Greater Wellington Regional Council / June 2020
Greater Wellington promotes Quality for Life by ensuring our environment is protected while meeting the economic, cultural and social needs of the community. Our specific responsibilities include environment management, flood protection and land management, provision of regional parks, public transport planning and funding, and metropolitan water supply.
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Metlink to boost electric buses from 2 to 22 per cent of its fleet to meet climate change goals and passenger growth
- Greater Wellington Regional Council
- From left to right: Cr Daran Ponter – Chair, Greater Wellington Keven Snelgrove – Tranzit Brendan Prince – NZBus James Howard – Tranzit Cr David Lee – Greater Wellington Cr Roger Blakeley – Greater Wellington The ink has dried on contracts for 98 new electric buses, which will take Metlink’s fleet of electric buses to 108, significantly reducing its carbon footprint and taking Greater Wellington a step closer on its target of carbon neutrality by 2030. Metlink currently has 450 buses in its active fleet in the Wellington region 10 of which are EVs, making up two percent of the fleet. Once the 98 buses are added to the fleet the proportion of EVs will rise to 22 per cent which, excluding market leader China, is high by international standards. Seventy-three of the buses will be used on current scheduled services with a further 25 to be progressively added to routes to meet future network growth. The new electric buses will eventually take 61 diesel buses off the roads, leading to a 17 per cent drop in carbon emissions and a similar reduction in harmful emissions. Greater Wellington is delivering on its promise of a building a modern low emission bus network according to Chair Daran Ponter. “I’m sure that people across the region will be pleased to see another 61 diesel buses taken off the road and this will drive real climate benefits by deploying the new electric buses on high use areas of the network. “Just like our plans for rail, this is also about ensuring we have a fleet in place that can cope with rising population trends and demand for public transport over the next few years. That’s why 25 buses will be used to accommodate forecast passenger growth without an increase in emissions,” added Chair Ponter. Climate Committee chair Cr Thomas Nash said we have to provide attractive alternatives to our current 20th century car culture if we’re serious about responding to climate change. “Over the last two decades transport emissions rose by 14 per cent across the region, mainly from fossil fuel burning cars and trucks. “We need a real step change here and we know we can move far more people with far fewer vehicles if we provide high quality public transport. A modern, comfortable low emission fleet will play a key role in attracting new passengers, encouraging them to embrace public transport. We’ve got an opportunity to break free from the car-dominated landscape that’s been driving pollution in our cities - let’s take it,” added Cr Nash. Roger Blakeley, chair of Greater Wellington’s Transport Committee, said that the new fleet will also attract more bus drivers to the region. “This new fleet shows our intentions for growing the network and obviously more buses means more drivers. We want buses that drivers can be proud of and these state of the art buses, many fitted out right here in New Zealand, will help us attract drivers that want to be at the forefront of the public transport industry in New Zealand and internationally.” As part of the deal, NZ Bus will source 67 ready-to-go large single decker EVs from China and Tranzurban will build 31 double decker EVs at Kiwi Bus Builders in Tauranga, with parts sourced from world leading Chinese bus manufacturers. NZ Bus CEO Barry Hinkley said he was delighted that NZ Bus was making a significant contribution to NZ’s environmental performance, commenting that growing the number of EVs in its fleet is the right way forward as NZ Bus looks to a future of reduced fossil fuel usage. "With these 67 new electric buses, NZ Bus is proud to be having the largest EV bus fleet in New Zealand. With these new orders, we will see our EV fleet grow to at least 85 buses in the short term. "Obviously, we all should try and do as much as we can to look after our environment; taking public transport is a great way of reducing emissions, and electric public transport is an even better way. “We’re committed to doing our bit to help reduce emissions in New Zealand and at the same time provide people with a safe and easy way to get around,” said Mr Hinkley. Tranzurban Director Keven Snelgrove said today’s announcement is a clear demonstration of the company’s commitment to partnering with Greater Wellington and pioneering and investing in electric bus technology and infrastructure in New Zealand. He says the 31 new double deck EVs add to the company’s fleet of 10 New Zealand-built double deck EVs successfully in operation in Wellington already. “This new fleet will deliver multiple benefits of being New Zealand built, adding to our modern and reliable electric bus fleet and help reduce carbon emissions and air pollution for Wellingtonians.” The buses will be delivered between mid-2021 and early 2023.
