Students call for pause on Civic Square revamp and a park

Friday, 1 November 2024

Student Y Bjors wants to see greenery and open space, not another high rise.

Y Bjors has spent weeks watching the wrecking ball flatten one of two former council buildings on the edge of Wellington’s Civic Square and the area turn from a bleak urban environment into a light-filled open space.

Yet the Wellington College environment prefect is loath to get too enthusiastic about the amazing new view from his family’s nearby apartment.

Instead he and schoolmate Ansh Arya have launched a campaign calling for a halt to the square’s revamp.

“I’d been watching them tearing down the building and seeing how it's just been more and more open space and more and more light coming in, and sort of fantasizing about how it could be, what it could be,” explains Y.

An artist's impression of the new civic building that will replace the civic administration building and municipal office building in Te Ngākau Civic Square.

That was until he found out plans for Te Ngākau include a 10-storey building to replace the old Civic Administration and Municipal Office buildings, which the council said in April when announcing it had entered negotiations with Precinct Properties, would give effect to its long-standing intention to redevelop the sites in partnership with a private developer.

“I just felt with the opening up of the space it was such a good opportunity to have sort of gateway from the city going through to the ocean that there wasn't before.”

The two 17-year-olds said it was “preposterous” that when the idea of creating more green space was proposed it was pointed out (by council officers) that the new building would have a garden on its roof, implying that a roof garden was an adequate substitute for ground level green space.

They have now created a Save Our Civic Square web page, urging the council to pause the rebuild and put a new proposal to the vote at next year’s local body elections.

The two 17-year-old Wellington College students are urging the council to pause the rebuild and put a new proposal to the vote at next year’s local body elections.

Said Y: “The decision feels as if it’s been done in the back room, it seems it was all about a quick investment and they [council] haven’t really considered what’s best for the square.”

Their website, which they say speaks on behalf of the youth of Wellington, notes Te Ngākau means the heart.

“It is the heart of our city, and the land surrounding it is the property of the city.This land, owned by our government, belongs to all of us. It would be a disgrace to sell off part of our city's heart and corrupt it for the sake of short term monetary gain. The city is leasing away our land and not giving us a say in how it should be used.

“As our city grows, we need a bigger square for people to gather.

“Our civic square should be a place for Wellingtonians to gather for graduations, protests, picnics, live music, and to read a book in the sun. That's what a capital city’s central park should look like.”

Ansh and Y are meeting with councillor Ray Chung on Saturday and plan to attend a panel discussion on November 6 where the council is showcasing its plans for Te Ngākau Civic Precinct.

There is also a drop-in at the Wellington Museum tomorrow from 10-30am – 1pm where the council team will be available to answer questions about the scenarios and options in the plan.

*CORRECTION:** The drop in meeting with the council team about Te Ngākau Civic Precinct will be held on Saturday. (Amended November 1, 2023 8.19am)**