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Wellington City Council
Territorial authority in the Wellington urban area of New Zealand
Territorial authority in the Wellington urban area of New Zealand
| Field | Value | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| name | Wellington City Council | |||
| native_name | Te Kaunihera o Pōneke | |||
| logo | Wellington City Council logo.svg | |||
| logo_res | 200px | |||
| coa_pic | Wellington coat of arms.png | |||
| coa_res | 200px | |||
| house_type | City council | |||
| jurisdiction | Wellington | |||
| foundation | 1870 | |||
| leader1_type | Mayor | |||
| leader1 | Andrew Little | |||
| party1 | Labour | |||
| election1 | 17 October 2025 | |||
| leader2_type | Deputy Mayor | |||
| leader2 | Ben McNulty | |||
| party2 | Labour | |||
| leader3_type | Chief Executive Officer | |||
| leader3 | Matt Prosser | |||
| election3 | 5 December 2024 | |||
| members | 16Includes Mayor | |||
| structure1 | File:New Zealand Wellington Council 2025.svg | |||
| structure1_res | 250px | |||
| political_groups1 | * Labour (6) | |||
| * | border | darkgray}} Independent (5) | ||
| * | border | darkgray}} Green (4) | ||
| * {{Color box | {{New Zealand local body group colour | party | Independent Together}} | border=darkgray}} Independent Together (1) |
| voting_system1 | STV | |||
| last_election1 | 11 October 2025 | |||
| next_election1 | 2028 | |||
| session_alt | Wellington Town Hall | |||
| meeting_place | Ngake, Level 16, 113 The Terrace, Wellington | |||
| website | wellington.govt.nz/ | |||
| footnotes |
- Independent (5)
- Green (4)
- Independent Together (1)
Wellington City Council is a territorial authority in New Zealand, governing the city of Wellington, the country's capital city and third-largest city by population, behind Auckland and Christchurch. It consists of the central historic town and certain additional areas within the Wellington metropolitan area, extending as far north as Linden and covering rural areas such as Mākara and Ohariu. The city adjoins Porirua in the north and Hutt City in the north-east. It is one of nine territorial authorities in the Wellington Region.
The council represents a population of as of and consists of a mayor and fifteen councillors elected from six wards (Northern, Onslow-Western, Lambton, Eastern, Southern general wards and Te Whanganui-a-Tara Māori ward). It administers public works, sanitation, land use and building consents, among other local services. The council has used the marketing slogan "Absolutely Positively Wellington" in an official capacity since the early 1990s.
Composition
Council
The mayor and all councillors are members of council.
Mayor
Main article: Mayor of Wellington
One mayor is elected at large from the entire Wellington City district.
| Photo | Name | Affiliation (if any) | First elected | Responsibilities | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand Labour Party}} | [[File:Andrew Little October 2025 (cropped).jpg | frameless | 133x133px]] | Andrew Little | Labour | 2025 |
Te Whanganui-a-Tara Māori ward
Te Whanganui a Tara is a Māori ward created by Wellington City Council in 2021. The 2022 election returned Nīkau Wi-Neera as its first-ever councillor. Wi-Neera retired from the seat at the 2025 election, and was replaced by Labour's Matthew Reweti.
