Wellington City Council

Council

The mayor and all councillors are members of council.

Mayor

Main article: Mayor of Wellington

See also: 2025 Wellington mayoral election

One mayor is elected at large from the entire Wellington City district.

More information Photo, Name ...

	Photo	Name	Affiliation (if any)	First elected	Responsibilities
		Andrew Little	Labour	2025	Ex-officio member of all committees and subcommittees; Chair of Chief Executive Performance Review Committee

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Te Whanganui-a-Tara Māori ward

Te Whanganui a Tara is a Māori ward created by Wellington City Council in 2021.^[6][7] The 2022 election returned Nīkau Wi-Neera as its first-ever councillor.^[8] Wi-Neera retired from the seat at the 2025 election, and was replaced by Labour's Matthew Reweti.

More information Photo, Name ...

	Photo	Name	Affiliation (if any)	First elected	Responsibilities
		Matthew Reweti	Labour	2025	Deputy Chair of Economic Growth and Development; member of Regulatory Processes Committee; member of Audit and Risk Committee

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Motukairangi/Eastern ward

Motukairangi/Eastern ward returns three councillors to the Wellington City Council. Since 2025 the councillors are:

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	Photo	Name	Affiliation (if any)	First elected	Responsibilities
		Karl Tiefenbacher	Independent	2025	Chair of Economic Growth and Development; member of Regulatory Processes Committee; member of Chief Executive Performance Review Committee
		Sam O'Brien	Labour	2025	Deputy Chair of Council Planning and Finance; member of Revenue and Financial Value Review
		Jonny Osborne	Green	2025	Member of CCO Review and Appointments; member of Grants Subcommittee; member of Audit and Risk Committee

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Pukehīnau/Lambton ward

Pukehīnau/Lambton ward returns three councillors to the Wellington City Council. Since 2025 the councillors are:

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	Photo	Name	Affiliation (if any)	First elected	Responsibilities
		Geordie Rogers	Greens	2024	Chair of Regulatory Processes Committee
		Afnan Al-Rubayee	Labour	2025	Deputy Chair of Social, Cultural and Environment; member of CCO Review and Appointments; Deputy Chair of Grants Subcommittee
		Nicola Young	Independent	2013	Member of Economic Growth and Development; Chair of Grants Subcommittee

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Takapū/Northern ward

Takapū/Northern ward returns three councillors to the Wellington City Council. Since 2025 the councillors are:

More information Photo, Name ...

	Photo	Name	Affiliation (if any)	First elected	Responsibilities
		Ben McNulty	Labour	2022	Deputy mayor;[9] Chair of Revenue and Financial Value Review; member of Economic Growth and Development; Deputy Chair of Chief Executive Performance Review Committee
		Tony Randle	Independent	2022	Member of Revenue and Financial Value Review; Deputy Chair of CCO Review and Appointments
		Andrea Compton	Independent	2025	Deputy Chair of City Strategy and Delivery; member of Revenue and Financial Value Review; member of CCO Review and Appointments; member of Grants Subcommittee

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Wharangi/Onslow-Western ward

Wharangi/Onslow-Western ward returns three councillors to the Wellington City Council. Since 2025 the councillors are:

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	Photo	Name	Affiliation (if any)	First elected	Responsibilities
		Diane Calvert	Independent	2016	Chair of Council Planning and Finance; member of Economic Growth and Development; member of Chief Executive Performance Review Committee
		Rebecca Matthews	Green	2019	Deputy Chair of Revenue and Financial Value Review; member of Regulatory Processes Committee; Deputy Chair of Audit and Risk Committee
		Ray Chung	Independent Together	2022	Member of Revenue and Financial Value Review; Chair of CCO Review and Appointments; member of Grants Subcommittee; member of Audit and Risk Committee

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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:

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	Photo	Name	Affiliation (if any)	First elected	Responsibilities
		Nureddin Abdurahman	Labour	2022	Chair of City Strategy and Delivery; member of Grants Subcommittee; member of Chief Executive Performance Review Committee
		Laurie Foon	Greens	2019	Chair of Social, Cultural and Environment; member of Economic Growth and Development; member of Regulatory Processes Committee

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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.^[10] Since 2023 the pouiwi are:

More information Photo, Name ...

