Nick Mills: Wellington desperately needs a rough sleeper solution

Yesterday in Parliament, something very interesting happened and it’s the sort of conversation we’ve been screaming out for here in the capital.

During Question Time, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was pressed on whether the coalition government is working on a new law to prevent people from sleeping in our downtown city centres.

Luxon batted it away in the House —wouldn’t touch it. But later, minister for Auckland Simeon Brown went further, and his comments should make Wellington sit up and listen.

Brown acknowledged the obvious: homelessness is just as serious in Auckland as it is here —maybe worse—but it’s not a competition.

He confirmed the Government is looking at ways to prevent rough sleeping in CBDs and provide accommodation options for those who need it.

That’s the combo we’ve been missing: expectation and support. Not just “move them on,” but “give them somewhere better to go.”

Otherwise, they will just keep coming back.

And let me be very clear— in my view, this is exactly what Wellington needs right now. Not next year. Not after a working group. Now.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks at b.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
In Parliament, something very interesting happened and it's the sort
of conversation that we have been screaming out for here
in the Capitol. Question time Prime Minister Christopher Luxen was pressed.
He was questioned. He was pushed on whether the Coalition

(00:33):
government is working on a new law to prevent people
from sleeping in downtown city centers homelessness in the CBD.
Luxeon batted it away in the house, wouldn't touch it,
wouldn't go near it, and it kind of confused me.
But later Minister for Auckland, Simmy and Brown, Minister for

(00:55):
Everything Simmy and Brown went further and his comments should
make Wellington sit up and listen. Brown acknowledged that obviously
homelessness is just as serious in Auckland as it is
in Wellington. It may be worse in Auckland, but this
is not a competition to see who's got the most homelessness.

(01:19):
But crucially he confirmed the government is looking at ways
to prevent rough sleeping in the CBDs and more so
to provide accommodation options for those who need it. That
is the combo we have been missing. Expect expectations and support.

(01:44):
Not just move them on, but give them somewhere better
to go. Otherwise what happens. It's like a scratch keeps
coming back. And let me be very clear, in my view,
this is exactly what Wellington needs, and it needs it

(02:05):
right now. Does not need it talked about it all
year or all over summer, not a working group. This
perhaps to happen now because this is not just about
tiding up the shop window of our city, although that
does matter. It's about people themselves. Nobody benefits from sleeping

(02:27):
outside outside in the doorway of a convenience or any
stores twenty four to seven. It's unsafe, it's unhealthy, and frankly,
it's not the dignity any New Zealand it deserves. And
I've said it many times on this very program. I
have never personally witnessed a homeless person assaulting anyone, and

(02:48):
I spend a lot of time in that strip, but
that doesn't mean the current situation is working. And it
doesn't feel good, it doesn't feel safe, and it keeps
people away from our CBD. It drags our business down
who are already on them and if we're serious about

(03:09):
making Wellington a vibrant city again, and if we're serious
about getting people back into the CBD and the city
is shopping and eating and working that them, We've got
to confront the reality of what is in front of
our eyes. National MP Ryan Hamilton is even floating a
member's bill that would give police powers to move people

(03:32):
on from public places. Labor, of course, is calling it
banning homelessness. Well, if that's what you're calling it, fair enough,
I don't have an issue with it. Heated scenes in
parliament followed. Luxeon insists nothing has been discussed at cabinet level.
I saw it, I felt it. There was something going on,

(03:54):
and he didn't want to talk about it there and then.
But the conversation alone tells you how serious this has become.
They're talking about it in parliament. Meanwhile, homelessness in Wellington
has surged apparently according to the Post, it's up twenty
four percent. That should shock us all because it was

(04:16):
already high. That's the direction of travel under the current system.
It's not good. More people on the streets, fewer tools
to intervene. Not right. Yes, there are legitimate questions about
the rights and freedoms. Community law rights points to people
that have the right to move and live and do
what they choose. But we already have police act on trespassing,

(04:42):
public nuisance disorder. The laws already intervenes when things get undersafe.
The issue here is balance, helping, not punishing, creating a
better alternative, so no one has to sleep rough, no
one has to live on the streets in the first place.

(05:05):
Sibby and Brown says Auckland is already talking to its council. Well,
so should we be. If Auckland can start planning, why
can't Wellington. We can't just sit here waiting and hoping
it fixes itself because it's not what we say. Twenty

(05:25):
four percent up, that's a huge number. That's a quarter more.
The government is stepping up to create real tools and
more importantly, they're talking about real accommodation. Is that exactly
what Wellington needs? How Yes? But you know what it
needs it now, not in a month's time, a year's time.

(05:49):
It needs it now. Oh eight, one hundred and eighty
ten eighty Texas ninety two ninety two. Do we need
a similar conversation to Auckland? Do we need local and
central government to get together now, have a chat, sort
it out, have a plan, and how bad it does
our city? You need this new bill. I want to
hear your thoughts. I'm sick and tired of reading about

(06:12):
how rough and how ugly and how horrible our downtown is.
Let's sort it out. Let's have a real plan. If
the government's talking about it, let's get behind them.

Speaker 1 (06:23):
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