Authorised by Helene Ritchie, 101 Wakefield Street, Wellington
Helene's Significant Achievements for Wellington City and People
Northern Library project |
"I've been a City Councillor for Northern, where I lived for 31 years, and was first elected city-wide as Johnsonville playcentre mother of two in 1977. I've always been a strong voice there. With a sound understanding of the local needs, I've had significant impact in the Northern ward in important areas affecting the “ordinary person”, the community and the environment."
With over $40 million committed to Northern my successful campaign for a new library has secured funding for a start this year (2016), leading to a Civic Centre Complex for Northern with new Johnsonville Library, the largest civic project this Council term (2013-16).
I'm looking forward to a Northern civic centre complex with new library, pool, park; community centre, a new mall; good commuting cycle, public private transport routes; a thriving community, businesses, sports clubs, surrounded by accessible walkable green open spaces to the hills, along with thriving town centres in Tawa, Newlands, Churton Park surrounded by green open spaces. 
For years Helene campaigned to have the 50 year old tiny cramped Johnsonville Library replaced, as the anchor of an integrated “Civic” Town Centre complex for the Johnsonville and the Northern suburbs. Last year her action meant she was successful in ensuring that $250,000 to kickstart the project, and this year the full funding for the library due to be completed in 2018/19 is now approved. Concept plans have been approved and detailed drawing nearly completed.
Old Existing Johnsonville Library (photo: WCC)
As well, Keith Spry Pool upgrade completed and opened.
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A real difference |
Experience Counts!
She knows how to make things happen… for you. Helene has made significant achievements for Wellington over nearly 30 years in public office, civic and health governance. She has always been clear that her first accountability in democratic governance is to the people. “I am privileged to hold the positions I have in Wellington. I have always been careful to use those positions to improve the lives of others. I am proud to have helped create the City Wellington and the Northern Suburbs as they are today” Her focus city-wide has always been strategic, identifying where key change is needed, and then working with the community and colleagues to achieve major projects with lasting impact for present and future generations. Proactive, she’s never been just a 'seat- warmer'. Outspoken, for the ‘ordinary person’, and leading from the front, she’s taken the initiative many times and then campaigned successfully for key improvements needed. Her leadership has also involved holding all key senior political leadership/governance roles on Council, including acting mayor, but not mayor! Helene has also played a professional role as a registered psychologist for families and especially but not only for those most vulnerable in our society-people with disabilities and special needs, children and families. Much of her focus has also been to ensure equal opportunity for women. Her record stands publicly reported in the media and Council. Helene has made a real difference to the lives of others. |
Green Spaces |
Good News on the Town Belt
Green spaces are properly protected BY JOSEPH ROMANOS, EDITOR The Wellingtonian "Helene Ritchie… has seldom been prouder of an achievement than of her work to ensure the future of the Wellington Town Belt. The town belt subcommittee was chaired by Helene Ritchie... “I’m absolutely stoked with the outcome. It’s an historic decision that will lead to further and greater protection, enhancement and extension of the town belt. The legislation that will be drawn up according to our instructions, may last perhaps 100 years-the last legislation relating to the Town Belt was in 1908. She said it had been a huge part of six years hard work as natural environment portfolio leader "…as a result of years of experience, I have been able to get this very important piece of work done for the people of Wellington today and for future generations.” The Wellingtonian June 27 2013
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2 Million trees by 2020 |
Over a hundred environmental groups - over 2,000 Wellingtonians - are helping us plant trees throughout Wellington.
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Legislation Town BeltBond Street |
Wellington Town Belt Act 2016 passed.
Bond St was a dark street with sad accidents. Now it is closed off and is a colourful pedestrian lane with fruit trees and vege gardens in the art of the central business district.
“I had the idea 7 years ago to convert this street into a colourful lane… and I coached the local barista from Mojo coffee in the at of submitting to Council and collecting petition signatures which we both did…Twice Council approved funding for the changes and twice the funding was redirected to other projects... Today Bond St has been the forerunner of other lane conversions into bright welcoming people places. |
Health - Carers and Royal Commission |
Helene is a published author campaigning for a Royal Commission and a “bi-partisan” Parliamentary response to produce a viable cohesive solution(s) for people caring for the most vulnerable at home and in institutions (especially but not only those with dementia); and to replace a failing and ad-hoc system.
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Wellington Nuclear Weapon Free |
The 14th of April, 2012 marked the thirtieth anniversary of Wellington’s declaration as a nuclear weapon free zone, the result of a motion put forward by Helene Ritchie, then Labour City Councillor and Leader, amidst considerable public controversy.
