The Post
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News about the key national issues, politics, business, arts and culture. Email us at news@thepost.co.nz. Visit www.thepost.co.nz
“Transparency with Wellingtonians and all New Zealanders is essential, so it would be my expectation that all reporting should be proactively released as appropriate.”
How Moa Point cost could hit wallets from Hutt Valley to Porirua
As the ownership of water assets transitions to the new entity, a debate is set to erupt over who will foot the extensive repair bill.
www.thepost.co.nz
February 13, 2026 at 1:28 AM
“Transparency with Wellingtonians and all New Zealanders is essential, so it would be my expectation that all reporting should be proactively released as appropriate.”
“We'd have to anticipate this is a major rebuild, at least a re installation of equipment. And that doesn't come cheap.”
Moa Point damage inspection imminent, mayor says
As blowflies buzz, business slumps, sewage seeps and heavy rain threatens, Wellington Water has called in the lawyers - but Andrew Little has a ray of good news.
www.thepost.co.nz
February 11, 2026 at 8:47 PM
“We'd have to anticipate this is a major rebuild, at least a re installation of equipment. And that doesn't come cheap.”
“This is not all one mayor’s fault or one council’s fault. This was out of sight, out of mind.”
Old report flagged huge water funding gap for Wellington
A warning of “hundreds of millions of dollars” in underfunding raised six years ago has resurfaced as raw sewage continues to spill from Moa Point, highlighting decades of diverted depreciation fundin...
www.thepost.co.nz
February 10, 2026 at 8:06 PM
“This is not all one mayor’s fault or one council’s fault. This was out of sight, out of mind.”
Your wish is our command:
www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
The Post
www.thepost.co.nz
February 9, 2026 at 1:56 AM
Your wish is our command:
www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
“...It looks like parties are potentially looking to their own self-interest and managing the information that goes out, as opposed to ensuring that there's a generally independent investigation.”
Mayor muzzles Wellington Water boss: ‘Doesn’t help to speculate’
It comes after Wellington Water boss Pat Dougherty claimed that warning signs were missed, while raw sewage still poured into Cook Strait.
www.thepost.co.nz
February 9, 2026 at 1:00 AM
“...It looks like parties are potentially looking to their own self-interest and managing the information that goes out, as opposed to ensuring that there's a generally independent investigation.”
Across New Zealand, water infrastructure is a multibillion-dollar fiasco of epic proportions, writes Andrea Vance.
Is it me, or does something stink here?
OPINION: While Wellington drowns in raw sewage, contractors cash in and rest of us are left holding the toilet brush.
www.thepost.co.nz
February 5, 2026 at 9:53 PM
Across New Zealand, water infrastructure is a multibillion-dollar fiasco of epic proportions, writes Andrea Vance.
"This is a serious situation, and we anticipate the plant will be shut down for an extended period."
Raw sewage spewing into sea off Wellington’s south coast, public warned to stay away
Multiple floors of the plant have been inundated with sewage, meaning it is likely to be shut down for an extended period. “This is a serious situation.”
www.thepost.co.nz
February 3, 2026 at 11:09 PM
"This is a serious situation, and we anticipate the plant will be shut down for an extended period."
“They spent all that money to make sure they are legally covered, but are not prepared to spend money on keeping people safe.”
Paid, promised, then paused: Hefty waterfront death inquest cost questioned
Wellington City Council spent nearly $200,000 on lawyers and expert witnesses for a coroner’s inquest into a fatal fall at Queens Wharf ‒ only to backtrack on the safety measures it promised in court.
www.thepost.co.nz
February 3, 2026 at 9:44 PM
“They spent all that money to make sure they are legally covered, but are not prepared to spend money on keeping people safe.”
"When flood velocity is included in the assessment, the areas classified as high risk for people walking increased by more than 80%. Medium-risk pedestrian areas, including for children and older people, more than tripled."
