February 4, 2025 • 8 mins
The latest rating valuations are out for Wellington - and its not good news for the value of almost every property in the city.
The average property has decreased in value by 24.4% since the last valuations in 2021 - but could it mean rates bills come down?
Also, Wellington City Council crown observer Lindsay McKenzie has given his first report to the Local Government Minister - what'd it say?
NZ Herald Wellington issues reporter Georgina Campbell joined Nick Mills for the Capital Letter.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk SEDB taking the pulse of the city.
The Capital Letter on News Talk SEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Joining us for her regular Capital Letter slaughters New Zealand.
Here Wellington's Issues reporter Georgina Campbell, Good morning, George.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Good morning.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Let's start by talking about the latest story that you've done,
and we've been talking about it this morning. These rating
valuations released yesterday. It's not good news any way you
want to look at it for a Wellingtonian, is it.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
No, I'd say it's not good news. But I also
think it's not surprising. As we know, house values have
plummeted twenty four point four percent since twenty twenty one.
No suburb is unscathed. They've fallen across the board between
twelve point one percent and up to twenty nine point
three percent in some suburbs. But I think this is
(01:02):
really just reflecting what the market is actually like now
because was the latest valuations, sorry, the last valuations were
done in twenty twenty one, which was like the absolute
peak of the market, and I think it's was.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
That during or after COVID or was it after it
was around the COVID period, wasn't it when the interest
rates were at an all time low as well, So
you had the combination of everything, I mean, everything lit up, didn't.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Yeah, exactly. It is exactly that time where everything lit
up as part of the COVID response. And I think though,
it's important for people to remember that just because you're
you know, your RV has kind of plummeted overnight, doesn't
mean that the you know, the market value of your
house has plummeted in the same way overnight.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
You know.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
I spoke to a real estate agent who said, you know,
RVs aren't even designed to give an indication of market values.
They're designed for councils to distribute you know, rates bills. Basically,
there's lots of things that they don't take into account,
like maybe you know, like access or views and things
like that.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Well, what inside, what you've done inside the house? They
don't have a clue what. You might have a beautiful inside,
you might have a rough inside.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Exactly, and that of course would increase the market value
of your house. And you know, as real estate agents
point out, and the grand scheme of things like over
the past twenty years, most of the time homes have
sold above RV anyway, So I think it's just important
to remember that if you are thinking of selling your home,
(02:33):
the advice is go and get a market evaluation, don't
just base everything around your RV.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
And the weird thing is, like I said earlier, if
someone knocked on my door and gave me what the
latest RV is for my house, I'd sell it in
the heartbeat. So they haven't got them right. So anyway,
move on, Shall we move on? If you said enough
about that, let's move on, let's move on to the
Crown Observer Lindsey Mackenzie. Now, to me, he's been a
bit of a ghost. This was the first story that
(03:01):
we've ever seen about him. He hasn't been public in
any form or any way. We to be fair, we
haven't asked him for an interview. But I think I
might be looking at my producer and tell you it's
about time that we had him in the studio and
had a bit of a chat. Now you met with him,
you chatted with him.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Oh no, no, I don't think he will come into
the studio for a chat because he's been very clear
that he's not giving interviews. It's not his job to
speak to the media. It's his job to speak to
the minister, and honestly I respect that so so no,
I've met him once, but certainly haven't sat down for
an interview or anything like that. But the thing that
has been revealed are two reports. One report that he's
(03:42):
sent to counselors and a report that he sent to
the minister. Now essentially the reports are kind of the same.
There was a lot of speculation that the one to
the minister would be a bit more spicy, if you like.
It's actually more of a summary and contains less exciting things,
if you will, than what was sent to counselors. And
(04:04):
what he said is that, you know, quite frankly surprise,
the council hasn't totally wilted under the pressure that it
has been facing.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
And why because people have been asking questions and people
want some answers, and that should be they should be
wiltering under there. I mean, isn't that a councilor's job.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
No, because it's been such a perfect storm of having
to redo the long term plan, having the airport sale change,
you know, this happening while they're also on the hunt
for a new chief executive and also you know, adapting
to the change in government and you know, the new
way that water is being reformed, like the council has
(04:42):
had a lot on its plate. And interestingly, he also
said it didn't actually have to be this way, and
he went into some detail about saying that counselors could
have just stuck with, you know, making a decision on
the airport in December instead of this huge upheaval that's
happened to do it earlier. But you know, he also
(05:05):
he wasn't like scathing. He was quite fair. A lot
of the advice was very procedural around meetings and committees
and you know, how information is presented and when and
all of that kind of stuff. So you know, like
it wasn't damning of Okay, Council, I.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Kind of I read it. I read your article. I
didn't read the reports, but I read your article and
I felt that it was a little bit I don't
really want to say the word but soft. It wasn't
like I didn't think he actually divulged anything that we
didn't already know. I was a little bit disappointed personally.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
I think, you know that government intervention is interesting in
Wellington City Council's case because it's not that they're at
complete loggerheads, like they are making decisions. Yes, and I
think it was a fine line as to whether the
government intervention was warranted, like yes, there's the politics in
the theater, but the council is still actually operating, and
(06:07):
I think that, you know, Lindsay McKenzie's report does reflect
that sentiment.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Okay, all right, house the special care unit now, I'm
I'm kind of stuck on the story because I did
a story on it when it was a newborn unit
and it closed down and there's a lot of kerfuff
for it, and it's a beautiful facility donated by you know,
a family for a lower Heart and it just seems
to be like problem after problem after problem, which should
(06:34):
be quite simple. Tell us what you'll take on it.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
Yeah, it's a mess. So we are talking about the
birth center out in Lower Heart tear Awa Kaidangi Birthing Center.
