Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Wellington Council's got another thing to worry about funding

Author: Heather du Plessis-Allan,
Publish Date: Tue, 8 Sep 2026, 7:04pm

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Djane and Zahra were euthanised today at the age of 19. Photo / Wellington Zoo

Tell you what, if you think Wellington doesn't have enough problems already, let me tell you about a new one: Wellington Zoo.

Wellington Zoo needs $14 million for its lion enclosure. It's urgent. It's not something that can be deferred. Wellington City Council needs to cough up the money.

What's more, Wellington Zoo may not be a going concern as early as the middle of next year, which means Wellington City Council will have to cough up again. The zoo will probably run a deficit of around a quarter of a million dollars next year, then another deficit the following year and another the year after that. After that, who knows?

The problem is Wellington City Council doesn't have money. It doesn't even have money for essential infrastructure, like wastewater pipes.

Meanwhile, Wellington homeowners are already paying some of the highest rates in the country, to the extent that some pensioners are considering selling their homes because they can no longer afford them. Depending on who you talk to, those rates are also hurting business. Commercial rates are placing significant pressure on some of Wellington's businesses.

So Wellington City Council does not have money for the lions.

And there's something really strange going on with the way Wellington Zoo is run.

Despite having the highest revenue for each visitor in the country, even outperforming Auckland Zoo, the council subsidy for each visitor is four times higher. Auckland Council contributes about $5 a visitor; Wellington City Council contributes about $21.

The cost per species is also considerably higher than at Auckland Zoo, Hamilton Zoo or Christchurch's Orana Wildlife Park.

Now, the problem, of course, is that Wellington Zoo can't close. That's not really an option, is it?

Modern cities have zoos and for good reason kids love them. I personally hate them, but the kids love them.

I took my kids to Auckland Zoo on Saturday to see the Tasmanian devil and the ostrich and apparently it was the highlight of their weekend.

But I think Wellington City Council, because it can't simply shut the zoo down, needs to be brutal. It will always have to provide some level of funding because most zoos in New Zealand require subsidies. However, it should demand, in a way it clearly hasn't until now, that the zoo turns its finances around and explores every possible commercial opportunity.

That lion enclosure won't be the last major expense. And it's hard to justify spending money on discretionary attractions such as zoos when you're not spending enough on wastewater infrastructure and untreated sewage is flowing into the sea.

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