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    • What do you think? - fill in our latest surveys
      • WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THESE KEY PROPOSALS? ICW Survey: What do you think about the Courtenay Place Revitalisation plan ICW Survey: What do you think ... about The City Safety & Wellbeing Plan ICW Survey: What do you think ... about Waterfront Safety - Edge Protection (fencing)

    • CENSUS 2023 - what does it say about ICW’s ‘Our Patch”
      • Statistics New Zealand has a wide range of reports unpacking the Census 2023 results. For Wellington generally, they have prepared this downloadable info. More granular info about ‘Our Patch’ The folks at Infometrics have also unpacked the Census 2023 information and they offer an easy way to view the data about “Our Patch” - Te Aro and Wellington - at a “Statistical Area 3” (SA3) level. That’s a geographic unit used to aggregate population data at a more granular level. Here are the links on their website. Explore the “SA3” information about Te Aro Explore the “SA3” level information about “Wellington Central

    • Seeds to Feeds + Inner-City Wellington invite you to come along to the launch of Food Week 2025
      • Food Week launch —————————— When: 2-4pm: Saturday 1 March 2025 Where: The Bond Street Container (just off Willis Street) Drop in to see us! _______________ What is it all about? Local Food Week is a festival celebrating Wellington’s local food scene and the community that flourishes when we grow, cook and eat together. It runs from 1-9 March. On Saturday lst March, you’ll be able to talk to folks who know how to grow things! take away free seeds and cuttings that you can grow enjoy food the amazing Seeds to Feeds community has helped to grow get ideas of things you could grow – even if you live in a tiny little apartment and talk to some of the locals who are growing things in the inner-city. Looking forward to seeing you !

    • Invitation to explore our wonderful community gardens
      • From Wellington City Council Miramar Prison Garden Community gardens are the hidden gems of our city. From lush pocket gardens to rambling urban oasis, you’ll find them tucked away behind bowling clubs on Mount Victoria and nestled between houses in the Brooklyn Hills. They’re as varied as the people who tend them but are all great places to learn about growing local kai, to connect with others, or take some time out. On each Open Sunday from 10am to 2pm, community gardens in a different area of the city will be hosting visitors. Come take part in a workshop, explore somewhere new, get your hands in the soil, and find out how to join a garden. Sunday 16 February - Central Wellington Sunday 9 March - South Wellington Sunday 16 March - East Wellington Sunday 30 March - West/North Wellington

    • Major Wakefield Street roadworks coming up!
      • Roadworks begin on 21 January 2025 Tēna koe Wellington Water in conjunction with our contractor E.N. Ramsbottom is about to get underway with the second stage of constructing the new wastewater rising main along Wakefield Street on behalf of Wellington City Council. BACKGROUND The new rising main (a pipe that carries wastewater under pressure) links the existing Kent Terrace rising main and the new Taranaki Street rising main. It will provide additional storage and redundancy to the network, allowing an alternative route for pumping flows during planned or unplanned maintenance of the Kent Terrace rising main. ABOUT THIS STAGE The first stage of the Wakefield Street rising main was completed in December 2022. We are now commencing the last stage, which includes installing approximately 270m of pipe on Wakefield Street between Tory Street and Kent Terrace and approximately 50m of pipe on Chaffers Street between Wakefield Street and Pump Station 4, located at the Chaffers St entrance to the New World car park. DATES Work will start 21 January 2025, with the section between Tory Street and Chaffers Street. LANE CLOSURE Due to the location of the new pipe, this section of Wakefield Street will be reduced to one lane. On-street parking will also be removed from this section of the street. However, access to garages, parking buildings and retail premises will be maintained throughout. The overall duration of these works will be six to seven months. If you have any queries please contact: Michelle Hoffman, Project Manager michelle@ramsbottom.org.nz; 027 4716246 After hours, please call the Wellington City Council Call Centre on 04 499 4444. If you have a complaint, please call 04 912 4470 or email customer@wellingtonwater.co.nz to access our free complaints process. If we cannot resolve your complaint, you can contact Utilities Disputes on 0800 22 33 40 or go to www.utilitiesdisputes.co.nz. Utilities Disputes is a free and independent service for resolving complaints about utilities providers. Thank you for your patience as we work to improve the city’s infrastructure. Project overview 2024