| Photo | Name | Affiliation (if any) | First elected | Responsibilities | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand Labour Party}} | [[File:Matthew Reweti official portrait 2025–2028 WCC term (cropped).jpg | frameless | 133x133px]] | Matthew Reweti | Labour | 2025 |
Motukairangi/Eastern ward
Motukairangi/Eastern ward returns three councillors to the Wellington City Council. Since 2025 the councillors are:
| Photo | Name | Affiliation (if any) | First elected | Responsibilities | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent politician}} | [[File:Karl Tiefenbacher official portrait 2025–2028 WCC term (cropped).jpg | 132x132px]] | Karl Tiefenbacher | Independent | 2025 | |
| New Zealand Labour Party}} | [[File:Sam O'Brien official portrait 2025–2028 WCC term (cropped).jpg | 133x133px]] | Sam O'Brien | Labour | 2025 | |
| Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand}} | [[File:Jonny Osborne official portrait 2025–2028 WCC term (cropped).jpg | 133x133px]] | Jonny Osborne | Green | 2025 |
Pukehīnau/Lambton ward
Pukehīnau/Lambton ward returns three councillors to the Wellington City Council. Since 2025 the councillors are:
| Photo | Name | Affiliation (if any) | First elected | Responsibilities | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand}} | [[File:Geordie Rogers official portrait 2025–2028 WCC term (cropped).jpg | 133x133px]] | Geordie Rogers | Greens | 2024 | |
| New Zealand Labour Party}} | [[File:Afnan Al-Rubayee official portrait 2025–2028 WCC term (cropped).jpg | 133x133px]] | Afnan Al-Rubayee | Labour | 2025 | |
| Independent politician}} | [[File:Nicola Young official portrait 2025–2028 WCC term (cropped).jpg | 132x132px]] | Nicola Young | Independent | 2013 |
Takapū/Northern ward
Takapū/Northern ward returns three councillors to the Wellington City Council. Since 2025 the councillors are:
| Photo | Name | Affiliation (if any) | First elected | Responsibilities | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand Labour Party}} | [[File:Ben McNulty October 2025 (cropped).jpg | 132x132px]] | Ben McNulty | Labour | 2022 | |
| Independent politician}} | [[File:Tony Randle official portrait 2025–2028 WCC term (cropped).jpg | 133x133px]] | Tony Randle | Independent | 2022 | |
| Independent}} | [[File:Andrea Compton official portrait 2025–2028 WCC term (cropped).jpg | 133x133px]] | Andrea Compton | Independent | 2025 |
Wharangi/Onslow-Western ward
Wharangi/Onslow-Western ward returns three councillors to the Wellington City Council. Since 2025 the councillors are:
| Photo | Name | Affiliation (if any) | First elected | Responsibilities | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent politician}} | [[File:Diane Calvert official portrait 2025–2028 WCC term (cropped).jpg | 133x133px]] | Diane Calvert | Independent | 2016 | |
| Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand}} | [[File:Rebecca Matthews official portrait 2025–2028 WCC term (cropped).jpg | 133x133px]] | Rebecca Matthews | Green | 2019 | |
| party=Independent Together}} | [[File:Ray Chung official portrait 2025–2028 WCC term (cropped).jpg | 133x133px]] | Ray Chung | Independent Together | 2022 |
Paekawakawa/Southern ward
Paekawakawa/Southern ward is the only ward that returns two councillors to the Wellington City Council (all others returning one or three). Since 2025 the councillors are:
| Photo | Name | Affiliation (if any) | First elected | Responsibilities | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand Labour Party}} | [[File:Nureddin Abdurahman official portrait 2025–2028 WCC term (cropped).jpg | 132x132px]] | Nureddin Abdurahman | Labour | 2022 | |
| Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand}} | [[File:Laurie Foon council portrait (cropped).jpg | 132x132px]] | Laurie Foon | Greens | 2019 |
Pouiwi
Two pouiwi (tribal representatives) were appointed in 2023 by the Council's Tākai Here partners, Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika and Ngāti Toa Rangatira. They have voting rights on Council committees, including committees of the whole, but not on the full Council. Since 2023 the pouiwi are:
| Photo | Name | Appointed by | Responsibilities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [[File:Holden Hohaia WCC (cropped).jpg | 132x132px]] | Holden Hohaia | Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika | |
| [[File:Liz Kelly WCC (cropped).jpg | 132x132px]] | Liz Kelly | Ngāti Toa Rangatira |
Committees
Following a review in 2021 by former Local Government New Zealand chief executive Peter Winder, the council adopted a new committee structure. All committees apart from Te Kaunihera o Pōneke Council and Unaunahi Ngaio Chief Executive Performance Review Committee include two mana whenua representatives (pouiwi), who are paid and have voting rights.
