Poutūterangi | March 2024

Kia ora koutou, and welcome to our March panui | eNews for 2024

Some months are busier than others, and this month features some great reading to keep you covered for the Easter Break!

We’re proud to announce several significant milestones this month:

• 30-year plan approved: Future Development Strategy adopted
• Regional Emissions Reduction Plan endorsed for region
• Regional Economic Development Plan (REDP) Update
• WRLC Interactive Housing Dashboard Updates
• Wellington Transport Analytics Unit role in FDS and WTERP
• WRLC Committee Meeting Papers 19 March 2024

Upcoming Webinars & Talks

• Global expert on workplace culture webinar – 8 May
• Secrets to Successful Cross-Sector Collaboration – 14 May
• Kai for All: Exploring a Food System Strategy for our region – recording
• Driving Enduring Change in Sustainability – recording

Thought Leadership Article

• A Fine Balance: Control & Adaptability at work

On Tuesday 16 March 2024, the WRLC Committee officially adopted
The Future Development Strategy 2023 – 2053.

The Future Development Strategy (FDS) sets out a plan for housing and infrastructure to achieve the collective vision of providing sustainable growth for a predicted increase of 200,000 people over the next 30 years.

The FDS lays the groundwork for a region filled with attractive, connected places, says WRLC Chair and Rangitane o Wairarapa iwi representative Darrin Apanui;

“Today’s decision will support the integration of new residents into our communities, with thriving urban environments with adequate, liveable housing, transport connections and access to council services.”

The FDS prioritises the effective use of zoned land and emphasises that growth is kept in existing areas where possible.

“Our region has the enviable advantage of having zoned twice as much housing than needed to meet demand. This means we can focus our growth on building housing and enhancing our existing urban areas,” Mr Apanui says.

A more detailed outline of the Future Development Strategy development and consultation process can be found in the WRLC Committee meeting papers.

Mana whenua input in the strategy was also considered, with a framework – Te Tirohanga Whakamua – developed to prioritise development which is important to iwi.

Following the adoption of the FDS, work will now begin on the strategy’s Implementation Plan which will set out priority actions to be undertaken by partners along with suggested timeframes for completion.

The hard work of FDS Project Lead Parvati Rotherham and her wider team were recognised at the NZPI Awards this month! they were awarded a Highly Commended Certificate for Non-Statutory Planning in Best Practice Category.

Another exciting milestone was achieved this month, with the official endorsement of Te Mahere ā-Rohe Whakaheke Tukunga The Final Regional Emissions Reduction Plan (the Plan) by the WRLC Committee on 19 March, a big step toward our goal of a low-carbon future.

The Plan aligns with a key objective of the region’s Future Development Strategy, to, “plan development for a low-carbon future, creating change to rapidly reduce emissions (including transport emissions) and meet our regional climate change objectives.”

The Plan outlines bold actions, aiming to meet global goals of halving emissions by 2030 to stay within 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Accordingly, the timeline for the Plan is 2024-2030.

The Plan features four main focus areas for action: Transport and Urban Form, Energy, Circular Economy and Productive land use and primary industries.

Congratulations to Project Lead Arya Franklyn for steering this complex task to completion. A big thank you also to the RERP Core Team members, for their collective contribution to a healthier future for our region.

Of key significance to this Plan, is the genuine participation and collaborative way of working that was achieved between local government, central government, mana whenua, private sector and the community across our entire region. The result is more diverse perspectives, and a demonstration of what can be achieved when we work together as a region.

Above: Pasifika networking event at Whitireia

WellingtonNZ and initiative leads are continuing to progress implementation of the 37 initiatives in the Regional Economic Development Plan (REDP) on behalf of the WRLC. Recent highlights include:

• The Summer of Engineering initiative led to 15 internships in the summer of 2023/24, helping employers find talent and giving students real-life work experience. This is an expansion of the Summer of Tech programme. Read about Clutterbot’s experience with interns here: Summer of Engineering.
• Expressions of interest are open for the Hospitality Sustainability Programme. This is a bespoke programme tailored to each participating hospitality-related business, running for five weeks from May 2024. By the end of the programme, participants will have measured their carbon footprint, created a business sustainability action plan, and have better stories to tell their customers and our visitors. The programme is free but requires commitment and participation from the business owner or senior staff. Businesses should register interest as soon as possible here: EOI.
• A Pasifika networking event was held at Whitireia on 19 March. The event was an opportunity for Pacific students to hear from local Pacific business owners about their own journey, network with other Pacific students and professionals, and consider their own goals. Feedback was positive, with attendees feeling inspired and making valuable new connections, with many interested in future events to hear of further career opportunities.

