2026 Election: Meet Your Candidates on Ocean Matters
The Friends of Taputeranga Marine Reserve (FoTMR) emailed 33 local candidates to ask about the issues facing our marine environment, the actions they would prioritise, how they would work with others to protect and restore our coast and ocean, and their personal commitments to marine conservation.
As at 3 November 2026, we had received the responses presented below. We welcome additional responses ahead of election day on 7 November 2026.
The responses are reproduced to help our community understand candidates’ perspectives, priorities and commitments.
Candidates are listed below by electorate. The Labour Party provided a combined response on behalf of its Wellington-region candidates, which is presented separately.
1) Local marine priorities
Question: What do you see as the most important issues facing Wellington’s marine environment, and what would you prioritise to address them?
Kenepuru — Matthew Evetts (National)
The recent failure of the Moa Point is top of mind for our oceans. It is connected to a wider issue of how our water is managed and the accountability for how ratepayer funding is spent doing that management. I’ve already committed to working closely with councils and Tiaki Wai to improve long-term planning, transparency, and funding prioritisation.
The most important issue that I’m aware of specifically for my electorate is storm water run-off and its impact on the Porirua Harbour and connected waterways. I’m a supporter of the work being done and planned for under the Te Wai Ora o Parirua – Porirua Harbour Accord.
Wellington Bays — Julie Anne Genter (Green)
As someone who frequently swims and snorkels in our beautiful Taputeranga Marine Reserve, I would love to see everyone in our community actively engage and support ways to protect and restore this natural taonga. Be it through how we manage our wastewater treatment plants (direct public, in-house ownership and operation of Moa Point), how we build our homes (eg. require stormwater retention at district plan level), and how we can expand marine protected areas.
The biggest immediate issue facing Wellington’s marine environment is the untreated sewage that has been dumped since the Moa Point disaster last February – and continuing to be discharged. However kina barrens in the harbour, a warming ocean due to human-caused global heating, insufficient marine protection, and other toxic pollutants (like leachate from old tips, and stormwater run-off contaminated by VOCs and microplastics from motor vehicles and their tyres), are also all important issues facing our marine environment.
We can address the issues by:
- bringing operation of Moa Point into public ownership and staffing the plant 24/7 to make sure nothing like that ever happens again;
- ensuring marine pollution standards are strong and enforced;
- ensure there is more funding from central government to invest in wastewater infrastructure, and for nature-based solutions to reduce stormwater run-off;
- use planning rules to require on-site stormwater retention;
- invest in monitoring the health of our kelp forests, and fund programmes to restore and regenerate them;
- support communities working with tangata whenua to expand marine protected areas;
- invest in more public transport (including light rail) and active transport options to prevent particulates and contaminants that come from fossil fuels, tyre wear, brake pads and microplastics entering our stormwater systems that empty into our coastal marine environment.
Wellington Bays — Kayla Kingdon-Bebb (Opportunity)
Wellington’s coast is central to our identity, wellbeing and biodiversity, but it faces cumulative pressures: polluted stormwater, wastewater overflows, sedimentation, fishing impacts and a changing climate. Monitoring of Wellington harbour has found concerning contaminant levels in seabed sediments, while our south coast supports valuable marine habitats and wildlife.
My priority would be to restore the health and abundance of these ecosystems, not simply manage their decline. That means investing in better wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, reducing land-based pollution, strengthening marine protection and improving fisheries management. I would champion a science-led, precautionary approach that protects vulnerable habitats and phases out destructive bottom-impacting fishing methods in critically damaged inshore ecosystems.
Having led WWF-New Zealand and worked across conservation and environmental policy, I see nature as critical national infrastructure. Healthy oceans are essential to resilient communities, thriving wildlife and future economic opportunity.
Wellington North — Jessica Hammond (Opportunity)
Our marine environment faces numerous challenges, including pollution, impacts of climate change, and fishing impacts.
Our Healthy Oceans policy is a priority for us. Phasing out bottom trawling is one of our bottom lines.
To protect our local marine environment we need to invest in better wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, reduce land-based pollution, strengthen marine protection and improve fisheries management.
https://www.opportunity.org.nz/healthy-oceans
Labour Party — collective response on behalf of local candidates
- Ginny Andersen (Hutt South)
- Sophie Handford (Kāpiti)
- Barbara Edmonds (Kenepuru)
- Chris Hipkins (Remutaka)
- Craig Renney (Wellington Bays)
- Dr Ayesha Verrall (Wellington North)
2) National leadership, local outcomes
Question: How would you use your role as an MP to advocate for national policies, investment and governance that protect and restore Wellington’s coast and ocean?
