For reasons that are unknown to me, the National-led government hates trees. As part of their “Stream-lining and Wholesale Destruction of the Urban Canopy Amendment Bill”, National are pushing through a somewhat ridiculous amendment to the RMA Bill. Basically, this week, the Nats will ram-rod through a number of amendments, including Clause 52 where it will allow people to cut down any trees they like, without having to ask permission. It’s that whole right-wing anti-nanny state thing that ACT and National espouse so much – “no one is gonna tell me what to do with my trees” that sounds just…
read the full entryThere’s a certain charm about Trams that big brother Train just doesn’t have, even though they’re all related really. A couple of pictures, courtesy of one of our regular readers (and occasional commenters), shows us something that we’re missing: not only do Trams run happily in Barcelona, but they also run on a tufty green grass verge, and what’s more – they even have a station called Wellington. Surely, somehow, this has to be a sign from the Gods that we should oblige ourselves of a set of sparkly new trams.
While you could easily visualise
read the full entryThe subject of Manners Mall has not yet, it seems, gone away. The Council is still to hear oral submissions on Manners Mall, and one strong anti-abolition-of-Mall campaigner, Maria van der Meel, feels so strongly about it that she has set up a competition for Wellingtonians on that universal medium: Facebook.
Sign the WCC petition
Join the Facebook group
“Save Manners Mall”
The City is Ours has announced it is running a design competition for the Manners Mall Open Space starting on the 1st of September 2009 on Facebook. The design must have a feature and reflect…
read the full entryWe’re not huge fans of suburban living here at the Fish: something to do with the endless parades of naff housing, behoodied lowlife at the suburban shops, sullen teenage mothers pushing prams full of squealing brats, the sound of Masports mowing like a thousand angry crickets, and lastly but not least the lack of decent suburban facilities. If you want something more elaborate than an out of date carton of milk, or a 6 pack of cans of bourbon and coke: you’re pretty much stiff out of luck.
NaeNae gets trotted out at regular intervals as an example…
read the full entryProdded into action by one of our many readers, who helpfully slipped us a set of the Resource Consent drawings, we’ve had a chance to look at the New World (“Project Rugby”) scheme that is due to clog up the Basin Reserve even more. Far be it for me to question anyone’s sanity, but why would anyone want to build a Supermarket right on the busiest roundabout in the Capital and risk the almost guaranteed wrath of commuters everywhere?
Perhaps that is a bit too harsh – after all, the current inner-city New World is
read the full entryMonday morning: my mind mentioned monumental Mondrians.
Tuesday: thought that this told tales of tall towers.
Wednesday: was when we wondered where we were.
Today however, all was revealed.
You may not have heard of the NZCID, and no, we’re not talking about a tv show or a branch of the Police, but nonetheless, NZCID is in town today and having an effect on your future. It’s the Council for Infrastructure Development, and they’re having their “Building Nations” Symposium 2009 at Te Papa today and tomorrow.
“The symposium provides a platform for the public and private sectors to discuss strategies and best practice for advancing infrastructure development in New Zealand. Among the speakers will be the Hon Bill English, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of both Finance and…
read the full entryThe opening of the new restaurant Portofino in the base of the Meridian building will add nicely to the ambience of the Kumutoto area, making a triumverate of eateries / drinkeries that is a little Wellington all in itself. I’m surprised that the staff in the building above ever need to leave their offices at all. They’ve got the sumptuous Mojototo fitout by Alistar Cox, with its multi-hued stripey nature, the always packed nature of the Wagamamatoto with the best noodles and gyoza in town, and now the sumptuous Portofinototo finishes the building off nicely, glowing invitingly and looking like…
read the full entryMassive front page news on the Dompost today, that the Watermark project has stalled / stopped / been reborn as a new project. All in the one day. Someone has been busy.
“Mr Stott believed the changes were relatively minor and hoped Wellington City Council would approve the variations. Subject to council approval, he hoped to begin marketing the apartments again later this year. He said the development would look much the same, except that a section that was to have been built over the Chambers Building had been scrapped. The revised plan also ditches 90 car parks.”…
read the full entryThe Wellington Civic Trust is holding a Seminar this coming weekend on “Round About the Basin“, with a grand line-up of speakers and presentations so that everyone can have their say. The question still remains: “is anyone in power actually going to be listening?” – to which almost certainly the answer will be “lip service only.” It’s great that the Civic Trust takes it on itself to do these kind of things, although really it should be the job of the Council to talk to the people and gauge their views, and just occasionally take on their recommendations. The problem…
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