I’ve been asked a lot over Christmas about what I’ve been up to on Council. There is a genuine curiosity about what Councillors actually do. It’s a fair question, and understanding what your representatives do is a core part of local democracy.
It’s very early in my term but this is what I’ve been doing so far.
The term started with a powhiri from Te Runanga o Toa Rangatira, hosting local government from across Wellington and the Wairarapa, and sharing how the current and future priorities of Ngāti Toa intersect with local government.
While election day was October 11, a recount meant that the new Council was formally sworn in on November 25th. By that stage we had had numerous induction sessions for new and returning Councillors. These included presentations from the leadership team on the business of Council, Local Government New Zealand sessions on how local government operates, legal briefings on the legislation Council works with, financial governance, and meeting standing orders.
Alongside the general briefings were workshops on issues coming up in the Council work programme – changes to the District Plan, the future of waste management and Council’s landfill, the Harbour Accord, progressing the climate strategy, and the considerable work underway to establish Tiaki Wai – the new joint water entity. I also attended a Local Government New Zealand Zone meeting where Councils in our region gave the LGNZ team feedback on priorities for advocacy and support during the year.
As well as attending monthly Residents Association meetings we attend local community events, such as the launch of the Pacific language weeks, Citizenship ceremonies, new service openings in the city, a social housing launch, opening the Pataka exhibition season etc. These are important to attend to be available to residents and organisations and to stay informed on what’s happening in the city.
Then there are the individual queries from residents. Residents are encouraged to use the Antenno app for service requests – leaking pipes, faulty lights, potholes etc. People have rung me for information on activities they are hoping I can update them on – the status of developments in their area, clarifying Council or Greater Wellington responsibility for a local issue, and asking for support to progress an issue. We work through the Chief Executive so it can be as quick to use Antenno if the issue is straightforward. We can however, help access information.
Amidst all this there have been a run of announcements from government on changes to the legislation Council works with. This is the focus of my next blog. Suffice to say, the changes are significant and the timeframes short.
So far, I’m spending between 15 and 20 hours a week on Council business – partly because I have catching up to do. We have Council or committee meetings most Thursdays, starting February 19th. Can’t wait to see how it all unfolds in 2026!