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Whanau's inexperience 'showed' in council troubles, Crown Observer says

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Wed, 6 Aug 2025, 10:57am
Lindsay McKenzie was appointed as a Crown observer at Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau's council last year.
Lindsay McKenzie was appointed as a Crown observer at Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau's council last year.

Whanau's inexperience 'showed' in council troubles, Crown Observer says

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Wed, 6 Aug 2025, 10:57am

Wellington City Council’s Crown Observer believes Tory Whanau made the right move in deciding not to run for Mayor again. 

Lindsay McKenzie has ended his six month stint after being brought in by the Government last year to be its eyes and ears as the council failed to deliver a long-term plan.  

His final report suggests the capital is facing the same problems as the rest of the country but is steadily progressing. 

McKenzie says the council has effectively solved the problems that were the catalyst for the Ministerial intervention, and the level of cooperation and consideration for each other's views and preferences has increased. 

When it comes to Whanau’s leadership, he told Nick Mills that it’s a tough ask for somebody to come into a mayoral role with no local government experience, especially in the capital city, and it showed. 

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