Dangers of shallow, fast-moving flood waters highlighted
Researchers warn that Wellington Hospital and other essential services in the capital are in increasing danger of being cut off during heavy rainfall, and call for cities across NZ to rethink flood pl...
www.thepost.co.nz
February 2, 2026 at 11:42 PM
"When flood velocity is included in the assessment, the areas classified as high risk for people walking increased by more than 80%. Medium-risk pedestrian areas, including for children and older people, more than tripled."
“It would have been a bit of a stomach-drop moment for the staff member that discovered it.”
Wellington City Council's blowout: Oversight leaves $56m hole in housing budget
A large gap was discovered in the council’s social housing upgrade programme after it emerged GST was never built into the budget.
www.thepost.co.nz
February 2, 2026 at 10:09 PM
“It would have been a bit of a stomach-drop moment for the staff member that discovered it.”
“It is a busy street. I don’t expect it to be quiet anyway – it is life in the city ... it is going to be what it is.”
Homes in the path of Wellington’s proposed new tunnels revealed
Newly released ‒ and still heavily redacted ‒ documents on Wellington’s State Highway 1 changes show, for the first time, exactly which houses will be tunnelled beneath.
www.thepost.co.nz
February 2, 2026 at 9:38 PM
“It is a busy street. I don’t expect it to be quiet anyway – it is life in the city ... it is going to be what it is.”
The council argues information available when it wrote its submission did not "adequately demonstrate" how NZTA's roads would integrate with the council's own networks and how much integration would cost the city.
Council blasts ‘critical gaps’ in $3.8b Wellington SH1 proposal
Wellington City Council has delivered a politely critical assessment of the Government’s $3.8 billion State Highway 1 plans, warning that key information gaps and rushed engagement make it impossible ...
www.thepost.co.nz
February 1, 2026 at 9:39 PM
The council argues information available when it wrote its submission did not "adequately demonstrate" how NZTA's roads would integrate with the council's own networks and how much integration would cost the city.
Documents obtained by The Post show the ferry terminal project was rated an “extreme” financial risk, with residual risk remaining “very high” across 2024 and 2025.
Ferry terminal timeline strained as government rejects ‘extreme’ risk warnings
Wellington’s ferry terminal rebuild is racing a 2029 deadline even as Winston Peters talks up the prospect of early ship delivery.
www.thepost.co.nz
February 1, 2026 at 8:55 PM
Documents obtained by The Post show the ferry terminal project was rated an “extreme” financial risk, with residual risk remaining “very high” across 2024 and 2025.
“Nobody disputes the merit of getting across the city fast and efficiently. The argument is are there better ways of spending that money to get the outcomes we want?”
Counting Wellington highway improvement promises
Will the Government’s Wellington roading plans deliver as promised? The only thing that is certain is that there is no consensus.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 30, 2026 at 9:37 PM
“Nobody disputes the merit of getting across the city fast and efficiently. The argument is are there better ways of spending that money to get the outcomes we want?”
Reposted by The Post
I had an extended interview with Winston Peters on foreign policy on Wed. He said:
- He doesn't take Trump's expansionist talk seriously
- He disagrees with the PM on econ
- Carney's speech was nothing new and perhaps not written by him
- No one will cry for Maduro
www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
- He doesn't take Trump's expansionist talk seriously
- He disagrees with the PM on econ
- Carney's speech was nothing new and perhaps not written by him
- No one will cry for Maduro
www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Winston Peters: We can’t blame US for our problems, we can take Trump less seriously
In an extended interview with The Post, Winston Peters makes “extraordinary” comments about another world leader, contradicts the PM, and says Trump's annexation talk isn't serious.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 29, 2026 at 10:37 PM
I had an extended interview with Winston Peters on foreign policy on Wed. He said:
- He doesn't take Trump's expansionist talk seriously
- He disagrees with the PM on econ
- Carney's speech was nothing new and perhaps not written by him
- No one will cry for Maduro
www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
- He doesn't take Trump's expansionist talk seriously
- He disagrees with the PM on econ
- Carney's speech was nothing new and perhaps not written by him
- No one will cry for Maduro
www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Cuba St Tavern's Richard Walshe on a tough 2025: “I think we managed to scrape through it, definitely scraping through.”
