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Greater Wellington Regional Council

Regional council in New Zealand


Summary

Regional council in New Zealand

FieldValue
nameGreater Wellington Regional Council
native_nameTe Pane Matua Taiao
logoGreater Wellington Regional Council logo.svg
logo_res200px
foundation1980/1989
house_typeRegional council
jurisdictionWellington RegionGreater Wellington
leader1_typeChair
leader1Daran Ponter
party1Labour
leader2_typeDeputy Chair
leader2Adrienne Staples
leader3_typeChief Executive Officer
leader3Nigel Corry
members13
political_groups1* Labour (2)
*borderdarkgray}} Green (2)
* {{Color box{{New Zealand local body group colourpartyACT Local}}border=darkgray}} ACT Local (1)
*borderdarkgray}} Independent (8)
voting_system1STV
last_election111 October 2025
next_election12028
meeting_place100 Cuba Street, Te Aro, Wellington
1056 Fergusson Drive, Upper Hutt
34 Chapel Street, Masterton
websitegw.govt.nz
  • Green (2)
  • ACT Local (1)
  • Independent (8)

1056 Fergusson Drive, Upper Hutt 34 Chapel Street, Masterton Wellington Regional Council, branded as Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC), is the regional council overseeing the Wellington Region of New Zealand's lower North Island. It is responsible for public transport under the brand Metlink, environmental and flood protection, and the region's water supply. As of 2023, it is the majority owner of CentrePort Wellington with a 77% shareholding.

The Wellington Regional Council was first formed in 1980 from the amalgamation of the functions of the Wellington Regional Planning Authority with those of the Wellington Regional Water Board, before taking its current form with the local government reforms of 1989. The council adopted the promotional name "Greater Wellington" in 2003.

A proposal made in 2013 that nine territorial authorities amalgamate to form a single supercity met substantial local opposition and was abandoned in June 2015.

Council members

The governing body of the regional council is made up of 13 councillors, representing six constituencies:

  • Pōneke/Wellington – 5 councillors
  • Kāpiti Coast – 1
  • Porirua-Tawa – 2
  • Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai/Lower Hutt – 3
  • Te Awa Kairangi ki Uta/Upper Hutt – 1
  • Wairarapa – 1

In October 2023, the council voted to also establish a Māori constituency for the 2025 local elections.

As of the 2025 Greater Wellington Regional Council election, the regional councillors are:

;Key

NamePortraitPositionConstituency
New Zealand Labour Party}}"Daran Ponter[[File:Daran Ponter.jpg80px]]Chairperson
Independent politician}}"Adrienne Staples[[File:Adrienne Staples.jpg80px]]Deputy Chairperson
Independent politician}}"Simon Woolf[[File:Simon Woolf.jpg80px]]Councillor
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand}}"Yadana Saw[[File:Yadana Saw.jpg80px]]Councillor
New Zealand Labour Party}}"Tom JamesCouncillor
Independent politician}}"Sarah FreeCouncillor
Independent politician}}"Gabriel TupouCouncillor
party=ACT Local}}"Nigel ElderCouncillor
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand}}"Quentin Duthie[[File:Quentin Duthie.jpg80px]]Councillor
Independent politician}}"Ros Connelly[[File:Ros Connelly.jpg80px]]Councillor
Independent politician}}"Phil RhodesCouncillor
Independent politician}}"Claire JohnstoneCouncillor
Independent politician}}"Penny Gaylor[[File:Penny Gaylor.jpg80px]]Councillor

Chairs

No.NamePortraitTermConstituency
1Mervyn Kemp19801986
2Stuart Macaskill19862001
3Margaret Shields[[File:Margaret Shields DCNZM (cropped).jpg80px]]20012004
4Ian Buchanan20042007
5Fran Wilde[[File:Fran Wilde 2017.jpg80px]]20072015
6Chris Laidlaw[[File:Chris Laidlaw.jpg80px]]20152019
7Daran Ponter[[File:Daran Ponter.jpg80px]]2019present

Regional parks

The council administers several regional parks.

  • Akatarawa Forest
  • Baring Head/Orua-pouanui
  • Battle Hill Farm Forest Park
  • Belmont Regional Park
  • East Harbour Regional Park
  • Hutt River Trail
  • Hutt Water Collection Area
  • Kaitoke Regional Park
  • Pakuratahi Forest
  • Queen Elizabeth Park
  • Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour
  • Wainuiomata Recreation Area
  • Wainuiomata Water Collection Area
  • Wairarapa Moana Wetlands
  • Wellington Harbour
  • Whitireia Park

References

References

  1. "Your Council {{!}} Tō Kaunihera".
  2. "Meet the Councillors".
  3. https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360870388/adrienne-staples-re-elected-gwrc-deputy-chair
  4. "Executive Leadership Team".
  5. "Office locations".
  6. "Legal notices". Greater Wellington Regional Council.
  7. (2021). "Long Term Plan". Greater Wellington Regional Council.
  8. (1 June 2023). "Centreport Limited (410682) Registered".
  9. "Parks Network Plan July 2011". Greater Wellington Regional Council.
  10. "Story: Wellington region {{!}} Government".
  11. (16 October 2024). "Our history". Greater Wellington Regional Council.
  12. Michael Forbes and Caleb Harris. (9 June 2015). "Wellington super-city scrapped due to lack of public support". The Dominion-Post.
  13. "Council and Councillors". Greater Wellington Regional Council.
  14. (26 October 2023). "Greater Wellington Regional Council approves Māori Constituency for 2025".
  15. (18 October 2025). "Greater Wellington Regional Council 2025 Triennial Elections DECLARATION OF RESULT". [[Greater Wellington Regional Council]].
  16. "Mervyn Kemp". Wellington City Libraries Te Matapihi Ki Te Ao Nui.
  17. "Macaskill, Stuart Alisdair". Upper Hutt City Library.
  18. (3 June 2013). "Women's champion Margaret Shields dies". [[Stuff (website).
  19. "Buchanan to chair regional council". [[The New Zealand Herald]].
  20. "Buchanan upset at being dumped". The Dominion Post.
  21. "Fran Wilde". NZHistory, New Zealand history online.
  22. (25 October 2016). "Chris Laidlaw chosen as chairman of Greater Wellington Regional Council". [[Stuff (website).
  23. (30 October 2019). "Analysis: New Wellington regional council chair romps in". [[The New Zealand Herald]].
  24. "Wellington Regional Parks". Greater Wellington Regional Council.
Wikipedia Source

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