29-07-2025
'A Fresh, No-Nonsense Vision To Revitalise Wellington': Scott ‘Scoot' Caldwell Announces Mayoral Run
Rejecting '1980s curtain twitchers' and being unafraid to hold Government responsible for the Wellington economy are part of the fresh, no-nonsense vision that Scott Caldwell will bring to the table if elected mayor of Wellington
Mr Caldwell, who goes by 'Scoot' rather than Scott, is a name and face Wellingtonians will already be very familiar with given his role at the Scoot Foundation, which boasts a 5000+-strong followership nationwide.
A self-confessed outsider, Mr Caldwell visited Wellington for the first time in June 2025 and that trip alone solidified his resolve to run for mayor of New Zealand's capital city.
Today, Mr Caldwell has unveiled a fresh, no-nonsense vision to revitalise Wellington.
'The key word here is 'no-nonsense'. Wellington right now is all noise, nonsense and nothing.'
He says that it's time for a shake-up.
'Let's stop pouring money into earthquake-prone buildings and start investing in what makes this city thrive.'
Generating rates income is high on his agenda, but he has no interest in asking Wellingtonians to dig even deeper into their pockets.
'I'm not afraid to say the quiet part out loud: The Beehive should pay its fair share in commercial rates. If you own buildings and run your operation in this city, you need to be contributing like everyone else. Government exceptionalism has been tolerated by successive councils for far too long.'
He is clear that he's not here to play politics but at the same time will not let the city be held hostage by nostalgia & ideology.
'Wellington needs to reject curtain twitchers trapped in the 1980s and embrace growth: for affordable housing, for rates relief, for great infrastructure, for thriving businesses.'
As mayor, he will back bold, intelligent development that delivers homes and a city that works.
'The Gordon Wilson site should be replaced with something worthy of our future, and not a crumbling eyesore that - for a decade - has rotted on prime land, and right under the Beehive's nose, while ordinary Wellingtonians go without homes.
' Enough delay. Let's build'.