| Committee | Chair | Deputy Chair | Membership |
|---|---|---|---|
| Te Kaunihera o Pōneke | Mayor Andrew Little | Deputy Mayor Ben McNulty | All councillors |
| Council Planning and Finance | Cr Diane Calvert | Cr Sam O’Brien | |
| City Strategy and Delivery | Cr Nureddin Abdurahman | Cr Andrea Compton | |
| Social, Cultural and Environment | Cr Laurie Foon | Cr Afnan Al-Rubayee | |
| Revenue and Financial Value Review | Deputy Mayor Ben McNulty | Cr Rebecca Matthews | Mayor Andrew Little, Cr Ray Chung, Cr Andrea Compton, Cr Sam O’Brien, Cr Tony Randle, Pouiwi representative |
| Economic Growth and Development | Cr Karl Tiefenbacher | Cr Matthew Reweti | Mayor Andrew Little, Deputy Mayor McNulty, Cr Calvert, Cr Laurie Foon, Cr Nicola Young, Pouiwi representative |
| CCO Review and Appointments | Cr Ray Chung | Cr Tony Randle | Mayor Andrew Little, Cr Afnan Al-Rubayee, Cr Andrea Compton, Cr Jonny Osborne, Pouiwi representative |
| Grants Subcommittee | Cr Nicola Young | Cr Afnan Al-Rubayee | Mayor Andrew Little, Cr Nureddin Abdurahman, Cr Andrea Compton, Cr Jonny Osborne, Cr Ray Chung, Pouiwi representative |
| Regulatory Processes Committee | Cr Geordie Rogers | Cr Tony Randle | Mayor Andrew Little, Cr Laurie Foon, Cr Sam O’Brien, Cr Rebecca Matthews, Cr Matthew Reweti, Cr Karl Tiefenbacher, Pouiwi representative |
| Chief Executive Performance Review Committee | Mayor Andrew Little | Deputy Mayor McNulty | Cr Nureddin Abdurahman, Cr Diane Calvert, Cr Karl Tiefenbacher |
| Audit and Risk Committee | Independent Chair | Cr Rebecca Matthews | Mayor Andrew Little, Cr Ray Chung, Cr Sam O’Brien, Cr Jonny Osborne, Cr Tony Randle, Cr Matthew Reweti, Pouiwi representative, independent Member |
Community boards
The council has created two local community boards under the provisions of Part 4 of the Local Government Act 2002, with members elected using a single transferable vote (STV) system or appointed by the council.
These are:
- Tawa Community Board, having six elected members and two appointed members, representing the northern suburbs of Tawa, Grenada North and Takapū Valley; and
- Mākara/Ōhāriu Community Board, having six elected members, representing the rural suburbs of Ohariu, Mākara and Mākara Beach.
| Committee | Chair | Deputy Chair | Membership |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mākara/Ōhāriu Community Board | Mark Reed | Darren Hoskins | Christine Grace, Chris Renner, Wayne Rudd, Hamish Todd |
| Tawa Community Board | Jill Day | Liz Langham | Cr McNulty, Cr Randle, Rachel Allan, Tim Davin, Jesse Elias, Miriam Moore |
| Tawa Community Board Grants Committee | vacant | Rachel Allan, Miriam Moore, Jill Day, Tim Davin |
History
City status and council origin
The settlement became the colonial capital and seat of government in 1865, replacing Auckland. Parliament officially sat in Wellington for the first time on 26 July 1865. During the last half of the nineteenth century, Wellington grew rapidly from 7,460 residents in 1867 to 49,344 by the end of the century.
