Jenny Condie, 40, university lecturer, political affiliation: Independent

‘‘Like all parents, I want to make a better future for my kids. For my generation that means taking immediate action on climate. To reduce emissions, Wellington must become a city of compact, vibrant neighbourhoods with frequent transit between them.

‘‘We need a mayor with the skills to make that vision a reality. Working at The Treasury and earning a PhD in accounting and entrepreneurship gave me the skills to analyse spending proposals and prioritise the most effective projects. I will work through heated conversations at community meetings across our city with patience and determination.

‘‘Wellingtonians deserve closer analysis of major spending decisions. For example, the conference centre business case had significant gaps, yet all councillors voted for it. I will use my accounting and budgeting experience to analyse the fine print in spending proposals. Priority must be given to essential infrastructure and lowering emissions.

‘‘To improve housing affordability while lowering emissions we need more apartments and townhouses near public transport and amenities. In partnership with developers and central government, council will build suburban apartment buildings with ground floor shops. I will simplify planning rules while introducing an Urban Design Panel to ensure quality design.

‘‘To get buses moving I will deliver bus priority lanes and reduce on-street parking along suburban routes. I will demand a high quality business case comparing different modes of mass transit. Then I will let locals decide which trade offs they prefer based on that evidence, through a citizens’ assembly.

‘‘Property owners should be allowed to build on hazardous land if they are willing to bear the risk. New consents on high-risk land should require owners to agree that they understand and accept the risk from earthquakes and sea level rise, including higher insurance premiums and potentially becoming uninsurable.

‘‘Events bring energy to our city, but hosting parties doesn’t improve productivity. I will focus on growing start-ups in Wellington’s technology and creative sectors, through business incubators, mentors, and by connecting owners with venture capital. Returning to rates based on unimproved land value would also unlock productivity gains.’’