Upper Hutt City Council (Council) held its final meeting of the year yesterday, covering matters including the Silverstream Spur, public access to workshops, the establishment of Tiaki Wai Metro Water, the withdrawal of Plan Change 50, and Council’s new governance structure.

Elected Members discussed the future of the Silverstream Spur, a 35-hectare Council-owned site, and passed a resolution to send a formal letter to Guildford Timber Company (GTC).

The letter advises GTC that the land is not considered surplus to Council’s requirements and reflects general community support for the Spur to be retained for recreational and open-space purposes.

The Spur will be included in the publicly consulted 2026 Open Space Strategy, which will help determine its long-term role within Upper Hutt’s wider green network.

Mayor Peri Zee shared the letter on Facebook last Saturday, adhering to her campaign commitment of transparency.

“Transparency must be one of the cornerstones of how we operate. I shared the letter over the weekend to ensure members of our community had time to read it before the meeting,” she said.

Council also confirmed that workshops will be livestreamed from 2026, following a discussion about public access.

Mayor Zee said livestreaming will provide increased visibility into the process that informs Council’s decision-making and helps strengthen trust within the community.

In other business, council considered the future of Plan Change 50 (PC50) and agreed to withdraw the plan change due to the ‘Plan Stop’ legislation introduced by the Government.

PC50 was a significant review of the residential and rural areas of the District Plan, which controls development and land use in Upper Hutt.

Officers were instructed to complete the required statutory steps under the Resource Management Act, including public notification of the decision.

Council also made decisions to progress the governance arrangements for Tiaki Wai Metro Water, the new joint water services entity.

These steps reaffirm Council’s commitment to working collaboratively with regional partners to ensure high-quality, reliable water services for Upper Hutt.

As part of adopting Council’s governance framework for the new triennium, Council approved a refreshed committee structure.

Mayor Zee said the new structure reflects Council’s key priorities and will support effective decision-making and representation. The two main committees are City Planning, Infrastructure and Environment, and Community Development and Economy.

Council also reviewed the 2026 meeting calendar, which outlines the schedule for Council and committee meetings for the year ahead. The calendar is expected to be formally confirmed in early 2026.

Mayor Zee said the final meeting of the year was very constructive and thanked members of the community who attended.

Source: Upper Hutt City Council

11/12/25