October 12, 2025 • 14 mins
Wellington's new mayor-elect Andrew Little joins Nick Mills in studio this morning. They discuss his successful election campaign and his hopes and priorities for his term.
Little says he is already reviewing the Golden Mile project and has talked to all the councillors, as he prepares to step into the top job in the capital's council.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from news Talk said.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
B welcome to the new mayor of Wellington. I think
you have to call you a mere elect. For mere elect,
I think at the moment, I mean, we'll do it legally, right,
we don't want to start wrong. Andrew Little, good morning.
Where were you when you got the phone call?
Speaker 3 (00:26):
I was. I was at the Funny Waco, just getting
ready for the event that we had organized. Got the
call from Matt Prosser. He told me, he said, the
numbers are coming in. He said, you've got You're in
the lead. He said, it's a very healthy lead and
it won't change the result. So you are mere elect.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
It's a bit arrogant if you wasn't going to the
party before you even knew you'd won the election.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Well, we arranged to We're arranged to meet some people there.
We're organized an event. Because to organize event you've got
to do it days in advance, right, So it was
going to be an event regardless. You know, I have
two speeches ready to go, right, So yeah, nothing that
was about being organized.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Now I don't believe that you had the other speech.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
I didn't have it printed out with me. No, that
is true.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yeah, okay, at least we're starting on an honest relationship
for our monthly. Remember what you promised I did.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
I know I will fulfill that promise. I made the promise.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Okay. Now, I've been speaking to people that are pretty
close to you. They reckon that you have got five
or six things written down on your little notebook that
you carry around with you all the time of things
that you want to change. Are you going to let
us in for those things that you want to change?
And how long do we have to wait?
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Well, I mean the notebook I carry around with me
with the campaign is actually after a lot of conversations,
I note down key points that came out said. There's
a lot of things in there that the main thing
is for me. There's the practical, practical things like getting
council systems sorted so that developers and others and license
holders people and we're going to get their liqual licenses
renewed don't have to go through the same convoluted process
(02:01):
every time that the council accepts that there are people
who have been in the business for a long time
who can be trusted partners and get some of those
systems sorted out, because we've got to get those sort
of high I dednity hosing developments. We've got to get
them going and accelerated as quick as possible. So there's
the practical stuff. Then there's the other stuff, like the relationships,
(02:22):
particularly with counselors. So I spent like I saw all
the labor elected folks on Saturday night, I spent yesterday
afternoon ringing everybody else and setting out one on one
meetings which I want to do this week, and just
recommitting what I've said, which is as mayor, I want
to need to have a personal relationship with every councilor.
It's not about the groupings around the council table. And
(02:44):
I want everybody, every councilor to feel as if they've
got a role, a constructive, useful role to play. They're
being respective for what they bring to the council table
and get those relationships working well.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Will your door be open, yes, Will your door be
open for counselors to go come in and say Andrew,
I've got to talk to you about this.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Yeah. I think my track record, certainly as a minister
and another role when I was union secretary. I make
myself accessible and available and that and that, and that's
it's after ours as well. Often, you know, send me
a text message to say you need to talk, but
I'll get back to you pretty quickly. That's the approach
I take. That's about what relationships are built on.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
I want to I'm getting a little bit excited when
you talk about those changes that you're going to make
to make it easier for people to do to do business.
Because one of the faults of Wellington over the past
maybe a couple of terms, has been we're not a
yes city anymore where maybe come back bring some more
information to you.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
And I think that's right, and that was part of
the conversation I had. The other thing I did yesterday
has had a really good meeting with the council Chief executive,
Matt Prosser, and that was one of the issues we
talked about. I said, we've got to we've got to
build a culture of respecting people who have been in
their business a long time, who need to interact with counsel.
We've got to have, you know, I they want to
make it easier for them to do business with counsel
(04:01):
and we should build this culture of trust to partners
of people who the council knows. Somebody who's been organizing
a big event year after year a year shouldn't have
to go through the same convoluted contending processes for the
traffic management and all the rest of it they do
every year when we know they do it well and
they've got a good, strong track record. Likewise, you know
(04:23):
liqu of license holders. We know who the good ones are.
Let's not make it difficult for them, because we need
to give confidence to those businesses.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Matt Prosser, I work on the pretense that fifteen seconds
is all I need was someone to work out whether
I trust him. You had an hour with them, you said,
or an hour and a half of them use today.