    • Early alert - it’s Local Body Elections year - don’t miss the boat
      • Here’s a link to our page where we’ve listed the key dates. We know that it’s a bit early to think about this, but the year will fly by and this opportunity only comes around every 3 years. Your vote is important because it helps shape the future so get ready to get enrolled or to check your enrolment - it would be a shame to miss the boat.

    • Want to say something about the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill?
      • From the Ministry of Justice website. 9 January 2025 Public submissions are now being called for Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill. The closing date for submissions is 1.00pm Tuesday, 14 January 2025 The Justice Committee has reopened submissions on the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill. The new deadline for submissions is 1.00pm, Tuesday, 14 January 2025. The committee unanimously agreed to reopen submissions due to the technical issues affecting the Parliament website in the closing days of the submission period. The committee’s intention is to ensure that everyone who tried to make a submission but was unable will have the opportunity to do so. The committee strongly encourages those wishing to make submissions to do so promptly, and to not leave doing so until the final hours on Tuesday, 14 January. Link to online submission form https://www.parliament.nz/en/ECommitteeSubmission/54SCJUST_SCF_227E6D0B-E632-42EB-CFFE-08DCFEB826C6/CreateSubmission This form can be used to make a submission on this item of business. If you have already prepared your submission you can lodge it using this form, or you can type a brief submission into this submission form. Submissions will be published on this website once they are released by the committee. You can view further information about making a submission, formatting submissions so they may be viewed by committee members on screen, and natural justice before select committees.

    • 2025 - what’s happening with the Golden Mile?
      • Here’s an update from the Wellington City Council team. 9 January 2025 Construction of Golden Mile Revitalisation is still planned to start on Cambridge and Kent Terrace Intersection. Courtenay Place will follow, with Lambton Quay to come later. We expect to be able to start construction this year, but we have not announced a start date yet. We remain committed to ensuring that adequate notice is given ahead of any construction starting, and we will meet with directly affected residents and businesses to discuss construction, what can be done to minimise the impact, and any needs our construction team should be aware of. Before construction starts, we look forward to sharing the final design so all Wellingtonians can better understand what the new Courtenay Place will look like, and the benefits it will bring to our city.

    • Want to help clean up the neighbourhood?
      • There are some wonderful people in apartment buildings and residences across the inner-city that we call our “ICW Clean Up Crews”. They head out with their trusty ICW Clean Up Kit (a pickup stick, flouro vest, gloves and bucket) to check their gutters, street, local bushes and alleyways and pick up the litter. Some do it as a fun and educational ‘litter hunters’ activity with their whānau; some add it as part of their regular walks and dog walks; some do it just because they want to help keep their neighbourhood looking good. We’d love to help create more Clean Up Crews because (sadly) people still love dropping litter in the inner-city. If you are interested let us know and we’ll be in touch! And … we’ll supply the Clean Up Kit for free! Here are the results of a recent resident’s work.! Thank you :)

    • Happy New Year - we’ve survived to 2025 and now it’s time to thrive!
      • ICW was down in the Courtenay Precinct for the New Year’s Eve Courtenay Carnival - and it was wonderful! Despite the chilly wind and on-and-off rain, people came down to enjoy the music - even the little kiddies braved the cold to be part of the activity - and the vibe was positive, happy and trouble-free! The food stalls out on the street were also a big hit! Let’s do it again! ______________________ ON THE NIGHT … FOOD: ON THE NIGHT …FUN: AND… THE MUSIC THE COUNTDOWN AND THE FIREWORKS !

