Say what you like about Bishop (and I do), but he is fast. Very fast in fact, and not really caring about the ethics or the details, he has announced a massive Fast Track List of proposed projects from around the country, but especially aimed at around Auckland of course. Masses and masses of housing projects, and roads, up there, but of course we are interested in Wellington, so:

What has Bishop got lined up for Wellington’s future?

The Wellington Company – New Central Park – To extend the Paraparaumu Town Centre, to provide a master-planned mix of activities, including approximately 1,800 residential properties, commercial, large format retail, tourism (jobs/identity), mixed use and aged care residential activities.

Guildford Timber – Silverstream Forest Development – To develop 330 hectares of land in Upper Hutt, to create 1500-2040 new homes across 5 district neighbourhood areas within a natural forest environment.

Waikanae North Developments – Waikanae North – To establish a master-planned urban development comprising: over 1000 residential dwellings of diverse typologies, a local centre and capacity for complementary activities such as a retirement village and a school.

The Wellington Company – Ōtaki – The Ōtaki Māori Racing Club Development project is to construct a mixed use development (including 550 residential units) over a 20.3 hectare project area within a 59.8 hectare site near Ōtaki, Wellington.

KM & MG Holdings – Plimmerton Farm – To deliver approximately 2,400 allotments/houses, that would be accompanied by a commercial area, retirement village, and a school, across a network of public spaces within and adjacent to large tracts of restored and enhanced native vegetation, high value wetlands and streams.

Classic Group – Pukerua Bay – The Mt Welcome, Pukerua Bay, Porirua project is to construct 900 houses and accompanying infrastructure over 10 years.

Wellington Airport – The Wellington International Airport Southern Seawall Renewal project is to replace and upgrade the existing seawall at the southern end of the runway at Wellington Airport.

NZTA Waka Kotahi – SH1 – To improve SH1 between the Terrace Tunnel and Kilbirnie, primarily from a second Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve improvements, or a long tunnel that bypasses the central city.

Transpower – Central Park Wellington – The project is to develop a secondary indoor substation in proximity to the Central Park Substation with line connections to the existing substation and line.

Transpower – HVDC – The High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Cable Replacement and Capacity Project is to upgrade the HVDC inter-island transmission link (HVDC link) and replace the undersea cables that connect the North Island and South Island of New Zealand.

Winstones – Belmont Quarry – To establish a new overburden disposal area adjacent to the existing quarry.

KiwiRail – Lower North Island – Island Integrated Rail Mobility (LNIRIM) and PBC stage RS4.3 projects are to undertake upgrades to the existing rail network on the Wairarapa Line between Wellington and Masterton, and on the North Island Main Trunk Line between Wellington and Palmerston North, to enable interregional rail services to operate with improved connectivity, access and capacity opportunities, and increased efficiencies of service.

Kiwirail hard at work, from their Annual Report

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STUFF says: “The Government has released its long-awaited list of “fast-track” projects designed to massively speed up resource consents up and down the country and get big projects more quickly built. The list names 149 projects which will be included in the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill which will then go to Parliament’s Environment select committee and be reported back by mid-October. Once the bill becomes law, the projects listed will then be able to apply to the Environmental Protection Authority, which has an expert panel which will assess each project and apply any relevant environmental protections.”

Two things really stand out to the Eye of the Fish in that list. Firstly, how few projects relate to Housing in the Wellington region, and secondly, how few projects relate to Wellington at all. Otaki, Paraparaumu, Waikanae, Pukerua, Plimmerton, Silverstream – but no housing projects at all in Wellington. Trains, quarry, power lines, substations, airport sea wall – but no housing projects in Wellington. No solution to the housing crisis in Wellington. No resolution on Arlington. No work on Dixon St flats or Gordon Wilson apartment building.

Wellington – where is our housing growth coming from? I don’t want to move to the Hutt or to the Kapiti Coast. I want options to stay living in Wellington. Why do we not have any projects for living in Wellington?

Of course while most of the infrastructure projects listed here are fairly simple (who would object to Transpower’s two projects listed here?), there is one that stands out a long way to me, namely this one:

NZTA Waka Kotahi – SH1 – To improve SH1 between the Terrace Tunnel and Kilbirnie, primarily from a second Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve improvements, or a long tunnel that bypasses the central city.

Last time that NZTA tried to put a bridge over the Basin, a national Enquiry was held, and after much legal wrangling and a list of 53 paid consultants lied on behalf of the Government, the Government lost, and we have been punished for having independent thought ever since. “If you don’t eat your bridge, you’re not having any pudding!!” So, it will be interesting to see how this one plays out. I must say though, I am amazed that Simeon’s brain-fart “how much would a tunnel cost if it was 4km long?” still features on that list. Seems so silly to me that it deserves being removed completely – but Simeon is still battling on. Boy Wonder just doesn’t get it.

Fish

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