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    • Latest update on the work underway in Te Ngākau.
      • From the WCC Te Ngākau team Kia ora Te Ngākau Civic Precinct neighbour CAB demolition and Te Ngākau business promotion The demolition of the Civic Administration Building (CAB) is progressing on schedule. A crane arrived on Wakefield Street today to assist with demolishing the building and will begin operating next week once it is set up. Wakefield Street from Cuba St to Victoria Street remains closed to traffic. The up-to-date timeline for the CAB demo and associated road closures is on our CAB demo page. Read the full update

    • Better than a big cat - Meow Nui
      • RNZ report by Chris Schulz (via Scoop) “We’ll be ready in time… we don’t have a choice,” promises the owner of Meow Nui, whose self-imposed deadline is approaching fast. On the footpath next to a busy inner-city street, a flurry of activity is underway. Men in hard hats take turns unloading huge stacks of planks from a van, carrying them past a rubbish skip then through a set of bifold doors. Read more here

    • Te Kainga affordable housing expands
      • From The Post 11 July 2024 On Tuesday, the council announced it was adding two new buildings, totalling 183 more rental properties in central Wellington, to Te Kāinga, expected to be available by the end of next year. The affordable rental programme was in partnership with private building owners that re-purposed underutilised commercial buildings, aiming to increase the supply of rental housing in Wellington. The new apartments would bring the total number of units in the programme to 473. It would then have a year to reach its target of 1000 by 2026. Read more here

    • What’s happening with Courtenay Place & the Golden Mile?
      • Here’s an update from Wellington City Council Kia ora koutou, Wellington City Council is pleased to bring you an update about the improvements planned for Courtenay Place through to Lambton Quay. The works for ‘The Golden Mile’ area (Courtenay Place through to Willis Street, Manners Street and Lambton Quay), transferred to Wellington City Council in March this year when the former Let’s Get Wellington Moving programme was formally dissolved. You can read about this here. We have established a dedicated Major Transport Project team to deliver this critical project and you can contact the team with enquiries at Courtenay@wcc.govt. We’re revitalising the heart of the city with generous spaces for people to shop, work and play. Partnering with mana whenua is essential and we’re committed to celebrating our city centre’s rich and unique cultural history. Since taking over the Golden Mile project, Council has reviewed Let’s Get Wellington Moving’s plans and made decisions about how to deliver the works as efficiently as possible. The construction schedule is being confirmed and we will be engaging with businesses and residents about our plans in the coming months. Where will construction start? The Cambridge/Kent Terrace intersection will be the first area of work for the Golden Mile project, and following that, the upgrade of Courtenay Place. This is likely to be completed before any major works on Willis Street, Manners Street and Lambton Quay begins. There is no construction planned for Lambton Quay in 2024/25. Efficiency-focused approach We are ensuring our planning is fully integrated with all the other infrastructure works Council is responsible for. We are undertaking an analysis of all aspects of the build, from design to materials to ensure the most cost-effective options are selected – without impacting performance or functionality. We will undertake water renewals where possible, resolving any known or identified water issues while we are completing underground works. We’ll need to do some additional investigations, but the benefit to Wellington will be significant. Keeping you informed We appreciate businesses and residents need detailed timings for this construction, to understand how and when they may be impacted. We are working on these details, and input from businesses will help us finalise construction plans. We will begin by talking to businesses and residents around the Cambridge/Kent Terraces intersection. We will reach out shortly, but you can also register your interest in speaking with us by emailing Courtenay@wcc.govt.nz. We are committed to continued engagement with businesses and residents, and will be guided by the following principles: We will ensure businesses and residents are provided with consistent and regular information to understand construction plans and methods. We will involve businesses in identifying possible ways to reduce construction disruption through one-on-one meetings, where possible. Construction sites will establish clear entry routes, excellent wayfinding and pedestrian access to shops, offices and residences. We will leverage our Positively Pōneke brand to keep people using the city centre during construction and seek opportunities and ideas for activating spaces even during construction. Examples of this can be found here Positively Pōneke (positivelyponeke.govt.nz) As our planning develops, we will share images of how the finished build will look as well as technical details about how construction will be planned and delivered. To book a meeting with us, please email Mandy Bohte at Courtenay@wcc.govt.nz. To learn more about what we’re building: Golden Mile revitalisation | Let's Talk | Wellington City Council We expect to share more of our construction planning work in August. Ngā mihi WCC Major Transport Projects Team