    • Reminder: Lambton Quay & side streets closing: 7pm. Sunday 5 Jan - 7am. Sunday 9 Jan 2025
      • From WCC: Lambton Quay & side streets closing: 7pm. Sunday 5 January 2025 - 7am. Sunday 9 January 2025 ——- Why we are doing this. The council has received a significant number of requests from our partners and other organisations for the opportunity to do maintenance along Lambton Quay. By coordinating everyone to do the work at the same time, we can do all the scheduled work for 2025 in three days and four nights. This means we can avoid weeks of ongoing disruption for local businesses and residents and achieve significant cost savings through a combined traffic management plan. We have picked these dates to cause as little disruption as possible for businesses in the area. Our pedestrian and retail data shows this is traditionally the quietest period of the year. What you can expect: We are closing Lambton Quay and its side streets to vehicles from 7pm on Sunday 5 January until 7am Thursday 9 January. Pedestrians will have access at all times. Full list of road closures· Lambton Quay between Willis St and Bowen St · Panama Street, between Lambton Quay and Featherston Street · Brandon Street, between Lambton Quay and Featherston Street · Johnston Street, between Lambton Quay and Featherston Street · Waring Taylor Street, between Lambton Quay and Maginnity Street, and · Stout Street, between Lambton Quay and Ballance The work being done includes: Fixing leaks and water maintenance Street light repairs Utility reinstatements · Underground investigation · Tree trimming · Resurfacing, repainting of road markings. · Road and street furniture maintenance · Street cleaning · Graffiti removal. Noise and disruption Work will happen both day and night. Some activities will be disruptive, but measures will be taken to reduce disturbance and noise as much as possible. The noisiest works will be done before 11pm each night. A Hydro/Airvac will need to run 24/7 in some areas. Noise from this will be mitigated as much as possible. None of the day works will affect footpaths, they will stay open. Temporary bus stops and loading zones. Buses will be diverted, and temporary bus stops put up along the alternative route on Customhouse Quay and Featherston Street. Please refer to the Metlink app or website for more information during the closure. Temporary loadings zones will be on Featherston Street, please refer to the map attached for more information. Rubbish collection. Rubbish and recycling pickups will operate as scheduled each night. Cruise ships We are aware cruise ships are due in town during this period. The shuttle bus to the precinct is not affected, and cruise passengers can still access the area on foot. ____ We want to thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as we carry out this important work. If you have any queries about this work, please contact: customercompliance@wcc.govt.nz You can also find information on our website, which will be kept updated: wellington.govt.nz/Lambton-quay Ngā mihi Brad Singh Manager Transport and Infrastructure

