by Ian Apperley
The fur is flying over today’s vote at the Wellington City Council on whether to declare a Climate Emergency. The usual suspects on social media from both sides of the divide are in full voice, while the rest of us are struggling to figure out what it means. Read more »
by Brent Efford
It would appear that the anti-rail forces are gearing up for a real selling job next Tuesday, with a Wellington presentation about trackless trams by Professor Peter Newman of Western Australia’s Curtin University, who believes they are a viable mass transit solution. But trackless trams in Wellington would cause a permanent severance of mass transit between the suburban rail system – the PT spine for three quarters of the region’s half million population and quite light-rail-like in its operation – and the three quarters of the regional economic activity that takes place south of the Railway Station. Read more »
The view from Wakefield Street – the Municipal Office Building (left) and the Town Hall, both opened up with a new look for the national music centre.
by Lindsay Shelton
The future of Civic Square took a turn for the better yesterday, with the signing of a long-negotiated partnership deal for the Municipal Office Building to become part of the planned national music centre. Read more »
Wellington.Scoop
The chair of the Wellington branch of the Institute of Architects has stated a strong case for keeping the Central Library and not demolishing it. Read more »
by Lindsay Shelton
The Wellington City Council’s inability to save two Edwardian houses from demolition last week paralleled its inability ten years earlier to save a popular and historic swimming pool in the same area of Mt Cook. Read more »
Wellington.Scoop
The extravagantly-unnecessary covered arena is still on the Wellington city council’s longterm wishlist, in spite of the fact that councillors have cancelled a year’s spending on developing it. Read more »
by Geraldine Murphy
Funding in the Budget for a residential earthquake-prone building financial assistance scheme, with $23.3m of operating and capital expenditure, is an important first step. But support can’t stop there. Read more »
by Norma McCallum
What will we talk about when it’s all over? The whole of our Waikanae town centre is a bomb site (only those of you who survived The War will know what I’m talking about). There are two Factions: the ‘Oh the Cost and the Mess’ group, and the Pollyanna group which I favour. Read more »
by Ian Apperley
Wellington Central is a fickle place where some areas are dying, some are booming, the fiddling around the edges of policy has unintended consequences, and the economy feels sluggish. It’s important as a place of commerce and to pull in the tourist dollars. Increasingly, it is seen as the answer to Wellington’s booming population, but the persistent concerns around all types of housing are stifling progress. Read more »
by Ian Apperley
Most of the Western Ward Councillors are shoot first and ask questions later except for one grizzled campaigner. And so far only one person has stood up to take on this unlikely posse this year. Read more »
