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Windbag: Metro Water to the rescue
Windbag: Metro Water to the rescue

The Spinoff

time6 days ago

  • Politics
  • The Spinoff

Windbag: Metro Water to the rescue

Wellington's councils have agreed to create a new water service entity. Will it be the answer to the region's pipe crisis? Windbag is The Spinoff's Wellington issues column, written by Wellington editor Joel MacManus. Subscribe to the Windbag newsletter to receive columns early. It's no secret that Wellington's water network is a shambles. At this point, it's one of the city's defining traits. Just last week, Johnston Street became the latest in an ever-growing list of streets to be flooded by a burst pipe. There's really no need to rehash all the ways in which the water system is failing, but here are a few stats: 45% of the Wellington region's drinking water is lost to leaks before it reaches the tap; 21% of pipe infrastructure is worn out; and for wastewater pipes, it's 33%. The region's water infrastructure needs $15-17b of investment over the next 20-25 years to maintain service and keep up with population growth. There is plenty of blame to go around. The existing water entity, Wellington Water, has been shambolic at times. Councils have underfunded water for decades. Earthquakes haven't helped the pipes either. If you want to point the finger at someone, check out my handy user's guide to working out who to blame for Wellington's water issues. 'Our three waters system has for many years been largely out of sight, out of mind,' a report by Andy Foster's mayoral taskforce on three waters concluded in 2021. Their recommendation was clear: 'Tinkering is not going to cut it. Transformational reform is required.' Then, councils and the government spent four years tinkering and arguing about the exact specifics of that transformational reform. There are no organisational restructures or legislative tweaks that can change the underlying problem – namely, that all the pipes are munted and someone has to pay for it. But it has been clear for years that Wellington Water needed to be replaced with a new, more powerful entity with different financial powers. First, this change was going to be part of Labour's Three Waters Reforms. Then, Labour's Affordable Water Reforms. And now, they're part of National's Local Water Done Well. A technical advisory group led by former mayor Kerry Prendergast (one of the people most responsible for the chronic underfunding) released a lengthy report last year on a recommended regional approach. With the final vote last week, all five of the metropolitan councils – Hutt City Council, Porirua City Council, Upper Hutt City Council, Wellington City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council – have now confirmed they are on board with the plan. Wellington's new water entity is called Metro Water. Except it won't actually be its name. It's just a working title until they think of a better one. But for now, Metro Water is the name in all the documents, so it's what I'm going to use. As of July 2026, Wellington Water will be dissolved, and Metro Water will be in charge of all water services in wider Wellington. It won't be a complete changing of the guard. Metro Water will absorb all of Wellington Water's staff below the senior management level. Like Wellington Water, it will be a council-controlled organisation owned jointly by the five councils, with an independent board featuring representatives from Ngāti Toa Rangitira and Taranaki Whānui (yes, that's right, co-governance *gasp*). However, rather than councils owning the pipe assets and paying Wellington Water to run them, councils will transfer ownership of their pipes to Metro Water's books. Importantly, Metro Water will have the ability to take out loans directly. This matters because most councils are approaching their borrowing limits. Metro Water will be able to take out larger loans and spread the costs over a longer term, which means lower annual costs. The technical advisory group estimates this could lower ongoing costs up to a third. The annual cost per connection, which currently sits at $1,711, would rise to $2,596 over 20 years under Metro Water. The business-as-usual approach is estimated to cost as much as $4,000 per year. The downside for Metro Water is that an independent entity likely won't have access to the same cheap loans that councils get. So they're essentially paying more, but spreading it over a longer period. This is essentially the same accounting trick that Auckland Council used earlier this year to separate Watercare's balance sheet from the council's, which was a large reason why Auckland had one of the lowest rate increases this year, at 5.8% for council rates and 7.2% for water rates. By comparison, Wellington City Council had an all-inclusive 12% increase. For ratepayers, there will be one obvious immediate change: water metering. Households will receive a separate bill for water usage. On the whole, this will be more equitable – suburbanites who waste bathloads of water on oversized lawns will pay more than people living in water-efficient apartments and townhouses. But the change will also sting renters, who will find themselves paying a separate water bill that was previously lumped in with their rent. The most surprising part of this new solution is how unsurprising it is. There is very little here that is different to how things would have looked under Labour. The Three Waters Reforms didn't make sense everywhere – it was messy in Auckland, which already had a combined water services operator, and it was controversial in rural areas, where there were concerns about how it could affect water access for irrigation (and of course, there was lots of scaremongering about co-governance) – but in Wellington, it was always obvious that the solution would involve councils transferring ownership of the pipe assets to a combined independent entity that would introduce water metering. National's policy gave councils the ability to choose their future, while Labour's would have dictated it. But in the end, they reached the same outcome.