Of course that closed. People will will remember like there
was a huge community effort to save it, but it closed.
And then Health New Zealand said, okay, we're going to
(06:59):
step in and we are going to have a special
care unit there for sick babies and they see and
that's going to be opened by mid twenty twenty three. Well,
is there a special care unit for sick babies operating there? No,
there is not, So I think there are some serious
questions to be asked about why that hasn't happened. Heart
based Labor List MP Jinny Anderson has been asking those questions.
(07:23):
She tried to get an answer from former Health Minister
Shane Ritti at the end of last year. Very opaque,
I have to say his responses, and then all of
a sudden, two days before he loses the health portfolio,
he says that he's advised that more complex neonatal sorry
neonatal care will continue to best be provided within a
hospital setting, essentially confirming that this unit has been quietly shelved.
(07:47):
Of course, he's not the health minister anymore. Simeon Brown is,
and after we ask questions to his office, Simeon Brown
has ordered a briefing on why this special care unit
hasn't been delayed.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Just silly, they're doing nothing and it's a great facility.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
It's nuts totally, and Jinny Anderson I think it's fair
enough when she says, you know, promise has been broken,
like the community thought this unit was opening and it
hasn't opened. Well, why not? We haven't got an answer.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Keep on digging, George, thank you very much. Georgina Campbell,
she comes in every week, does the Capital Letter for us.
She's Wellington's issues reporter. Gosh, that story really annoys me
because it is a great facility and it should be used.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills. Listen live
to news talks It'd be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk SEDB taking the pulse of the city.
The Capital Letter on News Talk SEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Joining us for her regular Capital Letter slaughters New Zealand.
Here Wellington's Issues reporter Georgina Campbell, Good morning, George.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Good morning.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Let's start by talking about the latest story that you've done,
and we've been talking about it this morning. These rating
valuations released yesterday. It's not good news any way you
want to look at it for a Wellingtonian, is it.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
No, I'd say it's not good news. But I also
think it's not surprising. As we know, house values have
plummeted twenty four point four percent since twenty twenty one.
No suburb is unscathed. They've fallen across the board between
twelve point one percent and up to twenty nine point
three percent in some suburbs. But I think this is
(01:02):
really just reflecting what the market is actually like now
because was the latest valuations, sorry, the last valuations were
done in twenty twenty one, which was like the absolute
peak of the market, and I think it's was.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
That during or after COVID or was it after it
was around the COVID period, wasn't it when the interest
rates were at an all time low as well, So
you had the combination of everything, I mean, everything lit up, didn't.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Yeah, exactly. It is exactly that time where everything lit
up as part of the COVID response. And I think though,
it's important for people to remember that just because you're
you know, your RV has kind of plummeted overnight, doesn't
mean that the you know, the market value of your
house has plummeted in the same way overnight.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
You know.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
I spoke to a real estate agent who said, you know,
RVs aren't even designed to give an indication of market values.
