Rebecca Matthews's avatar

Rebecca Matthews

@rebeccamatthews.bsky.social

819 followers 481 following 144 posts

Councillor for Wharangi Ward, Te Kaunihera o Pōneke. She/her. Shorter in person, Scottish by marriage. YIMBY.

Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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Towhouses and new builds bringing down prices in Auckland. Our changes to the District Plan bringing these new apartments to Wellington. YIMBY when you’re winning!

0 replies 2 reposts 32 likes

Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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It was confirmed to be not true before the first story was published!

1 replies 5 reposts 19 likes

Reposted by Rebecca Matthews

Eddie Clark's avatar Eddie Clark @dreddieclark.bsky.social
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Can we talk about this? Here, Tom Hunt prints unverified gossip favourable to the right in Wellington, with unverified gossip from the councillor he always quotes uncritically. Then, 5 days later, an actual journalist at the same outlet writes a story showing the story was substanceless.

5 replies 14 reposts 30 likes

Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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Can Wellington cope without more housing, more choice of housing type, greater affordability, in a range of locations close to the city and along transport routes? No.

3 replies 3 reposts 20 likes

Reposted by Rebecca Matthews

Eddie Clark's avatar Eddie Clark @dreddieclark.bsky.social
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Reader, Tracy Watkins did not write a congratulatory editorial.

12 replies 17 reposts 67 likes

Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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It's been overwhelming so a bit of decompression has been required! And very happy to be confused with you ❤️

1 replies 0 reposts 1 likes

Reposted by Rebecca Matthews

Eddie Clark's avatar Eddie Clark @dreddieclark.bsky.social
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Tory Whanau just shepherded through, efficiently, and with support on most of it beyond just the narrow Labour-Green bloc, the most progressive district plan Wellington has seen in decades. Deserves an admiring editorial in The Post, eh?

9 replies 34 reposts 198 likes

Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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What a big week it was for housing in Wellington! Just here to say not only are better things possible, together we can do them.

6 replies 8 reposts 51 likes

Reposted by Rebecca Matthews

Reposted by Rebecca Matthews

MakeChangeNZ.bsky.social's avatar MakeChangeNZ.bsky.social @makechangenz.bsky.social
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We're LIVE! Check out our site at www.makechange.org.nz. Donations are to help the upcoming School Strike For Climate Change on 5 April.

0 replies 4 reposts 9 likes

Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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I am very happy to be associated with this quote despite having nothing to do with it ❤️

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Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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It’s good to have review of Wellington Water in public domain. Funding is important - we will keep increasing it. Delivery is also important, we need to keep improving. And we also need structural change to support those two things.

0 replies 7 reposts 12 likes

Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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Maybe government changes to MDRS to happen before then?

1 replies 0 reposts 2 likes

Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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Notice of motion to delay the District Plan to June. Deeply disappointing. This process has already taken years. Signed by Crs Randle, Free, Pannett, Calvert and Young.

5 replies 3 reposts 20 likes

Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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“Painting colours on a map” as Cr Calvert dismisses our statutory zoning obligation, is of course, the biggest difference city councillors can make to ensure we have decent affordable housing for future generations.
www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3501...

2 replies 6 reposts 17 likes

Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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Off to see Dave Grohl in his new band. Last saw him play live in 1992 in an obscure outfit called Nirvana.

0 replies 0 reposts 19 likes

Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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no as in being in a minority in a range of votes on other matters

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Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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I guess I mean the drive from some councillors for crown intervention seems largely based on them not getting their way

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Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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Today's confirmation that WCC is funding Wellington Water above what has been requested (and to further increase in our LTP) should put to bed the silly chatter about crown intervention in the city once and for all. Unless it wasn’t actually about water funding?

1 replies 5 reposts 21 likes

Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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Good to get it clear - Wellington City Council has funded Wellington Water even more than it asked for over the last three years. It’s going to take more, but fixing water is a top priority for our Council and we are acting and funding accordingly.

0 replies 9 reposts 30 likes

Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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Ha! I messaged a friend to say "how did I manage to fuck up Hutt and Porirua water too?" and she replied "Cause you're awesome!"