Echo Chamber: Youth parliament is even better than the real thing
Echo Chamber: Youth parliament is even better than the real thing

The Spinoff

time03-07-2025

  • Politics
  • The Spinoff

Echo Chamber: Youth parliament is even better than the real thing

A cohort of kids willing to challenge democracy prove they're more than ready to replace the adults. Echo Chamber is The Spinoff's dispatch from the press gallery, recapping sessions in the House. Columns are written by politics reporter Lyric Waiwiri-Smith and Wellington editor Joel MacManus. A walkout in the House, claims of censorship and rogue MPs on rogue press conferences: youth parliament didn't need long to prove it can be as much of a circus as the one meant for adults. Tri-annually, pint-sized progressives and tories in the making (as well as their young peers in the fourth estate) spend three days in parliament (following a four-month training programme) to learn up close what democracy is – although if you asked this year's cohort of teens, they might be more likely to tell you what it isn't. General debates held on Tuesday and Wednesday gave all 123 youth MPs a chance to highlight the issues that matter most to them, whether that's mental health and the environment, or boy racers and 'backing the farmers' – some of these teens are already so entrenched across party lines you might expect some kind-of Scooby-Doo mask-off to reveal it was Grant McCallum all along. Youth MPs are supposedly non-partisan and aren't expected to parrot the belief of the parties they've been mentored under, but when in Rome, act like the emperor. There were claims of censorship and 'fear-based control' from some youth MPs (who are also part of the advocacy group Make It 16), but in the end, everyone got their say – even if some teens felt others should have had more vetting in the end. As was the case for Jermaine Del Mondo, youth MP for Winston Peters, whose challenge in the House to look past race – much like his mentor might say – caused a partial walkout (although no one could really leave, you see). The drama continued on Wednesday morning, with Karen Chhour's youth MP Jerry Wei having his three-minute speech last for 10 thanks to the opposition MPs raising multiple points of order in an attempt to shut him up. There was supposedly a walkout planned for him, but the progressive youth MPs felt it would just give him the satisfaction – clearly the youth parliament works, because it didn't take them long to learn the fine art of politicking. Suffice to say, some potential future leaders have already made themselves heard. Nate Wilbourne, youth MP for Labour's Damien O'Connor, had one of the strongest speeches on Wednesday morning after going off-script and directly calling out ministers Penny Simmonds, Tama Potaka and Shane Jones for putting 'profit over papatūānuku'. Later, Terangitukiwaho Edwards, youth MP for Te Pāti Māori Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and son of Ngātiwai chairman Aperahama Edwards, earned a standing ovation for his impassioned speech on prioritising mokopuna-led solutions in state care. The mock question time kicked off just before midday, with National MP Barbara Kuriger as the speaker, and only a handful of ministers – James Meager, Penny Simmonds, Louise Upston, Casey Costello and Chris Bishop – taking oral questions. This activity seemed to provide two learning points: for the government youth MPs, how to pass off patsies to your colleagues to ensure good PR, and for the opposition youth MPs, how to argue back. When Vashika Singh, youth MP for Helen White, asked RMA minister Bishop how he planned to incorporate the Treaty into the Planning Act and Natural Environment Act, she was told straight up by the minister that he had no commitment to doing that. Bishop wasn't a popular man that session – his answer to a question on housing targets from Esha Ram (youth MP for the Greens' Steve Abel) caused a few youths to rustle in their seats and attempt supplementaries, which the speaker denied. Sam Allen (youth MP for National's Hamish Campbell) then offered to 'guide' Kuriger through the speaker's rulings, which she ignored for time purposes. 'We are not having supplementary questions, and that's the last point of order I'm going to take on that issue,' Kuriger declared, before the voice of Thomas Brocherie, youth MP for the Greens Lan Pham, popped up for the hundredth time: 'Point of order, Miss Speaker …' Bishop was next questioned by Louis McSporran, youth MP for NZ First's Jenny Marcroft, on how he would 'incentivise and support' the revitalisation of rural areas through infrastructure, and a rebel youth MP in the Labour benches held up a note to the House in protest. 'DISSAPOINTED IN NAT' it read, causing Wei to raise a point of order: would the speaker consider removing the member from the House? Later, outside the chamber, a group of NZ First Youth MPs – and friends from other branches of the coalition – held a last-minute press conference on the parliament steps. They weren't happy with the narrative playing out in the media about censorship – we're not being censored, nor would we like the right to vote, they told reporters. It was 'dangerous' to let a minority group (as in, the youth MPs from Make It 16) purport to speak for the nation, an Act Party youth MP claimed. Their attempt at winning back the narrative was immediately stifled, as the press conference spurred an off-the-cuff argument from the Labour and Greens-aligned youth MPs walking past. It was probably the debate the teens would have liked to have had in the House – with each other, in verbal fisticuffs, and no expectation to be non-partisan. Parliament is a place that often feels like a high school simulator – and for three days this week, it was the real thing. Even if half of these teens still think they shouldn't have the right to vote until they're a bit older, they're already perfect for the role of politician.

