New poll reveals 66% oppose Golden Mile

Thursday, 2 November 2023

An artist’s impression of the Golden Mile planned transformation.

A poll of 1000 Wellingtonians shows 66% do not back plans to transform the Golden Mile and remove most private transport.

Guardians of the Golden Mile, a group opposed to the transformation, contracted Curia to run the poll.

It was conducted in the final three days of October but has been rubbished by Wellington’s Mayor, a firm backer of the project who was voted into office campaigning for Let’s Get Wellington Moving (LGWM), of which the Golden Mile work is a key aspect.

The poll asked: “Do you think the Wellington City Council should commit to spending $139 million, (of which the outgoing Government pledged $71 million) on the Golden Mile project considering the blow out in the Town Hall renovation and growing council debt?”

‘If you can’t trust the questions, you can’t trust the results’: Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau.

Just 21% of respondents answered yes, that the money should be spent, with 66% saying no, and 13% unsure.

Guardians of the Golden Mile co-spokesperson Barry Wilson said the poll was vindication for what the group, and its predecessor, had been saying for years.

He claimed Mayor Tory Whanau planned to soon sign a $139m contract for the Golden Mile construction, based on a mandate that no longer existed.

The incoming National-led government pledged to stop a $7.4 billion LGWM transport overhaul of Wellington but to keep a second Mount Victoria car tunnel, planned as part of the programme.

Crucially, it throws planned light rail into question as no spades-in-ground work had been done on that.

David Farrar rubbished suggestions the questions fundamentally changed the poll results.

The Golden Mile transformation — from Courtenay Place to the railway station — had fallen into unknown territory. Some preparation works have been done but major works have not and Whanau has previously said contracts would be signed before a new Government came in.

The project had already passed the necessary legal processes and there was “no doubt” it was supported by most Wellingtonians, she said on Wednesday.

“A last minute ‘poll’ commissioned by an outspoken and outflanked opposition group should be seen for what it is — a desperate attempt to prevent progress in the city,” she said.

A statement in the poll — in a question about whether whether people had heard of the Golden Mile plans — was wrong because it said all private vehicles would be banned from the Golden Mile. In fact, private cars would be allowed on Courtenay Place after 7pm and there would be allowances for deliveries, some local residents, and people with disabilities.

“If you can’t trust the questions, you can’t trust the results,” she said.

The official earlier Golden Mile consultation, which had clear questions, showed more than 50% support for it, she said.

Curia pollster David Farrar, who wrote the questions, said wording could skew results by a few percent but these results were overwhelming.

The poll also found 54% of respondents thought “making Lambton Quay more like Manners St in terms of traffic” would make Lambton Quay worse while 24% thought it would be better.

It also found that 63% thought it would be unethical for the council to sign a contract before a new Government took office, while 75% thought the process should be paused for six weeks to wait for a new Government.