Council vote to pass Wellington's amended long-term plan
Councillors during the public participation section of Wellington Council's long-term budget meeting.
Photo:
RNZ / Nick James
Eight months after Wellington City Council back tracked over its Wellington Airport share sale, it has rubber stamped its amended long term plan.
As part of the council's long term plan from last year, it agreed to sell its 34 percent stake in the Wellington International Airport to establish a new perpetual investment fund.
In October that plan was shot down which required the council to go through an amended long term plan process.
The changes saw then local government Minister Simeon Brown install Lindsay McKenzie on the council as a
crown observer
.
In the months that followed council went through a process of trimming its investment in a range of services and facilities - soon of which caused community outrage such as plans to shut Khandallah Pool and Begonia House.
Those two facilities have been saved, but councillors have decided to make cutbacks in several areas.
Those include to slash the Paneke Pōneke cycleway budget from $115.2m to $66.9m, rescale and rephase low cost, low risk transport projects, which saved $67.8m, and push back some Wellington Zoo upgrades to name a few.
Under the plan it would also create a perpetual investment fund out of the sale of council owned ground leases.
The council have also agreed for an average rates increase of 12 percent for the next financial year.
At the vote on the plan, councillor Rebecca Matthews said getting it across the line was an important first step in restoration of faith in the council as governors.
Matthews thanked Lindsay McKenzie for his work.
"I am not sure that the government ministers that appointed you would have anticipated that we would part as such good friends."
She said the council had learned to do its processes better.
Councillor Diane Calvert.
Photo:
RNZ / Dom Thomas
Councillor Diane Calvert said she did not see the plan as a triumph.
"It's a forced correction, created by the financial reality and the financial crisis that I have been warning about for the last several years that we are in."
Councillors Ray Chung, Nicola Young and Tony Randle that voted against the plan.
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