This declaration - part of a growing international antinuclear movement - had significant national and international repercussions. Within one year, half of New Zealand was living in nuclear-free zones, and women were spurred on to increase their representation in local government. There was major political fallout too. Two of the country’s key leaders, Sir Michael Fowler Mayor of Wellington and Sir Robert Muldoon, Prime Minister, eventually resigned on the issue. Two years after the Declaration, Labour became the government-in 1984, David Lange the Prime Minister and the country nuclear free in law. “I well remember the happy occasion that April day when peace movement people celebrated in the street the declaration of Wellington as a nuclear-free city, the capital of Aotearoa/New Zealand. We were so grateful to Councillor Ritchie for bringing forward to a successful conclusion the movement to this effect in the City Council and we will always remember her courageous action with admiration. I was in New York in June 1982, representing several organisations at the UN General Assembly on Disarmament, and I was proud to be able to say to people that I came from a nuclear-free city… Helene Ritchie’s leadership in guiding the City Council to this historic declaration was an inspiration to us all.” - Dame Laurie Salas, DBE, QSO, Wellington 17 March 2007 April 14 2012 Wellington celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the Declaration led By Helene who wrote a book - a record of the story of the declaration. Here she is seen marching in the streets with the peace movement. |
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Natural Environment Portfolio Leader
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In 2010 and 2013 Helene was voted by her colleagues to hold the natural environment portfolio.
"I believe that Wellington's accessible natural environment-the harbour, hills, green open spaces, is what makes Wellington the coolest little Capital in the world. We are the Kaitiaki-the Guardians of our environment. We must do what we can to protect and enhance our natural environment for future generations-our environmental wellbeing underpins our economic and social wellbeing. We need too to promote a more cohesive approach to our harbour, beaches, coastline and sea-our Blue Belt along with our Green Belt" 
Parks, community orchards, neighbourhood open spaces. Newlands: Lyndfield Lane Park renewal and community orchard planted.
Tracks and walkways: Newlands trig over Wellington-harbour and hills.
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Health
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In September 2010 after years of raising the issue and manoeuvring the Board, as a Health Board Member, Helene won for the people new and upgraded mental health facilities at Wellington Hospital, which had been left out and in a dilapidated condition, when the new regional Hospital was built.
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Waterfront
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In March 2008 Helene and another member of the public separately took the Council to Court against the Hilton Hotel on the "Outer 'T' and to protect the Waterfront for the people. They won, with Waterfront Watch. Queens Wharf and the Outer 'T' remain a public place and an open view of the harbour and hills beyond.
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First Female Deputy Major |
First woman deputy mayor of the Capital City. Helene and Sir James Belich in 1986. (Evening Post)
Peter Hollis, Cartoonist Evening Post
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First Woman Labour Leader in Wellington |
Helene was the first woman Labour Leader on the Council from 1980 to 1986, a position she held for six years.
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World Class Civic Centre Project |
In 1986 Helene led the world class civic centre project which gave Wellington its heart. The art deco building, now the City Art Gallery, was saved from demolition; a new library and civic offices were Ian Athfield-Moller designed and built; a much utilised public civic open space created; and the City to Sea bridge today provides the link to the Waterfront, fantastic harbour views and unique sculptures by Maori artist Para Matchett.
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Town Hall Saved from Demolition |
In 1982 Helene took the initiative and moved at Council that the Town Hall be saved. The then mayor had wanted it demolished.
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Moa Point Campaign |
In 1982 Helene initiated and led this campaign over four years to stop the City dumping its raw sewage on the beach. She and the late Dennis Duggan devised and then set up the community lobby group the Clean Water Campaign along the lines of a similar and successful campaign in New Plymouth.
Largely as a result of this campaign and other initiatives she took as Labour Leader, Helene built up the Labour team to a majority and a Labour mayor, Jim Belich was successfully elected in 1986. 
A more elaborate article about this achievement can be found here: http://www.herinst.org/sbeder/Books/toxicfish/chapter7/ch7d.html.
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Upgrading the Airport |
In 1980-88 Helene chaired the Airport Authority for 8 years and the New Zealand Organisation of Airports for 5 years.
During that time she and the mayor made many representations by deputation to the then government, the majority partner, to fund and approve replacing the dilapidated domestic terminal, but they refused. She sat as a Board member of the transition Airport Board and was instrumental then in stopping the sale of Wellington City Council's share of this strategic asset. Later when no longer chair or a councillor, she initiated a successful community campaign in the Eastern Suburbs to stop unnecessary expansion into the Golf Course and neighbouring houses. 
