By Julie Moore
Director of Moore Wilson
A week or so ago, a couple of Wellington City Council-branded cars drove into the Moore Wilson car park. After finding empty spots, their occupants got out and immediately left the premises to do some business elsewhere. What kind of business, I wouldn’t know. It certainly had nothing to do with Moore Wilson. I’m guessing they thought: “It’s not going to cost us anything to park here … and who’s going to know?”
There are people who do this occasionally. It’s annoying, because as the signs at our car parks plainly state, these are for the use of shoppers only and there are times when there aren’t enough parks to go around. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not a big deal. And yet I found this particular incident triggering. That’s because for me – as a co-owner of a business in this city – it was emblematic of the attitude the current council leadership has shown, and continues to show, towards Wellington businesses.
What’s ailing Wellington? A lot of things. But at the core of it is an economic downturn the likes of which most of us haven’t seen in our lifetimes. There are so few people in the streets. Spending is down to a trickle. Confidence is in short supply. And there doesn’t appear to be any sign of things changing for the better any time soon.
“… disrespect shown to our family business by some Wellington City Council staffers looking for a free car park is galling …”
At Moore Wilson, we feel we contribute in no small way to the life of the city and its economy. Family-owned for the past 106 years, we employ over 300 people, we pay $900,000 in rates annually, we give generously to a whole range of local causes and initiatives, from the Wellington Free Ambulance to the International Festival of the Arts.
In our business, there are two key groups I know I have to listen to, stay close to and look after as best I can. They are our customers and our staff. I’m here to serve them. For a city council, I would have thought the ratepayers – of which businesses make up a significant portion – was the equivalent. A council exists to serve them.
But as a business, we hardly ever hear from the council – unless it wants something from us. We’re never consulted by their team – unless we first get up and stamp our feet. And I actually think they don’t give us much thought.
In a recent media interview, Mayor Tory Whanau was asked about her priorities for this year. Number one, she answered, was continuing the work on water infrastructure. I have no issue with that – it needs to happen. She went on to talk about the Golden Mile revamp, for which I detect there is little appetite, especially among the businesses on that strip.
And that was it.
A similar piece ran a little while ago in which all the councillors shared their goals. What we got was a list of pet projects that simply aren’t that important right now.
When businesses are doing it hard and many are failing, when jobs are being lost, when there is a lifelessness in the city that feels, quite frankly, chilling, you’d think it would concern the city council. You’d think finding ways to help business and lift a crumbling city economy – at least show some moral support – would be a priority.
But it’s not.
Which is why the disrespect shown to our family business by some Wellington City Council staffers looking for a free car park is galling, though unfortunately not surprising. Attitudes percolate down from the top. This council simply doesn’t care very much about Wellington businesses.
(Originally published as an opinion article in The Post, 18 February 2025.)
(Editor – Why can’t council-branded cars park in the street for free? Taking up car parks in what is a busy supermarket with limited parking seems to be, well, taking the piss. Just saying.)
Democracy crashes into Wellington City Councillor