Nelson City Council

Central General Ward
The Nelson City Council provides local services and facilities, such as public transport, rubbish and recycling, libraries, parks, and recreation facilities. It also passes local regulations and makes decisions about infrastructure, such as water supply and sewerage, and about the region’s resources, including water, soil and the coastline. The council is made up of 12 councillors and the mayor. four councillors will be elected from the Central ward. The other councillors will be elected from other wards or by all voters in the city. This is a single transferable vote (STV) election, so you vote by ranking the candidates on your ballot paper. Compare the candidates and their policies to decide who to vote for in the Nelson City Council election.

Utilities and services

Councils are responsible for a wide range of utilities and services that we all rely on, from rubbish and recycling to street cleaning. Councils are currently also responsible for managing waste water, storm water and drinking water infrastructure – the ‘Three Waters’. But that may be about to change, with central government seeking to shift the delivery of Three Waters services to four new larger entities, which could borrow enough to upgrade the country’s water infrastructure.

Utilities and services

Councils are responsible for a wide range of utilities and services that we all rely on, from rubbish and recycling to street cleaning. Councils are currently also responsible for managing waste water, storm water and drinking water infrastructure – the ‘Three Waters’. But that may be about to change, with central government seeking to shift the delivery of Three Waters services to four new larger entities, which could borrow enough to upgrade the country’s water infrastructure.

  • Adopt a rates-inclusive rubbish bin collection.

    Crack down on illegal dumping.

    Push for the council-owned rubbish dump to move sooner to its new location out of town.

  • Uphold good governance oversight of all our Three Waters infrastructure and provisioning.

  • Balance pet ownership with conservation.

    Continue efforts to improve recycling and reduce waste.

    Encourage local water collection such as rain tanks in new builds.

  • Ensure new developments use nature-based solutions to manage stormwater on-site and reduce pressure on existing infrastructure.

    Investigate long-term solutions to prevent stormwater contamination of beaches during heavy rain and protect coastal water quality.

    Investigate safe overland stormwater paths and tidal outflows to manage peak rain events and reduce flood risk.

  • Enhance maintenance of city centre through regular street sweeping and tidying.

    Prioritise maintenance and renewals of existing infrastructure before developing new infrastructure.

    Support further roll out of kerbside soft plastic recycling.

  • Look at how to enhance freshwater sourcing because it is unbearable to have water restrictions every other summer for a first world city.

    Look at how to manage compostables and possibly establish a communal scheme for food waste management that unifies all public kitchens.

    Work on keeping cycleways as well cleaned as roads.

  • Establish accessible proactive community hubs and digital platforms for residents to easily access services, information and support.

    Improve efficiency of council services for businesses and residents, streamlining processes to support growth and community needs.

    Provide targeted support and resources to help local businesses thrive, fostering a resilient and innovative regional economy.

  • Adopt a rates-inclusive rubbish bin collection.

    Crack down on illegal dumping.

    Push for the council-owned rubbish dump to move sooner to its new location out of town.

  • Uphold good governance oversight of all our Three Waters infrastructure and provisioning.

  • Balance pet ownership with conservation.

    Continue efforts to improve recycling and reduce waste.

    Encourage local water collection such as rain tanks in new builds.

  • Ensure new developments use nature-based solutions to manage stormwater on-site and reduce pressure on existing infrastructure.

    Investigate long-term solutions to prevent stormwater contamination of beaches during heavy rain and protect coastal water quality.

    Investigate safe overland stormwater paths and tidal outflows to manage peak rain events and reduce flood risk.

  • Enhance maintenance of city centre through regular street sweeping and tidying.

    Prioritise maintenance and renewals of existing infrastructure before developing new infrastructure.

    Support further roll out of kerbside soft plastic recycling.

  • Look at how to enhance freshwater sourcing because it is unbearable to have water restrictions every other summer for a first world city.

    Look at how to manage compostables and possibly establish a communal scheme for food waste management that unifies all public kitchens.

    Work on keeping cycleways as well cleaned as roads.

  • Establish accessible proactive community hubs and digital platforms for residents to easily access services, information and support.

    Improve efficiency of council services for businesses and residents, streamlining processes to support growth and community needs.

    Provide targeted support and resources to help local businesses thrive, fostering a resilient and innovative regional economy.