I know you've met him socially, but this was one
on one we're doing business now.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Your reaction, yeah, very I feel very positive. I feel
that he's somebody I can establish a very good, constructive,
productive working relationship with. I like a style. I think
he is very open, he's very clear about he is
there to make sure that elected counselors are supported to
do their role. We talked about accountability. I said, look
(05:07):
where the elected officials. I'm the mayor. Whatever happens in council,
I'm publicly responsible and publicly accountable. I've got to know
what's happening, but I will be accountable for that. So
I think we've got on to a good start.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
How important is that in any organization where you have
a chairman and a CEO, because that's basically if you
look at it as a business terms, that's what it is.
Chairman doesn't individually make the decisions. The CEO does so
that but he's the guy that's heads on the chopping block.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Yeah, and I think that's that's right. Look, he's the
employer of everybody in council. But in the end, the
council is The people ultimately responsible for what happens with
council are the elected counselors. So counselors have to have
confidence in the chief executive and in the council organization
that the right things are happening or if something goes wrong,
(05:55):
that there's an effective response to it. And that right
pars and residents where they've got an issue is that
there's an effective response. We've we've got to know that
the organization is responding well. The critical the critical element
to that is the relationship between mayor and chief executive.
And I'm confident that we will have a good one.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Were you disappointed with a turnout, I mean, sixty eight
percent of Wellingtonian's didn't decide to vote, I mean, imagine
how big you wouldn could have been.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Yeah, I think I don't know what the fine figure
will be because I was told that there's eleven thousand
votes arrived on Saturday morning that hadn't been counted for
that result that came out on the afternoon. But I
think that's like regardless always struggled with that turnout. That said,
I mean, the margin of my result is pretty convincing,
So I'm very pleased about that. I think there is
(06:44):
a question about how do how do we apart from
more people being interested in what council does, how do
we get more interested in those elections? I think there
is something to be said for an election day, so
there is a focal point to an election. Sending ballot
papers out a month before election day, you know what
happens they set around I mean, and I'm a case
in point. I filled out my ballot papers a week
(07:07):
or so after getting them, but I wandered around town
with them for two weeks in my bag before I
even put them into a ben because just when I
see it beIN, I'll sort of do it. And I
do wonder whether there's a bit of oh well, we've
got ages to think about it, so we'll do it
further down the track, and then a bunch of people
just don't get around to it.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
And the other thing that I've been hearing a lot
of is people that have just left them in their
letterbox and they got wet and they got damp, and
they didn't tried to open them, and I forget, are
too hard.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
And I think for for people who changed and young
people who are changing flats and that sort of thing,
they don't change their address on the electoral roll. But
that's what I met, you know, some pretty much older adults.
He said, oh god, you know, we we put a
new house a couple of years ago and moved and
hadn't done anything about their electoral address, and so they
were there running around trying to do special votes all
(07:51):
those things.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Okay, let's cut to some some nitty gritty stuff. Golden Mile,
you can't run anymore now you've got to You've got
to make a decision. How soon will that decision come out?
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Well, I spoke to Matt Pross about that yesterday, So
that is now going to be review. We have to
see what the what the likely costings are going to be.
We know that government money for it is is not
going to change. I think there is this concern about, well,
if we change anything, we lose the government money. My
my response is that the Council's finances are in such
(08:23):
a state the Council cannot take on any more cost
for that project. There's two things here. That one is
that and what I picked up in the campaign. A
lot of people are saying, look, we need this center
city to be spruced up. A lot of people are
saying we want the walkability, we need the green spaces.
But there's just a cost issue for that project for
the council we just have to seriously address. So that
review is underway and hopefully that can happen will reasonably
(08:48):
quickly the new council gets sworn in. What at the
end of the month and hopefully do.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
You think we'll have a decision by the end of
the year whether Golden Miles going ahead, what it's going
to look like, because would it first that you can
answer that.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Yeah, Look, let's I don't know what the frame for
the reviewers. I'm in the office all this week, so
I will get more information about that. But that is
an issue that's sitting over a lot of people, and
I think it is a question of confidence. So it's
something I'd want to confront sooner rather than later.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
If I told you right now there was four major
developments that are waiting to happen waiting in the wings,
one of the biggest hospitality units in the city is
sitting waiting empty, waiting for a decision on that.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
Right. That's that's information I wasn't to where before. That's
helpful to know. But that's as I said, this is
that I know it's hanging over a lot of people's heads.
So we do need to confront that sooner rather than later.