They're designed for councils to distribute you know, rates bills. Basically,
there's lots of things that they don't take into account,
like maybe you know, like access or views and things
like that.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Well, what inside, what you've done inside the house? They
don't have a clue what. You might have a beautiful inside,
you might have a rough inside.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Exactly, and that of course would increase the market value
of your house. And you know, as real estate agents
point out, and the grand scheme of things like over
the past twenty years, most of the time homes have
sold above RV anyway, So I think it's just important
to remember that if you are thinking of selling your home,
(02:33):
the advice is go and get a market evaluation, don't
just base everything around your RV.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
And the weird thing is, like I said earlier, if
someone knocked on my door and gave me what the
latest RV is for my house, I'd sell it in
the heartbeat. So they haven't got them right. So anyway,
move on, Shall we move on? If you said enough
about that, let's move on, let's move on to the
Crown Observer Lindsey Mackenzie. Now, to me, he's been a
bit of a ghost. This was the first story that
(03:01):
we've ever seen about him. He hasn't been public in
any form or any way. We to be fair, we
haven't asked him for an interview. But I think I
might be looking at my producer and tell you it's
about time that we had him in the studio and
had a bit of a chat. Now you met with him,
you chatted with him.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Oh no, no, I don't think he will come into
the studio for a chat because he's been very clear
that he's not giving interviews. It's not his job to
speak to the media. It's his job to speak to
the minister, and honestly I respect that so so no,
I've met him once, but certainly haven't sat down for
an interview or anything like that. But the thing that
has been revealed are two reports. One report that he's
(03:42):
sent to counselors and a report that he sent to
the minister. Now essentially the reports are kind of the same.
There was a lot of speculation that the one to
the minister would be a bit more spicy, if you like.
It's actually more of a summary and contains less exciting things,
if you will, than what was sent to counselors. And
(04:04):
what he said is that, you know, quite frankly surprise,
the council hasn't totally wilted under the pressure that it
has been facing.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
And why because people have been asking questions and people
want some answers, and that should be they should be
wiltering under there. I mean, isn't that a councilor's job.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
No, because it's been such a perfect storm of having
to redo the long term plan, having the airport sale change,
you know, this happening while they're also on the hunt
for a new chief executive and also you know, adapting
to the change in government and you know, the new
way that water is being reformed, like the council has
(04:42):
had a lot on its plate. And interestingly, he also
said it didn't actually have to be this way, and
he went into some detail about saying that counselors could
have just stuck with, you know, making a decision on
the airport in December instead of this huge upheaval that's
happened to do it earlier. But you know, he also
(05:05):
he wasn't like scathing. He was quite fair. A lot
of the advice was very procedural around meetings and committees
and you know, how information is presented and when and
all of that kind of stuff. So you know, like
it wasn't damning of Okay, Council, I.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Kind of I read it. I read your article. I
didn't read the reports, but I read your article and
I felt that it was a little bit I don't
really want to say the word but soft. It wasn't
like I didn't think he actually divulged anything that we
didn't already know. I was a little bit disappointed personally.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
I think, you know that government intervention is interesting in
Wellington City Council's case because it's not that they're at
complete loggerheads, like they are making decisions. Yes, and I
think it was a fine line as to whether the
government intervention was warranted, like yes, there's the politics in
the theater, but the council is still actually operating, and
(06:07):
I think that, you know, Lindsay McKenzie's report does reflect
that sentiment.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Okay, all right, house the special care unit now, I'm
I'm kind of stuck on the story because I did
a story on it when it was a newborn unit
and it closed down and there's a lot of kerfuff
for it, and it's a beautiful facility donated by you know,
a family for a lower Heart and it just seems
to be like problem after problem after problem, which should
(06:34):
be quite simple. Tell us what you'll take on it.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
Yeah, it's a mess. So we are talking about the
birth center out in Lower Heart tear Awa Kaidangi Birthing Center.
Of course that closed. People will will remember like there
was a huge community effort to save it, but it closed.
And then Health New Zealand said, okay, we're going to
(06:59):
step in and we are going to have a special
care unit there for sick babies and they see and
that's going to be opened by mid twenty twenty three. Well,
is there a special care unit for sick babies operating there? No,
there is not, So I think there are some serious
questions to be asked about why that hasn't happened. Heart
based Labor List MP Jinny Anderson has been asking those questions.
(07:23):
She tried to get an answer from former Health Minister
Shane Ritti at the end of last year. Very opaque,
I have to say his responses, and then all of
a sudden, two days before he loses the health portfolio,
he says that he's advised that more complex neonatal sorry
neonatal care will continue to best be provided within a
hospital setting, essentially confirming that this unit has been quietly shelved.
(07:47):
Of course, he's not the health minister anymore. Simeon Brown is,
and after we ask questions to his office, Simeon Brown
has ordered a briefing on why this special care unit
hasn't been delayed.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Just silly, they're doing nothing and it's a great facility.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
It's nuts totally, and Jinny Anderson I think it's fair
enough when she says, you know, promise has been broken,
like the community thought this unit was opening and it
hasn't opened. Well, why not? We haven't got an answer.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Keep on digging, George, thank you very much. Georgina Campbell,
she comes in every week, does the Capital Letter for us.
She's Wellington's issues reporter. Gosh, that story really annoys me
because it is a great facility and it should be used.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills. Listen live
to news talks It'd be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.