More money to battle climate change in Wellington, and less for new library books

Tempers flared as Wellington City Councillors spent seven hours yesterday trying to prioritise spending for the next decade.

The capital's facing an expensive few years with ageing water pipes, seismic issues and social housing to address.

Mayor Andy Foster introduced 11 last-minute changes to his Long Term Plan budget in an attempt to bring costs down.

He managed to get them all through, including a plan to privatise part of the central library building, and reduce the investment in library books.

However Climate change portfolio leader, Tamatha Paul, managed to get 3.8 million dollars added to the budget, to include climate justice in its guiding principles.