Te Upoko o te Ika a Māui / Wellington

Council leaders in the Wellington region are looking at plans that could see their councils amalgamated.

At the Wellington Regional Leadership Committee meeting on Tuesday, mayors from Wairarapa, Hutt Valley, Kāpiti and Wellington will discuss the possibility of a regional deal.

A regional deal is a plan that allows an area or city to work with central government on long-term issues for the region.

Amalgamating councils is being pitched so that challenges around the structure of local government in the region can be addressed.

Under the early plans there would be one council for Wairarapa, one for Wellington, the Hutt Valley and Porirua and one for Kāpiti and potentially Horowhenua.

There would still be one regional council.

"Can we continue with nine local authorities across the region? Or is there some merit in starting to combine local authorities and get some economies of scale, get more joined up thinking around infrastructure connectivity?"

Examples of decisions today by for Minister Bishop’s consideration include:

· Increasing walking catchments to allow housing intensification – from Tawa in the north to Newtown in the south.

· Intensification of the Kilbirnie suburban centre to be first subject to community consultation.

· Classifying the Johnsonville railway line as ‘rapid transit’ – enabling housing developments of up to six storeys close to rail stations along the line’s route.

· Extending the central city zone south on Adelaide Rd toward Newtown and making bigger (15-minute) walking catchments, providing for more housing units.

· Reducing the city’s ‘character areas’ from 206 hectares to 85 hectares.

· Removing the heritage listings for the following buildings: Gordon Wilson Flats, the Miramar Gas Tank, Emeny House, Kahn House, Olympus Apartments, Wharenui Apartments, Robert Stout Building, Primitive Methodist Church, Johnsonville Masonic Hall, Star of the Sea Chapel.

A solo diner in the market for a hotpot has taken action against a restaurant after he learned he would have to pay the price of two customers if he wanted the dish.

While he accepted Red Hill did not decline to provide hotpot to him because he was single or that he was treated less favourably for that reason, he claimed the charging policy had the effect of treating him differently and was indirectly discriminatory.

But the restaurant denied its actions were discriminatory and said the policy applied to everyone and was not limited to customers with a particular marital status.

In its decision, which was made on the papers, the tribunal said the essence of the claim was about the minimum charge for a serving of hotpot and how large that serving should be.

"If anyone wants to order that quantity of hotpot for that price, there is no prohibition preventing any diner from doing so. Had Red Hill simply set out the price for hotpot, no exception could be taken."

The tribunal found any discrimination alleged was therefore merely theoretical and did not give rise to material disadvantage.

Two people are in hospital following an explosion in a central Wellington apartment building on Friday afternoon.

"When crews investigated they found there'd been an explosion in one of the apartments, and so we are now investigating the cause of that explosion."

Wellington City Councillors will next week 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%.

The key features of the deal are:

• WCC will buy the land from Reading for NZ$32m. This is based on the valuation we received that it is worth $31.9m. M
• Reading will lease the land back from WCC on a 21-year perpetually renewable lease.
• The annual rent paid by Reading will cover WCC’s borrowing and other costs so that it is fiscally neutral to ratepayers.
• Reading has the first right to buy back the land anytime within the first 15 years of the lease.
• WCC can sell the land to someone else any time after the first 10 years of the lease.
• The deal provides that WCC will only complete the agreement and pay the balance of funds to Reading once we have been satisfied that the new building design meets the civic outcomes we want and has resource consent.

two upgraded play areas open next week – the exciting new playspace at Frank Kitts Park, and the refreshed site at Botanic Garden ki Paekākā.

There will also be a karakia and official opening of the Botanic Garden ki Paekākā play area on Friday 1 March, followed by a weekend of whānau-friendly fun and activities.

The return of these two play spaces will be celebrated all weekend with entertainment and activities, plus a day of play in the city on Te Rā o Ngā Tamariki – Childrens’ Day on Sunday 3 March. Whānau are encouraged to try out one of the new play areas in the morning, then take a free cable car ride for tamariki to experience the other one after lunch. The day of play in the city on Sunday 3 March is a chance to try out the new playspaces and also take part in a range of fun Childrens’ Day activities on the waterfront. The new playspace and waka at Frank Kitts Park will be joined by a bike obstacle course, soccer and basketball games, kayaking, plus food, music and special performances for kids.

The new playspace at Botanic Garden ki Paekākā will have giant bubbles and chalk art, plus free cable car rides all day for tamariki aged 5-15.

Once you’ve worked up an appetite, take advantage of 2-for-1 kids pizza at the Cable Car Eatery or a free kids menu item with the purchase of a main menu item at Picnic Cafe.

Consultation on the 2024-34 Long-term Plan opens on 12 April and closes on 12 May. It is a key opportunity for Wellingtonians to have their say on the city’s 10-year plan and budget.

Major consultation items will be:

• Three-waters investment options, with a recommended option to provide $1.8 billion to Wellington Water for investment in three waters.
• Waste collection services – including options to introduce wheelie bins and organics collection, funded by a new targeted rate for waste (a flat fee for all households that can receive the service).
• Options for establishing a Perpetual Investment Fund by selling City Council ground leases and the Council’s shares in Wellington Airport, to address natural disaster and insurance risks.

