Ex-mayor: Leadership is lacking

Wellingtonians are lacking decisive leadership in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, a former mayor says.

Kerry Prendergast, Wellington’s mayor from 2001-10, said the city council and mayor Andy Foster had a chance to take charge during the global pandemic, ‘‘but I’m not seeing anything decisive that’s come out at all’’.

‘‘The one thing that’s absolutely essential in a crisis is decisive leadership,’’ Prendergast said.

‘‘Anything that looks like delay will not be received well by Wellington ratepayers.’’

Prendergast’s comments come as the council’s pandemic recovery plan is opposed by a majority group of councillors, who say the plan, being discussed on Thursday, needs more community and business input.

Foster revealed the coronavirus lockdown response and recovery plan last Thursday, signalling a range of initiatives to support struggling businesses through the lockdown and help reboot the economy once trading resumes. But nine of 14 councillors have criticised him over the make-up of the plan’s proposed advisory panel, and called for more groups to be included.

An email obtained by Stuff shows eight councillors have backed fellow councillor Diane Calvert in calling for the advisory panel to be broadened before any agreement is reached.

The email was sent to the council’s chief executive, Barbara McKerrow, on Friday.

‘‘If there is an advisory panel, I hope those people are used to making urgent, fast decisions,’’ Prendergast said.

‘‘This work should have been done a week ago.’’

A quick decision on next year’s proposed rates increase, which is still being discussed, was one example of where the council should have acted faster, she said.

The email to McKerrow was signed by councillors Jill Day, Laurie Foon, Fleur Fitzsimons, Iona Pannett, Tamatha Paul, Teri O’Neill, Rebecca Matthews and Jenny Condie.

They said they supported Calvert in calling for a more diverse group from the business community to be represented.

That could include the city’s five business improvement districts, the Sustainable Business Network, unions, Ma¯ori and Pasifika business groups, and the hospitality and retail associations, they said.

Calvert also criticised the council for not taking a lead on the recovery plan, which was developed with WellingtonNZ – a council-controlled organisation – and the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. ‘‘I want to see the council hold the pen on the recovery plan and go into partnership with the city as a whole, not just with those two entities.’’

Foster said the council planned to work with key business leaders to get advice on how the city could recover economically. It also planned to establish an economic forum as soon as possible, he said. The plan could create a $70 million financial hole, much of which would be covered by borrowing.