    • Handy things to know about the Courtenay Carnival
      • It's only a few days until New Year's Eve - and it's the first time the Courtenay Carnival will come to life! It would be wonderful if inner-city residents got behind this event - coming along on your way to or from the waterfront to be part of the fun - and even going the extra mile to dress up (there's a big prize!). Here's some recent information about the Carnival. ROAD CLOSURE Courtenay Place will be closed between Cambridge Terrace and Tory Street from 6am on Tuesday until 6am on New Year's Day. Blair and Allen Streets will also be closed. ABOUT THE CARNIVAL Courtenay Carnival: The Biggest Dress-Up Party in Aotearoa! Get ready for Wellington’s First New Year’s Eve Carnival! This vibrant all inclusive dress up event is set to become one of the city’s annual NYE draw cards bringing thousands of people to celebrate in style - combining world class hospitality with a diverse lineup of entertainment, outdoor dining, and show stopping acts to ring in the New Year. WHAT TO EXPECT Entertainment: Starting with family focused performers, characters & activities, followed by live bands, DJs, circus acts, drag queens, roving performers & some of New Zealand’s top music artists. This will be an all Inclusive community event. Street Festival & Outdoor Dining: Courtenay Place will transform into a lively strip with local businesses expanding their dining areas onto the street. Best Dressed Competition: Embrace the theme and compete for the best costume prize. The more creative and extravagant, the better! Safe and Secure: With controlled entry points, licensed outdoor areas, and crowd management, you can party with peace of mind knowing safety is a top priority. Celebrate Wellington’s Spirit: This event isn’t just about New Year’s Eve—it’s about celebrating Wellington’s unique spirit and creating a new tradition. Be part of The Biggest Dress-Up Party in Aotearoa and start your year by bringing together creativity, diversity, excitement, and unforgettable memories. Let’s make history together! For more information contact: courtenayprecinct@gmail.com COURTENAY CARNIVAL - KIDS ENTERTAINMENT Get ready for an afternoon full of fun and magic from 4pm, brought to you by Enchanted Entertainment! Your kids will love meeting their favourite princesses and superheroes for epic photo ops and hugs. The excitement kicks up with a special Elsa and Anna Frozen show, where the magic of Arendelle comes to life on stage with live singing and dancing! Plus, Spider-Man and Batman will be leading superhero training, showing your little heroes how to unleash their powers! The fun continues with awesome games that'll have everyone laughing and cheering, and of course, the lolly scramble—sweets galore! At our glam makeover station, kids can transform into a sparkling mermaid, a magical unicorn, or a whimsical fairy! It’s going to be an unforgettable day of fun and fantasy, so don’t miss out! THE DRESS UP! We're counting down the days until the biggest dress-up party in Aotearoa. Get your best carnival costume on and head down to Courtenay Place this New Year's Eve to be in to win. The person with the most creative and extravagant costume could be walking away with a massive $2000 worth of vouchers to spend in Courtenay Precinct. it stand out THE FOOD Fuel up at the Courtenay Carnival at some of Courtenay Places most iconic and beloved hospitality venues.ake it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize THE MUSIC The programme is coming soon! INFORMATION FROM THE WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL The WCC website https://wellington.govt.nz/news-and-events/events-and-festivals/new-year We encourage event goers to travel on foot from Courtenay Place to the waterfront via Tory Street, and from the waterfront to Courtenay Place via Taranaki Street.” More information: https://wellington.govt.nz/news-and-events/news-and-information/our-wellington/2024/12/courtenay-place-staying-safe-for-the-summer Rubbish collection There will be earlier collections for rubbish, recycling and cardboard on Tuesday 31 December. Residents have been advised to put out items to be collected by 10am if within the street closure cordon of lower Courtenay Place (up to Tory Street), Blair Street and Allen Street. Residents on the block of Courtenay Place between Taranaki Street and Tory Street, and Tory Street from Wakefield Street to Forresters Lane are also welcome to put their rubbish out before 10am. https://wellington.govt.nz/rubbish-recycling-and-waste/when-to-put-out-your-rubbish-and-recycling/city-cardboard-collection or https://wellington.govt.nz/rubbish-recycling-and-waste/when-to-put-out-your-rubbish-and-recycling/suburban-and-inner-city-collections Street Closure for Courtenay Place From Cambridge Terrace to Tory Street including Blair and Allen Street Closure period: 6 AM Tuesday to 6 AM Wednesday. Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout Buses will be redirected down Kent/Cable and Cambridge/Wakefield St and Metlink will publish information Stages and equipment will be cleared by 6 AM on Wednesday when the road closure ends. On-Site Services Headquarters: Located at the old Chemist at 43 Courtenay Place, serving as an information point for the public. Police are welcome to use this space as their base. Increased Police presence Wellington Free Ambulance (WFA): Stationed down Blair Street. Take10: Regular location on Taranaki Street. Security Presence: Security teams will be active throughout the event. Hapai Ake: Will be around the city throughout the evening (operating throughout the summer holiday period, excluding stat days) focused on the perimeter of both events. Alcohol-Free Zone While bars will be offering alcohol, this is not to be consumed outside of the venues as Courtenay Place will remain an alcohol-free zone throughout the Courtenay Carnival. See the alcohol-free zone here: Wellington Liquor Ban Area. Police are responsible for enforcing this ban.

    • Big pipes work - roadworks in Wakefield Street coming up in the new year
      • The Taranaki Street works are 99% done - now another bit of the big pipes jigsaw puzzle will begin. Info from the team working for Wellington Water Here is a graphic that hopefully helps to explain the whole programme and shows where we are at now that Taranaki Street is complete. The work on Wakefield is set to resume on the 21st January and will carry on through to August 2025. The project page for this is on the website .

