Region’s voters bring change

The Wellington region has seen significant changes in its mayoral elections, with Lower Hutt, South Wairarapa – and likely Wellington City – all seeing changes at the top.

Wellington Mayor Justin Lester should have been cruising to an easy victory, however the entry of Sir Peter Jackson into the campaign, backing quarter century incumbent councillor Andy Foster’s mayoral bid, appears to have been decisive. While the result is too close to call, Foster’s 715-vote lead will be unlikely to be able to overcome from 5600 as yet uncounted votes.

The council also looks as though it will have greater diversity of thought and a greater balance across the political spectrum. The creaking Let’s Get Wellington Moving proposal is likely to suffer under a Foster Mayoralty. As a New Zealand First candidate at the last general election, he may be able to use his relationship with Government to secure a second Mt Victoria tunnel as part of a new package. As well as movement on transport, Mayor Foster will now have to use his not-insignificant abilities on getting the civic precinct reenergised, with both the Town Hall and city library closed due to earthquake-prone issues.

The Greater Wellington Regional Council was originally the one to watch due to significant controversy on the new bus timetables. Three incumbents in Wellington City, including under-fire chairperson and local hero, Chris Laidlaw, bowed out. It was always a question as to whether this would ease the slap voters were likely to deliver to the remaining incumbents. And it did.

Daran Ponter, who possibly had the least culpability in the bus debacle, took the lead in copping the public lashings. He was rewarded with re-election and now is likely to be the new chairperson of the council. He will have a fresh council to lead that still faces cost pressures and the remaining bus fallout. It will be important for new leadership to draw a line under what has been. Ponter will do that.

Lower Hutt was always the most interesting campaign of the region. It didn’t disappoint, with three-term incumbent Mayor Ray Wallace being beaten by possibly the youngest mayor in New Zealand history, 28-year-old Campbell Barry by 2000 votes. The result should never have been in doubt given Wallace’s 18,000 vote margin in 2016, but it appears to have been a reflection of his poor reaction to an insurgent campaign, rather than any significant policy missteps.

Upper Hutt was never in doubt as Wayne Guppy was easily re-elected mayor for the seventh time, with his smallest margin yet at just over 2000 votes.

Carterton was the only mayoral vacancy in the region and popular councillor Greg Lang will take the reins from the retiring John Booth. Established and competent Masterton Mayor Lyn Patterson was easily reelected as expected. One term South Wairarapa Mayor Viv Napier was beaten by Alex Beijen, probably as a result of Martinborough water contamination and Featherston sewerage issues.

Irrespective of the personalities, the region will continue to have challenges that will unlikely be solved under the current structure or the new mix of elected members. There’s a feeling that Wellington isn’t realising its full potential. Housing affordability is a significant challenge in all areas and peak time congestion has also worsened, as a hundred thousand workers flock to the Wellington CBD daily. Without housing intensification, short term transport investment and a regional spatial plan, these problems won’t be solved.

The Wellington region won’t make progress without structural change, political determination and ultimately central Government intervention. Yesterday’s results sadly don’t give us much hope for progress in a region that needs to do better.

There’s a feeling that Wellington isn’t realising its full potential.