In 1870, the Wellington City Corporation was formed, with former town board chairman Joe Dransfield being elected as its mayor. Wellington formally attained city status in 1881 when its non-Māori population surpassed 20,000. The Municipal Corporations Act 1886 further ratified Wellington's status as a city, alongside Auckland, Dunedin, Christchurch and Nelson, retroactively recognising it to have been such since 16 September 1870.
Amalgamations
The City of Wellington has subsumed many neighbouring boroughs including:
- Melrose (established 1888) in 1903
- Onslow (Khandallah/Ngaio) (established 1890) in 1919 (Wadestown had joined the city in 1906)
- Karori (established 1891) in 1920
- Miramar (established 1904) in 1921
- Johnsonville (a Town Board from 1908), in 1953
- Tawa (a Town district from 1951, then the Tawa Flat Borough Council from 1953) in 1989
Wards
Wellington's local electoral wards were given Māori names in 2018, after consultation with mana whenua.
In May 2021, the Wellington City Council voted 13–2 to establish a Māori ward, with the Te Whanganui-a-Tara Māori ward first contested in the 2022 elections.
In July 2024, the National-led coalition government passed the Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2024 which reinstated the requirement that councils must hold a referendum before establishing Māori wards or constituencies. In September 2024, the council voted 13–3 to affirm their decision to establish the Māori constituency, thereby triggering a referendum on the constituency to be held alongside the 2025 local elections.
On 22 October 2024 the New Zealand government appointed Lindsay McKenzie as a Crown Observer to the council after the Council was forced to revise its 2023–2024 Long Term Plan in response to a failed attempt to sell its airport shares. MP and former Wellington City councillor Tamatha Paul has accused the government's decision to appoint the Crown Observer as politically motivated.
List of town clerks/chief executives
The city council was legally headed by a town clerk, who was in charge of the council administration and operations, later renamed as chief executive officer in 1991. Holders of the office since 1842 are:
| Name | Years |
|---|---|
| George White | 1842–1843 |
| Robert Suckling Cheesman | |
| William Bannister | 1863–1865 |
| J. B. Wallace | 1865–1867 |
| John Rigg | 1867–1871 |
| William Hester | 1872–1877 |
| Charles C. Graham | 1877–1883 |
| Thomas F. Martin | 1883–1889 |
| Joseph Page | 1889-1902 |
| John R. Palmer | 1902–1925 |
| Robert Tait Jr. (acting) | 1925–1926 |
| Edwin Philip Norman | 1926–1952 |
| Basil Peterson | 1952–1956 |
| Mervyn Sinclair Duckworth | 1956–1964 |
| Francis W. Pringle | 1964–1972 |
| Ian McCutcheon | 1972–1984 |
| David Niven | 1984–1991 |
| Doug Matheson (acting) | |
| Angela C. Griffin | 1991–1997 |
| Garry Poole | 1998–2013 |
| Kevin Lavery | 2013–2019 |
| Barbara McKerrow | 2019–2025 |
| Matt Prosser | 2025–present |
Civic symbols
Coat of arms
The Wellington City Council first adopted a coat of arms in 1878. This coat of arms had the description:
The Wellington City Corporation was granted an official coat of arms by the College of Arms in 1951, the blazon for which is:
The mural crown (a crown depicted as if made of stonewalling) is common as a crest in city coats of arms. It is coloured silver, and from its top comes a swimming dolphin. Around the crest is mantling in red. The supporters on either side of the shield are a golden heraldic lion with a chained collar around its neck to the left, and a moa in its natural colouring on the right (the terms "sinister" and "dexter" relate to the shield from the holder's point of view, not the viewer's, thus dexter is the viewer's left and sinister is the viewer's right). The base on which the supporters stand is normally not emblazoned but is left to the artist to decide. The Motto may be translated as "Supreme by position".
Badge and Flag
Main article: Flag of Wellington
Wellington City Council was also granted a badge by the College of Arms in 1963, with the heraldic description:
A Roundel Azure thereon a Lymphad Or the sail argent charged with a Dolphin naiant Azure pennon and flags flying Argent each charged with a Cross Gules.