1 replies 0 reposts 14 likes

Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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Nothing should shock me now but I am shocked by councillors blatantly trying to undermine the mayor's relationship either central government. Any councillor calling for govt intervention in WCC is just subverting the democratic will of Wellingtonians.

4 replies 8 reposts 32 likes

Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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(Pipes not bikes etc) are just playing politics. I could say pipes not town hall because I voted against that, but that would just make me a dick too. Water will take years and billions to fix (and might not ever be fixed because climate change) but let’s keep trying ! 3/3

1 replies 5 reposts 17 likes

Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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Councils I have been on have massively increased water funding and continue to work with Wellington Water to ensure that extra funding leads to better outcomes. Anybody trying to say there’s an easy fix or it would be different if we hadn’t done “x” other thing 2/3

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Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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To be very clear, saying that there has been decades of underinvestment in water is not about blame it’s CONTEXT. Because the scale of the problem is more than we can fix in a few years. I am more than happy to take my share of responsibility for where we are now 1/3

2 replies 4 reposts 22 likes

Reposted by Rebecca Matthews

Dr. Cassandra Mudgway 's avatar Dr. Cassandra Mudgway @legallyfeminist.bsky.social
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Happy to share my latest article for The Conversation. Online abuse against women MPs is a breach of their rights & forcing them to tolerate abuse or leave is bad news for diverse representation in our democracy. What the govt should be doing about it:
theconversation.com/golriz-ghahr...

3 replies 34 reposts 87 likes

Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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Six months or 3 years ago, an editorial (ridiculously) trying to hold me single-handedly responsible for regional water issues would have made me a total wreck. I am getting better at coping with the responsibility & stress, but it is a constant battle. Better living everyone!

4 replies 1 reposts 37 likes

Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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the immediate problem is we need a mechanism to tie funding to outcomes. it's that basic!

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Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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that's a big question! I think water restrictions will be an annual fixture and not sure that's terrible? we have done an operational review on WW which should be public soon and is a good place to start on recommendations for improvements

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Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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I am "sure" this is completely unrelated to my involvement with recent Media Council complaint

1 replies 1 reposts 7 likes

Reposted by Rebecca Matthews

Eddie Clark's avatar Eddie Clark @dreddieclark.bsky.social
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Imagine Watkins' reaction if 10 million bucks was thrown at anything else with no confidence it could be spent on its stated purpose. There'd be headlines about wasteful spending and bad governance for weeks.

1 replies 3 reposts 12 likes

Reposted by Rebecca Matthews

Eddie Clark's avatar Eddie Clark @dreddieclark.bsky.social
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As Wellington Water itself has said in recent weeks, the fundamental cause of the problem is under investment for *decades*. It's an irrational, childistemper tantrum to blame the current council which is finally actually doing something. Reflects that Watkins just wants a more right wing council.

0 replies 7 reposts 21 likes

Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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Decades of underinvestment in water have come home to roost. WCC have, year on year, voted in massive funding increases as we need to do. We need to make sure that funding leads to real improvement. It’s not sanctimony, it’s accountability. For councils & for Wellington Water.

4 replies 8 reposts 36 likes

Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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There is a large group of little children and their teachers who have set up a slip and slide in the little park in my street and it could not be more wholesome and happy.

1 replies 1 reposts 14 likes

Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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I think the oversight of the contracts is a major problem

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Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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But the operational review we have done of WW indicates some significant concerns and recommendations to fix them. I want to see more specific outcomes attached to funding

1 replies 1 reposts 3 likes

Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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We have definitely had those kind of conversations. The additional $2million we put in for leak repairs will be used in exactly this kind of way, fixing multiple leaks in a neighbourhood

1 replies 0 reposts 1 likes

Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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That's a difficult question for me to answer as the forum that is mostly to happen is the WW committee which I have never been on! if you have particular issue you want info on might be better to email me?

1 replies 0 reposts 1 likes

Rebecca Matthews's avatar Rebecca Matthews @rebeccamatthews.bsky.social
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I was very pleased to see the Wellington City Council Media Council complaint about the Post upheld. We expect to be held accountable by local media but there’s a difference between opinion and news. Here’s to a more balanced 2024!

4 replies 7 reposts 33 likes