Windbag: Khandallah Pool and the high price of inequality
Windbag: Khandallah Pool and the high price of inequality

The Spinoff

time26-05-2025

  • Politics
  • The Spinoff

Windbag: Khandallah Pool and the high price of inequality

The quiet suburban pool is a microcosm of everything wrong with New Zealand's broken rates system. Windbag is The Spinoff's Wellington issues column, written by Wellington editor Joel MacManus. Subscribe to the Windbag newsletter to receive columns early. On Thursday, as the nation's media were preoccupied with the government's budget, another budget was passed, less than a kilometre from parliament: Wellington City Council's Long Term Plan. One of the most controversial debates in the final weeks was about whether to spend $7.5m repairing Khandallah Pool. The 100-year-old unheated outdoor pool is not particularly well used. It gets about 10,000 users annually (down from 45,000 in its heyday), the lowest of any public pool in Wellington. By some estimates, ratepayers will subsidise swimmers to the tune of $60 to $80 per swim. Khandallah residents campaigned hard to save their pool and the council ultimately agreed to fund the repairs. The fact that the pool is heavily subsidised isn't inherently a problem; all council facilities are subsidised. The problem comes from the political processes that decide what the council spends money on. Councillors increasingly see community facilities as 'bread and circuses' politics. They'll spend money on whatever councillors think will make their constituents happy, which biases decision-making towards the loudest voices. That's a recipe for short-sighted decision-making and white elephant projects. Every council spending decision is an investment in city land. Land connected to serviced roads and mains water is more valuable than land without those things. That also applies to libraries, pools, parks, community centres and theatres. Land with nearby amenities is more valuable than land in the middle of nowhere. A 2019 meta-analysis of 33 studies by Texas A&M and Swansea University researchers found there was an 8%-10% premium in house prices when they were located near a public park. For a small public park, the increase in value is quite localised. Once you're more than 750 metres away, the price premium all but disappears. A destination park, like a botanical garden or a multi-sports field, will spread its benefits across a larger area. Major facilities, like a stadium or art gallery, will add some small value to every property in the city, but will have a greater impact on nearby commercial properties because they attract customers. Khandallah Pool is a value-add for nearby residents. They get the benefit of a pool without the cost of installing one on their property. To justify the investment, the council must hope that the pool will make Khandallah a more appealing place to live, encouraging higher property values and more development, which means more rates revenue for the council. The problem is that Khandallah residents don't seem to want that. The Onslow Residents' Community Association, which represents Khandallah, has consistently fought against new housing in its area. One of the reasons for the drop in Khandallah Pool users is that the number of school-aged children in the suburb is declining, down 19% since 2015. Young families are being priced out. Khandallah is increasingly a community of elderly people sitting on $2 million properties, watching their grandchildren grow up over Zoom. Recent zoning changes under the district plan should help to address this, but some suburbs are still highly motivated to fight back. In Mt Victoria, a group of residents led by Dame Gaylene Preston is organising sustained protest action to block a seven-storey apartment development. In financial terms, for the council, this apartment building contains 32 units, which would generate about $500,000 per year in rates. The single-storey building that stood there previously generated about $30,000 annually. Would Mt Victoria residents be willing to accept lower council spending in their community in exchange for cancelling the development? I doubt it. Wealthy and well-organised communities like Khandallah and Mt Victoria are very effective at demanding investment in their areas while simultaneously opposing the growth that pays for it. That means the younger, poorer, denser neighbourhoods are subsidising the lifestyles of the leafy suburbs. A Greater Wellington Regional Council study last year found councils were spending three to five times more per dwelling to provide infrastructure to the outer suburbs than in the inner city. So what's the answer? We could go down a convoluted rabbit hole of targeted rates and development levies earmarked for local projects, but that's probably more effort than it's worth. There's a far more elegant solution waiting in the wings: switch from property value rates to land value rates. Land value rates allow councils to directly recoup their investments. If your land value goes up because the council upgraded the road and built a new pool, it's fair enough that you should pay more rates. On the other hand, if you increase your property value by renovating your house, the council hasn't added anything. The major benefit of land value rates is that they are based on developable capacity, which encourages more efficient land use. People who own large, underdeveloped sections would pay higher rates, which would encourage them to sell up or develop the land into apartments or townhouses. That's what this is all about, really – allowing more people to enjoy the benefits of council facilities. Now that Wellington City Council has decided to repair Khandallah Pool, we should want more people to live near it and use it.

10 key reads on Buget 2025
10 key reads on Buget 2025

The Spinoff

time22-05-2025

  • Business
  • The Spinoff

10 key reads on Buget 2025

Nobody has time to read everything that's been written on the budget, so Catherine McGregor has a round-up of some of the most interesting takes, in today's extract from The Bulletin. The true blue, bitsy, no BS, growth budget For Jenée Tibshraeny at the Herald, it was both the 'reality bites budget' and the 'true blue budget'. For Lloyd Burr at Stuff, the 'bitsy budget'. Nicola Willis called it a 'no BS budget', while the Greens said it was a 'growth (in poverty) budget. Officially, of course, it was the Growth Budget, and the tsunami of media analysis that followed its release focused largely on whether it delivered on that promise – and what will be sacrificed to boost the government's high-growth dream. To help you make sense of it all, I've picked out some interesting reads to give you a sense of the overall picture. If you're just interested in finding out where exactly the budget was spent and slashed, check out Joel MacManus and Lyric Waiwiri-Smith's missive from the budget-day lockup, Gabi Lardies' guide to the budget for people who hate the budget. We also have Frances Cook's reaction to the KiwiSaver shakeup (spoiler: she doesn't love it). Here are 10 more stories, from The Spinoff and elsewhere, that caught my eye. Media winners and losers If you just want to read sector experts on what the budget means for their field, look no further than our annual hot take roundtable. Among the contributors is The Spinoff's Duncan Greive, who says RNZ's loss of $4.6m a year in funding makes it the media sector's biggest loser. 'It's a chunky sum, equivalent to 7% of its budget, but on some level it might be relieved it wasn't considerably worse, given that it received a $26m annual boost in 2023,' says Greive. Meanwhile the screen production sector got a pre-announced $577m rebate boost. 'Some proportion of this will inevitably be taken up by streaming giants, who also will have been pleased to discover that the threat of a 3% digital services tax quietly vanished this week,' writes Greive. 'While understandable given the continued belligerence on trade from the White House, it does tend to make local businesses feel like chumps for playing the last game, where you pay tax and employ people.' Lockup scran, reviewed It wouldn't be Budget Day without a thorough taste test of the food on offer at the lockup, the phone-free zone where journalists and other interested parties get to read the budget before it's released. This year The Spinoff's parliamentary team, Joel MacManus and Lyric Waiwiri-Smith, did the honours, adding a fiscal-friendly twist to their food reviews: The lettuce in the egg salad sandwich was 'an unnecessary inclusion like counting ACC revenue in Obegal ', while the sausage roll was 'rich, like the people who are no longer eligible for government KiwiSaver contributions'. Bad news for the poorest among us Remember Jacinda Ardern's child poverty pledge? Max Rashbrooke does, and notes that while the Labour government's progress on the goal admittedly stalled, 'National's target is literally to do nothing: to maintain the current 12% of children living in poverty for ever and ever, amen.' His analysis, published in The Spinoff this morning, argues that this is a go-slow budget, unless you happen to be a business or high-income earner. 'Despite the growing calls on the state – to tackle poverty, to address the effects of climate change, and to care for an ageing population – Willis is determined to shrink government spending as a proportion of GDP from 33% to 31%. A diminishing share of our annual income will be spent on solving collective problems.' MPs on a sugar high Parliamentary sketch writer Joel MacManus is interested in much more than just food, I swear, but it was his passages describing MPs' snacking habits that stood out to me in today's Echo Chamber column on the House budget debate. 'Mark Mitchell had a packet of M&Ms on his desk and looked very pleased about it. He ate them methodically, one at a time, every three seconds, like a pendulum of candy-coated chocolate. He offered them to Todd McClay and Scott Simpson, each time with a cheeky grin as if to say 'haha, look at me, I'm eating M&Ms in parliament'. Andy Foster and Jamie Arbuckle shared some Mackintosh's Toffees (an on-brand lolly for New Zealand First). Winston Peters scrolled through a group chat that seemed to be entirely people sending context-free GIFs.' Another recession? It's not actually something to read, but the now-traditional Gone By Lunchtime x When the Facts Change budget special is always a great listen. Toby Manhire and Bernard Hickey discuss the main takeaways from the budget, including whether Willis has done enough to rev up the New Zealand economy – or as Hickey calls it (altogether now), 'a housing market with bits tacked on'. Hickey doesn't sound at all optimistic. 'This budget doesn't solve [the government's] problems, it isn't a growth budget, and risks driving the economy into a double dip recession.' OK then. Business gets an Investment Boost Over on BusinessDesk (paywalled), Patrick Smellie is a bit more positive about the economic impact of Investment Boost, 'the growth centrepiece of the Government's growth Budget'. The accelerated depreciation regime, which will allow businesses to deduct 20% of the cost of new capital equipment in the year of purchase, will boost GDP by 1% over the next two decades, with 0.4% of that impact forecast to occur in the next four years, according to Treasury forecasts. The policy 'has undoubtedly just made recession-weary, cautious business owners more likely to make a capital investment,' Smellie writes. 'Low capital-intensity and poor uptake of advanced technology are key reasons for New Zealand's abysmal productivity performance, so this initiative makes sense both as a short term mood-lifter and a medium term spur to better commercial and economic performance.' The science community responds As Newsroom's Fox Meyer explains, in the science sector, 'half of the savings found by cancelling research funds and institutes will be spent setting up an office to attract foreign science [business ventures] and an office to oversee a deregulated gene tech space.' The Science Media Centre has gathered responses to the budget announcement from academics across the country. A group of science educators from AUT, Auckland University and Massey sum up the predominant feeling of dismay: 'With this budget the government has gone further down the path that sees research, science and technology only in terms of contributing to economic growth. It is an outdated fantasy that scientists in their laboratories are intently working on new inventions that can be commercialised to reap enormous profits, yet this seems to be the thinking behind the Vote Business, Science and Innovation.' 'Grin and bear it' In Newsroom, Laura Walter also has food on the mind, writing that 'everyday Kiwis … have been thrown merely crumbs, while the Government clips their meal ticket in the hope of achieving long-term economic growth'. She goes on: 'NZ First leader Winston Peters has recently taken to quoting the song lyrics by Shane Newton: 'Hang on, help is on its way' – usually in reference to the Cook Strait ferries. Those hoping for some more help in the short term will be disappointed by this year's Budget. 'But Willis is steadfast in her belief in the long-term-growth approach. Any short-term relief that could be handed out already has been. Everyone else will have to grin and bear it, as the idea of 'survive to '25' disappears into the rearview mirror.' A re-election warning Writing in The Post (paywalled), Janet Wilson hits some similar themes, but with a lot more intensity. 'Willis' contention in the media lockup that this Budget would benefit working families is the kind of bald-faced poppycock that all politicians indulge in when trying to get their policies over the line. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.' And Wilson has a warning for the government: 'The books may have been balanced, but at a price for a coalition that will soon consider its electoral chances in 2026. Because Budget 2025 has created a determined voting bloc of anti-Right protesters, as the hundreds of protesters who gathered in front of Parliament during the Budget announcement attest.' Department store closure casts a pall Dita de Boni's piece in The Post (paywalled) on the closure of Smith & Caughey came out a few hours before the budget, but it speaks to many of the same issues that other commentators addressed. With their closure announcement on Wednesday night, the department store's owners 'underlined an undeniable diminution of the New Zealand economy in the past few years that will take only the most deft and innovative economic management to turn around. 'The loss of such an icon of Auckland City is one more sign that a lack of confidence is not misplaced, and furthermore, that many people are paid so poorly that after mortgage/rent and groceries, they don't have the dough for fripperies. And even if they do, they're looking for bargains. 'Business and consumer not just confidence, but also aspiration, will play an important part in returning economic health to New Zealand. Here's hoping Budget 2025 will supply some.'

