Protesters demand council cancel Golden Mile project

Thursday, 3 October 2024

About 100 people gathered to protest looming changes to Courtenay Place, with speakers pleading with council to cancel the Golden Mile project.

The gathering was held at the corner of Courtenay Place and Cambridge Terrace, with members of campaign group Better Wellington, business owners and councillors Ray Chung, Diane Calvert and Nicola Young taking the podium.

The Golden Mile, which spans from Courtenay Place to Lambton Quay, will undergo a major transformation from the beginning of 2025, with pedestrians, public transport and cyclists prioritised.

The $139.4 million project would see private cars banned from the city’s main entertainment and shopping thoroughfare.

Tracy Burke, who spoke on behalf of the medical community and worked at The Podiatry Clinic, said with the number of medical centres on Courtenay Place, elderly and vulnerable people would struggle with accessibility.

“If they take away all these parks, where are they going to go?”

Kaffee Eis owner Karl Tiefenbacher was one of 70 business owners who signed a petition against the Golden Mile.

In his view, safety, security and lighting were more important in bringing people to the city centre.

He argued the revamped Golden Mile would not be friendly for both pedestrians and public transport users, with the cycle lane positioning causing safety issues in crossing the street and the bus stops removed.

Nicola Martin, a member of Wellington Rates Revolt, believed the project would be a ”disaster”.

Living in Northland, it cost her $6.64 for a return bus in peak time while her friend who lived on the Kāpiti Coast said it cost $20 for a return train ride in peak time, 19 cents a kilometre compared to Martin’s $1.50/km.

“Spending tens of millions beautifying this is not going to change those sorts of outcomes.”

With the rates increases, Martin said over the next 10 years the city would become “elitist”.

“The only people that are going to be able to afford to live here are the wealthy, or people who are renting.”

Nicola Young said while it was important to smarten up the Golden Mile, the council could not afford the project.

She labelled the project “disastrous,” especially the removal of the St James Theatre bus stop after spending $42m on strengthening work.

Wellington resident Kevin Bull hoped such protestswould result in change from the council. He wanted to see the long-term plan complete revisited.