    • Interested in how the big pipes work is going ?
      • Here’s an update from the engineers Kia Ora, It’s exciting to be able to share that we recently switched on the new rising main and it is now carrying flows along Taranaki St. This is a huge milestone and signals that we are reaching the end of the project. In our first updates we signalled completion in mid-2025, we are really pleased to be delivering well ahead of that schedule. Our success has been due to good planning, some innovative thinking/technology, a bit of luck and the understanding of our stakeholders (thanks to you for that). Celebrating a job well done This project involves construction of a major new wastewater ‘rising main’ (a pipe that carries wastewater under pressure) along Taranaki St from Market Lane to Wigan St. We are delivering this project for Wellington Water, alongside GHD and on behalf of Wellington City Council. It will provide a more resilient wastewater network and will cater for growth in our city. Alongside all of the underground commissioning that we have been doing over the last couple of months, we have also been finishing the carriageway to leave it in a good state to hand back to the city. You may have noticed that we have now rearranged Market Lane to it’s original “one way” state and we have put new surfacing on the car park at Inglewood Place. Our plan is to remove all of the traffic management before we go for a Christmas break on 20th December. The only remaining site will be WCC’s toilet block project that will remain fenced and will carry on in the new year. For updates about the toilet block please contact info@wcc.govt.nz or call 04 499 4444. Wellington Water have made a decision to leave commissioning of the new pump station until the new year. This will reduce pressure on their operational staff to monitor a new asset over the Christmas break – I think this is a good choice and reduces risk to the network while there are less people around to address any problems. From the project perspective this will mean that we will be back on site in January in small scale traffic management carrying out commissioning of the new manholes in Taranaki St and Dixon St around Inglewood Place. This will be our last update. We really appreciate the patience and support from businesses, residents and the public that have been affected by the work over the last 18 months. Thank you for your understanding – it really makes a difference to the teams on site as they come to work every day. We wish you all a happy and safe holiday season. Ngā Mihi David Philipson General Manager | GP Friel Ltd. Ph: 04 938 0145 Mob: 022 657 2402 Email: dave@gpfl.co.nz Company Address: 14 Seine St, Island Bay, Wellington, 6023 www.gpfl.co.nz Here are a few photo highlights from across the project: Work begins Boring :) 4 metres down

    • Interested in Census information?
      • This Census update might be handy Census Advisory Newsletter - 12 December 2024 2023 Census: Your Place, Your Data tour coming soon! Place and ethnic group summaries online tool launched Fifty top topic tables released 3 December Totals by topic in geospatial formats 2023 Census severe housing deprivation (homelessness) estimates Upcoming 2023 Census topic releases 2023 Census Post-enumeration Survey results New 2023 Census methodology reports Quality review of ethnicity data from linked administrative sources Stats NZ Information releases Season’s Greetings to you from the census team Our census team will be on the road early next year with the 2023 Census: Your Place, Your Data tour. We will be visiting towns and cities across the motu, holding events for our regional data users. Read more here

    • Read our recent eNewsletters
      • You can subscribe here! (it’s free) Earthquake-prone Buildings & Insurance-related 27 June 2024 - ICW Update - Research about Kaikoura Earthquake 14 May 2024 - ICW Update - Earthquake-Prone Buildings Update Central & Local Government-related 19 November 2024 - ICW update - WCC news re Tiriti Hikoi - on the day 15 November 2024 - ICW update - WCC news re Tiriti Hikoi 15 November 2024 -ICW update - Te Ngākau - petition General & Special Updates 12 December 2024 - ICW update: Big 84 hours coming up for Lambton Quay 9 December 2024 - ICW Update: Lots of things (including the Golden Mile)