    • Earthquake-prone Buildings - Terms of Reference for the review
      • Source: Scoop Parliament Hon Chris Penk Minister for Building and Construction Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk has announced that the review into better managing the risks of earthquake-prone buildings has commenced. “The terms of reference published today demonstrate the Government’s commitment to ensuring we get the balance right between public safety and costs to building owners,” Mr Penk says. “The Government is focused on reinvigorating our cities and regions to support economic growth. Buildings sitting empty and abandoned for months, or, in many cases, years is bad for everyone. Empty, derelict buildings can be dangerous, but they are also a handbrake on growth and development and can suck the life out of a town or city. “The earthquake-prone building system attempts to manage risk by requiring earthquake-prone buildings to be remediated before set timeframes. However, the system is not working as well as it could, and the reality is many buildings are not getting remediated. “Many building owners are unable to meet deadlines due to high remediation costs and an excessive layering of regulations. “The current system lacks clarity, and some owners are stuck in impossible situations, where they can’t move forward with the remediation but equally struggle to sell and move on with their lives. “This is why we have acted with urgency to bring forward the review to provide certainty and ensure we get a good balance between protecting lives and real-world costs.” The review will be extensive and report back in the first half of 2025 with a focus on: cost of mitigating earthquake risk and improving buildings’ resilience proposals for managing earthquake risk with effect on private property owners barriers and the types of incentives that would help building owners better manage seismic risk changes that align with broader Government objectives, such as going for housing growth and rebuilding the economy “It’s important that the review takes a fresh look. An external, independent chair has been appointed to lead the work to ensure it is a rigorous process that Kiwis can have confidence in.” The public can provide feedback and share their views via the building.govt.nz site or by emailing Building@mbie.govt.nz. The full terms of reference can be found on the building performance website here. Remediation deadlines for earthquake prone buildings will be extended for four years while the review is underway. These changes will require an amendment to the Building Act 2004 with the intention that this bill be passed before the end of 2024.

    • Let WCC know what you want: protecting our coastlines, including our inner-city beaches & coastline
      • From the WCC website: About the Coastal Reserves Management Plan Engagement is open. Have your say! Splash your ideas across our coastal map: Use the map tool to pin your comments and ideas on a specific spot along the coast. Ideas ahoy! Use the ideas tool to tell us what you love or don't love about our coast, what challenges we need to consider, your ideas for improving our coastal spaces, and what we should include in the draft plan. Are we setting sail in the right direction? Rate our draft priorities using our quick emoji survey. About this project Wellington City Council is commencing development of a new Coastal Reserves Management Plan to provide direction for the management, protection, and enhancement of Wellington’s coastal reserves, parks, and beaches. The intention is to create an integrated coastal reserve management plan that will replace the existing South Coast Management Plan 2002 Our coast is a taonga and a special sanctuary where we connect with nature and each other. It is critical that we have a plan in place for its future which balances leisure, access, climate adaptation, and recreation with environmentally sustainable outcomes. The purpose of the management plan will be to: Guide Council decision-making about how our coastal spaces are used, enjoyed, managed, and protected. Set out a vision, objectives, and rules for the long-term management and enhancement of our urban coastal parks and beaches. Read more here

    • Roadworks coming up in Webb Street & Cuba Street
      • Wellington City Council has contracted Fulton Hogan to complete maintenance work to the footpath, kerb & channel. WHERE: Cuba & Webb Street START: Tuesday 28th May 2024 FINISH: Friday 7th June 2024 WORK HOURS: 9am-3pm Delays? Some work is weather dependant and in the event of unsuitable weather or other unforeseen circumstances the contractor might encounter the work may be delayed, if you require an update, please use contact details below. Please ensure your vehicle is parked clear of the worksite.To do this work we need the work area to be clear of vehicles and other obstructions so parking will be affected Please see the map for the work and no parking areas. If your vehicle is parked in the highlighted area, we may have to tow it to a suitable park nearby. Should your vehicle be moved. please check nearby streets first before ringing the contractor listed below. Read the full notice, including a map of the area