The Wellington housing data dashboard has undergone a revamp as part of its iterative development.

• One-Page Summary: We’ve introduced a one-page summary that highlights all the key insights about the region. This overview gives a quick snapshot of the most important housing data without having to navigate through multiple pages.
• Interactive Map: Our new interactive map allows you to explore housing data insights directly on a visual map interface. You can navigate through different areas, zoom in and out, and interact with the map.
• Side-by-Side Comparative Analysis: We’ve added comparative analysis pages that allow you to compare housing consents and housing prices vs construction costs of two different areas side by side.

The Laws of Physics, Modelling & Future Transport Scenarios

This article is the second monthly update from the Wellington Transport Analytics Unit (WTAU). This month, WTAU Team Leader Christoph Gerds covers some specific examples of WRLC projects that WTAU have been involved in, highlighting the value and applicability of transport analytics, and how his background in physics has helped with modelling and future transport scenarios!

March WRLC Committee Papers

View the March WRLC committee papers at the link below.

Upcoming WRLC Webinars:

Building a Healthy Team Culture

Colin D. Ellis – global expert in workplace culture

When: 11am – 12pm, Wednesday 8 May – online

“Whether you focus on it or not, every workplace has an emotional culture.” ~ Lotty Roberts. 

Evidence from decades of research, states that managing the emotional culture at work, is a key factor for success in a work programme, team and organisation.

Join global workplace culture expert and author Colin D Ellis as he breaks down the six pillars of a vibrant culture and how they contribute to team success. From collaboration and setting expectations to navigating diverse personalities and communication styles, these insights will help you to understand how and why to create a team culture that works.

Colin D Ellis is an award-winning international speaker, four-time best-selling author and renowned workplace culture and project management expert who works with organisations around the world to help them transform the way they get things done.

View more about Colin Ellis here: Workplace Culture Expert

Secrets of successful cross-sector collaboration

Built Environment & Active Transport to School (BEATS) Research Programme: A Real-World Example of a Successful Cross-Sectoral Collaboration

When: 12pm – 1:30pm, Tuesday 14 May
Venue: WCC – 113 The Terrace, 16th floor, room 16.11 (or online)

Many challenges faced by modern society require extensive partnerships and collaboration of organisations, teams and individuals from multiple disciplines and sectors. The BEATS Research Programme is a world-class example of a successful partnership and collaboration between academia, local government, schools and the wider community. 

Based in Dunedin between 2013 and 2023, the programme spanned the disciplines of exercise sciences, health, transport, environment and education. This award-winning, cross-sector research programme focused on examining adolescents’ travel to school. The programme was designed to advance scientific knowledge and provide service to the government, local community and schools.

In this talk, Dr Mandic will share insights and key findings from the exciting 10-year BEATS Research journey, from a pilot project to an internationally recognised, highly productive research programme. The power of cross-sectoral collaboration – linked with a shared vision, great teamwork, transformational leadership and strategic planning – have been key to the programme’s success to deliver value, adapt to challenges, embrace new opportunities, maintain quality and productivity, and remain sustainable in the long-term.

BEATS Research Programme web page: https://agileresearch.nz/beats/

Kai For All Webinar

Exploring a Food System Strategy for our Region

This webinar shares perspectives key groups in our food system – such as communities, growers and farmers. You’ll gain insights into the current state of our food system, and hear actions we can take today, to create a more sustainable, equitable and resilient food system for tomorrow. 

Being Adaptive, and Controlling Change

How do leaders strike a balance between controlling change, and adaptability? The answer lies in reframing the way we think about adaptability and control.

Keep in touch

One of our guiding proverbs at WRLC is, ‘He waka eke noa‘ – we’re all in this together. If there is anything you’d like to share or know more about, please do not hesitate to contact us at: hello@wrlc.org.nz

About the Wellington Regional Leadership Committee

The Wellington Regional Leadership Committee is a union of councils, iwi and central government in the Wairarapa-Wellington-Horowhenua region, formed to work collaboratively on our shared, cross-boundary challenges, in order to positively shape the future of this region.

WRLC exists to enable better ways of working together to cultivate a region where people want to live, work and thrive.

Our projects cover the five broad key areas of iwi capacity, housing, climate, transport and economic development. Find out more on our project page. You can get in touch at hello@wrlc.org.nz.