Let's Get Wellington Moving: Dead and alive

Sunday, 17 December 2023

The Golden Mile revamp looks set to progress but under a different umbrella.

Central government will build and fund the Basin Reserve upgrade and second Mt Victoria tunnel.
Wellington City Council will bring the Golden Mile project in-house.
Accelerating the North-South, East-West, and Harbour Quays’ bus corridors will be priority projects.

The $7.4 billion Let’s Get Wellington Moving project is dead, but most major aspects have survived as a new plan for 1500 homes in the central city emerges.

Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop is understood to be part of the team that hammered out a LGWM deal.

In a deal hammered out with Wellington’s two councils and the new National-led Government, a second Mount Victoria tunnel will now get built, the Golden Mile revamp looks likely, and light rail is gone to be replaced by bus priority lanes running east-west and north south.

The official joint announcement – from Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop, Transport and Local Government Minister Simeon Brown, Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau, and Greater Wellington Regional Council chairperson Daran Ponter – was made on Sunday morning.

It shows the second tunnel, as well as an Arras Tunnel extension, and grade separation roads around the Basin Reserve have been given the green light and will be funded entirely by the Government, as opposed to joint funding from Waka Kotahi NZTA and Wellington’s two councils.

Bus priority, including some bus only lanes, will be put in roughly following the number 1 bus route from Johnsonville to Island Bay and the number 2 route from Karori to the eastern suburbs. Bus priority lanes would also be put along the harbour quays.

The Golden Mile project, a major overhaul of the stretch from the railway station to Courtenay Place including extensive pedestrianisation, looks set to survive.

NZTA will still cover about half the cost, but it will become a Wellington City Council project. Part of the deal hammered out with the Government was that the city council will consult further with businesses.

An area northwest of the Basin Reserve has now been earmarked for about 1500 homes.

Let’s Get Wellington Moving (LGWM) was to include light rail, a second Mount Victoria tunnel, and an array of cycling and walking projects around the city.

But it has been dogged with budget blow outs, delays and very little actual physical construction. National successfully campaigned on ditching the project, but keeping the second tunnel and building a Petone to Grenada link road.

Whanau said local, regional and central government were in agreement about the plan, even if she has opposed a second tunnel.

“It is important to me that we work constructively with the new government to deliver the infrastructure that Wellington desperately needs.

“It is good to have a clear sense of direction from the government and commitment to investing in the infrastructure for our growing population.”

There would be no cuts to walking or cycling initiatives, she said.

But Wellington City councillor Iona Pannett labelled the plan “climate vandalism”, due to roads getting priority over light rail, walking, and cycling. Cycling was not mentioned, while walking was only talked of in passing.

“A hostile road is not good for pedestrians,” she said.

She did though applaud the bus priority.

Bishop said the second tunnel would create “exciting opportunities for more urban development and housing”, while Brown talked of a government deal for the city.

“This would mean having strategic objectives for road, rail, public transport, housing and environmental resilience investments for Wellington that are shared by central, regional and local government, along with long-term funding commitments to enable certainty of planning,” he said.

Patrick Morgan, from Cycling Action Network, said the plan amounted to the Government building its way out of congestion.

“An extra car tunnel would attract more traffic, jamming up Wellington streets, and adding pollution, and danger. It's the opposite of what Wellington needs.

“It's a slap in the face for Wellington voters, who have consistently demanded better public transport, cycling and walking, and affordable housing.”

* Correction: An earlier version of this story said 5000 homes were planned for the area northwest of the Basin Reserve. The wrong information was supplied. The correct figure was 1500.