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Wellington councillors walk out over downsized roadworks project

Wellington news
Image – FILE PHOTO. A Retrofit raised zebra crossing, Blenheim. NZTA / Peter Kortegast.

Three Wellington City councillors staged a walkout during a meeting, refusing to vote on a proposal to downsize the Thorndon Quay roadworks project after a key funding withdrawal.

The Regulatory Processes Committee had voted to reduce the number of raised pedestrian crossings from five to two due to NZ Transport Agency pulling its financial support, which left the council facing a $312,500 shortfall.

While council officers preferred to continue with all five crossings despite the funding gap, committee chairperson Sarah Free suggested reducing the number of crossings to balance safety concerns with budget constraints. This prompted Councillor McNulty, followed by Councillors Diane Calvert and Nureddin Abdurahman, to leave the room in protest, according to a report in state media.

The proposal by Free passed despite the walkout, with the councillors’ absence criticised by Free as unprofessional.

The project, part of a $45 million initiative to enhance public transport and pedestrian safety between the northern suburbs and city centre, faced further complications from the NZ Transport Agency’s conflicting stance of advocating for the safety of the raised crossings while withholding funding.

The situation was further muddled by a recent Court of Appeal decision, which found the council’s decision-making process flawed but did not mandate halting the roadworks.

Business owners also expressed concerns about the project’s impact and potential future disruptions to address infrastructure issues.

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6 COMMENTS

  1. $312,500 for three raised pedestrian crossings?!

    Were they going to use imported Italian tar? Were the crossings gonna have a Jetsons style conveyor belt with wifi?

    I would’ve declined that grant request too, walkout tantrums notwithstanding.

    • Maybe a rainbow?🌈😂
      Good to see common sense prevails. I really think with two should be easy to cross the street, most people just cross anywhere anyway. It’s a wide road, quite safe and traffic already slowed down by those raised crossings. How many do they need!

  2. Raising pedestrian crossings is exactly the same as having parachute that opens on impact. it is dumb, dumb idea a total waste of money protects no pedestrians. putting back pedestrian lit lollypops, lighting strips and advanced warning all will do the the job at a lower price with less disruption to traffic flow. Virtue signalling councilors cshould leave and find a real job.

  3. Its high time WCC started managing money better. Is there some hardship in walking down to a second crossing as opposed to needing five at extravagant cost…

  4. Anyone can stand to be a local councillor. Ideologists, the uneducated, people who want to divert rates into schemes that benefit one race. Individuals who push ahead with pet projects. It really beggars belief what nonsense goes on.

    Except for upgrading the long overdue pipes and sewer, if Thorndon Quay was left how it was the WCC would not have to sell the last of their shares in Wellington airport. Those savings could have gone into the new sewer plant at moa point, reducing the now turbo rates burden on families. Tenants who rent in the city would pay far less rent to cover the rates and hair brain ideas.

    Families would be able to spend that money on living and enjoying life. Not have to budget to the cent.

    Now a person on low wages has to work nearly a full day once a week to pay rates.

    There was a time when rubbish collection was part of your rates. Now that is an extra 1/2 hours’ work a week to pay for that too.
    There was a time when going to the tip was part of your rates.
    There was a time when city works were done by people employed by the council and not contractors renting out cones, traffic management signs and trucks. Thats before you even get out your shovel !!!

    I would support more involvement from central government to review these projects before these uneducated idealists launch us all into poverty.

    It is no secret Wellington has emptied out of people simply because the main employer made them redundant.

    From here on in, even with careful management Wellington is f..ked for the next decade. Time to leave the city and let someone else pay for this sh.t local authority.

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