Waterfront watchdog plans to bury Chinese Garden plans with legal appeal

Monday, 19 December 2016

Wellington's waterfront watchdog has gone to the Environment Court in its effort to bury plans for a Chinese garden.

Waterfront Watch lodged an appeal with the court earlier this month against an independent commissioner's decision that approved resource consent for Wellington City Council to begin a $10.5 million revamp of Frank Kitts Park.

Material for the garden will be sourced in China.

The development includes a $5m Garden of Beneficence, which will be funded by the Wellington Chinese Garden Society with support from the capital's sister cities Xiamen, Beijing and Tianjin.

But a petition signed by 2743 people is supporting Waterfront Watch, attacking the proposal as taking away open green space in a prime spot that has been enjoyed by Wellingtonians for decades.

A traditional Pai Lau archway is included in the designs.

Proposed redevelopment of Frank Kitts Park.

* Stoush brewing over Wellington's plans for a Chinese garden on the waterfront

* Dave Armstrong: Is plonking a Chinese garden in an already popular park a good move?

The proposed revamp of Frank Kitts Park has been designed to open up harbour views.

* Chinese Garden may finally get go-ahead in proposed Frank Kitts Park redevelopment

* Chinese garden planned for waterfront park**

It has described the Chinese garden in the past as: 'the imposition of a foreign cultural theme garden inappropriate to an area which is highly valued by residents and visitors to Wellington and which currently exhibits New Zealand values'.

The creation of the garden would mean the loss of the current amphitheatre, the shifting of a Wahine disaster memorial, and the replanting of the lighthouse playground slide back towards Jervois Quay.

The garden would also be closed at night, whereas Frank Kitts Park at present is never closed.

Waterfront Watch vice-president Victor Davie declined to comment on the appeal on Monday, beyond saying mediation could take place in February, which could potentially be followed by court proceedings later in the year.

Wellington Chinese Garden Society chairman Harvey Wu said the appeal 'didn't come as a surprise'.

'You can never be totally confident with litigation or court hearings but, generally, we believe a robust case has been done.'

Closing the garden at night would protect it from vandals and ensure the council met its health and safety guidelines, he said.

Council spokesman Richard MacLean was also not surprised that an appeal had been lodged, 'given the history of the development of the waterfront over the past 20 years or so'.

'Given the relatively small number of submissions lodged against the proposal, it appears most Wellingtonians are comfortable with it.'

Lambton Ward councillors Nicola Young and Iona Pannett believed the city had higher priorities after the Kaikoura earthquake.

'I haven't met anyone who wants changes to Frank Kitts Park,' Young said, 'except for the children's playground, which does need a facelift.'

WATERFRONT SCRAPS

* In 2012, the Environment Court upheld an appeal against Wellington City Council, which approved a six-storey building at a site opposite the NZ Post building called Kumutoto Wharf.

* In 2008, the Environment Court stopped a Greater Wellington Regional Council-approved development of a Hilton Hotel near Queens Wharf. The court accepted the development would have provided benefits to the wider community, but ruled they would be achieved at the expense of many of the qualities that made the site special and unique.