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Greater Wellington Regional Council

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Greater Wellington Regional Council

Te Pane Matua Taiao[1]
Logo
Type
Type
History
Founded1980/1989
Leadership
Chair
Deputy Chair
vacant
Nigel Corry[3]
Structure
Seats14
Political groups
  •   Labour (2)
  •   Green (2)
  •   ACT Local (1)
  •   Independent (9)
Elections
STV
Last election
11 October 2025
Next election
2028
Meeting place
100 Cuba Street, Te Aro, Wellington
1056 Fergusson Drive, Upper Hutt
34 Chapel Street, Masterton[4]
Website
gw.govt.nz

Wellington Regional Council, branded as Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC), is the regional council overseeing the Wellington Region of New Zealand's lower North Island.[5] It is responsible for public transport under the brand Metlink, environmental and flood protection, and the region's water supply.[6] As of 2023, it is the majority owner of CentrePort Wellington with a 77% shareholding.[7]

The Wellington Regional Council was first formed in 1980 from the amalgamation of the functions of the Wellington Regional Planning Authority with those of the Wellington Regional Water Board,[8] before taking its current form with the local government reforms of 1989.[9] The council adopted the promotional name "Greater Wellington" in 2003.[10]

A proposal made in 2013 that nine territorial authorities amalgamate to form a single supercity met substantial local opposition and was abandoned in June 2015.[11]

Council members

[edit]

The governing body of the regional council is made up of 14 councillors, representing six constituencies:[12]

The Te Upoko o te ika a Māui Māori constituency was established for the 2025 local body elections by council vote in October 2023.[13]

As of the 2025 Greater Wellington Regional Council election, the regional councillors were:[14]

Key

  Labour   Green   Independent   ACT Local

Name Portrait Position Constituency
Daran Ponter Chairperson Pōneke/Wellington
Adrienne Staples Deputy Chairperson Wairarapa
Simon Woolf Councillor Pōneke/Wellington
Yadana Saw Councillor Pōneke/Wellington
Tom James Councillor Pōneke/Wellington
Sarah Free Councillor Pōneke/Wellington
Gabriel Tupou Councillor Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai/Lower Hutt
Nigel Elder Councillor Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai/Lower Hutt
Quentin Duthie Councillor Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai/Lower Hutt
Ros Connelly Councillor Te Awa Kairangi ki Uta/Upper Hutt
Phil Rhodes Councillor Porirua-Tawa
Claire Johnstone Councillor Porirua-Tawa
Penny Gaylor Councillor Kāpiti Coast
Shamia Makarini Councillor Te Upoko o te ika a Māui

Wairarapa councillor and deputy chair Adrienne Staples died on 20 April 2026,[15][16] meaning that a by-election will be held in the Wairarapa constituency to fill her seat.[17] Nominations for the by-election open on 14 May 2026 and close on 11 June 2026. If multiple candidates are received, an election will be held from 20 July to 21 August 2026.[18]

Chairs

[edit]
No. Name Portrait Term Constituency
1 Mervyn Kemp[19] 1980 1986 Tawa
2 Stuart Macaskill[20] 1986 2001 Upper Hutt
3 Margaret Shields[21] 2001 2004 Porirua
4 Ian Buchanan[22][23] 2004 2007 Wairarapa
5 Fran Wilde[24] 2007 2015 Wellington City
6 Chris Laidlaw[25] 2015 2019 Wellington City
7 Daran Ponter[26] 2019 present Wellington City

Deputy chairs

[edit]

† Died in office

Name Portrait Term Constituency Chair
Keith Spry[27] ? 1989 Wellington City Macaskill
Ken Gray[28] 1989 1992[†] Porirua
Alison Lawson[29] 1992 1995 Lower Hutt
Euan McQueen[30] 1995 1998 Wellington North
Margaret Shields[31][32] 1998 2001 Porirua
Terry McDavitt[22] 2001 2007 Wellington City[33] Shields
Buchanan
Peter Glensor[34][35] 2007 2013 Lower Hutt[36] Wilde
Barbara Donaldson[37][38] 2013 2019 Porirua-Tawa
Laidlaw
Adrienne Staples[39][15] 2019 2026[†] Wairarapa Ponter
Position vacant (20 April 2026–present)

Regional parks

[edit]

The council administers several regional parks.[40]