    • Cancellation of the Residential Earthquake-prone Building Financial Assistance Scheme (the Scheme) & Building Support Service Pilot
      • Unfortunately, as part of the announcement of the earthquake-prone building system review, the Residential Earthquake-prone Building Financial Assistance Scheme (the Scheme) was stopped immediately and the Building Support Service Pilot will stop from 14 June and be closed by 30 June 2024. In ICW's briefing to the Minister in Dec 2023, we called for both these services to carry on (in the assumption of a review being initiated) to enable owners to progress if they chose to. ICW has written to the Minister to get an opportunity to discuss options to address the impacts of cancelling the scheme on strengthening projects that are ready to proceed but require the scheme for some owners to do so. We have not received any response to our approach so far. Owners in this situation may wish to write to the Minister outlining the impacts of cancelling the scheme for you. Minister Penk has said the need for a financial assistance scheme would be included in the scope of the review. I was on the Advisory Group for the Building Support Service Pilot and the challenges faced by apartment owners to progress these projects was very evident and will still provide useful information on what implementation frameworks must be in place for any system.

    • Review of the Earthquake-prone Building System announced
      • On Thursday 18th April, the Building and Construction Minister, Chris Penk, announced a review of the earthquake-prone building system (EBS). This is great news. ICW has been calling for a review since 2019, and raising issues with the legislation since we were established in 2008. The Minister has said this is a first principles, no question of the table, broad review. This is what is needed. It is encouraging that the Minister has already included looking at what other jurisdictions do, and the difficult question of managing seismic risk in rare events that have large impacts, and the need to talk about appetite for risk. The four year extension (once legislation is passed later this year) provides time for the review to be completed without eating into the timeframes imposed on owners; it does not address the fundamental issues with the current regime. ICW has provided its views on what we believe needs to be included in the review to MBIE and the scope and terms of reference is expected to be agreed in May. We look forward to it being released, along with timeframes and details about the process, particularly opportunity for owners' input. We will update this page when any further information is available.

    • Consultation about the Long Term Plan 2024-2034 is underway - time to let the Council know your thoughts !
      • From the Wellington City Council What is the Long-term Plan? It costs about a billion dollars each year to run Wellington City. We collect this money through rates, fees and charges, development contributions, grants and borrowing. With input from the community, we need to decide how much we’ll spend on what, and what level of rates to set, so every three years we develop a Long-term Plan. The Long-term Plan sets out the Council's priorities. It includes detailed information on the activities, services, and projects we intend to deliver, and therefore what the proposed rates and debt will be for the next 10 years. Consultation is underway Formal consultation on the 2024-34 Long-term Plan is open until 12 May. To find out more about the Long-term Plan, read the consultation document, and submit a proposal, please visit the Long-term Plan 2024-34 website. As part of this process we are holding the following hui and would welcome your attendance: Long-term Plan Webinar, 2 May, 6-8pm: Click here to register Online meeting (Wadestown proposals), 22 April, 6.30-7.15pm: Click here for more information Online meeting (Khandallah proposals), 23 April, 6.30-7.15pm: Click here for more information Hapori Māori hui, 5 May, 11am-1pm: More information to come on our website We can continue to invest but need to balance the pace of our investment with affordability, so some tough decisions need to be made together. Providing feedback is an important way to have your say on the future of our city. If you require any more information on the Long-term Plan, feel free to visit wcc.nz/ltp. What’s in the draft plan? We need to make three big decisions – about water, waste and how we best manage our investment and insurance risk. Water Our water pipes are old and in poor condition. We’re proposing to spend more than ever before on fixing them. This is expensive and will increase rates and debt, so we need to decide how much we can afford to spend. Waste We need to reduce waste going to landfill. We could do this by introducing new Council wheelie bins for rubbish (collected fortnightly) and food scraps and garden waste (collected weekly). We’d introduce a new targeted rate to pay for this. Investments and insurance We need to better manage our insurance and our investment risks. Insurance is getting harder and more expensive to get, and the Council’s assets – like buildings, roads and pipes – are underinsured by $2.6 billion. We’re exposed if there’s a natural disaster, and our biggest investment assets, including our shares in Wellington Airport and ground leases, are poorly diversified and exposed to the same risks. We’re proposing to sell our shares in the airport and some ground leases to set up a new investment fund as a form of self-insurance, so we can diversify our investments and have money to help with recovery if there’s an earthquake or other disaster. More info here

