Phase 2: Citizens' Assembly

Over four Saturdays in September and October 2023, Wellington City Council held a Citizens’ Assembly to inform the development of the 2024-34 Long-term Plan. The Assembly was asked to give a collective view about which Council services should be prioritised over the next 10 years, balancing community benefits with the cost of delivering these services. Read their advice here.

The Citizens’ Assembly was made up of 42 people who represent Wellington’s population in terms of age (16+), gender, ethnicity, education levels, and home ownership. Invitations were sent to 10,000 randomly selected Wellington addresses. Around 800 people responded, and the participants were selected by an independent research agency.

During the Assembly, participants were able to request information about a range of relevant issues and hear from experts. The sessions were facilitated to ensure all perspectives were heard and a collective view developed.

At the end of the final session, the Assembly will presented their findings to the Mayor and Councillors, who will consider them when making decisions about the 2024-34 Long-term Plan.

Read more about what a citizen's assembly is here and in the newsfeed below.

And find out more about the selection process here and in the newsfeed below.

Over four Saturdays in September and October 2023, Wellington City Council held a Citizens’ Assembly to inform the development of the 2024-34 Long-term Plan. The Assembly was asked to give a collective view about which Council services should be prioritised over the next 10 years, balancing community benefits with the cost of delivering these services. Read their advice here.

The Citizens’ Assembly was made up of 42 people who represent Wellington’s population in terms of age (16+), gender, ethnicity, education levels, and home ownership. Invitations were sent to 10,000 randomly selected Wellington addresses. Around 800 people responded, and the participants were selected by an independent research agency.

During the Assembly, participants were able to request information about a range of relevant issues and hear from experts. The sessions were facilitated to ensure all perspectives were heard and a collective view developed.

At the end of the final session, the Assembly will presented their findings to the Mayor and Councillors, who will consider them when making decisions about the 2024-34 Long-term Plan.

Read more about what a citizen's assembly is here and in the newsfeed below.

And find out more about the selection process here and in the newsfeed below.

  • What is a citizens’ assembly and why is Wellington City Council holding one?

    What is a citizens’ assembly and why is Wellington City Council holding one?

    Citizens’ Assemblies are a form of deliberative democracy. They focus on collaborative decision-making by bringing a diverse and representative group together, to deliberate and make an informed decision on a complex topic where there is strong public interest.

    The focus is not on finding a perfect solution, but a decision that everyone in the group can compromise on, in which the trade-offs are understood and weighed up. More information is on the University of Auckland’s Koi Tui: The Centre for Informed Futures Complex Conversations website.

    This is Wellington City Council’s first citizens’ assembly. The project will be evaluated as part of broader efforts to improve Council engagement processes, participation rates and accessibility.

    • In recent years, Citizens’ Assemblies have gained traction overseas. A prominent example is the 2016 Irish Citizens’ Assembly whose recommendations led to the 2018 referendum on abortion.
    • They are increasingly used by state and local government authorities in Australia. Melbourne, for example, has a goal to be “A deliberative city: A world leader in using participatory democratic approaches to decision-making”.
    • In Aotearoa, a key recommendation of the recent Review into the Future for Local Government was “Local government and councils develop and invest in democratic innovations, including participatory and deliberative democracy processes”.
    • In Auckland in 2022, Watercare and the University of Auckland held a citizens’ assembly about the long-term future of Auckland’s water supply. Information about that project is on Watercare’s website. The Review into the Future for Local Government stated that “Overall, the project indicated that deliberative democracy has great potential for advancing public participation and good decision-making in Aotearoa New Zealand".

  • How will the selection process work?

    In the week beginning 17 July, letters inviting people to express an interest in being part of the Citizens’ Assembly will be sent to about 10,000 randomly selected postal and email addresses.

    The letter will contain a link and QR code to an online survey for those interested in participating to complete.

    There will also be a number for people to call and complete the survey over the phone if they prefer.

    Participation is open to residents as well as people who hold New Zealand citizenship, as long as they live in Wellington. People need to be 16 or over to participate.

    The survey will include questions about age, gender, ethnicity, education levels, home ownership and location within Wellington. This information will be used by an independent research agency to select 30-40 people who reflect Wellington’s diversity.

    The Assembly will meet over four Saturdays in September and October (and two one-hour online sessions) in an accessible location in central Wellington.

    The selected participants will be offered $800 as a token of appreciation for volunteering their time. Childcare and transport support may be offered, and food and refreshments will be provided at the four sessions.

    The call for expressions of interest, survey and selection process is being managed by independent agency Global Research.

    People with questions about this process can contact engagement@wcc.govt.nz

Page last updated: 06 Dec 2023, 10:07 AM