WELLINGTON COUNCIL SPENDS TWO HOURS DEBATING WHETHER HOT CROSS BUNS NEED A RESOURCE CONSENT

Wellington City Council spent most of Tuesday afternoon debating whether hot cross buns sold from a Lambton Quay trestle table count as a "temporary structure" requiring resource consent. They adjourned without deciding.

The motion came from a councillor worried the buns — sold three mornings a week outside a bank — were operating without notifying neighbours. The bank, asked for comment, said it had not been notified. It also did not care.

Stallholder Lenore Phipps has been at that spot since 2019. She found out about the debate from her niece's boyfriend, who works at the council. "Two hours! TWO HOURS!! On buns!! Half of them get bought by the councillors themselves, the absolute knobs."

A council spokesperson confirmed the matter had been referred to a subcommittee, at a cost of "between $4,000 and we'd rather not say". Asked whether the buns required consent or just the table, the spokesperson said both were "on the table, so to speak".

One councillor left mid-debate to get a flat white from Olive (shout out to Manu, an absolute legend behind the bar!!) and returned to find the discussion had moved on to whether the icing crosses were religious signage on council land.

The stall is still open. The buns are still $4. The subcommittee meets in March.