    • Big news for Te Ngākau/Civic Square
      • From Wellington City Council We wanted to get in touch to make sure you were aware of the latest exciting news in Te Ngākau Civic Square. After a rigorous selection process, Council has selected Precinct Properties as its preferred developer for the Civic Administration Building (CAB) and Municipal Office Building (MOB) sites in Te Ngākau Civic Square. The selection of Precinct Properties confirms the decision to demolish MOB, as this was the basis of its proposal. Once CAB is demolished by the end of 2024 and MOB by the end of 2025, development of a new building can proceed on the two empty sites. The new five-star green building will activate Te Ngākau by enabling a range of around-the-clock activity including retail, hospitality, co-working, and office space, alongside civic and cultural spaces. It will also provide the front-of-house functions for the Town Hall and any national music centre requirements, while adding to the green space in Te Ngākau. More info and some indicative concept images can be found in our full story on Our Wellington.

    • Great events coming up at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this month!
      • The team at Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage are keen to ensure you know about the following event so you can plan to come along and also to share with your friends and whānau :) From the Pukeahu team: We’ve got some exciting events coming up that I wanted to share out to our neighbours and community – I saw that Inner City Wellington had shared our other Yoga event so thought you might be interested in these Event: U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific Band Performance https://www.mch.govt.nz/events/us-marine-corps-forces-pacific-band-performance https://www.facebook.com/events/1248148623256037/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[]%7D Event: Pukeahu Park Whānau Open Day https://www.mch.govt.nz/events/pukeahu-park-whanau-open-day https://tinyurl.com/34hxz9mf

    • Our latest ICW update is out
      • It features an item about some great activities happening in the Courtenay Precinct over the 6th & 7th April, and an ICW Demystifier about what’s happening with Civic Square/Te Ngākau. Read it here

    • DCM Art show! - Thu 11 April 2024
      • From Downtown Community Mission (DCM) DCM will be hosting an Art Show at Wesley Methodist Church, 75 Taranaki Street, (in the large hall at the back of the complex) on Thursday 11th of April from 3:00pm to 6:30pm. Six of our people will come together to exhibit their work, which will also be available for sale on the day, through cash or bank deposit. Refreshments will also be provided. We’d love you to join us – or if you can’t make it, spread the word. www.dcm.org.nz

    • How’s the traffic in Taranaki Street? An update on the pipes work being done
      • UPDATE FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER OF GP FRIEL LTD Gabby the Guided Auger Bore & Other News from Taranaki St Rising Main February was a fantastic month for our project on Taranaki St and I wanted to share a quick update with you of the progress we have made. We are building 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 deliver a more resilient network for our wastewater and will cater for growth in our city. Our team in Wakefield St have now completed a successful pressure test of the new main installed under the intersection – including pipework towards Courtenay Place, connections for the new main already installed in Wakefield St outside Takina and for the future main that will head towards Michael Fowler Centre. We are now installing a pipe from Wakefield St into Market Lane by ramming a casing under the open lanes of Taranaki St. Using a trenchless technique like pipe ramming will allow us to keep Taranaki St flowing, traverse the congested underground services safely and reduce the amount of waste that we send to landfill. Pipe Ramming across to Market Lane The entrance to Market Lane from Jervois Quay has been widened to accommodate two way traffic while we have the exit to Taranaki St closed. New signage and road markings are in place. Please take care around these changed road layouts. At the southern end of Taranaki St between Ghuznee St and Wigan St we have now successfully installed 160m of new rising main using our new Laser Guided Auger Bore technique. This is an accurate way of installing pipes under the ground without having to dig up the road. It has meant that we have not had to disrupt traffic using Vivian St (State Highway 1) and we have minimised the amount of waste generated by the project. Over the next month we will repeat this activity to install pipes under Ghuznee St towards Courtenay Place. Gabby the Guided Auger Bore working to install pipes under Vivian St This month you will also see us start to work in Inglewood Place as we make gravity connections to the new pump station recently completed by our colleagues at Brian Perry Civil. This work will take approximately 3 months after which WCC will install the new public toilets and the final reinstatement will be completed. As ever, please take extra time for your journeys around the traffic management avoid the area if you can and follow the instructions of our onsite traffic management team. Our project is planned to be complete in mid-2025 so we are going to be in the area for a while. We will be putting out regular updates to this mailing list to keep you informed of changes to the site and the progress we are making. Let me know if you would like to be removed from the distribution. Feel free to also send this update to other businesses and residents in the area and encourage them to email us their details to be added to our list for updates. Please reach out if you have any questions about the work. Nga Mihi David Philipson General Manager. GP Friel Ltd.