    • Lambton Quay closing to traffic! (but just for a short burst of work)
      • WCC has shared this plan for maintenance work on Lambton Quay. It will be a busy 84 hours! _____ Kia ora. Upcoming road closure for critical maintenance works Wellington City Council is coordinating the closure of Lambton Quay and its surrounding side streets to vehicles from Sunday 5 January - Thursday 9 January 2025, so the Council and our partners can do critical maintenance works. Why we are doing this: The council has received a significant number of requests from our partners and other organisations for the opportunity to do maintenance along Lambton Quay. By coordinating everyone to do the work at the same time, we can do all the scheduled work for 2025 in three days and four nights. This means we can avoid weeks of ongoing disruption for local businesses and residents and achieve significant cost savings through a combined traffic management plan. We have picked these dates to cause as little disruption as possible for businesses in the area. Our pedestrian and retail data shows this is traditionally the quietest period of the year. What you can expect: We are closing Lambton Quay and its side streets to vehicles from 7pm on Sunday 5 January until 7am Thursday 9 January. Pedestrians will have access at all times. Full list of road closures: Lambton Quay between Willis St and Bowen Street Panama Street, between Lambton Quay and Featherston Street Brandon Street, between Lambton Quay and Featherston Street Johnston Street, between Lambton Quay and Featherston Street Waring Taylor Street, between Lambton Quay and Maginnity Street, and Stout Street, between Lambton Quay and Ballance Street The work being done includes: Fixing leaks and water maintenance Street light repairs Utility reinstatements Underground investigation Tree trimming Resurfacing, repainting of road markings Road and street furniture maintenance Street cleaning Graffiti removal Work will happen both day and night. Some activities will be disruptive, but measures will be taken to reduce disturbance as much as possible. Buses will be diverted, and temporary bus stops put up along the alternative route. Please refer to the Metlink app or website for more information during the closure. We are aware cruise ships are due in town during this period, the shuttle bus to the precinct is not affected, and cruise passengers can still access the area on foot. We want to thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as we carry out this important work. If you have any queries about this work, please contact: customercompliance@wcc.govt.nz You can also find information on our website, which will be kept updated: wellington.govt.nz/Lambton-quay Brad Singh Manager Transport and Infrastructure

    • It’s ICW’s birthday today! - 5 December - it’s not too late to come to join us at our Founding Day celebration!
      • Kia ora! ICW (Inner-City Wellington Residents Association) is 16 years old! So it's time for our annual Founding Day celebration. We’re in the Garden Room (just behind St Peter’s on Willis church - entrance from Ghuznee Street). We'll have a little bit of music, hear our guest speaker, make some thank you awards and ... then have some bubbles and cake! Breaking news! Our special guest speaker is going to be well-known journalist, broadcaster and, of course, through and through Wellingtonian, Mark Sainsbury! He’ll be reflecting on the question: “Is Wellington Worth Saving?” Please come along and join us! (It’s free!) RSVP here

    • WCC is inviting your ideas and feedback on Waterfront safety improvements - how to have your say
      • Read about this project on WCC’s Lets Talk here From WCC: The waterfront precinct is a celebrated part of our city, and our goal is to ensure it's a safe, vibrant place for everyone. We are undertaking significant upgrades to the lighting and edge protection along the waterfront to meet the evolving needs of this popular area and create an even better place for everyone to enjoy. Upgrading the existing promenade lighting network with new pole and building-mounted lights Installing permanent edge protection measures Enhancing overall safety and accessibility of the waterfront Developing a disposal plan for old materials that supports our broader sustainability goals. The project team is working closely with a diverse group of stakeholders to ensure the best outcomes for the waterfront, including: Tenants and businesses in the area Our Tākai Here partners and mana whenua designers The waterfront Technical Advisory Group (TAG) External experts including lighting engineers, landscape architects, urban designers, heritage advisors, and structural engineers We are also actively engaging with property owners, hospitality and tourism operators, and various waterfront users such as commuters, tourists, and performers. This collaborative approach reflects the principle of Manaakitanga, emphasising hospitality, care, and valuing each individual's safety. Please share your ideas for the waterfront here (scroll down the page) Read the Wellington Waterfront Framework, April 2001, document here

