Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Wellington Council's got another thing to worry about funding

Tell you what, if you think Wellington doesn't have enough problems already, let me tell you about a new one: Wellington Zoo.

Wellington Zoo needs $14 million for its lion enclosure. It's urgent. It's not something that can be deferred. Wellington City Council needs to cough up the money.

What's more, Wellington Zoo may not be a going concern as early as the middle of next year, which means Wellington City Council will have to cough up again. The zoo will probably run a deficit of around a quarter of a million dollars next year, then another deficit the following year and another the year after that. After that, who knows?

The problem is Wellington City Council doesn't have money. It doesn't even have money for essential infrastructure, like wastewater pipes.

Meanwhile, Wellington homeowners are already paying some of the highest rates in the country, to the extent that some pensioners are considering selling their homes because they can no longer afford them. Depending on who you talk to, those rates are also hurting business. Commercial rates are placing significant pressure on some of Wellington's businesses.

So Wellington City Council does not have money for the lions.

And there's something really strange going on with the way Wellington Zoo is run.

Despite having the highest revenue for each visitor in the country, even outperforming Auckland Zoo, the council subsidy for each visitor is four times higher. Auckland Council contributes about $5 a visitor; Wellington City Council contributes about $21.

The cost per species is also considerably higher than at Auckland Zoo, Hamilton Zoo or Christchurch's Orana Wildlife Park.

Now, the problem, of course, is that Wellington Zoo can't close. That's not really an option, is it?

Modern cities have zoos and for good reason kids love them. I personally hate them, but the kids love them.

I took my kids to Auckland Zoo on Saturday to see the Tasmanian devil and the ostrich and apparently it was the highlight of their weekend.

But I think Wellington City Council, because it can't simply shut the zoo down, needs to be brutal. It will always have to provide some level of funding because most zoos in New Zealand require subsidies. However, it should demand, in a way it clearly hasn't until now, that the zoo turns its finances around and explores every possible commercial opportunity.

That lion enclosure won't be the last major expense. And it's hard to justify spending money on discretionary attractions such as zoos when you're not spending enough on wastewater infrastructure and untreated sewage is flowing into the sea.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Tell you what, you think Wellington doesn't have enough problems already,
let me tell you about the new one, Wellington Zoo.
Wellington Zoo needs $ 14 million for the lion pen. It
is urgent, it is not something that can be deferred.
Wellington City Council needs to cough up the money. Also,
Wellington Zoo may not be a going concern as early
as mid-next year, which means that Wellington Council will have

(00:20):
to cough up again. And it will probably... the zoo
be in deficit to the tune of a quarter of
a million dollars next year and then in deficit the
following year and then in deficit the following year and
who knows what happens after that. The problem is Wellington
City Council doesn't have money. It doesn't have money for
the essentials like poo pipes and Wellington homes are already
paying some of the highest rates in the country to

(00:42):
the extent that pensioners are thinking about selling up their
houses because they cannot afford the rates anymore. And to
that extent, depending on who you talk to, The rates
are also killing business. The commercial rates are killing some
of Wellington's businesses now. So Wellington City Council does not
have money for the Lions. And there is something really
weird going on with the way that Wellington Zoo is run.

(01:03):
Despite its revenue per visitor actually being the highest in
the country, it outstrips Auckland Zoo. Its council subsidy, the
money they have to put in for every visitor going in,
is four times what Auckland Council puts in. Auckland Council
puts in five bucks. Wellington Council puts in 21 bucks.
The cost per species is considerably more than in Auckland Zoo,
Hamilton Zoo or in Christchurch. Now, the problem, of course,

(01:25):
is Wellington Zoo cannot close. Like that is not really
an option, is it? Because modern cities have zoos and
for very good reason, which is that the kiddies love them.
I hate them, but the kids love them. So I
took the kids to Auckland Zoo on Saturday to see
the Tasmanian devil and the ostrich. And it was apparently
the highlight of the weekend. But I think Wellington City Council,
because it can't close the zoo down, has to be brutal.

(01:45):
It will have to always put money in because most
zoos in the country require subsidies, but it should demand
from the zoo in a way that it hasn't clearly
up to now that its finances are turned around and
that all commercial opportunities are explored because that lion enclosure
will not be the last expense. And you cannot justify
spending money on entertainment like zoos when you are not

(02:05):
spending enough money on wastewater plants so that raw poo
flows into the sea. For more from Heather Duplessy-Allen Drive,
listen live to News Talk ZB from 4 p.m. weekdays
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.