As Wellington City Council reviews its Long-Term Plan, a new Wellington Chamber of Commerce-Curia poll shows a significant majority of Wellington City residents believe the council is spending too much on cycleways.

The poll shows three quarters of residents believe Wellington City Council is spending "too much" on its cycleway program.

Voters of the five largest political parties believe the council is overspending on cycleways, including 51% of Green Party voters.

Overall, 76% of Wellington residents believe the council is spending too much on the bicycle network.

17% believe the spending is "about right"; 3% say it’s "too little"; 4% say they’re "unsure".

The poll of 1099 Wellington city residents was conducted between September 15 and September 25, with a representative sample of the population in terms of gender, age and ward.

Respondents were asked the following question:

Wellington City Council has spent $52 million dollars on cycleways in the past three years, an average of $642 per household. It is planning to spend another $56 million on cycleways over the next three years. Do you believe this level of spending is - too much, too little or about right?

Wellington City Council’s Long-Term Plan (LTP) includes $115m of capital expenditure on the cycle network in the next 10 years, as set out on Page 100 of the 2024-34 Long-term Plan Volume 2.

It comes as Wellington City Council revisits the spending in its LTP. The city’s 10-year budget will now have to be amended after the council reversed its decision to sell its shares in Wellington Airport.

Wellington Chamber of Commerce CEO Simon Arcus says it’s time to review all of council’s spending, including the bike network plan.

"This is the first definitive survey of Wellington residents on cycleways. It is fairer and far more compelling than the conclusions from public consultation for the Long-Term Plan and the cycle network surveys, which never consulted the public on cost," says Mr Arcus.

"Put simply, the council needs to stop talking how much it will be spending and start thinking about how much it has to spend, with revenue as the starting point. Council must be working on a plan to reduce rates for Wellington resident and businesses," he said.

"There can be no non-negotiables in the process of re-drafting the LTP. All options need to be on the table, and that includes the transport network.

"Let us be clear that we do support cycleways, as part of an integrated transport network - one where investment is equitable and based on the needs of every resident. Right now that isn’t the case," said Mr Arcus.

"This poll shows three quarters of Wellington residents believe the council is over-spending on the cycle network.

"The collapse of the LTP process is a profound signal the current ideas have failed and new principles for expenditure need to be considered.

"Let’s think more strategically about alternatives to the cycle spend and look closely at the success of Te Kāinga Te Pu, part of Wellington City Council’s Te Kāinga Affordable Rental Programme. This has been an excellent initiative, converting vacant office space to affordable residential living. People can live in the heart of the city with improved quality of life and sustainable outcomes without the need to build extensive cycleways.

"There is a lot more work to do to make sure the LTP sets Wellington up for a prosperous future. We think the council has to look at this through the right framework and will contribute more on that soon," said Mr Arcus.

It also follows the decision of Local Government Minister Simeon Brown to appoint a Crown Observer to oversee the council’s management of the LTP.

"We welcome this decision by Minister Brown to bring order and accountability to the council table.

"Wellington faces many tough decisions that are crucial to its future. Rewriting the city’s Long-Term Plan months after its passing is a significant and unusual step. It’s important that everything is on the table when projects have to be cut.

"Wellington’s rate rises are among the highest in the country, and that isn’t sustainable in the short or long term.

"This is a vital opportunity to revisit the council’s budget and ensure it’s focused on the things that matter, not pet projects and nice-to-haves.

"A Crown Observer will assist in that process. We encourage the council to heed the Observer’s advice, listen to ratepayers and the business community for the many decisions that are still to come."

Note:

Business Central is the home of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce and part of the BusinessNZ network, alongside EMA, Business Canterbury and Business South.

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