The draft Long-term Plan will include changes to the capital programme, to allow as much investment as possible in three waters within Council financial parameters. This includes:

• Delaying starting construction of Kilbirnie Skate Park from 2024/25 to 2025/26.
• Closing Khandallah Pool and landscaping the site to restore the stream channel, improve flooding mitigation and create a new entranceway into Khandallah Park. -Not progressing the Hutt Road portion of the Thorndon Quay/Hutt Road transport improvements (part of the former Let’s Get Wellington Moving programme). The Aotea Quay roundabout and Thorndon Quay portions would continue.
• Rephasing work on the Golden Mile to deliver the Courtenay Place improvements first, and delay the Lambton Quay, Manners and Willis Street work.

Just a cheerful reminder that almost half the water we put into our system is lost along the way.

Also, I live at a rural property with rain water tanks, and we have a reasonably small tank for the size of our house. We haven't come close to running out of water this summer, while we have had to get a tanker other years. It's actually been a reasonable summer in terms of rainfall.

Other media:

• Housing intensification report criticised for ‘scoffing’ at economics (Dom Post)
• The actual report

This report was publicly released today. It was commissioned from Fieldforce4 by the Wellington City Council into Wellington Water, although the other local councils weren't directly involved. The report's been kept in secret for a month, but is being released after Local Government Minister Simeon Brown requested it.

It's important to note that its findings are disputed by Wellington Water which claims it's riddled with errors.

There's also some media commentary out from RNZ and from The Post (possibly paywalled for some).

Pretty chaotic at the station as everyone is trying to get on limited buses

TL;DR:

1. Lyall Bay
2. Island Bay
3. Worser Bay
4. Princess Bay
5. Seatoun Beach
6. Scorching Bay
7. Oriental Beach
8. Breaker Bay
9. Freyberg Beach
10. Balaena Bay
11. Hataitai Beach
12. Little Scorching Bay
13. Karaka Bays
14. Mākara Beach
15. Palmer Bay
16. Shark Bay
17. Shelley Bay
18. Ōwhiro Bay
19. Kau Bay
20. Mahanga Bay
21. Bay of Breaker Bay
22. Moa Point
23. Waitaha Cove
24. Red Rocks/Pariwhero
25. Tarakena Bay

The chance of Wellington experiencing an acute water shortage this summer has increased, while emergency water tanks sell out around the region.

New modelling from Wellington Water shows there is now a 33 percent chance of the region seeing an acute water shortage rather than a 24 percent chance that had been previously recorded.

Under that type of shortage, level 4 water restrictions would be brought into place which would ban all outdoor water use and reduce indoor water use by up to 50 percent.

A proposal to deal with Wellington City Council’s significant external economic pressures while continuing to deliver for the capital city was today presented to elected members working on the 2024-34 Long-term Plan.

The initial starting point for next year’s rates increase following input from elected members was 26%.

With additional levers being pulled, today's budget proposes significant reductions in planned capital and operating expenditure and would result in a predicted rates increase of around 14-16% for the 2024/25 financial year.

Video credit @Heliogabalus

It's December so that means the Wellington advent calendar.

Personally, though they have this every year I think I've only every used one or two ever.

Two kiwi chicks have been born in the wild around Wellington for the first time in more than 100 years, one year after the national bird was reintroduced to New Zealand’s capital.

Wellington’s ecosanctuary Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne has been named the top tourism operation in Aotearoa New Zealand as winner of the prestigious Air New Zealand Supreme Tourism Award.

The awards, presented by Tourism Industry Aotearoa, showcase and celebrate the very best of New Zealand tourism’s individual and business successes.

As well as taking out the top award, Zealandia also won the category of the Airbnb Tourism Excellence Award (Small-Medium Business).

It's been a hard-fought effort but Wellington's Miramar Peninsula is predator-free - having eradicated the last of the ship rats.

Fantastic effort, and fantastic news!

Sunday 29th October:

• Diwali 2023, 2pm-8:30pm - TSB Arena and Shed 6
• Diwali Fireworks: 8:45pm - Wellington Harbour

There will be non-stop cultural entertainment, food, and Indian cultural activities for the whole family to enjoy, including Indian fashion clothes and jewellery retail stalls, henna and Indian lantern making, and food stalls.

Enjoy a short fireworks display after the Diwali Festival of Light event.

Regular - 3rd Wednesday of every month - lunchtime street cleanup.

Come join the Sustainability Trust crew on your lunch break and make a difference.

We'll spend roughly an hour out on the streets and waterfront with our litter pickers making the pavements a waste-free zone.

You're welcome to join us for as little or as long as you like, just pop along to Sustainability Trust HQ @ 12 pm and do your bit to help make Welly waste-free. The more hands the merrier!

Remember to wear comfy shoes, bring a hat and plenty of water. We will have plenty of sunscreen and sanitiser available and will provide everyone with litter pickers and buckets.

These litter pickups take place on the third Wednesday of every month.

I was hoping to go along but sick children make that unlikely, but maybe others might be interested?