Wellington Mayoral Q+A

Wellington Employers Chamber of Commerce asked local candidates some questions. Most of the answers are generalisations but here’s a few specific commitments”

John Morrison

• Create more user-friendly parking, including off peak hours, so that Wellingtonians can shop in the CBD, go to restaurants and the theatres
• Infrastructure priorities – Basin reserve traffic separation,Second Mt Victoria tunnel, Airport runway extension, Extend the bus priority lanes
• Unblocking pinch points such as the Basin Reserve, extending priority bus lanes and promoting new generation electric buses
• Voted for Living Wage

Celia Wade-Brown

• Online processing for more services such as consents and liquor licenses
• A councillor assigned specific responsibility for retail and SME support
• A one-stop shop for queries about development – building, resource consents and follow-ups to monitor progress on-line
• Infrastructure priorities – airport extension, water reservoirs, progress on our strategic cycle network including central city, South Coast to CBD and Johnsonville to City
• More bus priority lanes
• An independent assessment of the Public Transport Spine Study findings
• Covered transfer points at nodes like Kilbirnie and Johnsonville
• Better crossings and weather protection from the Railway Station to Lambton Quay
• Lower cost fares for “early birds” before 7:30 to make the best use of resources
• Supports living wage

Nicola Young

• City’s buildings and lanes lit up for safety and aesthetic reasons
• Street numbers on buildings
• Resource consent process streamlined
• Review differential rating system which currently penalises owners and tenants
• Infrastructure priorities – Flyover, Airport extension, Transmission Gully
• Correct the skewed funding in favour of trains, which receive far greater subsidies than the more-widely used bus service
• Free WiFi should also be introduced on public transport
• Trial discounted off-peak fares for students during term-time to fill the now-empty buses
• Not support Living Wage for Council staff
• Return parking enforcement to WCC control
• Term limits for councillors (12 years maximum!)

Jack Yan

• An inner city convention centre
• Extend Airport runway
• Extend free wifi network
• Real-time data on public transport for apps
• Support Living Wage

Karuna Muthu

• Build an attractive cruise ship terminal
• Extend airport
• Transmission Gully
• Second tunnel to aiprort
• Reduce parking costs to $2 an hour
• Supports Living Wage

Rob Goulden

• One stop shop for business when dealing with Council
• Improving water capacity and supply
• Improve the Harbour Ferry System to something like the Brisbane Riverboat system
• Supports Living Wage
• Offer incentives in terms of earthquake strengthening