Source: Porirua City Council
The newly elected Porirua City Council held its first substantive meeting since being sworn in, covering a wide range of subjects.
To start, Mayor Anita Baker gave her mayor’s report, acknowledging it had been a busy few months with too many appointments to list, although she said the new Te Āhuru Mōwai housing was outstanding, with residents moving in before Christmas. Likewise the new housing built by Our Whare/Our Fale will be filled before Christmas. A new Ora Toa Medical Centre was opened, and a number of school prizegivings have been held to close out the school year, she said..
Tiaki Wai Foundation Documents
First up, the Council approved the foundation documents (the Enduring Constitution and Partners’ Agreement) for Tiaki Wai Metro Water, the new multi-council-owned organisation that will deliver water services to the Wellington region from 1 July 2026.
The Council also agreed to the establishment of a joint committee made up of representatives from all the shareholding councils – Porirua City, Wellington City, Hutt City, Upper Hutt City and Greater Wellington Regional – and mana whenua partners, Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko Te Ika and Ngāti Toa Rangatira.
It was noted the draft Statement of Expectations includes the expectation that Tiaki Wai will develop and publish a Customer Charter.
Governance arrangements
The Council turned its mind to governance arrangements for the coming three-year term. This included setting the meeting schedule for Council and its committees for 2026.
It also confirmed the roles and responsibilities of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and committee chairs, and appointments to external groups.
Payment for elected members was also covered off. This is set by the Remuneration Authority, not by councils, and elected members must take the remuneration that’s allocated to them.
The Council recommends to the Remuneration Authority as to how the pool of funding should split between elected members, depending on the roles they are carrying out. The Authority then reviews this recommendation and determines the remuneration for elected members.
You can read more about the governance arrangements here
Amended Long-term Plan
In June 2024, Council adopted its Long-term Plan 2024-34, which set the city’s budget for ten years.
That plan included water services – drinking water, wastewater and stormwater – as until July 2026 these services sit with Council.
With water services delivery shifting to Tiaki Wai Metro Water, the Long-term Plan now needs to be amended to remove water activities from year three of the plan onwards.
At today’s meeting the Council approved and adopted the amendment to remove water services, budgets, assets, funding mechanisms and performance measures from July 2026.
Approach to the Annual Plan 2026/27
Next the Council looked at the approach it will take to setting next year’s Annual Plan, once water services have moved to Tiaki Wai Metro Water.
It agreed that the budget for the 2026/27 financial year will go ahead on the basis of a starting point of a 3.1 per cent increase to non-water rates.
To keep the increase to this level will require some trade-offs, with some projects being brought forward for funding, while others will be deferred and looked at in the Long-term Plan budget for 2027-37.
Council agreed to the approach set out in the report. More information will be shared in the new year, when the draft Annual Plan goes back before the Council.
Interest rate risk during transition period
The Council agreed to extending the exemption for a breach in policy relating to interest rate risk. The exemption is required because significant amounts of debt will transfer to Tiaki Wai Metro Water impacting future hedging requirements. This will next be reviewed by the Audit and Risk Committee in March 2026.
Road stopping
Council approved a road stopping request, relating to two Plimmerton properties where retaining walls are being built following a significant slip in 2022. Allowing the road stopping will mean a piece of land that is currently road reserve will be able to be used for access and parking.
Proposed temporary road closure
Council approved temporary road closures for both the Waitangi Day festival on 6 February, and Anzac Day commemorations on 25 April. These road closures allow the events to take place safely.
District Plan changes
The Porirua District Plan 2025 was made operative on 1 November 2025. Once a plan is operative, it’s common practice for councils to make updates and changes if there are areas that could be clearer or more efficient. This is done through a plan change process.
A number of small changes are being recommended to our plan to improve clarity and workability.
Council approved officers to take the steps needed to notify these plan changes, which will include community engagement.
Climate Change Adaptation Programme
In 2024 Council approved a three phase approach to climate change adaptation. Phase one was assessing the impact on council assets, phase two was monitoring and responding to government direction, and we are now set to begin phase three – community engagement.
At today’s meeting Council agreed to pilot community engagement on climate adaptation in two suburbs that are highly susceptible to the impacts of climate change, Takapūwāhia and Pukerua Bay.
A community engagement plan is being developed and work will begin in 2026.
The plan will take a generational approach, over a 25 to 30 year period, use a community development model (educating and building capacity over time) and will work towards a preferred pathway to help communities and councils make decisions at the right time.
About the meeting and workshop
There were two speakers in the public forum, addressing the Council on Spicer landfill and its governance and oversight in the future.
Missed the meeting or workshop? You can watch them in full and read all the associated papers on the meetings page of our website. You can also see what meetings and workshops are coming up, with agendas posted a few days before each one.
