New Wellington Mayor Andrew Little proposes bed tax, Golden Mile shake up, ahead of swearing in

Wellington’s new mayor will don the mayoral chains for the first time today, and is wasting no time in plotting major changes, pitching a bed tax, potential Golden Mile shake up, and throwing his support behind a council overhaul.

Andrew Little will be sworn in today, less than a year since ruling himself out for a tilt at the capital’s mayoralty.

The former Labour Party leader sat down with the Herald in the mayoral office to discuss his priorities for his first 100 days and how he plans to tackle the challenges facing the city.

Little has already hired key office staff, picked his deputy, and had new mayoral business cards printed, since winning in a landslide victory two-and-a-half weeks ago.

Forging relationships with fellow council members and accepting different views had been challenging in the “pretty intense” period since his election, but Little said it was “really encouraging” that everyone was communicating well.

The key issue, Little said, would be gaining control of the council’s finances, something that became a major election issue after record rates rises in recent years.

Little turns sights to council’s ‘financial control challenge’

He’s established a subcommittee, led by freshly-appointed deputy Labour’s Ben McNulty, tasked with a full line-by-line review of spending, as well as the rating system, and other revenue generation ideas.

“They’ll get to work pretty much immediately,” Little said, and is confident they will be able to secure some “quick wins” within the council’s first 100 days, though what those wins could be was not yet clear.

New Wellington Mayor Andrew Little in his mayoral office. Photo / Mark Mitchell

One new idea he did volunteer was a bed tax. He was keen to sit down with Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown to discuss a proposal for accommodation providers to collect a levy from visitors, which would then go to councils.

It is something Brown has long advocated for, and Little believes the pair could get enough councils on board to change the Government’s mind in support of it.

“We’re a place where people come to for events, for conferences and what have you, as councils are struggling with sources of revenue that aren’t the existing ratepayers and residents,” Little said.

Transport and the ‘controversial’ Golden Mile

Another financial challenge is the city’s long-debated Golden Mile transport project, a major redesign of the city’s tired nightlife and hospitality strip Courtenay Place.

While Government cofunding is locked in and enablement works have nearly finished for an intersection at the top of the stretch, Little was lukewarm on the plans, saying he expected the costs would have escalated since last forecast, and was wary of the impact on business.

Little said it was undoubtedly a “controversial” plan.

Wellington City Council has released its new design for the Golden Mile on Courtenay Place. Image / WCC

“What do we actually need? What do we need to achieve the transport objectives? Particularly the bus priority sort of stuff, what do we need to do in terms of the walkability side of it too, and can that be achieved other ways?”

It could be a chance to go back to the Government to see if there is flexibility on their funding if the scope of the project were to change, given the Government was now proposing its own major transport changes through the city, Little said.

Those transport changes, which include two new tunnels and an extra lane of State Highway One through the city, is something Little is supportive of, saying it will attract people, skills, and revenue.

Council officers are working on a review of the project, which Little hopes to make a decision on at the council’s first meeting-proper on November 20.

‘We have to be prepared’: Little supportive of looming council restructure

Little takes charge of the council at a time of uncertainty for council staff, with two restructures currently underway.

The main work, titled “future fit Pōneke”, was commissioned by new council CEO Matt Prosser, who called in Deloitte earlier this year to undertake a wide-ranging review of operations.

It is understood to spell potential layoffs and changes to services the council delivers, something Little, a former trade union leader, said he ultimately supports in the name of bringing down costs.

“Our responsibility is to ensure council services are provided and they’re provided as cost-effectively as possible.”

He said the Deloitte report is expected “any week now”.

Little ‘very much looking forward’ to term ahead, despite initial apprehension

While he admits the mayoral office was not where he expected to be a year ago, Little remains optimistic about the next three years, saying “Wellington is poised to do something really special”.

In December last year, when Labour was on the hunt for a mayoral candidate to take on incumbent Tory Whanau, Little ruled himself out.

He said local government was simply ”not an area that I’ve been particularly attracted to" and that he was looking for a “quiet life”.

Wellington mayoral candidate Andrew Little at Wellington's Island Bay. Photo / Supplied

Despite this, he is not regretting his decision to sign up to lead the city.

“I think we’ve got the opportunity to do something really special, and I’m very much looking forward to the opportunity to work with my fellow councillors to do that.”

Little and his council will be officially sworn in at a pōwhiri at Pipitea Marae this afternoon.

Ethan Manera is a Wellington-based journalist covering Wellington issues, local politics and business in the capital. He can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz.