Mayors appeal for divided Wellington City Council to 'pull finger'

Mayor K Gurunathan says he's confident other mayors in the region share his concerns. Photo / File.

Two mayors across the Wellington region have made appeals to Wellington City Council to "pull finger" and put aside differences.

There are growing concerns Wellington City Council is divided and has become dysfunctional.

Last week the Herald revealed mayor Andy Foster has called in Sue Wells, who is an experienced crisis manager, council governance consultant, and former Christchurch City councillor of 15 years, to act as a facilitator.

This morning Kāpiti Mayor K Gurunathan issued a press statement appealing to Wellington City to "pull finger" for the sake of supporting the region through the Covid-19 crisis.

"I do this reluctantly but the importance of the City's economy to the rest of the region is so critical that some regional concern at what's happening must be signalled. I'm confident other mayors in the region are equally concerned."

Wellington City was undoubtedly the economic and cultural engine of the region, Gurunathan said.

"The regional councils have often been told that what's good for Wellington is good for the region. By extension, therefore, what's bad for Wellington is bad for the region."

Foster has been approached for comment.

Last week Foster told the Herald there has been agreement on the "vast majority" of what has come before council to date, but acknowledged there would always be different viewpoints on some issues and that was a sign of a healthy democratic process.

Wellington city councillors are divided over whether they think they have a serious problem on their hands.

Some say a facilitator is well overdue because the council is not currently delivering for Wellingtonians, while others are adamant the council is neither divided nor dysfunctional.

Meanwhile, councillor Diane Calvert has filed a formal Code of Conduct complaint against her colleague councillor Tamatha Paul.

It's understood Calvert has accused Paul of publicly attacking her in a Facebook post penned last weekend in response to concerns the council was divided.

Porirua Mayor Anita Baker said looking in from the outside, Wellington City Council appeared to be dysfunctional.

"Every mayor wants to know that their council is supporting them, and yes you can disagree on topics, but you have that discussion with your mayor and then you agree at the table.

"I wouldn't want things playing out in the media with my councillors. I'd like to think that they would come to me and we would have a discussion behind closed doors on whatever it is, and then you'd go out and agree together. There needs to be a united front."

Baker said as a result of the division, she felt Wellington City was not providing direct leadership to the rest of the region.

Hutt City mayor Campbell Barry said it wasn't his place to comment.