I'm came to get on with that.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
What other decision do you think you'll make by Christmas?
Whatever you got in your little notebook that you think
that you want to sort out by Christmas.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Well there's the whole thing that we've got to start
to work on the next budget because that will determine
the rates for for the next financial year starting one
July next year. That's we've got to get that underway.
And part of that is during the financial review of
council and the Value for Money review. That's a serious
bit of works. We've got to at that under asap,
and then that work about transforming those council processes so
(10:14):
that we make it easier and we can work more smartly.
That would give confidence to the developers and the investors
about their thinking about the future of Willington.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
When I and I've grown up my whole adult life
in Wellington, or since since I was a kid in Wellington,
the scary point of what we're going through right now
is we're starting to feel like a public servant city again,
not the exciting brew and coffee and culture and wow
and movies. We seem to be going towards a public
service and looking at local elections all the way through
(10:44):
the country, we're the only one that went left or
stayed left, or went left, whatever way you want to
call it. Does that concern you No?
Speaker 3 (10:52):
I think well, I mean, I think one of the
issues we've got is that the public services lost a
bunch of jobs anyway, But when I get around I
think what's really opened my eyes is the strength of
some key industries that we have here outside of central government, science, technology,
we've got a big education sector, We've always had the
(11:13):
creative arts and you know, there's a bit of volatility there,
but actually we're very strong in those things. And what
I see is businesses and leaders in those years who
are just who are just waiting to have a council
that they feel they can work constructively with and give
a bit of confidence from. So I think it's all
I think it's all there. You know, like everybody, we're
(11:35):
the victims of the economic downturn at the moment. There's
stuff we can do to give a bit of confidence
about Wellington City that we can and will do, and
then it's the the uplift that goes with the rest
of the economy. But I think it's all there for
the taking at the moment.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Are you going to meet with Sir Peter Jackson and
friend Wild and sort out what's going on what frame? Well, sorry,
then sort out what's going on with water and work
with them.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Yeah, I'm very keen to do that. I know they've
got big plans for Lyle Bay, but they are you
know they are big, ambitious plans and that's their and
vent we met with them before.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
I haven't known would that be something you're interested in?
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Yeah, very keen to, yes, Yeah, yeah. And I know
that here in fact that the last building standing is
the very building when I was Union secretary that we
bought and developed and turned it into an office space.
It was an amazing workspace that's still there. But that's
you know that that is a huge pressing that they're
looking to develop there and I want to be sure
that they are getting every bit of support they can
from the council.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
If when you put your head on the pillow tonight
and you start thinking about things as we all do,
if you had one wish that you could achieve as
mayor of Wellington, and we'll be talking over the next
couple of years, what would that wish be?
Speaker 3 (12:44):
I think the main thing is that, you know, next
year we start to see that that sense of the
buzz coming back. We're seeing the events and the activities,
people coming into town because it's a great place to
be and there's opportunities to do stuff and enjoy themselves.
And we start to see those developments, you know, the
new apartments and all the rest of it, because developers
have confidence that that they're going to be supported to
(13:06):
do that. So it is about that physical look and
feel of the city starting to be noticeable within a
year's time.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Who's your deputy mayor?
Speaker 3 (13:16):
I don't know yet, Oh I do. You're going to
say that, you know?
Speaker 2 (13:19):
You cannot tell me that you don't know. You've got
it's down to three. Tell me the three. Come on you,
you're too smart to tell.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
I want to have a good talk with all counselors
and have a good thing about it. Look, it's a
serious decision, and it's an important decision, and it's got
to be the right person, both for the counsel, for me,
for a whole bunch of things. And I genuinely do
not have any specific name in mind.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Because obviously that would be key because you're a guy
that's going to be head down, us up guy. That's
your style, my right and my wrong.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
No, you're actually right.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
So you need someone to go out and shake hands
and kiss babies.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
Yeah, I like doing that stuff too, but I don't
want to be doing that. No. Twenty four to seven, right,
So that stuff has to be shared. But it's also
got to be someone that the rest of counsel will
have confidence is going to be good for the rest
of counsel as well.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Appreciate you coming in congratulations on behalf of Wellingtonian's We've voted,
and we've voted it in low numbers, but we've voted
convincingly for you as mayor. We as I said in
my intro, we are hopefully as a city going to
all get behind you and give you, give you a
fair go at it. That's how we're going to start off.
