/ltp .