The flag of Wellington, adopted on 12 December 1962, incorporates the city's badge over a black cross on a gold field.
Suburbs
Wellington city has 57 officially defined suburbs; one can group them by the wards used to elect the city council. Some areas, while officially forming part of a larger suburb (or several suburbs), are considered by some to be separate communities. The officially defined suburbs include:
Takapū Northern ward
- official: Churton Park; Glenside; Grenada North; Grenada Village; Horokiwi; Johnsonville; Newlands; Ohariu; Paparangi; Takapu Valley; Tawa; Woodridge
- informal: Greenacres; Linden; Redwood
Wharangi Onslow-Western ward
- official: Broadmeadows; Crofton Downs; Kaiwharawhara; Karori; Khandallah; Mākara; Mākara Beach; Ngaio; Ngauranga; Northland; Wadestown; Wilton.
- informal: Cashmere; Chartwell; Highland Park; Rangoon Heights; Te Kainga
Pukehīnau Lambton ward
- official: Aro Valley; Highbury; Kelburn; Mount Cook; Mount Victoria; Oriental Bay; Pipitea; Te Aro; Thorndon; Wellington
Within Lambton ward, the council's tourism agency has designated three inner-city "quarters", as marketing subdivisions to promote international and domestic tourism. They are:
- Courtenay Quarter, centred around Courtenay Place
- Cuba Quarter, centred around Cuba Street
- Lambton Quarter, centred around Lambton Quay
- The Waterfront Quarter, centred around the waterfront
Paekawakawa Southern ward
- official: Berhampore; Brooklyn; Island Bay; Kingston; Mornington; Newtown; Ōwhiro Bay; Southgate; Vogeltown
- informal: Kowhai Park
Motukairangi Eastern ward
- official: Breaker Bay; Hataitai; Houghton Bay; Karaka Bays; Kilbirnie; Lyall Bay; Maupuia; Melrose; Miramar; Moa Point; Rongotai; Roseneath; Seatoun; Strathmore Park
- informal: Crawford; Seatoun Bays; Seatoun Heights; Miramar Heights; Strathmore Heights.
Buildings
The Wellington City Council owns and until May 2019 operated from a complex on Wakefield Street, with various extensions each representing a distinctive architectural period. The complex incorporates the Wellington Town Hall which opened in 1904, with the most recent extension completed in 1991 alongside the Wellington Central Library.
The Wakefield Street complex has been cleared of back office functions, and since 28 May 2019 will be closed completely for repairs and earthquake strengthening. In the interim, most of the council's central office staff are located in commercial premises at 113 The Terrace. The council operates two public service desks out of Johnsonville Library and Te Awe Library in the CBD. Due to repairs also being needed to the Wellington Central Library, and Capital E, all of the civic buildings on Civic Square are closed, except for the City Gallery.
Council-owned companies and enterprises
The Wellington City Council owns or directly operates several companies.
The council is a part-owner of Wellington Airport, and has two representatives on the airport's board. Former Mayor Andy Foster was a member of the board from 2016 to 2022 and was criticised for poor attendance at board meetings. In 2022 he was replaced by incoming mayor Tory Whanau, who was also criticised for poor attendance.
The seven council-controlled organisations (CCOs) are
- Basin Reserve Trust
- Karori Sanctuary Trust (Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne)
- Wellington Cable Car Ltd
- Wellington Museums Trust (ExperienceWellington), which operates City Gallery Wellington and the Museum of Wellington City & Sea
- Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency Ltd (WREDA)
- Wellington Water manages all three water services for Hutt, Porirua, Upper Hutt and Wellington city councils, and South Wairarapa District councils.
- Wellington Zoo Trust
The council has a similar interest in the Wellington Regional Stadium Trust.
