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- Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau says she’s not spending at the moment because of the cost of living crisis��

- She says her mortgage rates have doubled in the past few years and she recently sold her car to help pay the bills��

- The mayor recently received a 3.7% pay rise, taking her annual salary to $189,799��

- She’s acknowledged things are “really tough” in Wellington at the moment��

Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau��has acknowledged the economic challenges facing residents in the��capital, saying she’s “feeling the crunch” too and recently sold her car to help pay the bills.��

The mayor’s annual salary has increased to $189,799 following a 3.7% pay rise in July.��She also won $1.4 million through Lotto in 2002.��

Job cuts in the public sector and a string of retail and hospitality closures have once again sparked conversation about whether Wellington is “dying”.��

Speaking to ��һ�ǿ�����talk ZB’s Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills, Whanau acknowledged things were “really tough” currently.��

“We are feeling a bit low at the moment, we’ve been hit by a number of things. Obviously, the economic downturn, public service cuts, the cost of living, people aren’t spending money and that is showing up in closures and whatnot.��

“But what I want to say right now is yip, let’s acknowledge that it’s tough. I don’t want us to talk us further into doom and gloom.”��

When pressed by Mills about whether she “actually feels it” - the financial pressure - Whanau said she did.��

“I don’t want to downplay the privilege that I have. I am the mayor of the city, I have a house and I’m very thankful for that.��

“However I’ve just sold my car recently to kind of help pay the bills, I walk to work again, my mortgage rates have doubled in the past few years. So I’m feeling the crunch as well, but I also recognise the privilege that I have.”��

When questioned further by the��Herald��Whanau declined to say what type of car it was beyond a “hatchback”. She said the sale had taken place “a few months ago”. She also pointed out she had recently moved into a townhouse in the city.��

Whanau said as well as her mortgage rates doubling, she had also had to make some “adjustments to her lifestyle”.��

“I.e. do nothing in terms of socialising and stuff. I can’t spend at the moment because of the cost of living crisis like many others.”��

Mills questioned how that was going to help��struggling businesses��and Whanau agreed it wouldn’t, but said it was an issue facing people across the country due to job losses and high interest rates.��

She said every time she sees a business close she thinks, “Oh man, what could we have done?”��

Whanau said the biggest issue for businesses in Wellington seemed to be less foot traffic and less spend, which she felt had been accelerated by public sector cuts.��

She was confident the council’s long-term plan would revitalise the city over the next few years.��

In the short term, Whanau said she was working with businesses to have more parklets in the city, host a��New Year’s Eve festival, and was speaking with local designers to hold a fashion event to raise awareness of their brands following the��cancellation of this year’s New Zealand Fashion Week.��

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