In a surprising piece of breaking news today, we have just heard that the results of the Wellington Public Transport Spine study have been announced, and the end result will no doubt surprise some people. In line with Wellington City Council’s new found love for Flyovers, as approved by Councilor Andy Foster at a recent Council meeting of the Strategy and Policy sub-committee, a flyover is…
Later today the Council will vote on their support of the flyover. Related to this, an interesting tidbit came out yesterday and almost slipped me by: “Steps to move state highway traffic off Vivian St are among measures needed to ease the impact of a Basin Reserve flyover, Wellington City Council says.” Holy-moly. That’s new. Up until now some Councilors have been willing to admit privately…
Just what we need – another supermarket. No doubt that is the cry echoing around the hills and valleys of Wellington, as we are faced with the news of yet another supermarket being foisted on our city, in the name of “competition”. Yes, the long empty site behind the increasingly dog-eared Reading cinema (which I like to think of as the “Cinema of Unease” due to…
And with those words, the world has a new Pope (for the Catholic Church). Last night as I went to sleep there was nothing but black smoke puffing away, from the massed ranks of Cardinals throwing bad juju on the fire, and yet as I wake this morning, they’ve found the nice package of white smoke from the back cupboard, chucked it on the barby, and…
And so the sell-off begins. Cartoon thanks to Tremain, from a year or two ago – and how apt it is turning out to be. John Key, the used car salesman who could sell a sombrero to a Mexican, and the fellow accolytes of market sell-offs, are starting once again to dismember the corpse of New Zealand. Targets for sell off this time included Mighty River…
An ode to a summer’s day… As the sun sets on February, and March begins, we look back in wonder at e month of perfect weather. Of nights so warm and still, that we wonder what has struck us. Our weather, sometimes harsh, and often windy, has for the last few weeks caressed our bodies with warm breath and we have basked in its embrace. By…
For those that are interested, the following is the text of the final paragraphs of the decision on the Harcourts building: (302) In the end, for the reasons we have outlined, we have concluded that the demolition of the Harcourts building would not constitute sustainable management of an important physical resource, namely a heritage building of considerable significance. DECISION (303) Consequently, having regard to the evidence…
So: the results are out from the Commissioners: Mark Dunajtschik may not demolish the “Harcourts” building. That’s an interesting result – and opposite to that recommended by the Council’s own planning officers – and Mr Dunajtschik is furious. We wrote about it here, and also here, and this decision sets out quite clearly that demolition is not going to be granted wholesale for the heritage buildings…
What a week it has been. On one hand you could argue that nothing much is happening to the Urban scene in Wellington, although there are a few stirrings that we really must attend to one day as they grow. But on the other hand, in other cities, there is drama and plenty of it. Headlines never stop. Instead of just having one pope, we’re just…
Well blow me down – the Council has a new website. Well done! I was just looking at the old one yesterday, thinking how tawdry it was looking – and today a brand spanking new website has popped up – colourful and more interactive. Haven’t had a chance to really look at it yet, but so far, so good.