    • Don’t want an up to 12-storey commercial building in Te Ngākau/Civic Square? It’s not too late to support our request to the WCC here
      • The future of Te Ngākau Civic Square is being discussed. It includes a plan to replace the MOB and CAB buildings in the Square with an up-to 12 storey commercial building. ICW is requesting the Council to not build, but instead to keep the area where those buildings were as an open, publicly-owned space. The consultation phase has closed BUT it did not invite people to comment about whether or not to build on the MOB and CAB site. What happens next is actually in the hands of Wellington City Councillors only - so it is not too late to let Councillors know what you think about this issue. ICW has submitted this request to Council: Instead of putting a towering commercial building in the CAB/MOB location, please return that land to open space so that Te Ngākau/Civic Square can become an enhanced, publicly-owned amenity that supports the civic needs and the green space needs of the residents of our city. Read our full request here. If you support our request, please click this link and complete the form so that you can let the Council know.

    • Important news for owners of an earthquake-prone buildings!
      • From Scoop Govt reviewing rules for managing earthquake risks and safety November 21, 2024 - News from NZ Government Fairer, more sensible rules about managing earthquake risks are a step closer with the passing of legislation and the appointment of an independent chair to provide expert advice, says the Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk. “The Government is committed to reinvigorating our cities and regions to support economic growth, while also recognising life safety risks posed by earthquakes. However, the experience of many building owners under current earthquake building settings has been the worst of both worlds: earthquake-prone buildings are not being remediated and strengthened, nor demolished and replaced, with large costs associated with inaction. “For this reason, the Government is progressing an extensive review of the earthquake building settings and has appointed an independent chair and advisory group to provide expert advice. “I am very pleased to announce that Dr Erica Seville has been appointed as the independent chair and earlier this month she chaired her first meeting with the advisory panel. “While the review progresses, the Government has passed legislation to extend the remediation deadline for earthquake prone buildings by four years. Read the full story here

    • Opportunity to provide feedback to help shape Aotearoa New Zealand’s 2035 international climate change target
      • From Ministry for the Environment website. 21 November 2024 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are at the heart of the Paris Agreement. NDCs are how countries contribute to the global temperature goal of the Paris Agreement, to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C. For more information on the 1.5 degree goal, see the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report on 1.5 degrees. The Ministry for the Environment is seeking feedback to inform the Government’s decision on its international climate change target for 2031–35. This emissions reduction target will be set under the Paris Agreement and be New Zealand’s second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC2). The Government will set NDC2 in early 2025. Our second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC2): will cover 2031–35, the same period as our third domestic emissions budget must be a progression on our first international climate change target. This is commonly understood as meaning a higher target. Read the full public feedback document Read the Commission’s advice on their website Read the Ministry’s summary of the Commission’s advice Responses will help to inform the Ministry’s advice to the Government on the NDC2 target. A summary of feedback will be published on the Ministry’s website.

    • It’s ICW’s birthday on 5 December - come to our Founding Day celebration!
      • Kia ora! ICW (Inner-City Wellington Residents Association) is 16 years old! So it's time for our annual Founding Day celebration. We'll have a little bit of music, a guest speaker, some thank you awards and ... cake! Breaking news! Our special guest speaker is going to be well-known journalist, broadcaster and, of course, through and through Wellingtonian, Mark Sainsbury! He’ll be reflecting on why there’s no place like home (Wellington!). Please come along and join us! (It’s free!) RSVP here

