Monthly Archives: October 2014

Report on the Residents’ Association October Meeting

October 23, 2014Consultation, Meetings, Newsmartinh123

We met at the Community Hall in Daniell Street at 7.30pm on 20th October. As well as discussing the items on the Agenda we heard an update on the Newtown Festival, information about the WCC fixit app, and other business that is worth reading about.

You can read the Minutes of the meeting here.

Action points!

3 small groups were established to follow up on some of the main issues. Please contact us on newtownwellington@gmail.com if you would like your voice heard on these topics.

Cycleways. Tom Law is convening this group. One of the issues they will be considering is how to consult effectively with local residents and businesses.
Parking Issues. There is considerable interest in how to free up more parking for locals. WCC is already aware of the concerns. We would really like to hear from you about your experiences and ideas about how parking affects you and what to do about it.
Wellington City Council Long Term Plan. The Council staff are asking for ideas on what needs to be included in the plan. We are inviting a Council officer to discuss this with us at the November meeting, and if you would like to see any issues addressed or have an idea to improve Newtown, please let us know so that we can pass it on.

Cheryl Robilliard is preparing a submission on the Draft Suburban Reserves Management Plan and would like to hear from anyone with ideas to contribute to this. You can contact Cheryl at cheryl@paos.co.nz

The Draft Suburban Reserves Plan includes the intention to decommission one of the Berhampore suburban reserves, the playground in Jeypore Street, and the residents are unhappy about this.
There is to be a protest meeting at the playground at 10am on Saturday 1st November, and Newtown residents are invited to support our Berhampore neighbours.

Don McKay would like people to join him on Labour Day, Monday 27th, to ‘bomb’ the vacant section on the corner of Newtown Ave and Daniell Street with flower seeds. See the Facebook page or contact Don at newtownseedbombers@gmail.com

Island Bay Seawall Project – have your say

October 23, 2014Newsmartinh123

A message from Wellington City Council

The huge swells generated by the severe storm in June 2013 caused the collapse of a section of the 350-metre seawall in Island Bay. The Wellington City Council placed a temporary rock barrier in the broken section of the seawall to protect the footpath and road, and this will remain in place for the time being. Before anything else is done, the Council wants to hear your ideas and views on a long-term solution for that area. We have identified five options to get the discussion started that range from the status quo of repairing the seawall through to options that close parts of The Esplanade and create linkages between Shorland Park and the beach. There are a lot of factors to consider including traffic impacts, heritage issues, costs, long-term sea level rise and amenity of the area.

Please take the time to have your say on this project. Information on the options and the online submission forms are available at www.wellington.govt.nz/islandbayseawall.Please give us your views online if you can.

You can also have your say by…

– Emailing us at islandbayseawall@wcc.govt.nz

– Sending a FreePost hard-copy submission form. Hard copies are available at the Island Bay Library and Island Bay Community Centre.

Submissions close 10 November 2014 at 5pm.

Monthly Meeting – October 20th 2014

October 15, 2014Meetings, Newsmartinh123

We will be meeting at 7.30 pm at the Newtown Community Hall, 71 Daniell St – at the Constable Street playground.

Everyone is very welcome.

AGENDA

What is happening around the Basin Reserve?
- High Court Process
- Grant Robertson’s initiative

Cycleway update

Newtown parking issues

Wellington City Council Consultations
- Draft Suburban Reserves Management Plan – consultation closes on Friday 5^th December
- Urban Growth Plan – closed 13/10 – see NRA submission
- Long Term Plan – advance notice: we will discuss this in detail at the November NRA meeting, in preparation for the Council Consultation in 2015

5. Other business.

What is happening around the Basin Reserve?

October 15, 2014Newsmartinh123

The High Court Appeal against the flyover decision

The New Zealand Transport Agency has taken an appeal against the Board of Inquiry decision to decline resource consent for a Basin Reserve flyover. Community groups that opposed the flyover, including Save the Basin and the Architecture Centre, are planning to be represented by lawyers when this appeal is heard.

In the original Board of Inquiry process the Newtown Residents’ Association and the Architecture Centre made joint submissions, and the legal costs were covered by a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. This funding is not available for the appeal. When the NRA decided to oppose the flyover it was on the understanding that there would be no cost to the Association. We are not a wealthy organisation, and so although we support the action the above groups are taking we cannot afford to be a party to it.

Save the Basin are fundraising for their costs, and members might like to support this – see here for more information.

Grant Robertson’s initiative

Grant Robertson, the Wellington Central MP, convened a meeting to discuss next steps in terms of the development of transport solutions for Wellington, in particular in the area around the Basin Reserve. The meeting was held on Monday 6th of October and was attended by a number of community groups; NRA was represented by Martin Hanley. Martin took some plans for suggested changes to traffic lanes that the Urban Activation Lab has been working on, and they were well received. As an outcome of the meeting a letter is being drafted requesting greater community involvement with the development of plans for the Ngauranga to Airport corridor – we will report further when this is finalized. There is to be a follow-up meeting, this time with the Regional Council, on Friday 24^th October.

Cycleway updates

October 15, 2014Consultation, Newsmartinh123

Wellington City Council cycleway planning.

Shorland Park to Wakefield Park: Island Bay.

Submissions closed on 6^th October 2014, and the WCC website reports “We’ve received over 500 submissions and will be carefully reviewing these. The Transport and Urban Development Committee will meet on 3 December 2014 to consider the submissions and next steps. The Committee will decide whether the scheme is to proceed and if so, what elements will be included.”

The NRA made a submission approving of the idea of cycleways but objecting to the current plans. You can read it here.

Wakefield Park to John Street: Berhampore and Newtown.

The Wellington City Council website reports on the planning process to date. Aecom has been engaged to do some further study and analysis. They are looking at how cycleways, parking and the bus system work together as a totality. At the August NRA meeting we heard the planned timeline leading to extensive community consultation in early 2015, and the Council are still working towards this.

AVENUES AND OASES IN THE CAPITAL: Wellington Civic Trust Seminar, Saturday 18 October 2014

October 3, 2014Local Events, Newsmartinh123

Free Public Seminar

On Saturday morning, 18 October, 9.00 am – 12.30 pm the seminar, entitled “Avenues and Oases”, will explore ways to improve the appearance and enjoyment of prominent – and currently under appreciated – spaces within the inner city. The focus will be on Taranaki Street and Kent and Cambridge Terraces, Wellington’s main north-south corridors.

The Civic Trust is concerned with improving the accessibility and enjoyment of our public spaces, and reinforcing Wellington’s role as New Zealand’s capital city.

Representatives from a variety of interest groups will participate in the seminar, which will commence with an address by Wellington’s Mayor, Celia Wade-Brown.

The keynote speaker will be the well known film director Gaylene Preston, long time resident of Mount Victoria. Already full of ideas to transform inner city spaces we expect Gaylene to bring great energy and inspiration.

The seminar will be held in Lecture Room 1 at Rutherford House, the home of Victoria University’s Business School. The University has kindly provided the venue as a way of fostering the airing of creative ideas.

Further details on speakers can be found on the Wellington Civic Trust website.