But we're also going to ask you the hard questions
(14:30):
and keep you on us. But we wish you all
the very very best.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
Thanks nice to talk to you, and to talk to
you in a month's time, we.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Will Andrew little Bear elect.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
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You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from news Talk said.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
B welcome to the new mayor of Wellington. I think
you have to call you a mere elect. For mere elect,
I think at the moment, I mean, we'll do it legally, right,
we don't want to start wrong. Andrew Little, good morning.
Where were you when you got the phone call?
Speaker 3 (00:26):
I was. I was at the Funny Waco, just getting
ready for the event that we had organized. Got the
call from Matt Prosser. He told me, he said, the
numbers are coming in. He said, you've got You're in
the lead. He said, it's a very healthy lead and
it won't change the result. So you are mere elect.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
It's a bit arrogant if you wasn't going to the
party before you even knew you'd won the election.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Well, we arranged to We're arranged to meet some people there.
We're organized an event. Because to organize event you've got
to do it days in advance, right, So it was
going to be an event regardless. You know, I have
two speeches ready to go, right, So yeah, nothing that
was about being organized.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Now I don't believe that you had the other speech.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
I didn't have it printed out with me. No, that
is true.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yeah, okay, at least we're starting on an honest relationship
for our monthly. Remember what you promised I did.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
I know I will fulfill that promise. I made the promise.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Okay. Now, I've been speaking to people that are pretty
close to you. They reckon that you have got five
or six things written down on your little notebook that
you carry around with you all the time of things
that you want to change. Are you going to let
us in for those things that you want to change?
And how long do we have to wait?
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Well, I mean the notebook I carry around with me
with the campaign is actually after a lot of conversations,
I note down key points that came out said. There's
a lot of things in there that the main thing
is for me. There's the practical, practical things like getting
council systems sorted so that developers and others and license
holders people and we're going to get their liqual licenses
renewed don't have to go through the same convoluted process
(02:01):
every time that the council accepts that there are people
who have been in the business for a long time
who can be trusted partners and get some of those
systems sorted out, because we've got to get those sort
of high I dednity hosing developments. We've got to get
them going and accelerated as quick as possible. So there's
the practical stuff. Then there's the other stuff, like the relationships,
(02:22):
particularly with counselors. So I spent like I saw all
the labor elected folks on Saturday night, I spent yesterday
afternoon ringing everybody else and setting out one on one
meetings which I want to do this week, and just
recommitting what I've said, which is as mayor, I want
to need to have a personal relationship with every councilor.
It's not about the groupings around the council table. And
(02:44):
I want everybody, every councilor to feel as if they've
got a role, a constructive, useful role to play. They're
being respective for what they bring to the council table
and get those relationships working well.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Will your door be open, yes, Will your door be
open for counselors to go come in and say Andrew,
I've got to talk to you about this.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Yeah. I think my track record, certainly as a minister
and another role when I was union secretary. I make
myself accessible and available and that and that, and that's
it's after ours as well. Often, you know, send me
a text message to say you need to talk, but
I'll get back to you pretty quickly. That's the approach
I take. That's about what relationships are built on.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
I want to I'm getting a little bit excited when
you talk about those changes that you're going to make
to make it easier for people to do to do business.
Because one of the faults of Wellington over the past
maybe a couple of terms, has been we're not a
yes city anymore where maybe come back bring some more
information to you.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
And I think that's right, and that was part of
the conversation I had. The other thing I did yesterday
has had a really good meeting with the council Chief executive,
Matt Prosser, and that was one of the issues we
talked about. I said, we've got to we've got to
build a culture of respecting people who have been in
their business a long time, who need to interact with counsel.
We've got to have, you know, I they want to
make it easier for them to do business with counsel
(04:01):
and we should build this culture of trust to partners
of people who the council knows. Somebody who's been organizing
a big event year after year a year shouldn't have
to go through the same convoluted contending processes for the
traffic management and all the rest of it they do
every year when we know they do it well and
they've got a good, strong track record. Likewise, you know
(04:23):
liqu of license holders. We know who the good ones are.
Let's not make it difficult for them, because we need
to give confidence to those businesses.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Matt Prosser, I work on the pretense that fifteen seconds
is all I need was someone to work out whether
I trust him. You had an hour with them, you said,
or an hour and a half of them use today.
