Wellington councillors meet to discuss long term plan amid government criticism

By Nick James of RNZ

• Wellington City Council will hold an urgent meeting on Wednesday afternoon at 2.30pm.
• It comes after the central government called the council a “shambles” and said it would intervene if necessary.
• The meeting would see councillors discuss the council’s long term plan amendment process after it voted not to sell it’s airport shares.

Wellington City Councillors will hold an urgent meeting Wednesday afternoon after the Government threatened to intervene.

On Tuesday, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown told media he was seeking advice from officials on the options available to him and thresholds to intervene in the city council.

It came after the council voted last Thursday to stop the sale of its 34% stake in Wellington Airport.

The sale was part of the council’s long-term plan, with money raised from it set to be used to establish an investment fund.

Yesterday afternoon, councillor Diane Calvert emailed Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau to ask for a meeting between councillors and mana whenua after the airport vote.

The meeting would see the councillors discuss the council’s long term plan (LTP) amendment process in wake of the council’s decision not to sell its shares.

It would include discussion on how staff calculated the resulting $400-$600 million deficit caused, reviewing projects, and considering seeking independent support for navigating the LTP amendment process.

Calvert said in the email she recommended a media release from the mayor “outlining a constructive way forward that involves all council members and conveys a unified message”.

She said this was vital for restoring public and government confidence in the council.

A private meeting will be held at 2.30pm today.

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