Wellington City Council Te Kaunihera o Pōneke | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1870 |
| Leadership | |
Matt Prosser[1] since 5 December 2024 | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 16[a] |
 | |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
| STV | |
Last election | 11 October 2025 |
Next election | 2028 |
| Meeting place | |
| Ngake, Level 16, 113 The Terrace, Wellington[2] | |
| Website | |
| wellington.govt.nz/ | |
| Footnotes | |
| |
Wellington City Council is aterritorial authority inNew Zealand, governing the city ofWellington, the country's capital city andthird-largest city by population, behindAuckland andChristchurch. It consists of the central historic town and certain additional areas within theWellington metropolitan area, extending as far north asLinden and covering rural areas such asMākara andOhariu. The city adjoinsPorirua in the north andHutt City in the north-east. It is one of nine territorial authorities in theWellington Region.
The council represents a population of 210,800 as of June 2025[3] and consists of a mayor and fifteen councillors elected from six wards (Northern, Onslow-Western, Lambton, Eastern, Southern general wards and Te Whanganui-a-TaraMāori ward).[n 1][4] It administerspublic works, sanitation, land use and building consents, among other local services. The council has used the marketing slogan "Absolutely Positively Wellington" in an official capacity since the early 1990s.[5]
The mayor and all councillors are members of council.
One mayor is elected at large from the entire Wellington City district.
| Photo | Name | Affiliation (if any) | First elected | Responsibilities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | Andrew Little | Labour | 2025 | Ex-officio member of all committees and subcommittees; Chair of Chief Executive Performance Review Committee |
Te Whanganui a Tara is aMāori ward created by Wellington City Council in 2021.[6][7] The 2022 election returned Nīkau Wi-Neera as its first-ever councillor.[8] Wi-Neera retired from the seat at the2025 election, and was replaced by Labour's Matthew Reweti.
| Photo | Name | Affiliation (if any) | First elected | Responsibilities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | Matthew Reweti | Labour | 2025 | Deputy Chair of Economic Growth and Development; member of Regulatory Processes Committee; member of Audit and Risk Committee |
Motukairangi/Eastern ward returns three councillors to the Wellington City Council. Since 2025 the councillors are:
| Photo | Name | Affiliation (if any) | First elected | Responsibilities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | Karl Tiefenbacher | Independent | 2025 | Chair of Economic Growth and Development; member of Regulatory Processes Committee; member of Chief Executive Performance Review Committee | |
.jpg) | Sam O'Brien | Labour | 2025 | Deputy Chair of Council Planning and Finance; member of Revenue and Financial Value Review | |
.jpg) | Jonny Osborne | Green | 2025 | Member of CCO Review and Appointments; member of Grants Subcommittee; member of Audit and Risk Committee |
Pukehīnau/Lambton ward returns three councillors to the Wellington City Council. Since 2025 the councillors are:
| Photo | Name | Affiliation (if any) | First elected | Responsibilities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | Geordie Rogers | Greens | 2024 | Chair of Regulatory Processes Committee | |
.jpg) | Afnan Al-Rubayee | Labour | 2025 | Deputy Chair of Social, Cultural and Environment; member of CCO Review and Appointments; Deputy Chair of Grants Subcommittee | |
.jpg) | Nicola Young | Independent | 2013 | Member of Economic Growth and Development; Chair of Grants Subcommittee |
Takapū/Northern ward returns three councillors to the Wellington City Council. Since 2025 the councillors are:
| Photo | Name | Affiliation (if any) | First elected | Responsibilities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | Ben McNulty | Labour | 2022 | Deputy mayor;[9] Chair of Revenue and Financial Value Review; member of Economic Growth and Development; Deputy Chair of Chief Executive Performance Review Committee | |
.jpg) | Tony Randle | Independent | 2022 | Member of Revenue and Financial Value Review; Deputy Chair of CCO Review and Appointments | |
.jpg) | Andrea Compton | Independent | 2025 | Deputy Chair of City Strategy and Delivery; member of Revenue and Financial Value Review; member of CCO Review and Appointments; member of Grants Subcommittee |
Wharangi/Onslow-Western ward returns three councillors to the Wellington City Council. Since 2025 the councillors are:
| Photo | Name | Affiliation (if any) | First elected | Responsibilities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | Diane Calvert | Independent | 2016 | Chair of Council Planning and Finance; member of Economic Growth and Development; member of Chief Executive Performance Review Committee | |
.jpg) | Rebecca Matthews | Green | 2019 | Deputy Chair of Revenue and Financial Value Review; member of Regulatory Processes Committee; Deputy Chair of Audit and Risk Committee | |
