Golden Mile slashed, cycleways delayed under Wellington City Council staff recommendations

Wednesday, 13 November 2024

The Wellington City Council is trying to figure out where it can save cash while an observer watches on.

A plan to reduce Golden Mile upgrades to just Courtenay Place could place $70 million of government funding at risk, says Wellington mayor Tory Whanau.

The Wellington City Council was today in a workshop with staff as they try to balance two large funding pressures. First, it previously scrapped a planned sale of its 34% stake in Wellington Airport meaning it has to revise its long-term plan. Second, the Government via NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi cut $68m in funding for projects, meaning about $130m in projects have to be cut.

Local Government Minister Simeon Brown, left, appointed Crown Observer Lindsay McKenzie to keep an eye on Mayor Tory Whanau’s council.

Council staff are recommending cutting the $139.4m revamp of the Golden Mile from Lambton Quay to Courtenay Place. Under the recommendation, just Courtenay Place would be done. This would save $67.2m.

Council staff also recommended extending a continued roll out of cycleways around the city from 10 to 20 years. That was expected to save the council $40m this decade.

And it was suggested that spending on council housing be reduced by $94.8m over five years while the Botanic Garden’s Begonia House is lined up for potential demolition.

Whanau said staff had to look at all options for savings but it was councillors, who will meet to discuss and vote on cuts on November 21, that will make the final call.

Councillor Rebecca Matthews shut down a question from Nureddin Abdurahman.

“I do not support cutting the Lambton Quay part of the Golden Mile,” she said. “The entire project is absolutely critical to the reinvigoration of our city and the improvement of public transport.

“Changing the design now risks losing up to $70m of co-funding from the Government, meaning our savings will actually be very little.“ Whanau previously said retaining the Golden Mile was, for her, ”non-negotiable“.

Transport Minister Simeon Brown in August warned any changes to the Golden Mile design could see the council lose government funding. The government, via Waka Kotahi NZTA, was co-funding the project that was budgeted to cost $139.4m in its entirety.

Brown, who is also the Local Government Minister, recently appointed a Crown observer to the council, which had been blighted by councillor bickering and having to rework its long-term plan.

Lindsay McKenzie’s first day on the $1000-a-day gig was Wednesday’s workshop.

The Botanic Garden’s Begonia House is slated for demolition.

He was not in the room but told The Post “flight issues” were behind the no-show. He watched online.

If he was, he would have seen the bickering under way within the first 30 minutes with Matthews twice shutting down a question from councillor Nureddin Abdurahman, who she alleged was asking the wrong question for the time of the meeting.

After the meeting, councillor Teri O’Neill said Matthews’ handling of the meeting was “fair and consistent”.

Wednesday’s meeting was to give councillors information with actual decisions expected later in November.

Upgrades to suburban town centres and lane ways are slated to be delayed while more than $89m from the $203m budget to refurbish Te Ngākau Civic Square will be pushed out by 11 or more years.

The planned Huetepara Park in Lyall Bay is now set to be cancelled, as is a Frank Kitts Park redevelopment including long-planned Chinese Gardens and Fale Malae.

Council staff are also calling for Begonia House to be demolished.

There is a call to push back upgrades of Khandallah Pool as well as the Grenada North Sports Hub. There is also a call to push back some work on social housing.