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SCOOP IMAGES: Hands around the Basin to protest against the flyover plans
Wellington.Scoop
Several hundred people took part in a “hands around the Basin” demonstration at the Basin Reserve today to protest against the government’s flyover plans.
The crowd stood in the rain to show its opposition to the flyover which the NZ Transport Agency wants to build along the southern edge of the Basin, starting from the Mt Victoria Tunnel and ending at Tory Street.
Demonstrators held hands around the southern edge of the Basin Reserve. They were told that if the government insisted on changing roads in the area, then the Architectural Centre’s Option X, putting the road underground, was the only acceptable choice.
Umbrellas and rainwear were needed for today’s demonstration, where …
… it was evident that the most unpopular politician was Transport Minister Stephen Joyce, who is responsible for the flyover-fixated Transport Agency and for the government’s “roads of national significance.”
Save the Basin campaigner Kent Duston, with one of the biggest umbrellas, said the flyover would achieve except to move congestion 300 metres, at a cost of $97million. But it would result in the destruction of the Basin as a sporting and cultural venue.
Local MP Grant Robertson was one of the speakers. He opposed the flyover because of the damage it would cause to the neighbourhood of the Basin, and he supported Option X as the only acceptable proposal because it would create new open spaces for pedestrians and cyclists which be better for Wellington’s environment.
Can’t this lot be grateful with the bus, bicycle, motorbike priority lanes approved by the green Council, or do they want everything their way? Bring on the flyover!
I can’t imagine why any Wellingtonian would make such a foolish statement as “bring on the flyover.” The immense structure would devastate the neighbourhood around the Basin Reserve. Aucklanders are starting to demolish their flyovers. No one in Wellington should welcome such a 1950s plan. Specially when Option X offers such a constructive solution.
Oh Laura! It’s becoming pretty clear that you only care about Wellington’s heritage when it personally benefits you.
Iona, How could I personally benefit from Wellington’s heritage? I do care for the Basin, but with the NZTA options A or B, neither destroys or compromises the integrity of the historic grounds, in fact the flyover isn’t even attached to the Basin.
Laura, you’ve been all over this site and Stuff going on about your “heritage carparks” and how removing them has been damaging to your business. One could argue that the removal of those carparks neither destroys or compromises the integrity of Newtown’s historic buildings, in fact the carparks aren’t even attached to the buildings.
True Iona! We didn’t get the car parks reinstated by the Council, so why should that make it different for The Basin?
Laura, supporting the flyover out of some petty need for revenge over lost carparks seems misguided at best. I doubt any of the people who stood out in the rain on Sunday to protest had anything to do with the decision to remove the carparks. Move on!
Iona, obviously to Laura – if ‘her’ carparks hadn’t been removed, everything would be good in the world, the GFC wouldn’t have happened, we’d all have flying cars (running on non-polluting magic), and we could always find a place to park outside her shop… I wonder, does her shop still have any customers, or has the WCC taken them away too? She seems to have so much time to write about the injustice of the council, and to say rubbish like “bring on the flyover!” (sounds like toys being tossed from the cot, if you ask me).
We believe the council (which recently voted to adopt the Economic Development Strategy stating long haul flights to Asia are a key to success) more or less aligns itself with the Airport Master Plan which projects to pump $450 million into the region’s economy and create 11,000 new jobs. Fantastic, but in order to do so Wellington Airport requires a second Mount Victoria tunnel and the widening of Ruahine Street, so promoting the flyover at the expense of our precious town belt, communities at large and the ambiance of our city.
Don’t dilute my democratic rights Iona! Us citizens only received a submission for A or B from the NZTA, your attack is unfounded.
Laura, no one is diluting your democratic rights, but you do sound like a complete pillock by saying “bring on the flyover”. Just thought I’d point that out to you, in case it isn’t obvious already….
Wellington is at the edge of a cliff, wondering whether we need to build more roads to support more cars. Only thing is, what if there is not more cars? The road your shop is on has taken away the nearby car parks, and I bet that as always, the traffic has just expanded to fill the space available. The big question for NZTA and the council right now, is do we really need to build a new road system round the Basin, and if so, is a flyover the best solution, the only solution, – or are there other solutions?
I’ve finally worked out why Laura wants the flyover built – it’s so that she can “build a bridge and get over it”.
On a positive note – good to see that the council is backing Option X (the only good option in my opinion).
Laura – just to make it clear, I am not Iona Pannett. Cr Pannett always clearly identifies herself when she posts.
@ maximus
So are people who say “bring on Option X” or similar, complete pillocks too?
At least my wish list – car parks for the community at this shopping centre – doesn’t expect taxpayers to fund it.
As usual, the WCC’s decisions are based on political expediency. Over many decades, short term fixes for long term problems or developments have been the order of the day. The classic is the tramcar rail system our beloved “bicyclist mayor” keeps banging on about, seeming to ignore we have trolley buses which apart from not needing steel rails, use electric power. WCC ripped up the rail system!
It’s a pity that the original Ministry of Works plans for the area were not developed; they would have reduced all the bitching and recriminations we are bombarded with now. Wellington is bereft of land in the city area for any major roading development. Anyway what is the point of parts of State Highway 1 in the city being developed just to feed into a narrow two lane tunnel which is the main contributor to traffic jams?
Remember that song “Tell Laura I love her” !! Be kind to the lady.