I have been recognised as an effective champion for the city and Lambton in my first three years on Council.  I was born and raised in Lambton and I’m now raising my son here so I have a real stake in every decision that impacts on our city.

Some of the issues I have made progress on include: increased heritage protection, a fairer deal for residents with disabilities, making Wellington a more walkable and cycle friendly city and ensuring Council is accountable to residents. 

There is much left to do.  We need to stop the Basin Reserve flyover and additional tunnels at Mt Victoria and The Terrace, implement light rail, protect the waterfront and heritage areas from further bad development, meet our greenhouse gas commitments, increase the number of community facilities and create a sustainable economy – jobs, energy and businesses.  I ask for your support to continue this work.  

Top 5 Issues

1. Smart transport solutions
   
   Wellington is a perfect plan for light rail given its compact size and strong public transport spine. With its higher carrying capacity, light rail is a much better alternative to building more expensive and economically inefficient roads such as the Basin Reserve flyover. We must also invest more in walking and cycling.
   
   
2. Protecting our heritage – now and forever
   
   I have worked hard to protect the waterfront, city’s green space and our heritage buildings over the last three years but think we need to do more. I oppose the construction of more buildings on the waterfront and think we need to provide more protection to our heritage buildings through stricter District Plan rules and by providing more incentives to building owners. Creating more green space in the inner city is also a priority for me.
   
3. Greening the economy
   
   If we are to meet our sustainability goals, we must also prioritise greening our economy. We need a plan on how to do this and we also need to assist business to be sustainable. From encouraging businesses to use water more efficiently to incentivising people to produce less waste, there are many things that we can do to achieve our sustainability goals whilst saving people money.
   
4. Keeping Council honest about our greenhouse gas targets
   
   The Council has made a significant commitment to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 80% over the next forty years. I strongly support this goal, but believe that we have a long way to go before we reach this target. We must stop committing to expensive roads and invest in light rail, buses, walking and cycling and provide incentives for people to green their buildings and to reduce their waste amongst other initiatives.
   
5. Putting Lambton first
   
   I have worked hard for the Lambton Ward as a first term councillor but there remains much to be done. From continuing to find resources in Kelburn for community space to a heritage audit in Mt Victoria to ensuring the community’s interests are protected in Mt Cook over roading issues, my priority is to continue to advocate for this ward – the best part of the city.
   

Personal Profile

I grew up in Te Aro and was educated there and in Thorndon.  I gained degrees at Victoria University and cut my political teeth leading the campaign against the Inner City Bypass.  I have been involved in a number of other Wellington groups as a Board or Committee member including Rape Crisis, Downtown Community Ministry, Waterfront Watch, The Wellington Housing Trust and the Wellington Branch of the Historic Places Trust. 

Professionally, I have worked as a researcher, communications advisor and campaigner as well as spending some time overseas travelling.

I have a very strong work ethic and I’m committed to my work as a city councillor.  This is not a part-time job!

Contact me on 384-3382 or at ionapannett@xtra.co.nz to discuss my policies.