Election 2023: Wellington mayor joins Wayne Brown in telling Government to share GST

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown and Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau.

Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau and Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown have been known to take swipes at one another, but there’s at least one thing the two agree on - a fairer share of tax revenue for their respective councils.

Brown has released his manifesto for the incoming government ahead of the general election. Now, Whanau has sent a letter to political leaders currently in Parliament with her hopes for the capital.

Whanau said Wellington is facing dual crises of inequality and climate change.

While the capital has made “significant strides” in addressing these, more meaningful collaboration between central and local government is required to address such wicked problems, Whanau said.

“An inadequate share of tax revenue between local and central government, that spans decades, means that even with other revenue measures in place (i.e. fees and charges, investment interest and dividends and borrowing), we are unable to truly meet the scale of change required for our city to reach its true potential.”

Whanau wanted confirmation from parties that, if elected, they would investigate broadening the revenue-raising scope for Wellington City Council.

She said this could be through GST revenue share, as advocated for by Local Government New Zealand, or through access to congestion charging revenue.

Whanau told the Herald councils are on the front line of communities.

“If given more power and resources, we can continue to improve infrastructure, housing, [amenities] and resilience so that our communities and environment can flourish.”

This week, Brown declared that he and his councillors cannot make “fixes needed unless Wellington [the Government] moves out of the way”.

“More of the tax Aucklanders pay should stay in Auckland. We are putting more into Government coffers than we get back,” he said.

Brown’s suggestions included an annual transfer of tax revenue equal to GST charged on Auckland Council rates, a nationally funded solution to managed retreat, and empowering the council to implement congestion charging.

The Auckland mayor’s manifesto for Auckland contained 11 key pages of information and recommendations, compared to the Wellington mayor’s two-page letter.

Meanwhile, five Wellington City Councillors did not sign their names at the end of Whanau’s letter.

Councillor Tony Randle didn’t sign because he thought the letter was not enough.

“I was impressed with Wayne Brown’s manifesto. I’m very concerned that Tory’s previous comments, to the National Party in particular, mean that we need to do more than just a letter to make up.”

In July, Whanau blasted National’s transport policy for Wellington as a “flaccid vision”. Whanau has also said she would be deeply concerned if National’s transport spokesman Simeon Brown becomes the Transport Minister.

National has promised to kill the $7.4 billion Let’s Get Wellington Moving transport plan, including light rail, and focus on building the second Mt Victoria tunnel and improvements at the Basin Reserve as fully funded State Highway improvements instead.

Councillor Nicola Young said she didn’t sign the letter because it was self-pitying.

“It was all about what we want, not what we can do. And referring to our ’wicked problems’ was just silly.”

Councillor Diane Calvert didn’t sign it because the request to the incoming government seemed to be requesting a “hand-out rather than a hand-up”.

Whanau also requested co-funding for earthquake-strengthening Wellington City Council buildings that provide vital infrastructure to the city’s national arts programme.

In August, the Opera House and the Michael Fowler Centre were deemed earthquake-prone.

Whanau also asked for investment in climate change adaptation and water infrastructure reform, as well as more money for quality public transport.

Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.