Wellington Regional Council, branded as Greater Wellington Regional Council, is the regional council overseeing the Wellington Region of New Zealand's lower North Island.[5] It is responsible for public transport under the brand Metlink, environmental and flood protection, and the region's water supply.[6] As of 2023, it is the majority owner of CentrePort Wellington with a 77% shareholding.[7]
| Regional council | |
 | |
| Formation | 1980/1989 |
|---|---|
| Region | Greater Wellington |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Website | gw.govt.nz |
| Leadership | |
| Chair | Daran Ponter[2] |
| Deputy Chair | Adrienne Staples[2] |
| Chief Executive | Nigel Corry[3] |
| Headquarters | 100 Cuba Street, Te Aro, Wellington 1056 Fergusson Drive, Upper Hutt 34 Chapel Street, Masterton[4] |
The Wellington Regional Council was first formed in 1980 from the amalgamation of the functions of the Wellington Regional Planning Authority with those of the Wellington Regional Water Board,[8] before taking its current form with the local government reforms of 1989.[9]
A proposal made in 2013 that nine territorial authorities amalgamate to form a single supercity met substantial local opposition and was abandoned in June 2015.[10]
Council members
The governing body of the regional council is made up of 13 councillors, representing six constituencies:[11]
- Pōneke/Wellington – 5 councillors
- Kāpiti Coast – 1
- Porirua-Tawa – 2
- Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai/Lower Hutt – 3
- Te Awa Kairangi ki Uta/Upper Hutt – 1
- Wairarapa – 1
In October 2023, the council voted to also establish a Māori constituency for the 2025 local elections.[12]
As of the 2022 local elections the regional councillors are:[13]
- Key
Labour Green Independent Connecting Wellington
| Name | Portrait | Position | Constituency | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daran Ponter |  | Chairperson | Pōneke/Wellington | |
| Adrienne Staples |  | Deputy Chairperson | Wairarapa | |
| Simon Woolf |  | Councillor | Pōneke/Wellington | |
| Yadana Saw |  | Councillor | Pōneke/Wellington | |
| Thomas Nash |  | Councillor | Pōneke/Wellington | |
| David Lee | .jpg) | Councillor | Pōneke/Wellington | |
| David Bassett |  | Councillor | Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai/Lower Hutt | |
| Ken Laban |  | Councillor | Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai/Lower Hutt | |
| Quentin Duthie |  | Councillor | Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai/Lower Hutt | |
| Ros Connelly |  | Councillor | Te Awa Kairangi ki Uta/Upper Hutt | |
| Chris Kirk-Burnnand |  | Councillor | Porirua-Tawa | |
| Hikitia Ropata |  | Councillor | Porirua-Tawa | |
| Penny Gaylor |  | Councillor | Kāpiti Coast | |
Chairs
| No. | Name | Portrait | Term | Constituency | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mervyn Kemp[14] | 1980 | 1986 | Tawa | |
| 2 | Stuart Macaskill[15] | 1986 | 2001 | Upper Hutt | |
| 3 | Margaret Shields[16] | .jpg) | 2001 | 2004 | Porirua |
| 4 | Ian Buchanan[17][18] | 2004 | 2007 | Wairarapa | |
| 5 | Fran Wilde[19] |  | 2007 | 2015 | Wellington City |
| 6 | Chris Laidlaw[20] |  | 2015 | 2019 | Wellington City |
| 7 | Daran Ponter[21] | | 2019 | present | Wellington City |
Regional parks
The council administers several regional parks.[22]
- Akatarawa Forest
- Baring Head/Orua-pouanui
- Battle Hill Farm Forest Park
- Belmont Regional Park
- East Harbour Regional Park
- Hutt River Trail
- Hutt Water Collection Area
- Kaitoke Regional Park
- Pakuratahi Forest
- Queen Elizabeth Park
- Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour
- Wainuiomata Recreation Area
- Wainuiomata Water Collection Area
- Wairarapa Moana Wetlands
- Wellington Harbour
- Whitireia Park
See also
- Manawatū-Whanganui Regional council - neighbouring regional council
- Territorial authorities within the Greater Wellington region: