The hapless WCC
March 22nd, 2013 at 4:00 pm by David FarrarKatie Chapman reports:
After months re-reviewing the options, $40,000 spent, and another three-hour debate, Wellington city councillors still can’t decide where they stand on the Basin Flyover.
Of course not. It’s not as if it is even a complex decision. The opponents don’t even have a viable alternative. They are doing the worse kind of negative politicking. Fine to put up alternatives, but they have failed to come up with anything sensible.
In a committee debate yesterday that saw cries about congestion woes clash with descriptions of a ‘‘monstrosity’’ in the city centre, councillors continued to tie themselves in knots over the controversial roading project.
I was walking through Victoria Park in Auckland on Wednesday and you know that has a motorway actually go over part of the park, and guess what – still pretty popular. And unless you move the Basin Reserve to Miramar, it is inevitable that you will need improved traffic flows at this major congestion point.
Finally, after 3 1/2 hours of debating what position to take, they voted not to take a position.
Sigh.
Jo Coughlan labelled opposition ‘‘anti-car’’ and ‘‘anti-family’’.
Yep. You can’t send the kids off to weekend sport on the bus or train. You drive them there, and watch their games etc.
Ray Ahipene-Mercer said it was time for councillors to accept officers’ advice, rather than reviewing the options repeatedly because they didn’t like the outcome.
Again, if there was a viable alternative, then fine. But they don’t have one.
Porirua Mayor Nick Leggett said having the largest local authority in the region unable to fully back a project of regional significance was a bad look.
I wonder if we could get Nick to stand for Mayor of Wellington. He may be a leftie, but at least he is a sane leftie – like Ray Ahipene-Mercer.
Wellington City Council’s refusal to fully support the flyover was frustrating for the rest of the region, which recognised the economic importance of a speedy corridor between Wellington Airport and Levin, he said.
‘‘It’s regional traffic that will be using the road. People in Porirua want to be able to get to the airport and to the hospital.’’
And you can’t have a transport corridor that is four lanes for 99% and two lanes for 1%. Because that 1% sets the flow for the whole corridor.
HOW THEY VOTED
For the motion to “not support the flyover”: Mayor Celia Wade-Brown, Stephanie Cook, Paul Eagle, Justin Lester, Iona Pannett, Bryan Pepperell, Helene Ritchie
Print that out for local body elections as a list of people not to vote for, if you want to reduce congestion.
Related posts:
- Dom Post on Basin flyover
- WCC changes mind on Basin flyover
- Indeed a waste of money
- WCC and Mayor support NZTA plan
March 22nd, 2013 at 4:13 pm
You can add these two to the list also
===============================================
Press Release by New Zealand Labour at 8:37AM, 21 Mar 2013
———————————————–
Labour MPs Grant Robertson and Annette King are urging the Wellington City Council to continue to not support the flyover beside the Basin Reserve at their meeting this morning.
“We are disappointed that the Council officials’ paper concludes that the flyover (Option A) is the best option. We simply don’t agree that a large concrete structure that will destroy the character of the area, and have questionable benefits for traffic flow, will serve Wellington and Wellingtonians, especially when there are other options available,” Grant Robertson says.
Vote:March 22nd, 2013 at 4:15 pm
Wellington. An example of how not to run local government
Vote:March 22nd, 2013 at 4:39 pm
Absolutely Positively, um, not sure anymore.
Vote:March 22nd, 2013 at 4:47 pm
And DPF would have the Wellington City Council running Paraparaumu and Masterton.
[DPF: Nope. Different voters means different Councillors. And one would still have local boards]
Vote:March 22nd, 2013 at 4:52 pm
The best alternative is to do nothing. The traffic is not that bad –most Aucklanders would laugh their heads off at how long the so called delays are. There alternative ways to the airport at busy times, if that is the big deal. They might take 10 minutes longer but so what.
Vote:March 22nd, 2013 at 5:01 pm
More nothing from the do-nothing led council.
Vote:NZTA should teach these prats a lesson and revert the funding to a project that another part of the country wants.
But I guess that’s playing right into the hands of the do-nothing brigade. Its probably what they are hoping for.
March 22nd, 2013 at 5:03 pm
Ross12: “There alternative ways to the airport at busy times, if that is the big deal.”
Ross12 either does not have a job or does not live in the Wellington southern suburbs.
Vote:March 22nd, 2013 at 5:15 pm
Wade Brown’s incompetence is beyond belief. The Green nutter must go!