    • Te Wāhi Āwhina, 117 Manners Street - closing from 20 December
      • Info from WCC - 18 November 2024 Kia ora I am writing to advise you that we will be closing the doors to Te Wāhi Āwhina, 117 Manners Street from Friday 20 December, 2024. Te Wahi Āwhina opened in May 2021 as a time-bound community support initiative under Pōneke Promise. In late 2023, Ministry of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) confirmed funding to extend Te Wāhi Āwhina operations for a further 12-months. HUD have confirmed that no further funding is available for this service. It has been important in understanding the impact of providing a visible and increased Council presence in the Te Aro Park area, at a time when safety in the area was a key concern. However, it was always intended to be a time-bound initiative, and two additional community spaces have since opened in the central city. These are Te Pokapū Hāpori community centre on Manners Street and Te Tai Ohinga youth hub on Willis Street.   We will continue to work with city-based support organisations like yours who provide direct services to communities in need and the city’s most vulnerable.   Between now and 20 December, we will be encouraging service seekers to come in and chat through any concerns they have, and we will provide advice to them on where they can go to get support in the future. Once the centre is closed, we intend to have a large sign over the external doors to provide more information about where service seekers can go for support.   We appreciate this is a challenging time for some of the city’s most vulnerable and we want to reassure you that council officers will be doing their best to ensure everyone impacted is notified in time and understand where to next.    If you have any queries about this, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Ngā mihi Mark Mark Farrar (he/him) Acting Manager Connected Communities Business Performance Manager Connected Communities | Wellington City Council Hapori Tūhono | Te Kaunihera o Pōneke

    • Water Water Everywhere - what is the Water Services Delivery Plan and who’s doing what?
      • The water under our feet Unlike our leafy suburbs, we don’t have open streams in the inner-city. ICW is learning about the water under our feet! Under our feet are: pipes for freshwater pipes for stormwater (which is actually a mix of our freshwater streams running from our hills towards the harbour and the rainwater than runs into it off our gutters etc) and pipes for our wastewater. So is there a master plan for water for Aotearoa New Zealand? _____________ Yes - there is an updated plan coming. From Morphum website As of 2nd September 2024, new laws have been introduced requiring territorial authorities to prepare a Water Services Delivery Plan (WSDP). The plan itself must be submitted no later than 12 months after the date on which this section came into force. This means that action needs to be taken swiftly to ensure authorities meet the deadline while ensuring their plans suit their territory’s requirements and preferred water services delivery model. Each territorial authority must prepare a Water Services Delivery Plan, but it’s important to note that these can be joint plans with other territorial authorities. These plans are designed to identify the current state of water services and prepare for financial investment into these services, and must be delivered before September 2025. Read more __________________ Who’s doing the plan for Wellington - and when? From Greater Wellington Regional Council website. 5 Nov 2024 Greater Wellington councillors have unanimously confirmed their commitment to proceeding with a combined regional approach to developing a water services delivery plan with mana whenua and participating city and district councils. Earlier this year the Government introduced the Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Act 2024, which established the Local Water Done Well framework. The framework is designed to address long-standing challenges in water infrastructure management and delivery across the country. Greater Wellington chair, Daran Ponter, says the Regional Council “strongly supports” the proposed development of a joint council-owned regional water services organisation. “Local authorities working together with mana whenua is the best option for the future of our water infrastructure. By combining our resources and decision-making processes, the whole region will benefit,” Cr Ponter says. “This will be a long game, and we know costs will be significant, but Greater Wellington remains focused on collaborating to create a regional water management framework that is equitable, sustainable, gives effect to Te Tiriti and is responsive to the needs of our partners and communities.” Greater Wellington councillor and member of the water services Advisory Oversight Group - Ros Connelly - says a combined approach will provide stability. “Shoring up water infrastructure in the region is vital to our future prosperity. Agreeing the approach to delivering water services will be one of the most important decisions that councils make in the next 12 months,” Cr Connelly says. “Local authorities working together is the best way to establish an efficient, capable and cost-effective approach to water service delivery for our communities. But to ensure we get the delivery model right; it’s critical mana whenua and community voices are central to the decision-making process.” Consultation on the delivery model is expected in early 2025. Councils are required to deliver their Water Services Delivery Plan to the Secretary for Local Government by 3 September 2025. Read more _______________________________________ PS: That’s our picture - it doesn’t really look that tidy under our feet, and the colours we’ve used for each pipe are not the same as the markings you often see on the street, which are used by the water professionals!

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