The overall aim of Let's Get Wellington Moving is to move more people with fewer vehicles. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The overall aim of Let's Get Wellington Moving is to move more people with fewer vehicles. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The governance group advising Let's Get Wellington Moving (LGWM) didn't meet for a whole nine months during a time when the $6.4 billion transport plan was in chaos.
LGWM is a joint partnership between Waka Kotahi, Wellington City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC).
The project's Governance Reference Group is described as providing a critical interface between the three partners.
The group's meeting record has been revealed following a written parliamentary question by National list MP Chris Bishop to Transport Minister Michael Wood.
It shows the group met regularly until August 3, 2020, when the meetings dried up. The group didn't meet again until May this year, a LGWM spokesperson confirmed.
Bishop said it was emblematic of the dysfunctionality of LGWM.
"I just find it quite staggering. From the moment Let's Get Wellington Moving was announced with great fanfare in May 2019, the programme has been nothing short of a train wreck.
National list MP Chris Bishop. Photo / Mark Mitchell
"At a critical point in the process it looks like the organisations purportedly governing the project just decided to give up and put it into the 'too hard' basket, rather than sort out the problems that are so obviously inherent in the project."
Sir Brian Roche was the group's chairman during the period in question. A Waka Kotahi spokesperson said the group met as required.
"During this period, the health check was underway and the team was focused on business case work, then responding to the health check once that was completed."
The Let's Get Wellington Moving Board, which is ultimately accountable for the programme and sits above the Governance Reference Group, was still meeting regularly at this time.
In September and October last year a "health check" of LGWM was undertaken, which revealed the project had leadership problems, a detrimental culture, was inadequately resourced and ultimately was at risk of failing to deliver.
Following the release of the review, officials started signalling a budget blowout.
By May, Treasury was warning the $6.4 billion transport plan was expected to cost significantly more than first thought, increasing the risk it may not be delivered in full.
Last week the Herald revealed several alternative versions of LGWM are being planned behind closed doors, including a range of high cost and medium cost programmes with variations like prioritising mass rapid transit to the southern suburbs and a "long tunnel".
Wellington City Mayor Andy Foster. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Wellington Mayor Andy Foster said in the months before the group stopped meeting they were "being faced with an ever-changing set of timetables" for business case delivery.
He said conducting meetings on the basis of information they couldn't have confidence in was problematic.
"Clearly Let's Get Wellington Moving as it was then structured wasn't delivering."
GWRC chairman Daran Ponter, also a member of the group, has recently been appointed as its new chairman. This role is being shared between LGWM's partners on rotation.
He said he expected the group to meet on a four to six weekly basis.
"It became more and more concerning the longer that there weren't any meetings. Not only the fact that there weren't any meetings, but that there wasn't an explanation as to why."
Ponter said his questions to officials went unanswered.
It was good practice to keep the governance level informed and involved, even if advice was not needed at a particular stage in the project, Ponter said.
A regular meeting cycle has since been implemented.
• Roger Blakeley, GWRC Councillor • Sarah Free, WCC Deputy Mayor • Andy Foster, WCC Mayor • Daran Ponter, GWRC Chair • Sir Brian Roche, Waka Kotahi Chair • Nicole Rosie, Waka Kotahi Chief Executive • Kirsty Tamanui, Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust General Manager • Helmut Modlik, Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira Chief Executive