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1981 Springbok Tour
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Social justice issues have always been to the fore with Helene as have issues of racism and discrimination. In 1981 she initiated a deputation of citizen leaders from trade unions, churches, women, and the first Ombudsman Sir Guy Powles to prepare and take a submission to the Governor General of the day - Sir David Beattie - to request that he ask Prime Minister Muldoon to stop the Springbok Tour on the grounds of racism and civil unrest.
Helene, Sir Guy Powles and Archbishop Tom Williams at Government House (Evening Post)
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Women, Democracy and the Women's Movement |
Helene has always tried to increase participation in democracy and voting- with the ward system, postal voting, ensuring that a Parliamentary roll replace a ratepayer roll used for loan polls with one vote per household-where women often did not get a vote - as the second named in a married couple.
She also pursued parental leave, equal employment opportunity at Council, (after her own expenses research tour overseas and her report to Council). She encouraged and trained women to enter local government, and wrote a booklet on this for women in the Labour party; and another focusing on a target of 50% women in Parliament. Helene was invited and wrote an opinion piece in Voter’s Choice - A Book about Electoral Change in New Zealand - about the advantages of the MMP system for the electorate. In 1989 Helene was Co-ordinator of Wellington Women’s Electoral Lobby. She initiated and organised a major women’s conference called Empowering Women. “Under Cr Ritchie’s leadership, WEL Wellington ran a regional conference on “Empowering Women in April 1989, that attracted 220 women. Workshop topics included: area health boards; local government; starting a business; women and the parliamentary process; breaking down the barriers to partricipation; and green politics.” ..…the idea of WEL’s first national training weekend seminar for women in local government arose on a weekend tramp with WEL member and Wellington City Councillor, Helene Ritchie. ..The seminar was held in Auckland in February 1986.” - Elspeth Preddy: The WEL Herstory. The Women’s Electoral lobby in New Zealand 1975-2002. Helene’s Masters thesis (1970’s) focused on the feminist, education, political, sociological issue of childcare and early childhood education. She participated in developing the Working Women’s Charter in 1977, and wrote a chapter afterwards in the conference proceedings in : Women Workers in New Zealand 1977. New Zealand Working Women's Council ed. Mary Sinclair Convenor : Sonja Davies 
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Early Environment Activism
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In her early political days (the 1980s) Helene drew attention, as a councillor, to the environmental issues of recycling and alternative fuels, and promoted waste exchange and recycling initiatives accepted today but not then. As the only woman on the works committee, in 1979 she travelled to many cities in the world at her own expense investigating municipal recycling projects and alternative transportation and fuels generation - with her husband who also was specialising as an engineer in these issues.
As well, she successfully spent many years from 1972, using Town, District and Parliamentary Plan processes, to protect Ohariu Valley and Makara rural areas which make up 64% of Wellington City's land, from urban sprawl and subdivision. |
Education and Psychology
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Helene worked in all education sectors-preschhol, primary, secondary , Univeristy and correspondence. Her guiding principle was equality of opportunity and that which Prime Minister and Education Minister Peter Fraser had espoused: “The government’s objective, broadly expressed, is that all persons, whatever their level of ability, whether they live in town or country, have a right as citizens to a free education of the kind for which they are best fitted and to the fullest extent of their powers.” Late 1970, she was invited to participate in a year long education policy group, made up of key educationalists (then) such as Jack Shallcrass, John Panckhurst, Rosslyn Noonan; established by Russell Marshall who after that became Minister of Education. This group helped formulate some key education policy for the then Labour Government, especially, but not only in early childhood education. In addition, she had her own public sector and private psychology and mediation practice. During her years in the public sector in education she focused on changing the system from within for those most vulnerable - children and young people with special needs - and was instrumental in ensuring an Activities Centre and Experience Unit were established. She pursued a focus away from psychological testing which stigmatised and unfairly labelled children to one of assessing their strengths and needs, and developing individual education plans for them. She was instrumental in introducing this different way of working, wrote Guidelines and is pleased that this remains an important modus operandi still today. Associated with equality of opportunity through education, she recognised that learning to read is paramount and she developed a learn to read programme which was accepted for publication and published in a Department of Education Bulletin in the mid 70's. 
Helene’s local political life started right here in the Johnsonville Cricket Club (whose premises were let to the playcentre). She, as President and Supervisor of Johnsonville Playcentre had decided that the playcentre needed a permanent home and she led a campaign through the media, with the Cricket Club, and with Education Department bureaucrats and a local church until she won the campaign. Playcentre parents then rallied to make the changes needed to a building which was then shifted from Church grounds to its permanent home in Johnsonville School grounds where it is today.
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