Greater Wellington promotes Quality for Life by ensuring our environment is protected while meeting the economic, cultural and social needs of the community.
Our specific responsibilities include environment management, flood protection and land management, provision of regional parks, public transport planning and funding, and metropolitan water supply.
Biosecurity
Biosecurity (pest animals and pest plants) is about protecting our environment, economy and way of life from the harmful impacts of pests and diseases. Greater Wellington works with landowners to target regional pest plants and animals and helps the rural economy by controlling possums to stop the spread of bovine Tb.
Emergency management
We co-ordinate the Civil Defence Emergency Management Group for the region. We work together to minimise the potential effects of emergencies, prepare ourselves and the community, respond to emergencies and help the community to recover.
Environment
The region's natural resources - land, water, air, energy - sustain our lives. We help people to use these resources appropriately and sustainable.
Flood protection
The region's many rivers mean homes, farmland, jobs, livelihoods and property can be at risk from flooding. We help communities protect themselves from the effects of flooding.
Harbours
We look after the navigational safety of all vessels in the harbours of Wellington and Porirua and around the regional coastline. We encourage safe boating behaviour and are ready to respond in case of a marine oil spill.
Land management
About 40 per cent of the Wellington region is erosion-prone hill country. Soil erosion can be prevented or reduced by improving the way the land is used, perhaps by planting trees, by changing management systems, or by allowing native bush to grow in areas that are at risk from erosion. We work with landowners to control soil erosion.
Parks and forests
We maintain a network of regional parks and forests, enjoyed by thousands of people every year. We also look after their environmental and historical features.
Pollution control
We maintain a 24-hour incident response service, conduct environmental assessments of industrial and commercial sites, and maintain a register of sites with hazardous industries or activities. To report a pollution incident, phone 04-384 5708, or freephone 0800 4WN REG.
Transport
We fund bus and train services, we plan the roading network and we build public transport infrastructure. Greater Wellington spends about $30 million each year subsidising public transport.
Water supply
Greater Wellington collects and treats all the drinking water used in Wellington, Hutt, Upper Hutt and Porirua. We are the region's 'wholesale' water supplier, delivering high-quality treated water to the main reservoirs in each city, from where the four city councils supply homes and businesses.
Some key facts about the region
- The region covers a land area of 813,005 hectares and a maritime area of 786,700 hectares. There are 497 kilometres of coastline.
- The population of the region is 445,400 (Statistics NZ, estimated resident population, June 2002).
- Greater Wellington manages 320 kilometres of river channels and 280 kilometres of stopbanks. We are responsible for one of the largest flood protection schemes in New Zealand.
- Around 31 million passenger journeys are made on the region's public transport system each year.
- Greater Wellington collects, treats and delivers about 150 million litres of high quality water each day, on average, to the Wellington, Hutt, Upper Hutt and Porirua city councils.
- Greater Wellington manages possum control programmes on approximately 500,000 hectares of land in the region each year.
- Greater Wellington manages 50,000 hectares of regional parks and forests.
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