.jpg) | Ray Chung | Independent Together | 2022 | Member of Revenue and Financial Value Review; Chair of CCO Review and Appointments; member of Grants Subcommittee; member of Audit and Risk Committee |
Paekawakawa/Southern ward is the only ward that returns two councillors to the Wellington City Council (all others returning one or three). Since 2025 the councillors are:
| Photo | Name | Affiliation (if any) | First elected | Responsibilities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | Nureddin Abdurahman | Labour | 2022 | Chair of City Strategy and Delivery; member of Grants Subcommittee; member of Chief Executive Performance Review Committee | |
.jpg) | Laurie Foon | Greens | 2019 | Chair of Social, Cultural and Environment; member of Economic Growth and Development; member of Regulatory Processes Committee |
Twopouiwi (tribal representatives) were appointed in 2023 by the Council's Tākai Here partners,Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika andNgāti Toa Rangatira. They have voting rights on Council committees, including committees of the whole, but not on the full Council.[10] Since 2023 thepouiwi are:
| Photo | Name | Appointed by | Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | Holden Hohaia | Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika |
|
.jpg) | Liz Kelly | Ngāti Toa Rangatira |
|
Following a review in 2021 by formerLocal Government New Zealand chief executive Peter Winder, the council adopted a new committee structure.[13] All committees apart from Te Kaunihera o Pōneke Council and Unaunahi Ngaio Chief Executive Performance Review Committee include two mana whenua representatives (pouiwi), who are paid and have voting rights.[14]
| Committee | Chair | Deputy Chair | Membership |
|---|---|---|---|
| Te Kaunihera o Pōneke | Mayor Andrew Little | Deputy Mayor Ben McNulty | All councillors |
| Council Planning and Finance | Cr Diane Calvert | Cr Sam O’Brien | |
| City Strategy and Delivery | Cr Nureddin Abdurahman | Cr Andrea Compton | |
| Social, Cultural and Environment | Cr Laurie Foon | Cr Afnan Al-Rubayee | |
| Revenue and Financial Value Review | Deputy Mayor Ben McNulty | Cr Rebecca Matthews | Mayor Andrew Little, Cr Ray Chung, Cr Andrea Compton, Cr Sam O’Brien, Cr Tony Randle, Pouiwi representative |
| Economic Growth and Development | Cr Karl Tiefenbacher | Cr Matthew Reweti | Mayor Andrew Little, Deputy Mayor McNulty, Cr Calvert, Cr Laurie Foon, Cr Nicola Young, Pouiwi representative |
| CCO Review and Appointments | Cr Ray Chung | Cr Tony Randle | Mayor Andrew Little, Cr Afnan Al-Rubayee, Cr Andrea Compton, Cr Jonny Osborne, Pouiwi representative |
| Grants Subcommittee | Cr Nicola Young | Cr Afnan Al-Rubayee | Mayor Andrew Little, Cr Nureddin Abdurahman, Cr Andrea Compton, Cr Jonny Osborne, Cr Ray Chung, Pouiwi representative |
| Regulatory Processes Committee | Cr Geordie Rogers | Cr Tony Randle | Mayor Andrew Little, Cr Laurie Foon, Cr Sam O’Brien, Cr Rebecca Matthews, Cr Matthew Reweti, Cr Karl Tiefenbacher, Pouiwi representative |
| Chief Executive Performance Review Committee | Mayor Andrew Little | Deputy Mayor McNulty | Cr Nureddin Abdurahman, Cr Diane Calvert, Cr Karl Tiefenbacher |
| Audit and Risk Committee | Independent Chair | Cr Rebecca Matthews | Mayor Andrew Little, Cr Ray Chung, Cr Sam O’Brien, Cr Jonny Osborne, Cr Tony Randle, Cr Matthew Reweti, Pouiwi representative, independent Member |
The council has created two localcommunity boards under the provisions of Part 4 of theLocal Government Act 2002,[16] with members elected using asingle transferable vote (STV) system[17] or appointed by the council.
These are:
| Committee | Chair | Deputy Chair | Membership |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mākara/Ōhāriu Community Board | Mark Reed | Darren Hoskins | Christine Grace, Chris Renner, Wayne Rudd, Hamish Todd |
| Tawa Community Board | Jill Day | Liz Langham | Cr McNulty, Cr Randle, Rachel Allan, Tim Davin, Jesse Elias, Miriam Moore |
| Tawa Community Board Grants Committee | vacant | Rachel Allan, Miriam Moore, Jill Day, Tim Davin |
The settlement became the colonialcapital and seat of government in 1865, replacing Auckland.[21]Parliament officially sat in Wellington for the first time on 26 July 1865. During the last half of the nineteenth century, Wellington grew rapidly from 7,460 residents in 1867 to 49,344 by the end of the century.[22]
In 1870, the Wellington City Corporation was formed, with former town board chairmanJoe Dransfield being elected as its mayor.[21][23] Wellington formally attainedcity status in 1881 when its non-Māori population surpassed 20,000.[21] The Municipal Corporations Act 1886 further ratified Wellington's status as a city, alongsideAuckland,Dunedin,Christchurch andNelson,[23] retroactively recognising it to have been such since 16 September 1870.[24]
The City of Wellington has subsumed many neighbouringboroughs including:
Wellington's local electoral wards were givenMāori names in 2018, after consultation with mana whenua.[30]
In May 2021, the Wellington City Council voted 13–2 to establish aMāori ward,[6][7] with the Te Whanganui-a-Tara Māori ward first contested in the2022 elections.
