Nicola Young

Nicola Young
Official portrait, 2025
Wellington city councillor for the Pukehīnau/Lambton general ward
Incumbent
Assumed office
13 October 2013
Personal details
BornNicola Mary Jacobina Young[1]
1954 or 1955 (age 70–71)[2]
Wellington, New Zealand
PartyIndependent
Children2
Parents
RelativesAnnabel Young (sister)
Alma materMassey University

Nicola Young (born 1954 or 1955) is a New Zealand politician who has since 2013 been a Wellington city councillor, representing the Pukehīnau/Lambton ward.

Early life

Young was born in 1954 or 1955 in Wellington, New Zealand. Her parents, Joan and Bill Young, had four other children. Her father Bill was a National Party MP from 1966 until 1981.[3] Young grew up in Mount Victoria and Kelburn.

She attended St Mary's Primary School in Thorndon and for secondary school she went to Erskine College where she was head girl. Young studied news journalism at Massey University.[4]

Career

Young started working as a civic reporter for The Evening Post for two years before moving to London.[3]

In the 2005 New Zealand general election, Young was the National Party candidate for Rongotai. She lost to Annette King of the Labour Party by over 12,000 votes.[5]

Councillor

Young is an independent Wellington City councillor. She has served five terms representing the Pukehīnau Lambton Ward since 2013. Young is the chairperson of Grants Subcommittee.[6]

She was first elected in the 2013 Wellington City Council election, receiving the second-most votes in Lambton Ward, for which there were three vacancies.[7] She was reelected in 2016, once again receiving the second-most votes.[8][9] In the 2019 election, she was reelected in the newly renamed Pukehīnau Lambton Ward with the second-most votes — with Iona Pannett placing first.[10] In the 2022 election, Young was reelected, this time placing second with Tamatha Paul receiving the most votes in the ward.[11] In the 2025 election, she was reelected with the third-most votes in the ward.

Young has unsuccessfully run for the Wellington mayoralty twice. In 2013, she received the fourth most votes, losing to Celia Wade-Brown.[12] In 2015 she announced she would run a campaign alongside Paul Eagle for the mayoralty.[13] In the 2016 election she again received the fourth most votes, with Justin Lester being elected.[14]

Airport shares

In 2023, the WCC proposed selling its 34% stake in Wellington Airport to create a disaster investment fund.[15] On 30 May 2024, with Young's vote in favour, the sale narrowly passed 8–8 with Mayor Tory Whanau's tie-breaking vote, despite strong opposition from Labour, some Green councillors, unions, and the public. The decision caused a rift within the Greens and drew criticism from Green MPs, with polling showing 74% public opposition.[16] In August 2024, a majority of councillors attempted to revoke the decision, but the notice was ruled invalid, prompting a fresh vote.[17][18] On 9 October 2024, the council reversed course, voting 9–7 to retain the airport shares, with several councillors including Young changing their positions. Following the failed sale and other funding decisions, the Minister of Local Government Simeon Brown appointed a Crown observer to the council.[19] Young agreed the government should intervene and that a Crown observer should be appointed.[20]

Call for mayor's resignation

In 2023, Wellington mayor Tory Whanau was allegedly drunk in public. Whanau had acknowledged her struggles with alcohol and admitted to being intoxicated at a bar. There was no evidence to support claims of any additional misconduct. Broadcaster Sean Plunket interviewed Young, who called for the mayor's resignation in light of this scandal.[21]

Personal life

Young lives in Mount Victoria, Wellington, and has two children and a grandson. Young's sister Annabel Young was a National Party MP,[3] like her father, from 1997–2002. She has three other siblings.[22]

Young's great-grandfather was Sir John Luke, Mayor of Wellington from 1913–1921 and Member of Parliament for Wellington Suburbs from 1908–1911 and Wellington North from 1918–1928.[22]