Kenepuru — Matthew Evetts (National)
I would ensure I was aware of the local issues from Iwi, community, NGO, and local government perspectives. I would want to be across the evidence on current conditions and what was causing them. I would use this grassroots consultation and data to advocate for prioritised investment in things like waterway planting, protection of fragile areas, and ongoing monitoring and oversight. I would also use my position to promote awareness of local issues and encourage behaviour change to reduce human impacts.
Wellington Bays — Julie Anne Genter (Green)
As the MP for Rongotai, I have advocated for national policies, investment and governance that would protect and restore Wellington’s coast and ocean, and the Green Party has been a consistent force campaigning for greater marine protection and regulation both at local government and central government level.
I have also fought for accountability over the Moa Point disaster and will continue to push for effective solutions to stop untreated sewage from being dumped on our south coast.
The Green Party has announced in our “Drink, Swim, Fish” policy that we will reinstate Te Mana ō te Wai to piped urban streams so that the ecological health of these waterways (and their inhabitants) are given the legal protection they deserve.
The Green Party announced in our “Jobs for All” policy we will enable locally procured responses to protect and restore our region’s waterways.
Wellington Bays — Kayla Kingdon-Bebb (Opportunity)
My experience as Chief Executive of WWF-New Zealand, in public service at the Department of Conservation, and in environmental policy has taught me that effective conservation requires more than good intentions: it needs durable policy, investment and accountability.
As an MP, I would champion Opportunity’s Healthy Oceans policy (link below), including protecting at least 30% of our marine environment through a strategic, science-based and Te Tiriti-consistent network of fit-for-purpose marine protected areas. I would advocate for reform of fisheries management to embrace an ecosystem-based management approach, for the full roll-out of electronic monitoring to all commercial fishing vessels, and a staged phase-out of bottom-impacting fishing methods in our most vulnerable ecosystems.
I would also push for the restoration of the Oceans Secretariat to strengthen coordination across government, and for sustained investment in wastewater infrastructure, marine science and ecosystem restoration. Wellington’s coastal health cannot be separated from decisions made nationally about fisheries, climate and pollution. We need consistent, cross-party commitments that endure beyond electoral cycles.
https://www.opportunity.org.nz/healthy-oceans
Wellington North — Jessica Hammond (Opportunity)
I would work alongside our Wellington Bays candidate, Dr Kayla Kingdon-Bebb, who is our spokesperson for Ocean and Fisheries, as well as working across parliament to find common ground in protecting our marine environment.
That includes protecting at least 30% of our marine environment and transforming fisheries management to embrace an ecosystem-based management approach.
Labour Party — collective response on behalf of local candidates
- Ginny Andersen (Hutt South)
- Sophie Handford (Kāpiti)
- Barbara Edmonds (Kenepuru)
- Chris Hipkins (Remutaka)
- Craig Renney (Wellington Bays)
- Dr Ayesha Verrall (Wellington North)
3) Working together
Question: How would you support mana whenua, local communities, scientists and conservation organisations to influence decisions and take action to improve the health of our marine environment?
Kenepuru — Matthew Evetts (National)
I’m a naturally collaborative person and I believe one of the roles of a local representative is to bring groups together, foster consensus, and build joint initiatives and planning that generates results. I’m a firm believer in funding on-the-ground groups that already have the passion and know-how to get results.
Wellington Bays — Julie Anne Genter (Green)
With the current Luxon Government there has not been much opportunity to progress investment or legislation this term, but I have loved supporting the work of Mountains to Sea, Love Rimurimu, Friends of Taputeranga Marine Reserve, Worser Bay Boating Club and Explore Your Coast by attending and promoting events and sharing content. I have supported the community in Haewai – Houghton Valley – campaigning for remediation of the closed landfill and a nature-based solution to divert storm and spring water from becoming contaminated and running into the marine reserve.
I will continue to meet with, listen, bring together and advocate on behalf of all those groups to take action to improve the health of our marine environment. I love swimming and snorkeling off our south coast, so it’s one of my greatest passions to work with mana whenua and communities to better protect it. Helping spread awareness of the taonga that is our marine environment and build support for greater protection is probably the best I can do as the MP in opposition, but if the Green Party is in Government we will be able to significantly influence funding and legislation.