Photo	Name	Appointed by	Responsibilities
	Holden Hohaia	Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika	Member, Kōrau Tōtōpū | Long-term Plan, Finance, and Performance Committee Member, Pītau Pūmanawa | Grants Subcommittee Member, Kōrau Tūāpapa | Environment and Infrastructure Committee Member, Kōrau Mātinitini | Social, Cultural, and Economic Committee[11]
	Liz Kelly	Ngāti Toa Rangatira	Member, Kōrau Tōtōpū | Long-term Plan, Finance, and Performance Committee Member, Koata Hātepe | Regulatory Processes Committee Member, Kōrau Tūāpapa | Environment and Infrastructure Committee Member, Kōrau Mātinitini | Social, Cultural, and Economic Committee Member, Unaunahi Māhirahira | Audit and Risk Committee[12]

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Committees

Following a review in 2021 by former Local Government New Zealand chief executive Peter Winder, the council adopted a new committee structure.^[13] 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.^[14]

Community boards

The council has created two local community boards under the provisions of Part 4 of the Local Government Act 2002,^[16] with members elected using a single transferable vote (STV) system^[17] or appointed by the council.

These are:

• Tawa Community Board,^[18] having six elected members and two appointed members, representing the northern suburbs of Tawa, Grenada North and Takapū Valley;^[19] and
• Mākara/Ōhāriu Community Board,^[20] having six elected members, representing the rural suburbs of Ohariu, Mākara and Mākara Beach.^[19]

City status and council origin

The settlement became the colonial capital and seat of government in 1865, replacing Auckland.^[25] 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.^[26]

In 1870, the Wellington City Corporation was formed, with former town board chairman Joe Dransfield being elected as its mayor.^[25][27] Wellington formally attained city status in 1881 when its non-Māori population surpassed 20,000.^[25] The Municipal Corporations Act 1886 further ratified Wellington's status as a city, alongside Auckland, Dunedin, Christchurch and Nelson,^[27] retroactively recognising it to have been such since 16 September 1870.^[28]

Amalgamations

The City of Wellington has subsumed many neighbouring boroughs including:

• Melrose (established 1888) in 1903^[29]
• Onslow (Khandallah/Ngaio) (established 1890) in 1919^[30] (Wadestown had joined the city in 1906)
• Karori (established 1891) in 1920^[30]
• Miramar (established 1904) in 1921^[31]
• Johnsonville (a Town Board from 1908), in 1953^[32]
• Tawa (a Town district from 1951, then the Tawa Flat Borough Council from 1953) in 1989^[33]

Wards

Wellington's local electoral wards were given Māori names in 2018, after consultation with mana whenua.^[34]

In May 2021, the Wellington City Council voted 13–2 to establish a Māori ward,^[6][7] 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.^[35][36]

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.^[37][38] MP and former Wellington City councillor Tamatha Paul has accused the government's decision to appoint the Crown Observer as politically motivated.^[39]

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.^[40] Holders of the office since 1842 are:^[41]

Coat of arms

The Wellington City Council first adopted a coat of arms in 1878.^[42] This coat of arms had the description:^[43]

Coat of arms of the City of Wellington (former)

Crest Mural crown or surmounted by a dolphin embowed azure (supremacy by naval position). Mantle, azure and gules. Escutcheon Quarterly 1st azure out of a ducal crown or a demi-lion rampant gules holding in the paws a forked pennon flowing to the sinister, charged with the cross of St. George the ends gules (crest of the Duke of Wellington). 2nd argent. A galley with sails furled and oars and pennons sable (the commerce of the city). 3rd gules. A garb (a wheat or wheat sheaf) proper (the agricultural interests). 4th azure. A Golden Fleece proper cinctured gules (the pastoral interests). Supporters Dexter. The British lion. Sinister a moa but proper. Motto Suprema a Situ (Supreme by position) Other elements Under the motto "1840" (date of the foundation of the City and Colony).

The Wellington City Corporation was granted an official coat of arms by the College of Arms in 1951,^[42] the blazon for which is:^[44][45]

Coat of arms of the City of Wellington

Crest On a Mural Crown Argent a Dolphin Naiant Azure, Mantled Gules. Escutcheon Quarterly Gules and Azure, a Cross Or between; In the first quarter a Fleece Or; in the second quarter on Water barry wavy proper in base a Lymphad sail furled pennon and flags flying Argent; in the third quarter a Garb Or; in the fourth quarter five Plates in Saltire Argent. Supporters On the dexter side a Lion gorged with a Collar and Chain reflexed over the back Or, and on the sinister side a Moa proper. Motto Suprema a Situ (Supreme by position) Symbolism The shield is divided vertically and horizontally, quarter of which the first and fourth are red and the remaining pair are blue. A golden cross is placed over the entire shield centrally between these quarters. The top left quarter contains a golden fleece (usually depicted as a whole sheep with a band around its middle). The second quarter is depicted as a silver sailing ship (lymphad) with its sails furled as it would be in port but with its flags flying, placed on waves in their natural colour. The third quarter contains a golden wheat sheaf, and the fourth has five silver discs arranged in a saltire. 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

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.^[46]

The flag of Wellington, adopted on 12 December 1962, incorporates the city's badge over a black cross on a gold field.^[47]

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.