SUBMISSIONS HAVE NOW CLOSED
Wellington City Council & Greater Wellington Regional Councils'
26/27 Annual Plan Submission Guide
An Annual Plan is the Council’s budget for the year.
The commitments made in the Annual Plan are funded via rates, ratepayers include property owners and renters - while renters don’t pay rates directly to the council, we still contribute through the rent that we pay.
Here is a helpful guide for each councils' proposed plans to show you the important choices each are considering.
Wellington City Council
| SUBMIT TO WCC HERE |
Climate Change
PROPOSAL: to cut $500,000 from the climate change budget
In the last year, we reduced our carbon emissions by 5% showing promising signs. To meet our target of being carbon neutral by 2050, we need to increase, not decrease, funding for climate mitigation.
The $500,000 is proposed to be taken from supporting community mitigation activities and transport education initiatives. Behaviour change initiatives, combined with structural changes like better public transport, are a low cost and fast way to reduce our emissions.
Bike Network
PROPOSAL: to cut $14.3million from the bike network
Half of Wellington’s climate emissions come from cars, and cycleways help to encourage uptake of bikes and scooters - both of which are very helpful in a fossil fuel crisis.
As of December 2025, daily counts are up across most cycleways with increases of 11-78% on new routes, with an overall 18% increase in cycling since 2020.
This proposal defers cycleways connecting northern Wellington to the City and upgrading Victoria Street. The Council has already spread out the complete citywide cycleway network from 10 years to deliver, to 20 years. It’s critical to note that we will never get the full benefits and modeshift of the cycleways we have invested in until the network is complete.
How to make a submission to WCC:
- Submit online by midnight, 10 May 2026
- Email your submission to [email protected]
- You can find hard copy forms at local libraries
- Make an oral submission - we encourage you to ask for a time to speak to your submission! Unlike Parliament, every submission is heard by the full council so it is a chance to influence the outcome and speak directly to your Mayor and Councilors.
Greater Wellington Regional Council
| SUBMIT TO GWRC HERE |
Public Transport
PROPOSAL: to reduce service design budget for new bus services
This reduces the budget set aside for new bus services. In order to reduce our climate emissions and reduce car congestion, we need reliable, extensive public transport.
During a fossil fuel crisis, we should be looking to increase, not decrease, our spending on public transport.
Environmental Funding
PROPOSAL: to slow down restoration of our parks
This proposal looks to slow down the restoration across the regional parks the Council runs through a reduction in planting. They are also considering not expanding environmental funding in the Community Environment Fund and stopping the Environment Activation Fund from starting this year.
In a bustling metropolis like Wellington, our regional parks are essential habitats for our native wildlife and species.
Fish Passage Remediation
PROPOSAL: to scale back fish passage remediation work
The Wellington region is home to at least 20 species of native fish, which makes our region one of the most diverse for freshwater fish in New Zealand. Many of these fish need to migrate between freshwater rivers and streams and the sea to complete their life-cycle. Tuna (eels) and Inanga (whitebait) are well-known examples of native fish that need unimpeded "fish passage" to survive and reproduce. This proposal scales back this important work.
How to make a submission to GWRC:
- Submit online from 20 March through to 24 April 2026.
- Post your feedback to Corporate Planning and Reporting Team, Greater Wellington Regional Council, PO BOX 11646, Wellington, 6142
- Drop off your submission to GWRC offices at 100 Cuba Street, Wellington