Campaign Focus
Better ongoing management and rates investment:
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Fix the Pipes that need fixing: Water infrastructure is also climate infrastructure! By fixing our aging water infrastructure, we protect precious resources, stop water wastage, and care for the health and wellbeing of our communities
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Invest in Long-Term Water Infrastructure: Commit to sustained investment in the ongoing resilience of our water network and related infrastructure - no more deferring essential maintenance. We need to be prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws at us next, including earthquakes.
Our weather patterns are changing - this impacts our businesses, communities, and our natural environment:
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Invest in Climate Adaptation and Storm Remediation: As well as upgrading outdated stormwater systems, proactively address increasing coastal erosion, especially in our Eastern Suburbs coastal areas. Continued and increased involvement with community-led resilience initiatives.
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Protect and Expand Our Urban Natural Habitats: Support large-scale native planting, bush regeneration, predator-free initiatives and community gardens to help protect our biodiversity, cool our urban areas in summer, reduce slips, rain runoff and urban flooding, and also foster local pride!
Keep Wellington Moving - Safely, and Sustainably:
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Improve Public Transport Efficiency: Advocate for more dedicated bus lanes, higher capacity buses and better bus frequency across the Eastern suburbs and the wider city (with GWRC), to ensure public transport is a practical, affordable and reliable choice for all residents that need it, or choose to use it, Buses also greatly reduce traffic congestion for car users across our city.
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Expand and Future-Proof Active Transport Options: Prioritise safe, continuous, and accessible cycling, scooter and pedestrian networks across our city - especially in the Eastern Ward. Work closely with NZTA to ensure that should a new tunnel go ahead that the infrastructure developments also accommodate pedestrians, cyclists, and scooters, to make active commuting a safe and practical choice for all ages.
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Improve Urban Accessibility and Mobility: Continue to address accessibility and mobility issues for those in our Eastern Suburbs and beyond who need them most — including seniors, disabled people, and others with mobility challenges — by improving features like disabled parking, wheelchair access, and safer walkways.
Addressing Homelessness, Supporting Community-Led Housing:
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Substantively Reduce Homelessness in our Ward and across the City: Strengthen cross-sector collaboration to respond to and prevent homelessness, rough sleeping, and street begging. Support proven housing-first approaches and wraparound social services to get people into safe, stable temporary - and eventually permanent - housing.
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Support Social and Affordable Housing: Champion social and affordable housing developments - both within Council-led projects and in partnership with Kāinga Ora, iwi, Dwell, and other community housing providers.
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Support Smarter, Community-Led Housing Solutions: Enable thoughtful medium-density development along key transport routes and within existing suburbs - paired with support for community-led models like co-housing, cooperative housing, and papakāinga.
Community is not just part of Wellington. It is Wellington:
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Thriving Communities = Thriving Businesses: Strong, connected communities are the foundation of a thriving local economy. I’ll champion initiatives that support small businesses - like reducing barriers, improving foot traffic, hosting local events, and investing in town centres - so our neighbourhoods stay vibrant, resilient, and full of opportunity.
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Stronger Community Engagement: Rebuild the trust between Council and communities by adopting a more respectful, inclusive, and human-centered approach to engagement. Empower communities to co-design solutions alongside Council where this is feasible.
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Grow our Community Spaces: Increase investment in our libraries, youth spaces, Community Centres, and other accessible meeting places in the Eastern Ward and across the city to help our people learn, collaborate and grow.
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Improve Safety Beyond the CBD: Extend city safety initiatives beyond Te Aro, making sure that the Eastern Ward and communities in other wards are equally supported and made safer and more secure in their neighbourhoods.
Culture, creativity, and Te Tiriti at the heart of every neighbourhood:
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Bring More Culture into Our Suburbs: Creativity should be visible and accessible in every part of our city. Support murals, pop-up events, art workshops, and performances in local venues. These creative events help build identity, increase safety, and make our neighbourhoods more vibrant.
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Sustain Wellington’s Arts Leadership: Support the full creative ecosystem - from our major cultural institutions to grassroots performers and venues. Ensure small venues, artists, festivals, and cultural groups have access to the funding and security they need to grow and thrive. No-one wants a grey Wellington!
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Celebrate and Preserve Local Storytelling across our Ward and City: Invest in local history projects, bilingual signage, and public spaces that prioritise tamariki and our diverse history and narratives. Our heritage is about more than buildings - it’s about the stories we tell, the shared history we have, and the values we hold.
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Support Te Tiriti-led Governance: Honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi in practice and in governance, ensuring Māori leadership, values, and perspectives are involved with decision-making at all levels across the Eastern Ward and Poneke.