Electoral history

Wellington City Council

2025 Pukehīnau/Lambton general ward election

Pukehīnau/Lambton general ward[23]
Affiliation Candidate Primary vote % Iteration vote[a]
Green Geordie Rogers† 4,445 31.45 #1 4,445
Labour Afnan Al-Rubayee 2,701 19.11 #4 3,423
Independent Nicola Young† 2,496 17.66 #9 3,711
Independent Tim Ward 1,247 8.82 #9 2,215
Independent Dan Milward 970 6.86 #8 1,472
Independent David Lee 588 4.16 #7 874
Independent Rodney Barber 490 3.47 #6 576
Independent Together Stuart Wong 363 2.57 #5 387
Independent Teal Mau 263 1.86 #4 291
Independent Tony De Lorenzo 167 1.18 #3 178
Independent Zan Gyaw 39 0.28 #2 39
Quota 3,442 24.35 #9 3,212
Informal 67 0.47
Blank 298 2.11
Turnout 14,134
Registered
Green hold on 1st iteration
Labour gain from Independent on 4th iteration
Independent hold on 9th iteration
† incumbent

Notes

  1. ^ Rounded to nearest whole number

References

  1. ^ "Nicola Mary Jacobina Young – Candidate for Wellington City Council". Policy.nz. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  2. ^ "Candidates' thoughts on infrastructure". The Dominion Post. Stuff. 30 September 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  3. ^ a b c Macdonald, Nikki (13 September 2016). "Wellington mayoral candidate Nicola Young – politics runs in the family". The Dominion Post. Stuff. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  4. ^ "Nicola Young standing for city council – "energetic, enthusiastic, reliable"". Scoop.co.nz. 29 April 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  5. ^ "Official Count Results – Rongotai (2005)". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  6. ^ "Councillor Nicola Young". Wellington City Council. 25 November 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  7. ^ Inggs, Charlie (16 October 2013). "2013 Triennial Election: declaration of results" (PDF). Wellington City Council. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  8. ^ "Wellington City Council 2016 Triennial Elections Calculator Commentary and Iteration Report" (PDF). Wellington City Council. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  9. ^ "Wellington City Council 2016 Triennial Elections declaration of result" (PDF). Wellington City Council. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  10. ^ "Wellington City Council 2019 Triennial Elections – Final STV Result Report" (PDF). Wellington City Council. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  11. ^ "2022 Triennial Elections – Declaration of Result" (PDF). Wellington City Council. 13 October 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  12. ^ "2013 Triennial Election: Calculator Commentary and Iteration Report" (PDF). Wellington City Council. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  13. ^ McConnell, Rhiannon (9 April 2015). "Wellington's odd couple Young and Eagle plan tilt at mayoralty". Stuff. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
  14. ^ "Election 2016: Preliminary results for the Mayor". Wellington City Council. Archived from the original on 10 October 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  15. ^ "Long-term Plan, Finance, and Performance Committee Ngā Meneti | Minutes" (PDF). Wellington City Council. 25 October 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  16. ^ Campbell, Georgina (30 May 2024). "Wellington City Council votes to sell its airport shares, Tory Whanau says it will avoid further cuts". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  17. ^ Hunt, Tom (12 August 2024). "Majority of Wellington City councillors calling to ditch airport share sale". The Post.
  18. ^ Neas, Oliver (29 November 2024). "Privatisation lost: Inside the final vote for the future of Wellington Airport". The Spinoff.
  19. ^ Hunt, Tom; Laughton, Harriette (10 October 2024). "Wellington council votes against sale of Wellington Airport stake". Stuff. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
  20. ^ "Wellington councillors who want government intervention in the city's management". RNZ. 15 October 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  21. ^ MacManus, Joel (30 November 2023). "Tory Whanau, Nicola Young and the rumour that overtook the story". The Spinoff. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  22. ^ a b Dekker, Diana (31 August 2009). "Bill Young: Minister and diplomat from humble beginnings". Stuff. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  23. ^ Lampp, Warwick (16 October 2025). "2025 Triennial Elections – Declaration of Result" (PDF). electionz.com. Waitaki District Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 February 2026.
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