Sister-city relationships ==
;Sister cities
- Australia Sydney, Australia
- Australia Canberra, Australia
- China Beijing, People's Republic of China
- China Xiamen, Fujian, People's Republic of China
- Japan Sakai, Osaka, Japan
;Historical sister cities
- UK Harrogate, England, United Kingdom
- Greece Hania, Crete, Greece
- Turkey Çanakkale, Turkey
;Friendly cities
-
China Tianjin, People's Republic of China Proposed/earmarked future sister cities
-
Palestine Ramallah, Palestine (region)
Notes
;Footnotes
;Citations
References
- A Complete Guide To Heraldry by A.C. Fox-Davies 1909.
References
- "Our Executive Leadership team". Wellington City Council.
- (22 April 2021). "Speaking at meetings".
- "Overview – Elections 2010 – Wellington City Council".
- Maclean, Chris. (14 November 2012). "Branding Wellington". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
- (11 March 2021). "Wellington City Council set to establish Māori ward next year". Stuff.
- (13 May 2021). "Council votes for Māori Ward in Pōneke". Wellington City Council.
- "Wellington City Council – 2022 Triennial Elections". Wellington City Council.
- https://wellington.govt.nz/news-and-events/news-and-information/our-wellington/2025/10/deputy-mayor-announced
- (2022-05-31). "Meet our mana whenua representatives".
- (2022-12-02). "Pouiwi Holden Hohaia".
- (2023-03-30). "Pouiwi Liz Kelly".
- "Council's new committee structure agreed".
- (29 April 2021). "Council votes to include mana whenua at the meeting table".
- (11 June 2025). "Governance structure". Wellington City Council.
- "Local Government Act 2002 No 84 (as at 01 July 2017)".
- "Electoral Systems". Wellington City Council.
- "Tawa Community Board". Wellington City Council.
- "Ward maps and boundaries". Wellington City Council.
- "Mākara/Ōhāriu Community Board". Wellington City Council.
- (16 May 2022). "1865–1890". Wellington City Council.
- "Wellington region. Page 8 – From town to city: 1865–1899". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
- (11 March 2010). "City history and people – Towns to cities". [[Te Ara: the Encyclopedia of New Zealand]].
- {{Cite Legislation NZ
- (13 June 2018). "Bilingual naming of Wellington City Council wards".
- (5 September 2024). "Wellington City Council passes Māori ward vote". The Post.
- (5 June 2024). "Wellington City Council votes to keep Te Whanganui-a-Tara Māori Ward". Wellington City Council.
- Smith, Sam. (11 November 2024). "Crown Observer appointed to Wellington Council". Stuff.co.nz.
- (11 November 2024). "Wellington City Council's Crown observer named as Lindsay McKenzie". [[RNZ]].
- Hunt, Tom. (18 November 2024). "Case for Crown intervention 'finely balanced' despite Wellington City Council issues". [[The Post (New Zealand newspaper).
- "Timeline – We Built This City". Wellington City Council.
- "Wellington City Council coat of arms (general file)". Wellington City Council.
- "Coats of Arms – Local". Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
- "Letters patent granting armorial ensigns [Grant for WCC Coat of Arms]". Wellington City Council.
- "Letters patent granting use of roundel". Wellington City Council.
- "City of Wellington: city flag". Wellington City Council.
- "Council service desk locations".
- "Report reveals Wellington Mayor Andy Foster's poor airport board meeting attendance". [[New Zealand Media and Entertainment]].
- "Wellington Airport announces new Board appointment".
- "Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau missed half of airport board meetings in past year".
- "Te Pūrongo ā-Tau Annual Report 2019–2020". Wellington City Council.
- (7 April 2022). "Harrogate, England". Wellington City Council.
- "Sister Cities – Overview". Wellington City Council.
- "Canberra and Wellington Strengthen Ties". ACT Government.
- "Historical Sister Cities". Wellington City Council.
- "Friendly cities". Wellington City Council.
- "Wellington City Council votes for a sister city in Palestine".
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