Wellingtonians have their say on City to Sea Bridge demolition

Monday, 25 November 2024

Civic Square construction has left Wellington residents frustrated, with delays, noise, and closures disrupting everyday life. Aaron describes the ongoing works as a “nightmare,” with overnight noise impacting his family’s well-being.

Wellington City Council’s Civic Square redevelopment plan has been described as “urban vandalism” during a lengthy public consultation meeting that saw a number of blistering attacks from submitters.

“It’s apparent there’s a long way to go before you and your ratepayers can have confidence in your financial forecast,” one local told the councillors present.

“Your voting public are aghast… you are losing the trust of the people,” they continued.

At one point, the submitter paused and asked if the councillors were listening.

“No wonder the commentary you read is scathing - it is clear you do not have public support to tear down this beloved feature.”

That “beloved feature” is the capital’s City to Sea Bridge.

In late October, WCC had asked for feedback on its future plans for Te Ngākau Civic Square, specifically around the City to Sea Bridge, the Michael Fowler Centre, the Jack Ilott Green park, and the City Gallery.

To demolish, or not to demolish, that is WCC’s question after hearing from passionate City to Sea Bridge submitters on Monday.

It had earlier been revealed the bridge was set to be demolished following a seismic assessment, with plans to either replace it with a new pedestrian crossing or a pedestrian crossing with a new, smaller bridge at two different points across Jervois Quay.

At the time, the council’s Environment and Infrastructure committee stated that “based on the information received from our team of consultants, the only reasonably practicable option is to demolish the bridge and replace it with something new”.

Most submitters were not impressed by those plans.

80 were against either option and opposed demolition entirely, 17 said they supported building a new bridge with an accompanying pedestrian crossing, and 14 wanted to get rid of the bridge entirely and replace it with a new crossing.

A group of Wellingtonians have joined together to save the threatened City To Sea Bridge after council voted against spending millions to strengthen it.

“Frankly, W-T-F,” one said, referring to the planned demolition as “cultural and urban vandalism”.

“I do not want a new bridge, I want the existing structures - the bridge and Capital Discovery Place to be economically and reasonably strengthened,” he added. “Please stop this process, please pause and reconsider everything.”

There were some people submitting in favour of demolishing the bridge, though, with one Wellingtonian suggesting that getting rid of it would open up space. They acknowledged they were “a bit of an outsider” in having a positive view of the council’s plans.

“[The bridge] is a barrier between the public square and the waterfront… it prevents a direct, visual relationship between the sea and land,” they said.

A final decision on the City to Sea Bridge is scheduled to be made by WCC by December 5.