27 June 2018

Wellington City Council has chosen a course of growth and future-proofing the city for the next 50 years while also bringing forward work on sewage sludge growth and flood protection.

Council today adopted, by a vote of 13-1, its Long-Term Plan for 2018-28, which focusses on the city’s economy, housing, transport, resilience (including making the capital predator-free) and a decade of culture.

Much of the spending programme was laid out in the LTP consultation documents, but following the consultations process, which involved more than 2000 public submissions, Council has agreed to some changes.

The city has consents for landfill sewage sludge until 2026 but Council has agreed to bring forward to 2021 spending $1 million on planning and designing ways to deal with the predicted population-driven growth in sewage sludge.It is also looking at technologies to reduce the volume and lower the environmental impact before consents are renewed.

It has also been agreed to bring forward $10 million of flood reduction work in Tawa by three years, as well as getting ready to take advantage of any pro-cycling moves by the Government.

“Our 10-Year Plan is a vision based on resilience and our natural environment, affordable housing, a modern transport network, being New Zealand’s cultural capital and a sustainable local economy,” says Mayor Justin Lester.

“We want our city to thrive but at the same time build its ability to rebound following any disaster,” he says.

“We live in an active fault zone and climate change will only exacerbate the extremes weather we face.

“This plan will allow us to invest in the right areas so we can grow with confidence and continue to enjoy being the capital of culture.

“Sewage sludge and flooding works may not be headline-grabbers, but they are necessary for the city to build on a sound base.”

More than 2000 people submitted on the LTP and the Mayor thanked them for their contribution.

Wellington faces specific challenges, where the population is expected to grow to 280,000 by 2043 and will need 30,000 more houses.

The Council is in a healthy financial position, which means as part of the LTP debt can grow from $506.5m to $1.162 billion.

The Council plans to invest $2.31 billion in capital projects to ensure Wellington remains safe, inclusive, creative, sustainable and future focused.

The LTP envisages spending $280 million on improving key transport corridors, wastewater and water infrastructure.

It budgets $118.5 million for protecting the water supply, including building 22 community water stations across Wellington, placed so that everyone can be within 1 kilometre of a water source following a quake.

Another priority is to invest further in social and affordable housing so people can afford to live in the city. Council is the second largest landlord in New Zealand and the only territorial authority increasing its social housing portfolio.

Around $122 million has been set aside to partner with NZ Transport Agency and Greater Wellington Regional Council to transform Wellington’s transport infrastructure and give us a modern, future-focused network.

Wellington’s title as the culture capital of New Zealand will be reinforced with $16 million budgeted for major cultural events.

Council will also invest $111 million in cultural venues to ensure their ongoing future and enhance their accessibility for artists.

There will be $3.6 million spent over the next decade, including funding for community groups trapping possums, rats and mice, towards the goal of making the Miramar Peninsula predator free.

The LTP document can be found here: https://wellington.govt.nz/~/media/your-council/meetings/council/2018/06/cou_20180627_agn_3149_at_sup.pdf

ENDS

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