Wellington Bays — Kayla Kingdon-Bebb (Opportunity)
My career in conservation has shown me that lasting environmental progress depends on bringing people together, respecting different forms of knowledge and building shared ownership of solutions.
I would advocate for meaningful early engagement with mana whenua, recognising their rights, mātauranga, tikanga and enduring relationships with the moana. Scientists and traditional knowledge-holders must have the independence and resources to inform decisions, while community groups, recreational fishers and conservation organisations need genuine opportunities to shape priorities and monitor progress.
I would support collaborative marine planning that brings these perspectives together, identifies shared objectives and translates them into practical action. Where there are competing interests, I would seek evidence-led solutions that respect Te Tiriti obligations and prioritise long-term ecosystem health.
As Opportunity’s approach recognises, better outcomes require a political system that rewards collaboration rather than division. Wellington’s communities should be partners in restoring the coast they care about.
Wellington North — Jessica Hammond (Opportunity)
Opportunity believes in listening to experts, including those with close relationships with our coasts and oceans. We also believe in honouring and upholding the status of treaty partners as kaitiaki of our local environments.
We also want to invest more in science, increasing spending to at least 2% of GDP, with a longer-term goal of 3%.
Labour Party — collective response on behalf of local candidates
- Ginny Andersen (Hutt South)
- Sophie Handford (Kāpiti)
- Barbara Edmonds (Kenepuru)
- Chris Hipkins (Remutaka)
- Craig Renney (Wellington Bays)
- Dr Ayesha Verrall (Wellington North)
4) Your personal commitment
Question: What specific action will you commit to taking, if elected, to advance marine conservation for Wellington and New Zealand? How would you report back on your progress?
Kenepuru — Matthew Evetts (National)
I will be sitting down with all local councils and Tiaki Wai to ensure that health of our waterways and coastlines is being properly considered in planning, standards, and investment prioritisation. I will report back on joint planning progress and the thinking behind why investment priorities were agreed. I would also ensure that input from Iwi, community, and NGOs was properly incorporated into planning cycles.
Wellington Bays — Julie Anne Genter (Green)
As the local MP, I will convene a local stakeholder group including local community, mana whenua, and relevant local authorities to develop and champion a local bill to increase marine protections. In the current term as electorate MP, I have taken a similar approach to bring together local Newtown residents, businesses, and community groups, along with key government agencies, to work on a solution to social distress and antisocial behaviour in Newtown.
I will use my existing great relationships with MPs across parties to build cross-party support for advancing this local bill. In the current term, I have worked constructively across the aisle on various local and national issues in my portfolio areas. I would also look to support other MPs on similar initiatives in their local area.
Wellington Bays — Kayla Kingdon-Bebb (Opportunity)
If elected, I would commit to championing a national coast and ocean restoration programme, working with mana whenua, scientists, community groups and local and regional councils to identify priority actions and track measurable improvements.
I would advocate for implementation of Opportunity’s Healthy Oceans policy, including progress towards protecting at least 30% of our marine environment, transparent monitoring of commercial fishing, and a staged phase-out of bottom-impacting fishing from vulnerable ecosystems.
Opportunity would report back publicly every year on progress against these commitments, including policy changes secured, funding advocated for, marine protection advanced and local restoration initiatives supported. I would also hold regular community discussions to hear what is changing on the water and where further action is needed.
Having spent my career advocating for nature, I would bring that same evidence-based, collaborative commitment to Parliament. Our ocean should be healthier for the next generation than it is today.
https://www.opportunity.org.nz/healthy-oceans
Wellington North — Jessica Hammond (Opportunity)
I will advocate for Opportunity’s Healthy Oceans policy, including progress towards protecting at least 30% of our marine environment, transparent monitoring of commercial fishing, and a staged phase-out of bottom-impacting fishing from vulnerable ecosystems. I will also try to find common ground across parliament so we can implement enduring solutions that outlive election cycles.
As someone who was born in Wellington, and who has chosen to raise my family here, I will continue to be available and accountable to my community.
https://www.opportunity.org.nz/healthy-oceans
Labour Party — collective response on behalf of local candidates
- Ginny Andersen (Hutt South)
- Sophie Handford (Kāpiti)
- Barbara Edmonds (Kenepuru)
- Chris Hipkins (Remutaka)
- Craig Renney (Wellington Bays)
- Dr Ayesha Verrall (Wellington North)
FoTMR thanks all candidates who took the time to respond to our questions and share their perspectives on the future of our coast and ocean.
We look forward to working with elected representatives and party representatives across all political parties to support better outcomes for our marine environment.