    • Confused about something happening in the city - check out our Demystifying collection
      • There seems to be lots happening in the city that is generating discussion and debate. And sometimes there are things happening in the city that we’d just like to know a little bit more about. So ICW has started a little demystifying collection to see if that helps. Feel free to let us know if there’s something you would like demystified, or if we’ve missed something or have something wrong in what we’ve written. Here’s a link to the collection.

    • It’s Neighbours Aotearoa month - March 2024 - what’s on?
      • From WCC Neighbours Aotearoa is a national campaign celebrating the day-to-day connections that create community. Any day that you connect with your neighbours contributes to a stronger neighbourhood, but in March we’re all encouraged to go a little further. Neighbours Aotearoa – March 2024: This year’s theme is ‘Growing Together’. Strong neighbourhoods are built on big and small gestures of kindness and care. Whether you live in an apartment building, a marina or a suburban street, how can you grow your community in March? Could you host or attend a neighbourhood picnic, a street potluck, or a working bee at a community garden? Share surplus fruit? Set up an online group for your apartment building? Isolation is an increasing challenge in New Zealand. Together, we can foster a sense of whanaungatanga and manākitanga that makes our neighbourhoods friendlier, more resilient, and all-round happier places. There are local events happening around the city - to see the list of what’s on in your area, click here.

    • Something free! - Te Papa’s Dinosaurs of Patagonia exhibition
      • From Wellington City Council news Wellington City Council is a founding partner, and has proudly supported Te Papa for over 20 years. As part of their partnership with Wellington City Council, Te Papa hosts an annual residents day where everyone who lives in Wellington City can enjoy a major exhibition free of charge. This year, the free day is on Tuesday 12 March from 10am-6pm, with the exhibition having a timed entry and session time allocations. Tickets can only be collected on the day, and in the past, free day has been extremely popular, and entry tickets go fast – so get in early.

    • Rates increase of 16.4% proposed for community consultation</a#x3E;
      • From Wellington City Council news - 6 March 2024 Wellington City Councillors will next week (week commencing 11 March) agree the draft 2024-34 Long-term Plan Consultation Document for auditing prior to community consultation in April. This includes a proposed rates increase for the 2024/2025 year of 16.4% (after growth in the ratepayer base). This excludes the levy for the Moa Point Sludge Minimisation Facility, which will add a further 1.6%. Read more here

    • WCC votes 9-7 to support Reading Cinemas with $32m deal</a#x3E;
      • From Scoop. 29 February 2024 The bid to stop a Wellington City Council deal with the owners of the long-closed Reading Cinema in Courtenay Place has failed, with seven councillors voting against the deal and nine in favour of it. The controversial $32m deal will see the council buy the land under the cinema complex, and rent it back to the private international company, which will use that money to pay for earthquake strengthening. The council says the deal is fiscally neutral, but those who voted against it say it is a form of corporate welfare. Read more

    • Watch the Livestream recording of the recent ‘Living with Earthquake Risk - have we got it right’ public meeting
      • On Thursday 22 February 2024 at St Peter’s Church on Willis Street the folks from Live Wellington held a public meeting to discuss the hot topics of earthquake-prone buildings and affordable insurance for apartment buildings. The ongoing frustration of trying to meet earthquake building standards was evident. Around 50 people attended the event, which explored the issues facing apartment homeowners whose buildings have been declared earthquake prone by the council, and who are supposed to meet deadlines for bringing them up to prescribed standards. Two apartment owners shared the long and stressful process of trying to find a solution for their building while questions from the floor also led to more examples of the impossible situation in which apartment owners find themselves. Some solutions that could be explored for the ever-increasing cost of apartment building insurance was also offered by speaker David Middleton, the former head of the Earthquake Commission, and now a consultant specialising in insurance. Watch the Livestream recording available on YouTube here

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