‘We’re feeling optimistic’: Hospo businesses plot bold moves for 2026
The Post spoke with five Wellington businesses about their hopes for the year ahead, following a difficult few years for hospitality.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 29, 2026 at 9:10 PM
Cuba St Tavern's Richard Walshe on a tough 2025: “I think we managed to scrape through it, definitely scraping through.”
This is just ... science...
Wellington’s swimming pools, rated: One family’s verdict
OPINION: Wellington in summer. The beach, like the weather, is rubbish. There’s only one thing for it.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 29, 2026 at 8:49 PM
This is just ... science...
Papakura offers a corrective path. Yet there is a counter-theory: that the seat could fall victim to the old “rule of leaders”, writes Andrea Vance.
The names on everyone’s lips to succeed Judith Collins
ANALYSIS: From an establishment favourite to billionaire aspirants and long-time agitators, the Papakura contenders are circling.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 29, 2026 at 7:54 PM
Papakura offers a corrective path. Yet there is a counter-theory: that the seat could fall victim to the old “rule of leaders”, writes Andrea Vance.
"Things have steadily worsened. It feels like the frog in boiling water analogy, except now people are finally realising how hot it is."
‘Genuinely dangerous’: NZ-based Americans fear for the US
As their compatriots are killed and protests break out, Americans living in New Zealand say loving Aotearoa doesn’t mean they stopped caring about the people they left behind.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 29, 2026 at 6:59 PM
"Things have steadily worsened. It feels like the frog in boiling water analogy, except now people are finally realising how hot it is."
“Everyone was sad that we’re going, but it’s just our time.”
In pictures: Last orders for Leuven as Belgian beer bar taps out of hospitality
The Post dropped in to experience Leuven Belgian Beer Cafe’s last day on Wednesday.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 29, 2026 at 1:01 AM
“Everyone was sad that we’re going, but it’s just our time.”
"It’s really easy for a brand to put your name on the side of a building and walk away and never do anything. You’re looking for a partner who’s going to leverage the opportunity."
New name for Wellington’s stadium revealed
From March, Wellingtonians will be watching sporting events and big music gigs at Hnry Stadium after the sole trader accountancy firm sealed a five-year deal.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 27, 2026 at 9:15 PM
"It’s really easy for a brand to put your name on the side of a building and walk away and never do anything. You’re looking for a partner who’s going to leverage the opportunity."
"For one child our bill came to $400 before you add the rain jacket, shoes, bag, or the 'optional but strongly encouraged' extras. I have three."
After the war on gang patches, we need to tackle the school uniform shakedown
OPINION: This is one of the easiest education problems a government could fix, yet it’s the one they consistently avoid.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 27, 2026 at 12:43 AM
"For one child our bill came to $400 before you add the rain jacket, shoes, bag, or the 'optional but strongly encouraged' extras. I have three."
“There’s a reason why NASA wants to do research with us, they’re interested in what we have here, which is technically quite good.”
Victoria University’s AI programme enters world top 50
Graduates from Te Herenga Waka Victoria University are stepping straight from university into specialist AI roles — and global rankings have taken notice.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 26, 2026 at 9:25 PM
“There’s a reason why NASA wants to do research with us, they’re interested in what we have here, which is technically quite good.”
"While this isn’t how we hoped this chapter would end, we are endlessly grateful for the love, support and loyalty you’ve shown us over the years."
Spruce Goose to close, the latest Wellington cafe to run out of road
Lyall Bay’s Spruce Goose cafe will close in a fortnight, hot on the heels of the official last day at another capital institution, the Chocolate Fish cafe.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 26, 2026 at 2:44 AM
"While this isn’t how we hoped this chapter would end, we are endlessly grateful for the love, support and loyalty you’ve shown us over the years."
"We are all going to need a funeral director sooner or later."
Surprise! It’s a funeral parlour on Tinakori Rd
The arrival of a funeral parlour has upset residents, but the owners say legal restraints stopped them explaining what was happening until days before the doors opened.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 26, 2026 at 12:11 AM
"We are all going to need a funeral director sooner or later."