- Accepted from GW media releases 2019 by feedreader
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Council confirms annual plan and reduced rating level increase for 2020/21
- Greater Wellington Regional Council
- Greater Wellington confirmed that its 2020/21 regional rates increase would be cut from the long term plan proposed average of 6.
- Accepted from GW media releases 2019 by feedreader
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East Harbour Regional Park 6000 trees, 20 volunteers, one goal
- Greater Wellington Regional Council
- The Friends of Baring Head is calling on sustainably-minded locals to help to plant 6000 native plants to restore the East Harbour Regional Park.
- Accepted from GW media releases 2019 by feedreader
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Movin’March rallies student numbers despite COVID-19
- Greater Wellington Regional Council
- Names have been drawn and winners have been announced for Greater Wellington Regional Council’s month-long initiative that encouraged students to walk, cycle and scoot to school.
- Accepted from GW media releases 2019 by feedreader
- Tagged as:
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Greater Wellington shutting the door on invasive pest plants
- Greater Wellington Regional Council
- Greater Wellington Regional Council’s Biosecurity team has announced a 10-year-programme to prevent the invasion of three of New Zealand’s least desirable pest plants.
- Accepted from GW media releases 2019 by feedreader
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Accelerating change the aim for Greater Wellington’s Climate Committee
- Greater Wellington Regional Council
- The inaugural meeting of Greater Wellington’s climate committee, delayed by COVID-19, will focus on how regional government can help lead the response to our fast-changing climate, the greatest challenge facing Aotearoa New Zealand.
- Accepted from GW media releases 2019 by feedreader
- Tagged as:
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Fast tracking community resilience, growth and safety taken off the table by Hutt City Council
- Greater Wellington Regional Council
- Greater Wellington Chair Daran Ponter and Councillor Prue Lamason say Hutt City Council’s short sighted decision to block RiverLink from being submitted as one of the Government’s fast track infrastructure projects is slap in the face of a community crying out for more resilience, growth and safety.
- Accepted from GW media releases 2019 by feedreader
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Wellington infrastructure fast tracked to stimulate economy
- Greater Wellington Regional Council
- The Government is fast tracking two Wellington infrastructure projects to help stimulate the region’s economy post COVID-19.
- Accepted from GW media releases 2019 by feedreader
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Council reduces rating level increase in light of COVID-19 community impact
- Greater Wellington Regional Council
- Greater Wellington Regional Council agreed to reduce its 2020/21 regional rates increase from an average of 6.
- Accepted from GW media releases 2019 by feedreader
- Tagged as:
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Ecosystem Health in Wellington City urban streams
- Greater Wellington Regional Council
- Greater Wellington Regional Council and Wellington City Council joined forces to carry out a four-year monitoring programme of the city’s streams.
- Accepted from GW media releases 2019 by feedreader
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Research shows fall in greenhouse gases over two decades but a worrying rise in transport emissions
- Greater Wellington Regional Council
- A just-released report from infrastructure consulting firm AECOM commissioned by the region’s nine councils shows that the Wellington Region’s gross greenhouse gas emissions fell by 5 per cent between 2001 and 2019, from a gross of 4,427,849 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent to 4,190,050 tCO2e.
- Accepted from GW media releases 2019 by feedreader
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Forestry operators fined for damaging a stream and discharging sediment
- Greater Wellington Regional Council
- Farman Turkington Forestry Ltd, AM Forest Harvesting Ltd and the company directors (Guy Farman, Michael Johnstone and Anthony Johnstone) have all been convicted and fined for damaging a tributary of the Taueru River and discharging sediment during a forestry harvesting operation on the Cleaver Forest Block, Masterton.
- Accepted from GW media releases 2019 by feedreader
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Our Wairarapa wetland treasure seeks international, ramsar status
- Greater Wellington Regional Council
- “Recognition of the Wairarapa Moana Wetlands under the Ramsar Convention would be a real achievement, and not just for the Moana.
- Accepted from GW media releases 2019 by feedreader
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Belmont Park restoration hosts kārearea, a rare guest
- Greater Wellington Regional Council
- For the last eight years, Greater Wellington Regional Council and Belmont Area Mountain Bike Association (BAMBA) have been restoring 24 hectares of Belmont Regional Park’s native ecosystem.
- Accepted from GW media releases 2019 by feedreader
- Tagged as:
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