I know you've met him socially, but this was one
on one we're doing business now.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Your reaction, yeah, very I feel very positive. I feel
that he's somebody I can establish a very good, constructive,
productive working relationship with. I like a style. I think
he is very open, he's very clear about he is
there to make sure that elected counselors are supported to
do their role. We talked about accountability. I said, look
(05:07):
where the elected officials. I'm the mayor. Whatever happens in council,
I'm publicly responsible and publicly accountable. I've got to know
what's happening, but I will be accountable for that. So
I think we've got on to a good start.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
How important is that in any organization where you have
a chairman and a CEO, because that's basically if you
look at it as a business terms, that's what it is.
Chairman doesn't individually make the decisions. The CEO does so
that but he's the guy that's heads on the chopping block.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Yeah, and I think that's that's right. Look, he's the
employer of everybody in council. But in the end, the
council is The people ultimately responsible for what happens with
council are the elected counselors. So counselors have to have
confidence in the chief executive and in the council organization
that the right things are happening or if something goes wrong,
(05:55):
that there's an effective response to it. And that right
pars and residents where they've got an issue is that
there's an effective response. We've we've got to know that
the organization is responding well. The critical the critical element
to that is the relationship between mayor and chief executive.
And I'm confident that we will have a good one.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Were you disappointed with a turnout, I mean, sixty eight
percent of Wellingtonian's didn't decide to vote, I mean, imagine
how big you wouldn could have been.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Yeah, I think I don't know what the fine figure
will be because I was told that there's eleven thousand
votes arrived on Saturday morning that hadn't been counted for
that result that came out on the afternoon. But I
think that's like regardless always struggled with that turnout. That said,
I mean, the margin of my result is pretty convincing,
So I'm very pleased about that. I think there is
(06:44):
a question about how do how do we apart from
more people being interested in what council does, how do
we get more interested in those elections? I think there
is something to be said for an election day, so
there is a focal point to an election. Sending ballot
papers out a month before election day, you know what
happens they set around I mean, and I'm a case
in point. I filled out my ballot papers a week
(07:07):
or so after getting them, but I wandered around town
with them for two weeks in my bag before I
even put them into a ben because just when I
see it beIN, I'll sort of do it. And I
do wonder whether there's a bit of oh well, we've
got ages to think about it, so we'll do it
further down the track, and then a bunch of people
just don't get around to it.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
And the other thing that I've been hearing a lot
of is people that have just left them in their
letterbox and they got wet and they got damp, and
they didn't tried to open them, and I forget, are
too hard.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
And I think for for people who changed and young
people who are changing flats and that sort of thing,
they don't change their address on the electoral roll. But
that's what I met, you know, some pretty much older adults.
He said, oh god, you know, we we put a
new house a couple of years ago and moved and
hadn't done anything about their electoral address, and so they
were there running around trying to do special votes all
(07:51):
those things.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Okay, let's cut to some some nitty gritty stuff. Golden Mile,
you can't run anymore now you've got to You've got
to make a decision. How soon will that decision come out?
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Well, I spoke to Matt Pross about that yesterday, So
that is now going to be review. We have to
see what the what the likely costings are going to be.
We know that government money for it is is not
going to change. I think there is this concern about, well,
if we change anything, we lose the government money. My
my response is that the Council's finances are in such
(08:23):
a state the Council cannot take on any more cost
for that project. There's two things here. That one is
that and what I picked up in the campaign. A
lot of people are saying, look, we need this center
city to be spruced up. A lot of people are
saying we want the walkability, we need the green spaces.
But there's just a cost issue for that project for
the council we just have to seriously address. So that
review is underway and hopefully that can happen will reasonably
(08:48):
quickly the new council gets sworn in. What at the
end of the month and hopefully do.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
You think we'll have a decision by the end of
the year whether Golden Miles going ahead, what it's going
to look like, because would it first that you can
answer that.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Yeah, Look, let's I don't know what the frame for
the reviewers. I'm in the office all this week, so
I will get more information about that. But that is
an issue that's sitting over a lot of people, and
I think it is a question of confidence. So it's
something I'd want to confront sooner rather than later.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
If I told you right now there was four major
developments that are waiting to happen waiting in the wings,
one of the biggest hospitality units in the city is
sitting waiting empty, waiting for a decision on that.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
Right. That's that's information I wasn't to where before. That's
helpful to know. But that's as I said, this is
that I know it's hanging over a lot of people's heads.
So we do need to confront that sooner rather than later.
I'm came to get on with that.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
What other decision do you think you'll make by Christmas?
