A letter to Wellington ...
We need to talk about Wellington. The capital city is going through tough times right now and it is going to take more than a few chirpy billboards to set things right. It’s also going to require the city’s leaders to abandon their fortress mentality, something that has become evident in the way it engages with those it sees as the enemy, including The Post.
So let’s talk about the positives first – something we do every day at The Post.
There’s the creative sector and the vibrant arts and culture scene, which we celebrate daily in print and online through Creative Capital, Te Karanga Auaha.
Our My Wellington series celebrates all the things Wellingtonians love about the city, whether that be its cafes, its art galleries, boutique shopping or beaches.
The Post is a long time supporter of The Wellys and the Gold Awards, celebrating the region’s successful business leaders, innovators, community champions and entrepreneurial risk takers.
We also love telling stories about the things that make the capital tick; especially the quirky fun city stories that probably wouldn’t make sense anywhere else. Like who sells the best cheese scones. And which venue has overtaken Astoria as the place where all the movers and shakers meet (Huxleys and Dillingers).
But most of all, we are invested in the capital’s future, just as you are.
And in our case, that means talking about the bad along with the good.
Because it’s true – we’ve had a lot to say about the capital lately; a multibillion-dollar infrastructure crisis, the financial burden of the city’s earthquake prone buildings, a lack of affordable housing that is squeezing out the young creatives we need; soaring insurance premiums, escalating rates, worsening council finances, a struggling hospitality sector and all the rest.
We’re not covering these issues to bring the city down. And these problems won’t go away if we stop writing about them. But what our coverage has done is start a conversation about how Wellington can turn a corner.
Over the next few weeks, we will be talking about some of these problems in more depth, but we’ll also be asking for solutions – from experts, from our subscribers and others.
Today we’re starting that conversation by talking about what needs to happen next – which is that the mayor, and council, need to get serious about a conversation with central government. Because its support is vital to address our infrastructure, insurance and other challenges.
Many of these challenges are the legacy effects of the 2016 Kaikōura earthquakes but, unlike Christchurch, Wellington has been left to shoulder the costs, and the burden of finding fixes, alone.
As Tom Hunt’s story today suggests, that conversation is yet to get fully under way. So let’s start there.
Because even on a bad day, Wellington is a great place to live. It just needs a little help right now.