The worst thing that happened to Wellington was to elect her (stumble upon is more appropriate) as mayor.
Vote:March 22nd, 2013 at 5:26 pm
greenjacket — I have a business and have lived in the Wellington southern suburbs for over 20 years.
Vote:March 22nd, 2013 at 5:36 pm
If you think it’s a do-nothing money wasting dysfunctional council now, you’re dreaming if you think that making it bigger will fix it.
Vote:March 22nd, 2013 at 5:37 pm
One mayoral candidate that is a worse choice than Wade Brown is anyone that supports a supercity. That would rule out Nick Leggett as an option. Not to mention Fran Wilde
Vote:March 22nd, 2013 at 5:58 pm
I fail to see how having traffic moving and not sitting idle is bad for congestion.
Vote:March 22nd, 2013 at 6:12 pm
Welcome to a pweview of an average Liarbore-Gween-NZF-Hone-First coalition Cabinet meeting.
Aren’t we lucky.
We’re going to be living in “
interestingintewesting times.”You can just imagine it:
Wussell: “But I weally weally weally want to pwint money, it’s fwee, evewyone is doing it, I want it, and I demand it. Now! [Stamp foot, pout and burst into tears]
Trevor: Oh FFS.
Grant: Fucken hell. David, do we have to be govt? I know it’s only the first week but…”
Wussell: “If you don’t agwee, we’re walking.”
David S: “Hear that? You really want a snap election the week after swearing in? Not on my watch, my mum says I’d make a great PM and I’m not disappointing her just because Wussell’s mental.”
Wussell: “What did you say?”
And so on.
And on and on and on and on and on.
You have to feel sorry for the Cabinet Secretary taking the minutes don’t you. You know what would be really amusing? Take away all the “W” keys from all the ninth floor keyboards, just like Clinton’s outgoing WH staff did to Bush 43′s incoming Administration. Then it would be impossible to accuwately wecord the in-depth Cabinet discussions.
Vote:March 22nd, 2013 at 6:56 pm
Thanks for the list of who to vote for.
I don’t think destroying the Basin Reserve is what most Wellingtonians and cricket lovers want.
Vote:March 22nd, 2013 at 7:19 pm
@hamnida,
Expect the flyover doesn’t destroy the Basin Reserve. In fact it gets it a brand new stand for those fans to enjoy the cricket.
You and facts are not terribly close acquaintances are you?
Vote:March 22nd, 2013 at 8:22 pm
Although the reason why there is a tunnel now under Victoria Park is that no one wanted another viaduct because it is so hideous.
Vote:March 22nd, 2013 at 8:39 pm
Although the reason why there is a tunnel now under Victoria Park is that no one wanted another viaduct because it is so hideous.
Really?
I would have thought, not being a structural engineer, that it was because the traffic load crossing that bridge at peaktime couldn’t have been supported if it were expended to eight lanes, four in each direction, without wiping out not just Vic Park but thousands of prime properties the total which would have cost the taxpayer billions.
Silly me.
Vote:March 22nd, 2013 at 8:52 pm
By the bleatings of the local luvvies you’d think the area was some architectural gem instead of a series of cheap and nasty light commercial buildings, car yards and student accommodation on the fringe of the commercial district. Those luvvies haven’t hesitated to lie to try and rark up anxieties. Most of them wouldn’t be seen dead on the bank at the basin for fear of creasing their designer clothes or muddying their shoes, yet all of a sudden got this heartfelt concern for the plight of cricket fans
@ hamnida
Do you remember those crappy old buildings onr the corner of dufferin st? In case you didn’t notice, the flyover goes through where they were and is shorter than them. How is that destroying the basin? Those buildings never did.
Vote:March 22nd, 2013 at 10:04 pm
Wellington, absolutely positively precious. Amazing just how seriously people take themselves, just because I suppose they think everyone in the country so admires a place that represents the gigantic sucking sound of all our taxes being hoovered up into that incestuous “city” of high priced low talent nobodies.
There got that off my chest in time for the weekend. Happy Friday !
Vote:March 22nd, 2013 at 10:07 pm
I wrote about this, it is laughable hypocrisy for Labour to oppose this, when at the time it was in government, it supported a transport funding package for Wellington that was based, in part, on a flyover at the Basin Reserve.
