1 October 2025
File Ref: IRC-9043
Mohan Dutta
[FYI request #32215 email]
Tēnā koe Mohan
Thank you for your email of 3 September 2025 to Te Kaunihera o Pōneke | Wellington City Council
(the Council) requesting information regarding Diwali events
. Your request has been considered under
the Local Government Of icial Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA). I have answered your
questions in turn below.
1. Kindly supply how much funding has been awarded to the Diwali event between 2017
and 2025.
The below table shows the funding provided by the Council toward Diwali events.
Year
Funding Level from Creative
Venue Subsidy Funding
Capital (or predecessor)
2017
$78,200.00
2018
$64,000.00
2019
$64,000.00
2020
$64,000.00
2021
$64,000.00
2022
$80,000.00
2023
$80,000.00
$12,690.00
2024
$80,000.00
$16,270.00
2025
$80,000.00
$16,270.00
The funding is divided into two streams: Venue Subsidy Funding and Creative Capital Funding. Venue
Subsidy Funding supports the cost of hiring Council-owned venues, helping make spaces more
accessible for event organisers. Creative Capital Funding covers other essential elements of event
delivery.
2. Kindly supply the details of how the Diwali event is designed, run and managed.
The Council funds but does not design, run or manage the Diwali event. Instead, the Diwali event is
run by a member of the community who carries the knowledge of the community’s needs and history.
The current Community Producer has been involved with the Wellington Diwali festival, in various
roles, for over 15 years. The Community Producer is responsible for designing and managing the
event.
3. Kindly supply the minutes of the meetings to discuss the Diwali event between 2017 and
2025
The Council does not hold any minutes of meetings discussing the Diwali event between 2017 and
2025. Therefore, this portion of your request has been refused under section 17(e) of the LGOIMA,
that the document alleged to contain the information requested does not exist or, despite reasonable
efforts to locate it, cannot be found.
4. Is there a community advisory group that guides the council on the event? Who sits on the
community advisory group? What organizations are represented on the community advisory
group? How is the composition of the advisory group decided?
There is not currently a Community Advisory Group with Diwali in its remit.
5. Has the Council received complaints about caste discrimination and racism around the
Diwali event?
The Council has not received any complaints about caste discrimination or racism around the Diwali
Event.
In 2024 during the Diwali season, a member of the public pointed out that a set of Flags displayed on
the south end of Frank Kitts Park, were of a colour similar to an Indian Political party. These flags
were part of a multicoloured set of flags used to dress the poles when not otherwise in use and were
in no way part of the Diwali Festival. Upon receiving feedback from this member of the public, the
Council replaced the flags with those of a different colour.
6. What are the restrictions related to food trucks for the Diwali event? How are these
restrictions decided? Has the Council received feedback about the discriminatory nature of
these restrictions? How does it respond to such feedback or complaints? If there have been
complaints raised, how has the Council addressed them?
Selection of the food stalls (and the criteria) is made by the Community Producer based on online
applications. The Council has not received any feedback about discrimination at the Diwali Event.
The Council takes any feedback of discrimination seriously and if a member of the public has a
concern we encourage them to reach out to council officers directly, or through the Contact Centre:
https://wellington.govt.nz/contact-us/contact-details.
7. What is the Council's position on funding other religious events from the South Asian
communities?
While we recognise that Diwali is a time of religious significance, the Diwali event in Wellington is
funded as a Community Event that welcomes all Wellingtonians. The Diwali Event has a
comparatively high-level of funding due to the history of the event within the Council and the
consistently high attendance. Community Groups can apply for event funding through our Community
Events Sponsorship Fund.
I trust this information is helpful. If you have any concerns about this response please contact
[Wellington City Council request email]. Alternatively, you are advised of your right to raise any concerns
with the Of ice of the Ombudsman at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Chelsea McHugh
Senior Advisor Of icial Information
Of icial Information & Privacy
Wellington City Council
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