Tired Waterloo Station ripe for development

Wednesday, 17 July 2024

A medical hub, cafes, apartments and a supermarket are just some of the possibilities being touted for a proposed Waterloo transport hub.

Greater Wellington is looking at the future of Lower Hutt’s Waterloo Station after it was revealed that its central canopy was failing and needed replacing. It is also poorly lit and there is little protection from the weather.

A report to councillors in May by Metlink manager Emmet McElhatton said the large canopy over the station was in poor shape but rather than just replace it, Greater Wellington should investigate a new transport hub.

It is old and tired, and Greater Wellington transport chair Thomas Nash says Waterloo Station is ripe for development.

It could include commercial and residential developments, and improved transport links to the central Hutt and eventually RiverLink.

Transport chair Thomas Nash said that no decisions had been made but the site was ripe for development.

Hutt City Council has plans to encourage residential development along the train and bus corridors, and around the existing Waterloo shops.

The aim, he said, would be to create a facility where you could drop your children off for childcare, drop off your dry cleaning and catch a train to work in Wellington.

In the evening you would pick up takeaways and walk home, before returning later to the gym.

Nash said although the site was ideal it was not the role of the regional council to be the developer. Its role was to provide train and bus facilities, and it would be up to a private developer to do the rest.

The canopy that sits above the station is failing.

Greater Wellington had $110m in its draft long term plan and would also be looking for money from central Government.

The impetus to upgrade the facilities comes from the need to repair or replace the canopy that covers the existing station.

The inside of the station is poorly lit and the tiles in the subway are slippery and damp.

McElhatton said it was not fit for purpose and nearing the end of its life. They did not, however, support replacing it, instead arguing for a rebuild.

The structure was built in 1987 and Greater Wellington was facing an “ever increasing maintenance burden” for a facility that was not serving commuters well, McElhatton said.

Waterloo is the second busiest station (after Wellington) by passenger volumes and the report said that in order to meet future demand, the entire site needed redevelopment.

Waterloo Station is not regarded as fit for purpose.

Hutt based regional councillor Quentin Duthie agreed with the assessment that it was reaching the end of its life.

Situated in the centre of the Hutt and surrounded by flat land, much of it owned publicly, Duthie said there was plenty of potential for development. It was also a long way from the river and the sea, which gave it greater resilience than other stations.

The canopy above the station is failing and in bad weather the subway provides little protection.

Hutt City was looking for areas that could support urban intensification and Duthie said the potential economic benefits of a development that could feature medical and childhood facilities, a supermarket and apartments was obvious.

Nash said the council was consulting with the Waterloo community and a lot more work was required to come up with a final plan.

The number of commuters using the station was likely to increase dramatically over the next 10 to 20 years and he said Greater Wellington wanted to ensure the facility could meet the growing demand.

After walking around the station on Tuesday, he said he was surprised at the state of building. The tiles were slippery, it was poorly lit and there was little protection from the weather. “We could make this much nicer.”

Development plans for the site would be included in the Regional Land Transport Plan, which would provide the basis for Greater Wellington to apply for central government funding.

Athfield Architects described the dilapidated structure as an “island in a sea of car parking“.

It said the structure provided commuters with minimal shelter, had poor access and was not well connected to the nearby bus services.