In July 2024, theNational-led coalition government passed theLocal Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2024 which reinstated the requirement that councils must hold a referendum before establishing Māori wards or constituencies. In September 2024, the council voted 13–3 to affirm their decision to establish the Māori constituency, thereby triggering a referendum on the constituency to be held alongside the2025 local elections.[31][32]
On 22 October 2024 theNew Zealand government appointed Lindsay McKenzie as a Crown Observer to the council after the Council was forced to revise its 2023–2024 Long Term Plan in response to a failed attempt to sell its airport shares.[33][34] MP and former Wellington City councillorTamatha Paul has accused the government's decision to appoint the Crown Observer as politically motivated.[35]
The city council was legally headed by atown clerk, who was in charge of the council administration and operations, later renamed as chief executive officer in 1991.[36] Holders of the office since 1842 are:[37]
| Name | Years |
|---|---|
| George White | 1842–1843 |
| Robert Suckling Cheesman | 1843 |
| William Bannister | 1863–1865 |
| J. B. Wallace | 1865–1867 |
| John Rigg | 1867–1871 |
| William Hester | 1872–1877 |
| Charles C. Graham | 1877–1883 |
| Thomas F. Martin | 1883–1889 |
| Joseph Page | 1889-1902 |
| John R. Palmer | 1902–1925 |
| Robert Tait Jr. (acting) | 1925–1926 |
| Edwin Philip Norman | 1926–1952 |
| Basil Peterson | 1952–1956 |
| Mervyn Sinclair Duckworth | 1956–1964 |
| Francis W. Pringle | 1964–1972 |
| Ian McCutcheon | 1972–1984 |
| David Niven | 1984–1991 |
| Doug Matheson (acting) | 1991 |
| Angela C. Griffin | 1991–1997 |
| Garry Poole | 1998–2013 |
| Kevin Lavery | 2013–2019 |
| Barbara McKerrow | 2019–2025 |
| Matt Prosser | 2025–present |
The Wellington City Council first adopted acoat of arms in 1878.[38] This coat of arms had the description:[39]
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The Wellington City Corporation was granted an official coat of arms by theCollege of Arms in 1951,[38] theblazon for which is:[40][41]
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Wellington City Council was also granted abadge by the College of Arms in 1963, with the heraldic description:
ARoundelAzure thereon aLymphadOr the sailargent charged with aDolphinnaiant Azure pennon and flags flying Argent each charged with a CrossGules.[42]
The flag of Wellington, adopted on 12 December 1962, incorporates the city's badge over a black cross on a gold field.[43]
Wellington city has 57 officially defined suburbs; one can group them by the wards used to elect the city council. Some areas, while officially forming part of a larger suburb (or several suburbs), are considered by some to be separate communities. The officially defined suburbs include:
Within Lambton ward, the council's tourism agency has designated three inner-city "quarters", as marketing subdivisions to promote international and domestic tourism. They are:
The Wellington City Council owns and until May 2019 operated from a complex on Wakefield Street, with various extensions each representing a distinctive architectural period. The complex incorporates theWellington Town Hall which opened in 1904, with the most recent extension completed in 1991 alongside theWellington Central Library.
The Wakefield Street complex has been cleared of back office functions, and since 28 May 2019 will be closed completely for repairs and earthquake strengthening. In the interim, most of the council's central office staff are located in commercial premises at 113 The Terrace. The council operates two public service desks out ofJohnsonville Library and Te Awe Library in theCBD.[44] Due to repairs also being needed to theWellington Central Library, and Capital E, all of the civic buildings on Civic Square are closed, except for the City Gallery.
The Wellington City Council owns or directly operates several companies.
The council is a part-owner ofWellington Airport, and has two representatives on the airport's board. Former Mayor Andy Foster was a member of the board from 2016 to 2022 and was criticised for poor attendance at board meetings.[45][46] In 2022 he was replaced by incoming mayor Tory Whanau, who was also criticised for poor attendance.[46][47]
The seven council-controlled organisations (CCOs) are[48]
The council has a similar interest in theWellington Regional Stadium Trust.
Sydney,AustraliaCanberra, Australia[51]
Beijing,People's Republic of ChinaXiamen,Fujian, People's Republic of China
Sakai,Osaka,JapanTianjin, People's Republic of ChinaProposed/earmarked future sister cities
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41°17′44″S174°46′50″E / 41.29556°S 174.78056°E /-41.29556; 174.78056