Windbag: Why Wellington's vibe shift is coming in 2026
Windbag: Why Wellington's vibe shift is coming in 2026

The Spinoff

time19-05-2025

  • Politics
  • The Spinoff

Windbag: Why Wellington's vibe shift is coming in 2026

Things are about to change in the capital, and it has nothing to do with the mayoral race. Windbag is The Spinoff's Wellington issues column, written by Wellington editor Joel MacManus. Subscribe to the Windbag newsletter to receive columns early. Wellington spends an inordinate amount of time naval-gazing about vibes or the perceived lack thereof. Vibes are ill-defined, intangible, immeasurable but ever-present, and any effort to change them is more art than science. If there is one moment that triggered the capital's vibecession, it would be the 2013 Seddon earthquake. Then, the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, Covid-19, public sector layoffs and a general economic downturn. It's been a long, slow rolling maul of decline. When understanding the city's vibes, we shouldn't overthink it. Media and politicians can get too in-the-weeds, thinking too much about budgets and rates and consultations, but those things aren't what shape vibes. Vibes are just another way of describing word-of-mouth. When people have conversations about their city, either with their fellow residents or with tourists, what do they talk about? At a basic level, cities are experiential. They're a dense collection of stuff to do, places to go, things to see, and people to meet. Cities have good vibes when people are talking about this great new place they tried that you simply must check out (restaurants, gigs, new developments, tourist attractions, activities). They develop bad vibes when there is a dearth of exciting new stuff, and when the existing stuff is declining. That's what's happened in Wellington for the past decade. Many major buildings and activity centres have closed, and there have been few new developments to counterweight the loss. However, that's about to change. I'm predicting a significant vibe shift as early as next year (and no, it'll have nothing to do with the new mayor). Several major projects are due to be completed in 2026 (provided construction schedules don't change) that will give locals and visitors something to be excited about. Te Matapihi Central Library: due to open March 2026 Wellington's Central Library closed in March 2019 after an engineers' report raised concerns about earthquake safety. The council was not legally obliged to close the building, but then mayor Justin Lester said he felt 'morally obliged'. Following the closure, there was an extended fight over whether it was better to demolish the building and rebuild something new or to try to repair and upgrade the existing building. In the midst of the debate, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga listed it as a category 1 heritage building despite it being less than 30 years old. 