In Chris Bishop’s speech to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, on the 27th of February, he identified that Wellington needs to grow to the size of Auckland. Commerce in the city centre provides a rateable base and employment opportunities which drives the region’s economy, enabling the suburbs to flourish. Last week Wellington City Councillors demonstrated they have listened to the people by not pandering to the NIMBYs. Unanimously enabling intensification, they have taken a huge leap forward in making Wellington sustainable. 

Wellington offers a unique, compact, and colourful urban lifestyle. It is a beautiful city that has been suffering from a lack of investment due to uncertainty. The Councillors have sent a clear message that they want change, and it is now up to WCC to follow through in the implementation of the District Plan (once ratified by the Minister). We still have a few hurdles to go, like extending the deadlines for yellow stickered buildings and allowing adaptive reuse of the remaining heritage areas, but we are one step closer to reimagining our city for the future. Again Councillors – we thank you!