For now, it’s up to us
Luke Pierson is a founding member of Vision for Wellington
OPINION: A few nights ago, struggling to sleep, I gave another New Year's Resolution the flick by picking up my phone and engaging in some light doomscrolling. This led me to a cheery-sounding video called Mayday Air Disaster, which analysed the tragic 1997 case of a Korean airliner ploughing into the side of a mountain in Guam.
As fans of Malcolm Gladwell may know, Korean Air flight 801 quickly became a cautionary tale that led to large-scale changes and a radical improvement in airline safety. Its causes, as well as its long-term positive consequences, struck me in those small hours as a fitting, albeit dramatic, metaphor for what Wellington as a city faces today.
The cause of the accident came down to a failure of communication in the cockpit. The captain made a fatal error, alarms went off, and while the crew recognised the danger, they hesitated to challenge him. When they finally summoned the courage to speak up, he didn’t listen, and 229 people died.
It was all so avoidable. The warnings were clear. The alarms were sounding. But those in charge weren’t willing to listen. That same dynamic — a failure to act despite clear warnings — is playing out in Wellington right now.
Take the latest Quality of Life survey, which questioned nearly 7000 New Zealanders across eight cities. It found the majority of our city’s residents believe the capital is a worse place to live than a year ago, citing a long and familiar list: failure to invest in infrastructure, the high cost of living, homelessness, housing affordability, traffic congestion, personal safety, and parking problems.
Then there’s the recent Curia poll for Better Wellington. While some have debated the way the questions were framed, the results are hard to ignore — just 27% of Wellingtonians think the city is heading in the right direction, while twice as many (54%) believe we’re on the wrong track.
Even the council’s own numbers show a city in decline. Ten years ago, 88% of Wellingtonians described their city as “lively and attractive”; today, that number has plummeted to just 37%. Satisfaction with how the council makes decisions sits at a dismal 20%, while a staggering 50% of residents are actively dissatisfied.
Wellington’s leaders aren’t flying blind. They see the data. They hear the concerns. And yet, they refuse to change direction, as if the answer to this well-established malaise is more of the same.
So, what do we do? We could keep pointing out the problems, but relentless negativity only makes things worse. We could ignore the problems and only talk about the good stuff — but that’s living in denial. Or, we could acknowledge things have stalled, take responsibility, and help the city chart a new course.
That might sound hopeless. But here’s the thing: Wellington’s best successes don’t come from the council. They come from Wellingtonians themselves.
The return of Kiwi to the south coast? That was Paul Ward and his incredible team of donors, volunteers, landowners and iwi — without a single dollar of council funding to date.*
The movie industry? Peter Jackson built it here, bringing global talent and jobs —and the council still said ‘no’ to his film museum.
New housing? It exists because architects, engineers, homeowners, and developers fight their way through council bureaucracy and win.
Our restaurants and bars? They survive because of dedicated owners who endure sleepless nights and endless council roadblocks, met at every turn with officials seemingly programmed to say no.
And then there are our innovative businesses — the ones that start in Wellington and go global — not because of local government, but because of the talent, creativity, and determination of the people who live here.
Perhaps one day, the council will be an enabler again. But for now, it’s up to the rest of us.
That’s why the Vision for Wellington isn’t focused on candidates, elections, or political parties. We’re focused on listening to you. We believe real, positive change comes from great ideas, driven by great Wellingtonians — and backed by a city that believes in itself.
We started a conversation this week, joined by over 1000 passionate Wellingtonians at the Michael Fowler Centre, and thousands more online. It’s an honest attempt to give the city direction and purpose: an acknowledgement of the alarm and a clear call to pull up.
Of course, we could be wrong. There may be a better way. But we do know this: the worst thing we can do is nothing.