'Save our library' successfully pushed for the council to retrofit the building with base isolators and other earthquake safety features for $189 million. Whether it was the right choice or not, there's no point relitigating the decisions. The money is spent, and the rebuild is nearly complete. When the library reopens in March next year, it'll be a moment of celebration. Losing the 'living room of the city' was a huge vibe killer, and getting a new, better version back will give people something worth talking about. Te Whare Whakarauika Wellington Town Hall: due to open in July 2026 Another long and complex collision of earthquake damage and heritage protections, the Town Hall closed in 2013 after the Seddon earthquake. Repairs were initially budgeted at $30 million but ballooned out as high as $330m due to a messy mixture of scope creep and sunk-cost fallacy. (It should be noted that part of the increased cost was to create custom spaces for the new National Music Centre.) However, like the library, what's done is done. The money has already been spent. The good news is that progress is ahead of schedule. The latest council update moved the expected opening forward by eight months to July 2026. The Town Hall is an important and impressive public building that can be a point of civic pride. Importantly, it will add another much-needed performance venue to the city, meaning Wellington can host events, providing more flow-on commerce for nearby businesses. Te Ngākau Civic Precinct: due to open in March 2026 The entire Civic Square plaza is currently closed for a makeover. The timing is ideal; the whole place is a dead zone due to the Central Library and Town Hall construction, and City Gallery has temporarily moved to the National Library. Civic Square will open in March 2026 alongside the library, with new paving and landscaping. It's a vital public space for gathering, hanging out or eating lunch, so having a new and refreshed area to experience will be something for people to talk about. Te Ara Tupua: due to open in April 2026 After flooding in 2013 and 2015, it became clear that Wellington needed a seawall to protect the railway line and highway between the city and the Hutt. The great bonus when you build a seawall is that you can put a shared cycling and walking path on top and add a great public amenity for minimal additional cost. However, NZTA Waka Kotahi got cheeky with the numbers and funded the entire $348.7 million project through its cycling budget, even though it was primarily intended to protect the road and rail. This left little money for other cycling projects nationwide. Despite the dodgy funding, the shared walking and cycling path will be truly remarkable. Named Te Ara Tupua and designed with mana whenua, the project will include five artificial gravel beaches providing access to the water for fishing and diving, and six new gathering spaces with planting, seating and bike stands. A rail overbridge is designed to honour Te Wharepouri, a significant rangatira who lived in the area. The western coast of Wellington Harbour offers stunning views, but until now, they've only been accessible out of the window of a moving vehicle. Te Ara Tupua opens that area to people. For commuters, especially on e-bikes, the safe and scenic route will be a vast improvement over the current option, a terrifying ride along the shoulder of a busy highway. For recreational bikers, it's even more exciting. Te Ara Tupua will link up the Great Harbour Way, meaning there will be a protected, paved, coastal cycleway from Miramar to Days Bay (and eventually from Pencarrow to Owhiro Bay, a distance of 70km). It will become a must-do activity and tourist attraction. East by West ferries are already planning for a surge in traffic from people crossing to Days Bay with their bikes and riding back to the city (or vice versa).

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