Public consultation on Wellington City Council’s draft Te Ngākau Precinct Development Plan has begun and will run until 13 November.

The plan brings together all the work underway in Te Ngākau Civic Square with options for future development, to create a single plan that will restore Te Ngākau as the civic and cultural heart of Pōneke.

Te Whare Whakarauika Town Hall, Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui Central Library, and the Civic Administration Building (CAB) and Municipal Office Building (MOB) site redevelopment projects are already underway.

The development plan includes options for the remaining areas of the precinct, including the City to Sea Bridge, Michael Fowler Centre, Jack Ilott Green, City Gallery Wellington, and the landscaping of the square itself and adjoining areas.

The consultation is seeking feedback from Wellingtonians on two key questions:  

• What should be prioritised during the remaining development of the Precinct?  
• What should replace the City to Sea Bridge?

The plan includes a number of sample scenarios for the remaining development, each representing a different priority including maximising green space, creating more commercial activity, and/or retaining existing buildings and structures.

The City to Sea Bridge is earthquake-prone and poses a risk to the safety of the public, the traffic below, and the ability of emergency services to operate along a key arterial route after a disaster. It is structurally connected to the former Capital E building, which is also quake-prone.

Due to these risks and project interdependencies with the completion of the Te Whare Whakarauika Town Hall, remedial action needs to be undertaken as soon as possible.

An option to strengthen the City to Sea Bridge has not been included in the consultation because of the high cost of strengthening and the disruption to Jervois Quay, a key transport and emergency route.

The high-level cost estimate of the cheapest bridge-strengthening option plus remediation of the former Capital E site is $90-$120 million. Further design and testing would be required to refine this cost with a higher level of accuracy. The options for replacement are either a pedestrian crossing only, or a crossing plus a new bridge. 

Mayor Tory Whanau says she is looking forward to hearing from Wellingtonians about what they want to see in Te Ngākau Civic Square. 

“This development plan is a key part of reviving the heart of our city, and we want Wellingtonians to help us make sure Te Ngākau works for everyone. 

“I acknowledge that the loss of the City to Sea Bridge will be difficult, but due to the extremely high cost of strengthening and the disruption it would cause, unfortunately it isn’t a feasible option. We are exploring options for the bridge artwork with the artists or their whānau and representatives.”

Mayor Whanau says the plan recognises the Council’s constrained financial environment. 

“This consultation doesn’t commit the City Council to any extra spending beyond the $65 million already allocated in the Long-term Plan, and going forward we will consider partnerships with private developers in order to reduce or eliminate costs for ratepayers.” 

The Council is currently working through an LTP amendment process which could result in further changes.

The aim of the precinct development plan is to: 

• improve the connection between the central city and the waterfront 
• bring nature and biodiversity back to the precinct 
• build resilience in the face of climate change  
• reinvigorate the precinct through a range of community, cultural and commercial activities  
• support the vibrancy of the surrounding business and residential areas. 

The plan was created by Pōneke Collective, led by Warren and Mahoney in collaboration with Tihei, Place Collective, Ripple Resilience and Council officers. 

Alongside Warren and Mahoney, Tihei incorporated te ao Māori and mana whenua perspectives into the design, bringing a sense of nature back to Te Ngākau. The draft design explores the concept of Pūheke (flow) from the whenua on Willis and Victoria streets through to the moana on the waterfront. 

Wellingtonians can provide feedback by completing the online submission form on Let’s Talk at wcc.nz/te-ngakau-plan – there will also be paper submission forms available in libraries and downloadable online. Information about the in-person panel discussion event on Wednesday 6 November and drop-in sessions can be found on Let’s Talk. 

Find out more about all the major projects in Pōneke at https://wellington.govt.nz/wellington-city/positively-poneke.

Note 

The Long-term Plan provides $65 million over three years to fund exploration of options and resulting work on Te Ngākau basement, former Capital E, City to Sea Bridge and the wider Te Ngākau Development Plan. This funding is allocated in the following way: 

• Basement strengthening and plaza reinstatement: $26.8 million 
• City to Sea Bridge, Walkway, Seawall, and former Capital E demolition and remediation: $30 million 
• MOB demolition: $8.3 million. 

© Scoop Media