Vision

Pōneke, te wāhi auaha e whitawhita ai ōna tāngata me tōna taiao.
Pōneke, the creative capital where people and nature thrive.

This vision for Wellington City is our guiding star. It anchors us in what we're trying to achieve for the city and how we'll get there.

Our commitment

We're committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and strong partnerships with mana whenua.

Tākai Here and Te Tiriti o Waitangi lay the foundation for everything the Council does.

Community outcomes

Cultural wellbeing

A welcoming, diverse, and creative city that:

  • celebrates and uplifts te ao Māori
  • champions the arts
  • embraces heritage, creativity, curiosity, and expression of our multi-cultural communities and identities.

Social wellbeing

A city of healthy and thriving whānau and communities:

  • where people feel safe and connected
  • that takes an equity approach to caring for its people
  • providing awesome, vibrant and diverse places to meet and play.

Economic wellbeing

An innovative business friendly city:

  • providing good jobs for people
  • successfully operating in a dynamic zero-carbon circular economy
  • with efficient and fit-for-purpose regulatory processes.

Urban form

A liveable and accessible, compact city with:

  • affordable and warm, dry housing
  • zero-carbon accessible transport choices
  • resilient infrastructure fit-for-growth
  • proudly visible Māori and multicultural heritage.

Environmental wellbeing

A city restoring and protecting nature with:

  • easy access to nature
  • systems to reduce waste
  • thriving biodiversity and nature-based solutions in natural and urban environments.

Our strategic approaches

Our five strategic approaches are embedded in everything we do.

Integrating te ao Māori

We're building a future where Te Tiriti is honoured through robust relationships with our Tākai Here partners and Māori communities. By integrating Māori perspectives and thinking into every aspect of our work, we are maximising positive outcomes for Māori and fostering a more inclusive and equitable society for all.

Making our city accessible and inclusive for all

Making our city accessible for all

We're creating a future where everyone can easily find information, use our services, and participate in social and economic activities.

Accessibility is for all – including disabled people, the neurodiverse and neurodivergent individuals, who are blind or have low vision, the d/Deaf community, non-English speakers, the elderly, children, parents with pushchairs, and people with temporary injuries.

By removing current and future barriers, we're making accessibility a reality for everyone.

Making our city inclusive for all

All Wellingtonians feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute and engage in all aspects of city life.

Everyone feels comfortable to be their authentic selves, knowing their dignity will be upheld, they have a sense of belonging, and equitable access to services and opportunities.

Everyone can participate fully without fear or the need to overcome barriers, effortlessly finding information, accessing our services, and engaging in activities.

Working in an inclusive way means our differences are our strengths.

By removing barriers, we're making inclusivity a reality for everyone.

Embedding climate action

We're proactively addressing the effects of climate change with urgency, supporting Wellingtonians to do the same.

Through our continued efforts in biodiversity planning, we aim to not only to minimise harm but to create positive environmental impacts.

By acknowledging and preparing for future climate changes, we're committed to safeguarding and enhancing our environment for generations to come.

Engaging our community

We're committed to engaging with Wellingtonians in ways that respect and reflect our diverse cultural contexts, ensuring every community voice is heard.

By collaborating with communities to understand their aspirations for Wellington, we utilise a variety of methods to enhance the diversity, quality, and accessibility of our engagements.

Our decision-making processes are evidence-informed, transparent, and focused on achieving the best outcomes for both current and future generations.

Value for money and effective delivery

We're committed to using our resources efficiently and effectively to achieve the best possible outcomes, even within a constrained funding environment.

By delivering high-quality, well-managed programmes and projects, we maximise value for our residents and our city.

Additionally, we will actively seek innovative funding solutions, including advocating for central government support, to further enhance our initiatives and services.

Our strategic priorities

The Council's strategic priorities come from our Long-term Plan (LTP).

The first four strategic priorities are focused on significant infrastructure investment needed:

  • Fix our water infrastructure and improve the health of waterways
  • Transform our transport system to move more people with fewer vehicles
  • Invest in sustainable, connected and accessible community and recreation facilities
  • Transform our waste system to enable a circular economy.

These five LTP priorities are focused on ongoing efforts that require community engagement, partnerships, and efficient and effective regulation and service delivery:

  • Increase access to good, affordable housing to improve the wellbeing of our communities
  • Revitalise the city and suburbs to support a thriving and resilient economy and support job growth
  • Celebrate and make visible te ao Māori across our city
  • Nurture and grow our arts sector
  • Collaborate with our communities to mitigate and adapt to climate change.