1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: In true Tory Faro style, the Wellington mayor this morning 2 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:07,760 Speaker 1: performing one final massive flip flop after saying she would 3 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:10,520 Speaker 1: run for reelection for the meyt She's u turned and 4 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 1: a planned media statement in Bargo till five o'clock this morning, 5 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: She's announced she'll instead run for a Mildi ward and 6 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:19,279 Speaker 1: let Andrew Little take the top job. 7 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:21,680 Speaker 2: I know that he would do a really good job. 8 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:24,599 Speaker 3: I hope that people would see it as a gracious move. 9 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 3: I'm merely stepping aside because he really wants the role. 10 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: Of course, he's got to get elected first, but he's 11 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 1: with me this morning. Andrew, good morning. 12 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:32,760 Speaker 2: There you go. 13 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 1: Right, So you had a call I understand from Torri Farno. 14 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: What did she say. 15 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:40,200 Speaker 2: Assuring me last week? 16 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 3: She said that she had thought about it and that 17 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 3: she didn't want to contest mayorty. She had yet to 18 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 3: talk to a range of other people, but that's what 19 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:53,360 Speaker 3: she said. I said, Look, you know, thanks for letting 20 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 3: me know. I'm not long for anything. So I wished 21 00:00:56,920 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 3: her all the best and that was really it. 22 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: How would you describe her mayalty? 23 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 3: Look, she came in at the challenging time. I think 24 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 3: everybody would acknowledge that. I think she's She's done some 25 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 3: good things. I think one of the important things was 26 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 3: getting the zone changes for housing so we can actually 27 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:19,480 Speaker 3: ready start to accelerate the high density housing that we need. 28 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:23,679 Speaker 3: But look, it has been challenging for her and for everybody. 29 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:27,760 Speaker 3: I think people see that I stepped up to be 30 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 3: candidate for me because I think a lot of people 31 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 3: have lost confidence in the council and we need to 32 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 3: restore their confidence of people can have confidence in the 33 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 3: city again, and businesses can go about their job. 34 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:43,960 Speaker 2: For a city that's lost a lot of work and workers. 35 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:46,119 Speaker 2: So that's why I'm in the race. 36 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 1: I'm from Wellington. The big problem, I mean, you talk 37 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: to anyone down there, it's rates. I mean rates have 38 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 1: gone up twenty one percent in a year. They're going 39 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 1: up thirty five percent over the next three years. You've 40 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 1: got your regional council rates up twenty five percent? Are 41 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 1: you going to bring rates down? 42 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 2: Certainly want to slow the rise. 43 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 3: I need to have a voice, look at executed what 44 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:11,119 Speaker 3: has driven those rate increases. 45 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 2: There is no It is simply not acceptable for rays 46 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:14,480 Speaker 2: to increase. 47 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 3: By my calculation, about thirty percent in the last two years. 48 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 3: A lot of that is I think council not getting 49 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 3: a grip on their own finance. As I look at 50 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 3: some of the things that have happened there, I think 51 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:26,400 Speaker 3: there's there's some capitalist bending that has been. 52 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 2: Incurred on the basis that it's not spread over the 53 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 2: life of various assets. 54 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 3: You look at things like the Wellington Town Hall, a 55 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 3: project that right from there the very beginning, was meant 56 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:39,919 Speaker 3: to cost you know, thirty to forty million dollars, now 57 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:41,519 Speaker 3: well over three hundred million dollars. 58 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 2: That suggests to me that people haven't got the eye 59 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 2: on the ball. 60 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 1: No, and now we've got the now we've got the 61 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:49,920 Speaker 1: golden mile. This is the latest iteration. And she's saying, oh, 62 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: I don't worry, it won't go over Bud. No one 63 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 1: believes it, Andrew. No one believes it. And you're not 64 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 1: stopping it. That's the problem. You're not coming in and 65 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 1: saying I'm going to cut this, I'm going to cut that. 66 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 1: I mean, what exactly are you going to cut or 67 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 1: over three years? Okay for you, No, it's not at all. 68 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:08,239 Speaker 2: No, I've just said that, I said that laid in 69 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 2: the interview. 70 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:12,800 Speaker 3: That's not acceptable at all, and it's it's it's one 71 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 3: of those things that's making Willington more unaffordable, not just 72 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 3: the housing, as things like rates as well. So I 73 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 3: will have a good look at the variety of projects 74 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 3: that are under way. What I have said is that 75 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:25,960 Speaker 3: where there are contracts that are let I'm not going 76 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 3: to rip those up because that costs the countil more anyway. 77 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 3: But we're contracts aren't leaked for particular projects. Now is 78 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 3: not the time to be doing stuff that's disruptive for 79 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 3: what is quite a fragile business climate in Willington. 80 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 2: So I am committed to doing all right. 81 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 1: So phase one of the Golden Mile, they've got the 82 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 1: contract for that. Nothing beyond that. So you're saying you 83 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: wouldn't support anything Golden Mile beyond that Phase one. 84 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 2: I'm saying, stop it now. 85 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 3: There's a lot of people say to me they think 86 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 3: that actually the Golden Mile stuff is in the long 87 00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 3: term is a good thing. It just doesn't have tapped 88 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 3: right now and we just don't need the disruption. 89 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 1: All right, that's good, that's good, that's definitive. That's contracts 90 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: that have been done now. Yes, anything beyond that the 91 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: Golden Mile, Andrew Little is saying no. And just to 92 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: be clear, the thirty five percent I was talking about, 93 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:16,920 Speaker 1: that's over the next three years, So you were talking 94 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:19,839 Speaker 1: about the last two So is thirty five percent over 95 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:22,479 Speaker 1: the next three years acceptable to you? 96 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 2: No, it's not no. 97 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:27,120 Speaker 3: And that that has that has to be refewed and 98 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:29,280 Speaker 3: looked at and we need to take cost out. 99 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:32,159 Speaker 1: We just need to is twenty seven kilometers and new 100 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: cycle ways and priority bus lanes doubling from four to 101 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:38,800 Speaker 1: eight kilometers, which Tory Faros says was one of her successes. 102 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: Is that a good or a bad thing for Wellington? 103 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 2: Well, I think. 104 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:49,080 Speaker 3: Enabling people who go about their work or what they 105 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:51,560 Speaker 3: do their recreation on a bike and they can do 106 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:55,360 Speaker 3: so safety is important. So I'm not opposed to cycle ways. 107 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 3: I think some of the implementation of them have been 108 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:01,000 Speaker 3: but I don't agree with Moles Street, for example, being 109 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 3: reduced to one lane. I don't agree with the way 110 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:05,720 Speaker 3: things have happened around the botanical gardens. There are a 111 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:08,040 Speaker 3: lot of elderly people who have spoken to me, to 112 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:09,880 Speaker 3: me they can't visit there now because they can't get 113 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 3: a pack. 114 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:12,479 Speaker 2: So I think some thought has to be gone on 115 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 2: to the way some of those are implemented. 116 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 3: Do I believe in safe lanes for cyclists, Yes, but 117 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:19,720 Speaker 3: let's do it safely, very. 118 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 1: Quickly before you go. The city deal. I know it 119 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: was a disaster because you know Wellington didn't apply. Is 120 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,240 Speaker 1: there any way will you look to get some leniency 121 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 1: from the government so that you know you can get 122 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:30,719 Speaker 1: one done? 123 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 2: Yeah? I cen it would make that a priority. 124 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:35,840 Speaker 3: I think I've got good relations with pretty much every 125 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 3: minister in office at the moment. I've always had good 126 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:40,719 Speaker 3: relations with people across the aisle and I'd be surprised 127 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:43,159 Speaker 3: if there wasn't a way that we can work with gavinall. 128 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:45,919 Speaker 1: Right, Andrew Little, appreciate your time this morning. Thanks for 129 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:48,200 Speaker 1: coming on the program. Andrew Little, who will probably be 130 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:51,160 Speaker 1: the Wellington mayor. He is the course of candidate at 131 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:54,480 Speaker 1: this point. Tory Funo is out. For more from early 132 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:57,719 Speaker 1: edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live to news Talks. It'd 133 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:01,719 Speaker 1: be from five am weekdays of the podcast on iHeartRadio.