Elections

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Your Council | Tō Kaunihera". Greater Wellington Regional Council. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Meet the Councillors". Greater Wellington Regional Council. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  3. ^ "Executive Leadership Team". Greater Wellington Regional Council. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  4. ^ "Office locations". Greater Wellington Regional Council. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  5. ^ "Legal notices". Greater Wellington Regional Council. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  6. ^ "Long Term Plan" (PDF). Greater Wellington Regional Council. 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  7. ^ "Centreport Limited (410682) Registered". New Zealand Companies Office. 1 June 2023. Archived from the original on 15 May 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  8. ^ "Parks Network Plan July 2011" (PDF). www.gw.govt.nz. Greater Wellington Regional Council. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  9. ^ "Story: Wellington region | Government". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  10. ^ "Our history". Greater Wellington Regional Council. 16 October 2024. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  11. ^ Michael Forbes and Caleb Harris (9 June 2015). "Wellington super-city scrapped due to lack of public support". The Dominion-Post.
  12. ^ "Council and Councillors". Greater Wellington Regional Council. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  13. ^ "Greater Wellington Regional Council approves Māori Constituency for 2025". RNZ. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  14. ^ "Greater Wellington Regional Council 2025 Triennial Elections DECLARATION OF RESULT" (PDF). Greater Wellington Regional Council. 18 October 2025. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  15. ^ a b Teodoro, Sue (20 April 2026). "'Unbelievable loss': Wellington regional councillor dies suddenly". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  16. ^ "Adrienne Staples obituary". Wairarapa Times-Age. 21 April 2026. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
  17. ^ "Greater Wellington and South Wairarapa mourn the sudden passing of Councillor Adrienne Staples". Greater Wellington Regional Council. 20 April 2026. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  18. ^ Wairarapa General Constituency By-election, Greater Wellington Regional Council, 12 May 2026
  19. ^ "Mervyn Kemp". www.wcl.govt.nz. Wellington City Libraries Te Matapihi Ki Te Ao Nui. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  20. ^ "Macaskill, Stuart Alisdair". uhcl.recollect.co.nz. Upper Hutt City Library. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  21. ^ SCHOUTEN, HANK (3 June 2013). "Women's champion Margaret Shields dies". Stuff. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  22. ^ a b "Buchanan to chair regional council". The New Zealand Herald. Wairarapa Times-Age. 29 October 2004. Archived from the original on 15 October 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  23. ^ "Buchanan upset at being dumped". The Dominion Post. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  24. ^ "Fran Wilde". nzhistory.govt.nz. NZHistory, New Zealand history online. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  25. ^ Nicoll, Jared (25 October 2016). "Chris Laidlaw chosen as chairman of Greater Wellington Regional Council". Stuff. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  26. ^ "Analysis: New Wellington regional council chair romps in". The New Zealand Herald. 30 October 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  27. ^ "Spry operation". The Evening Post. 2 February 1988.
  28. ^ "Key Gray-Ericka Rere Legacy Project & the Whenua they played on". ClubRugby.nz. 15 May 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  29. ^ Zatorski, Lidia (21 September 1998). "Big decisions ahead for new regional councillors". The Evening Post. p. 5.
  30. ^ "Shields regional council deputy". The Evening Post. 10 November 1998. p. 3.
  31. ^ Schouten, Hank (3 June 2013). "Women's champion Margaret Shields dies". Stuff. The Dominion Post. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  32. ^ Macaskill, Stuart (18 May 2001). "Chairman's Report" (PDF). Greater Wellington Regional Council. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  33. ^ "Final Election Results". Greater Wellington Regional Council. 2001. Archived from the original on 8 February 2002. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  34. ^ "Minutes of the Inaugural Meeting of the Wellington Regional Council for the 2007-2010 Triennium, held in the Wellington Regional Council Chamber, 142 Wakefield Street, Wellington on Tuesday, 30 October 2007 at 10.02 am, and reconvened on 13 November 2007 at 9.30 am" (PDF). Greater Wellington Regional Council. 30 October 2007. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  35. ^ "Confirmed Minutes of the Council meeting held in the Matiu Room, Wharewaka, Odlins Square, Taranaki Street Wharf, Wellington, on Wednesday, 25 September 2013 at 2.00pm" (PDF). Greater Wellington Regional Council. 25 September 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  36. ^ "Notice of Official Results for the Wellington Regional Council's 2010 Elections" (PDF). Greater Wellington Regional Council. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  37. ^ "Report 13.1014" (PDF). Greater Wellington Regional Council. 21 November 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  38. ^ "Greater Wellington Regional Council elects chair and deputy for its new three year term". Greater Wellington Regional Council. 26 October 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  39. ^ "Daran Ponter elected as Greater Wellington Chair and Adrienne Staples as Deputy Chair". Greater Wellington Regional Council. 30 October 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  40. ^ "Wellington Regional Parks". gw.govt.nz. Greater Wellington Regional Council.
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