Councillor views

THEY SAY

Wellington city councillors met yesterday via a Zoom workshop, to discuss the capital’s response to coronavirus. Here’s what each councillor thought about the tabled pandemic response plan.

We asked councillors: 1. Do you agree with the pandemic response plan? 2. Are you comfortable with borrowing to make up the council’s projected $70 million shortfall?

Fleur Fitzsimons

1. I don’t think it goes far enough. We need extra resources for community and arts organisations to ensure they can keep operating.

2. Yes.

Iona Pannett

1. The council has to prioritise creating jobs and transitioning to a zero-carbon economy.

2. Yes, and I’m happy to support an amendment to . . . enable that.

Malcolm Sparrow

1. No comment, because I haven’t had enough time to review it.

2. No comment.

Sarah Free

1. It’s a good starting point but we still need to work to figure out the details of it.

2. We do have to borrow some money but I’m reluctant to borrow too much.

Sean Rush

1. Yes, it is exactly what I’m looking for . . . we just need to put some flesh on it.

2. I am. We’ve had a strong balance sheet . .. you have it for a rainy day . . . it’s raining hard.

Jenny Condie

1. I support the options for rates deferrals for commercial ratepayers.

2. Yes. Further significant cuts would do more harm than good.

Nicola Young

1. It’s still all a little vague, but absolutely, I support doing all we can to help the city.

2. I’m comfortable borrowing if it’s for the right reasons.

Simon Woolf

1. I support aspects of it, it’s really only a draft. A lot . . . still needs clear figures.

2. Yes, absolutely . . . There’s low interest rates and we have a good debt ratio.

Rebecca Matthews

1. I think we can probably do a lot more to support people.

2. I’m definitely in support of borrowing as much as we can. I’m not in favour of cutting services.

Laurie Foon

1. I agree with the plan in principle but I want to see it sit under an aspirational direction as we are the capital..

2. If the road we take is to borrow, then I am comfortable with that.

Diane Calvert

1. It’s a good start.

2. The shortfall could be made up by borrowing, reduced services levels and/or leveraging off assets better. There is no silver bullet solution.

Tamatha Paul

1. I support it but I think we need to do more. I would’ve liked to see more options.

2. I don’t think there’s anything else we can do, really.

Jill Day

1. It’s hard to see and understand what the package looks like . . . There are still . . . questions.

2. The council needs to take a serious look at its borrowing.

Teri O’Neill

1. I’d also like to have seen more ambition in terms of long-term infrastructure.

2. Absolutely, yes . . . getting people spending again is pretty important.