Current mayor Tory Whanau was seeking re-election. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
More people are throwing their hat into the ring for Wellington's mayoralty as local body elections draw nearer.
The public will cast their votes on 11 October.
Check out RNZ's list (in alphabetical order) of who's running for the capital's top job, and what they are standing for.
Graham Bloxham
Graham Bloxham, who has run prominent local Facebook page Wellington Live, said he wanted to cut rates, boost tourism, introduce better financial discipline, and make the capital more biodiverse.
He said firing council staff - about 800, he calculated - would be the best way to save money.
He described Wellington as being "in the s...", facing declining property values and a struggling hospitality sector.
He wanted to take a "really good look" at the council's culture, and put a stop to "pet projects, the silly ones" like the town hall upgrades, cycleways and the Moa Point sludge minimisation project.
Ray Chung
Wellington City Councillor Ray Chung was making his second mayoralty bid. Photo: Supplied / Facebook
Wellington City Councillor Ray Chung announced his second mayoralty bid early, in May last year.
He hoped by announcing his candidacy early voters would have time to consider what they wanted to see in the city before the "hoopla" of the electoral campaign.
He said the city's economic, social and cultural state was the worst it's ever been, and wanted to bring costs down and improve fiscal understanding around the council table.
Chung came fourth in his 2022 mayoral bid, behind Tory Whanau, Andy Foster, and Paul Eagle.
Rob Goulden
Former Wellington City Councillor Rob Goulden was running for mayor. Photo: ROB GOULDEN / SUPPLIED
Former Wellington City Councillor Rob Goulden said he wanted to run a council that was not divided by politics, and had better relationships.
"I want to lead a constructive, forward thinking, smart team that's got Wellington's interests at heart."
He told RNZ he wanted to ask central government what it would do for the capital, like investing in a four lane road to the airport.
Goulden said some projects should be deferred - like the Lambton Quay section of the Golden Mile - or rethought, like cycleways. He was pro cycleways, but they did not need to be so expensive, he said. For instance, paint could be used rather than digging up roads and changing layouts.
Goulden also suggested a new measure for safety in natural disasters - putting a first aid kit in every car in Wellington.
Kelvin Hastie
Kelvin Hastie started Predator Free Crofton Downs. Photo: Supplied
Conservationist Kelvin Hastie, who started Predator Free Crofton Downs to eliminate pests from the suburb, said he was running to make Wellington "the best it could be".
He ran in 2022, but it was "last minute" to see how he felt about the campaign process - so he would put in a lot more effort this time around.
He placed sixth in that tilt.
Hastie said he would bring rates rises down as low as possible without selling the council's airport shares and he wanted to "pause all projects" including the Golden Mile, the composting scheme and the City to Sea bridge demolition.
"I think we need to re-consult, pretty much, on everything and take a fresh view."
He also wanted to consult the public on amalgamating the region's councils - Wellington, Porirua, Hutt City and Upper Hutt - to cut rates and duplication of work.
Karl Tiefenbacher
Karl Tiefenbacher, founder of ice cream brand Kaffee Eis. Photo: Supplied
Businessman Karl Tiefenbacher, who founded icecream brand Kaffee Eis, announced his mayoralty bid on Monday.
He ran for council last year in a by-election to fill a set left empty by Green MP Tamatha Paul when she was elected to parliament. He narrowly lost to the Greens' candidate Geordie Rogers.
Tiefenbacher told RNZ he would not seek a political party endorsement, but would have a conversation if he was approached.
He said he wanted to get the city "back on track" which included changing the council's culture and the way councillors work with officers, managing debt levels, keeping rates rises to a minimum, focusing on core infrastructure and stopping some "pet projects" like cycleways, the Golden Mile, and the composting programme.
"There's a lot of money that we're actually spending that we don't need to be spending, and it has to be done on a 'need to' rather than a 'want to' basis."
Tory Whanau
Current mayor Tory Whanau. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Current Mayor Tory Whanau was seeking re-election and said she was proud of her record of service and the progress made during her first term in the job.
"I'm confident that Wellingtonians want to see that momentum continue and that I am the right person to keep delivering for our city," she said.
Whanau's campaign priorities were much the same as her priorities for 2025.
"We need to keep up the momentum, stay the course with our Long-Term Plan and keep investing in water, climate initiatives, and housing.
"I would like to work with the government to increase urban development around the Basin Reserve and boost investment in our city's creative industry."
Whanau said she also wanted to encourage a strong voter turnout, and to keep Wellington's Māori ward in the referendum.
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