However, there really is no alternative. It is a hysterical response to a one-way 2 lane bridge operating at 50km/h as if it were the Cahill Expressway in Sydney. The Bowen Street motorway overpass is far more intrusive and it hasn’t resulted in any of the nonsense talked about.
http://libertyscott.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/basin-reserve-opponents-are.html
Of course it should have NOTHING to do with the Council. It is a State Highway, it isn’t the council’s roads, it isn’t asked to contribute a cent of ratepayers’ money towards it. Moreover it is an absolute pre-requisite to building a second Mt Victoria Tunnel, as you can’t increase capacity towards the city without having somewhere for the traffic to go freely, and this bridge will mean a traffic light free drive to Taranaki Street. If only it were linking to the original cut and cover four lane bypass tunnel that the previously National government vetoed as Rob Storey was caught up in the Green myth of induced traffic and preferred money being spent on rural highways.
On a side note, can anyone explain why the certifiably mad Helene Ritchie continues to get elected in Wellington? In all seriousness, current and former councillors I’ve met all say she is a nightmare, and has little real grasp on reality. She really is the definition of hysterical AND she claims to be a psychologist.
Vote:March 22nd, 2013 at 11:21 pm
I lived in the Southern Suburbs and worked in Central Wellington and will return when I’m back in NZ. It took me 15-20 minutes to get to and from work during rush hour – In my opinion, it’s a problem that doesn’t merit destroying the character of the Basin. And before someone starts, I’m not convinced that things have got that much worse in the few years I’ve been away. They certainly didn’t seem that bad when I was driving around Wellington last year.
You’ve set up a false dichotomy. “Again, if there was a viable alternative, then fine. But they don’t have one.” This assumes that the problem needs fixing. Try driving in London if you want to see problem traffic.
Vote:March 23rd, 2013 at 12:01 am
even I got to admit that the traffic in welly isn’t that bad compared to most other cities. I went to st pats years ago and still travel out to those burbs to see mates all the time and used to live out there and travel into town. Still, Jo Caughlan is right about those councillors, and the traffic is borderline for NZ. The bypass to the airport has worked really well, as have the bus only lanes in town, so there’s no reason why this shouldn’t too.
Vote:March 23rd, 2013 at 12:09 am
haha insider has the best comment though. Hamnida mate, you know the most culturally valuable thing around the Basin is the McDonalds. It actually is a pretty shitty area, old commercial spaces and opposite of earthquake proof pseudo industrial buildings and a few token old school flats. fuck it insider’s dead right, what the hell are these wowsers protecting apart from their useless loser ideologies. Get it done, I would like to get out there faster if I can.
Vote:March 23rd, 2013 at 7:12 am
Most of the roading improvements proposed for Wellington are a bit of a waste of money. Traffic isn’t that bad now, and Wellington isn’t expected to grow. I am not sure why there is now such a big focus on Wellington.
Vote:March 23rd, 2013 at 7:54 am
I used to know a former WCC Councillor and Deputy Mayor. He was talked about as the next Mayor but the feeling was (at least among journalists) that he was too much of a technocrat. A sewage treatment plant (the one at Moa Point) was being considered and being a technical person expected to see the Councillors consider options on their merits. He was somewhat amazed to find some councillors (and one in particular who is currently on the Council) were more interested in playing politics and wanted various concepts (eg milliscreening) removed from consideration just to play to a political audience, not because they were intrinsically unsuitable. Little wonder that when there was an opportunity to work in the local government unit in Internal Affairs he took that job up and resigned from Council mid term.
Incidentally, the plant has milliscreening – to remove solids before treatment and so the solids are not discharged at sea. Why that councillor was opposed to milliscreening goodness knows.
Vote:March 23rd, 2013 at 2:04 pm
Wellington doesn’t have the same degree of traffic congestion as much larger cities like London or Auckland but for those of us that live in the northern suburbs like Tawa, Churton Park, Newlands or Johnsonville it can still take anywhere between 20-45 minutes to drive to the airport – with peak hour traffic congestion being the main variable. If we can find ways of reducing time spent in traffic then there are all sorts of benefits for the economy as well as for reduced fuel consumption.
Vote:March 23rd, 2013 at 8:19 pm
“…Tawa, Churton Park, Newlands or Johnsonville it can still take anywhere between 20-45 minutes to drive to the airport”
It can take 45 minutes to drive to the airport on the other side of town at the peak. Seriously thats what this is all about? No wonder all the BCR’s are so low.
Vote: