• The Green Party has announced it is supporting Tory Whanau as its candidate for October’s Wellington City Council election.
• Whanau previously ran as an independent, but has now aligned herself more closely with the Greens in her bid for a second term.
• Other confirmed mayoral candidates include Ray Chung, Karl Tiefenbacher, Kelvin Hastie, Graham Bloxham, and Rob Goulden.

The Green Party has thrown its support behind Tory Whanau as she seeks a second term as Wellington mayor.

The party has announced its list of candidates for October’s local body elections.

“Tory Whanau, Wellington’s first Mayor of Māori descent, is leading the charge for positive change in Pōneke”, the party said in an announcement to members today.

Although being endorsed by the party in the 2022 election, Whanau ran as an independent candidate, which allowed her to break from the party line and support a range of policies.

Whanau admitted in February she “wasn’t being Green” by supporting some controversial policies and was rebuilding relationships with the party.

She also revealed that she wavered on whether to run again towards the end of 2024.

“I am the right person to keep delivering for our city,” Whanau said in regard to this morning’s announcement.

As a Green Party candidate, Whanau will have access to the party's resources and her campaign material will feature the party's branding. Photo / greens.org.nz

“We’ve worked hard to deliver for Wellington, and I’m proud of the progress we’ve achieved in the last two years in water infrastructure, housing, and climate resilience.”

Whanau, who was previously the Green Party’s chief of staff in Parliament, has had an at-times strained relationship with the party over her term.

She put her party membership on holdin an attempt to bring the council together and build trust.

In April last year, the Herald revealed Whanau rejoined the Green Party.

Late last year Whanau acknowledged she had upset her base and “wasn’t being Green”.

She sparked controversy within the local branch by championing major policies she never campaigned on like a proposed sale of the council’s airport shares and the controversial Reading deal.

It’s understood Whanau was the only mayoral candidate in the Green’s pool.

Wellington mayor Tory Whanau with friends and supporters after her win in 2022. Photo / Mark Mitchell

“I want to see our city thrive with affordable housing and transformational projects that delivers efficient public transport, a full cycleway network and pedestrian-friendly streets. A place where our nature and creativity continue to flourish. A community that celebrates diversity and looks after its most vulnerable,” Whanau said.

She pointed to achievements such as fixing 4400 water leaks, providing 183 affordable rental properties, planting 110 thousand trees, building an additional17km to the cycleway network, starting construction on sludge minimisation facility, and passing the District Plan to allow for more housing.

By running as a Green candidate on the party’s ticket, Whanau will have access to the Green’s resources, including campaign volunteers, and is asking for donations through the party.

Her campaign material will also feature Green Party branding.

A donation page on the Greens website states a $3 donation will help towards social media, $50 will feed a team of doorknockers or phone callers, and $100 will buy “valuable billboards”.

Other Green candidates include two-term councillor and Deputy Mayor Laurie Foon running again for Paekawakawa Southern General Ward, Geordie Rogers, who narrowly won a February 2024 byelection for the Pukehīnau Lambton General Ward, and newcomer Jonny Osborne, running for Motukairangi Eastern General Ward.

Wellington City Councillors meeting last year. Photo / Mark Mitchell.

Yadana Saw, a current Greater Wellington Regional councillor is running again alongside newcomer Henry Peach, after Thomas Nash announced he wouldn’t run again.

A decision on Wellington City Council’s Māori Ward is yet to be made by the Green Party’s Māori membership group. Nīkau Wi Neera, a Green Party councillor, currently holds the seat.

The Labour Party’s local branch has announced its final candidates for the council, but has still not found anyone to challenge Whanau for the top job.

Nominations remain open for Labour’s mayoralty spot after no one put their hand up.

Both Labour and the Greens have indicated they will campaign to retain the Māori ward.

A referendum will be held at this election in line with the law passed by the coalition Government last year.

Last week, businessman Karl Tiefenbacher announced he was also running for the city’s mayoralty.

He has yet to announce any policies but said his core priorities include changing the culture of Wellington City Council, keeping rates down, and stopping wasteful spending.

Candidate Karl Tiefenbacher has previously run for a council seat twice unsuccessfully. Photo / Mark Mitchell.

The confirmed candidates for the mayoralty are incumbent Tory Whanau, city councillor Ray Chung, businessman Karl Tiefenbacher, predator-free champion Kelvin Hastie, Wellington Live owner Graham Bloxham, and former city councillor Rob Goulden.

The local election will be held on October 11.

Candidate nominations open on July 4 and close on August 1.

Ethan Manera is a multimedia journalist based in Wellington. He joined NZME in 2023 and is interested in local issues, politics and property in the capital. Ethan is always on the lookout for a story and can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz.