An Unafforable Upgrade

Article written by Lily Brown for Scoop, 28 July 2025

wellington.scoop.co.nz

An unaffordable upgrade

The Wellington City Council is consulting the public on a proposed upgrade of Ian Galloway Park in Wilton. The draft masterplan outlines new play areas, ecological restoration, and improved accessi...

The Wellington City Council is consulting the public on a proposed upgrade of Ian Galloway Park in Wilton. The draft masterplan outlines new play areas, ecological restoration, and improved accessibility. $1.25 million of funding has been allocated with nothing more committed by the Council.

While the vision is ambitious, it raises important questions about timing, funding, and whether this should be a priority in the current economic climate.

As Wellingtonians grapple with crumbling water infrastructure, skyrocketing rates, and a struggling CBD, one has to ask: Is upgrading Ian Galloway Park really the best use of Council resources right now?

Let me be clear: parks are important.

They bring communities together, support biodiversity and give families space to breathe and play. But so is timing. So are priorities. In a city facing an infrastructure crisis, and with many households under real cost-of-living pressure, allocating $1.25 million to implementing part of an aspirational plan that is light on detail, especially one with significant physical and funding limitations, feels tone-deaf.

A masterplan built on uncertainty

The Ian Galloway Park Plan outlines a pleasant vision for a growing city — ecological restoration, improved accessibility, new play areas. These are good things in principle. But dig deeper, the plan is light on costings, heavy on assumptions, and unclear on delivery.

While a portion of the budget is covered by the Charles Plimmer Bequest and some Council funding, the remainder is to come from “external funding partners” — in other words, sources that are yet to be confirmed.

This vague financial structure creates risk. Ratepayers have every reason to question whether these upgrades will ever materialise as promised — or if the plan will morph into another cost blowout waiting to happen. This is of particular concern when the park sits on a closed landfill with on-going issues. Recontouring works for improving ground conditions will be costly and cannot take place for several years.

If the Council cannot secure funding or define the scope clearly, residents could be left with a half-finished project and more pressure on operational budgets that should be spent elsewhere.

Meanwhile, community-led solutions are rejected

While the Council pushes ahead with uncertain, top-down capital plans, they are dismissing community-led proposals.

One example is Cashmere Park, Khandallah — one of the few dog exercise areas in the suburb.

The park is also a community conservation zone. Local residents offered to privately fund the design, construction and compliance of additional parking in exchange for short-term leaseback of a small number of the newly created parking spots for private use.

The Council’s response? Rejection. They suggested implementing time restriction on parking instead. That was in 2018. Fast forward to 2025 – neither the additional parking nor the time restriction has been implemented. The parking problem persists, and a win-win community initiative remains ignored.

If we’re serious about smarter spending and local democracy, why are we shutting down these kinds of practical, affordable solutions?

Parks are nice — but pipes must come first

Wellington’s water infrastructure is failing. The city is struggling under the weight of unaffordable rates, endless traffic cones and lack of employment opportunities. Every dollar spent on nice-to-haves is a dollar not spent on core services that keep our city affordable and functioning.

So, what are we really solving here?

Could we not improve and maintain existing assets more affordably?

Let’s get back to basics. Green space is part of a healthy, thriving city. But not at the expense of clean water, reliable transport, or a city that works for all of us.

We need a Council that gets the basics right:

Keep rates affordableFix what’s brokenMaintain what mattersInvest in practical, cost-effective projects with clear benefits

Let’s support community-driven initiatives that cost less and deliver more. Let’s make smarter use of the parks and facilities we already have. And above all, let’s put the essentials first.

Because nice parks don’t fix broken pipes — and right now, Wellington can’t afford to get its priorities wrong.

Lily Brown is an Independent candidate for the Wellington City Council (Onslow-Western Ward).