Whatever you got in your little notebook that you think
that you want to sort out by Christmas.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Well there's the whole thing that we've got to start
to work on the next budget because that will determine
the rates for for the next financial year starting one
July next year. That's we've got to get that underway.
And part of that is during the financial review of
council and the Value for Money review. That's a serious
bit of works. We've got to at that under asap,
and then that work about transforming those council processes so
(10:14):
that we make it easier and we can work more smartly.
That would give confidence to the developers and the investors
about their thinking about the future of Willington.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
When I and I've grown up my whole adult life
in Wellington, or since since I was a kid in Wellington,
the scary point of what we're going through right now
is we're starting to feel like a public servant city again,
not the exciting brew and coffee and culture and wow
and movies. We seem to be going towards a public
service and looking at local elections all the way through
(10:44):
the country, we're the only one that went left or
stayed left, or went left, whatever way you want to
call it. Does that concern you No?
Speaker 3 (10:52):
I think well, I mean, I think one of the
issues we've got is that the public services lost a
bunch of jobs anyway, But when I get around I
think what's really opened my eyes is the strength of
some key industries that we have here outside of central government, science, technology,
we've got a big education sector, We've always had the
(11:13):
creative arts and you know, there's a bit of volatility there,
but actually we're very strong in those things. And what
I see is businesses and leaders in those years who
are just who are just waiting to have a council
that they feel they can work constructively with and give
a bit of confidence from. So I think it's all
I think it's all there. You know, like everybody, we're
(11:35):
the victims of the economic downturn at the moment. There's
stuff we can do to give a bit of confidence
about Wellington City that we can and will do, and
then it's the the uplift that goes with the rest
of the economy. But I think it's all there for
the taking at the moment.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Are you going to meet with Sir Peter Jackson and
friend Wild and sort out what's going on what frame? Well, sorry,
then sort out what's going on with water and work
with them.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Yeah, I'm very keen to do that. I know they've
got big plans for Lyle Bay, but they are you
know they are big, ambitious plans and that's their and
vent we met with them before.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
I haven't known would that be something you're interested in?
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Yeah, very keen to, yes, Yeah, yeah. And I know
that here in fact that the last building standing is
the very building when I was Union secretary that we
bought and developed and turned it into an office space.
It was an amazing workspace that's still there. But that's
you know that that is a huge pressing that they're
looking to develop there and I want to be sure
that they are getting every bit of support they can
from the council.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
If when you put your head on the pillow tonight
and you start thinking about things as we all do,
if you had one wish that you could achieve as
mayor of Wellington, and we'll be talking over the next
couple of years, what would that wish be?
Speaker 3 (12:44):
I think the main thing is that, you know, next
year we start to see that that sense of the
buzz coming back. We're seeing the events and the activities,
people coming into town because it's a great place to
be and there's opportunities to do stuff and enjoy themselves.
And we start to see those developments, you know, the
new apartments and all the rest of it, because developers
have confidence that that they're going to be supported to
(13:06):
do that. So it is about that physical look and
feel of the city starting to be noticeable within a
year's time.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Who's your deputy mayor?
Speaker 3 (13:16):
I don't know yet, Oh I do. You're going to
say that, you know?
Speaker 2 (13:19):
You cannot tell me that you don't know. You've got
it's down to three. Tell me the three. Come on you,
you're too smart to tell.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
I want to have a good talk with all counselors
and have a good thing about it. Look, it's a
serious decision, and it's an important decision, and it's got
to be the right person, both for the counsel, for me,
for a whole bunch of things. And I genuinely do
not have any specific name in mind.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Because obviously that would be key because you're a guy
that's going to be head down, us up guy. That's
your style, my right and my wrong.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
No, you're actually right.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
So you need someone to go out and shake hands
and kiss babies.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
Yeah, I like doing that stuff too, but I don't
want to be doing that. No. Twenty four to seven, right,
So that stuff has to be shared. But it's also
got to be someone that the rest of counsel will
have confidence is going to be good for the rest
of counsel as well.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Appreciate you coming in congratulations on behalf of Wellingtonian's We've voted,
and we've voted it in low numbers, but we've voted
convincingly for you as mayor. We as I said in
my intro, we are hopefully as a city going to
all get behind you and give you, give you a
fair go at it. That's how we're going to start off.
But we're also going to ask you the hard questions
(14:30):
and keep you on us. But we wish you all
the very very best.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
Thanks nice to talk to you, and to talk to
you in a month's time, we.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Will Andrew little Bear elect.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
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.
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