The Government's preferred option for Let's Get Wellington Moving includes grade separation at the Basin Reserve. Image / Supplied
The Government's preferred option for Let's Get Wellington Moving includes grade separation at the Basin Reserve. Image / Supplied
A faction of six Wellington City councillors has filed a notice of motion saying they have lost confidence in the capital’s $7.4 billion transport plan.
They also want the council to withdraw from their funding agreement which was endorsed in 2019.
But Mayor Tory Whanau says the notice of motion will ultimately fail as the councillors do not have a majority around the table.
Let’s Get Wellington Moving (LGWM) is a three-way partnership between the city council, Greater Wellington Regional Council, and Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency.
The plan includes removing cars from the Golden Mile, a second Mt Victoria tunnel, and mass rapid transit from the central city to Island Bay.
The councillors who wanted to formally record they have lost confidence in LGWM are Tim Brown, Diane Calvert, Ray Chung, Sarah Free, Tony Randle and Nicola Young.
All are independent, although Free was previously on the Green Party ticket until the most recent local body elections.
Their reasons include concerns about the plan’s governance and accountability structure, the scope and scale of the work, the ability to deliver on budget, the sequencing of work, and its affordability.
It’s proposed the motion will be moved at a council meeting on June 29.
LGWM has been criticised for moving too slowly. Its construction projects to date include improvements at a few intersections, a new roundabout, and a controversial crossing at Cobham Drive.
A previous review of the programme, released in early 2021, said it was at risk of failing to deliver a cohesive package, had a detrimental culture - and was inadequately resourced.
The programme’s governance structure and leadership team got a major shake-up as a result.
Transport Minister Michael Wood says the notice of motion was a matter for the council and the mayor to manage. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Construction on the Golden Mile, from Lambton Quay to Courtenay Place, will begin later this year after the Fifa Women’s World Cup.
Transport Minister Michael Wood was not aware of the notice of motion - only filed with the council’s chief executive this afternoon- and said it was a matter for the council and the mayor to manage.
“The council has been a strong supporter of Let’s Get Wellington Moving over successive electoral cycles, successive years, and successive councillors but you’ll always have some differences of opinion.
“A big transformational programme like this you’ll always expect that there will be some people who support positive change and some people who don’t have the vision and the ability to lead their way through that.”
National’s transport spokesman Simeon Brown said Wood has failed to deliver on the major transport projects he has promoted.
“Auckland Light Rail is going nowhere and Let’s Get Wellington Moving is now facing a vote of no confidence debate at Wellington City Council.
“Instead of delivering on the Government’s plans for rapid transit in Wellington, Michael Wood is resorting to attacking these councillors who he should be working with, not against. Unacceptable.”
Whanau said she was disappointed but not surprised that a minority of councillors signed the notice of motion to try and renege on the council’s commitment to LGWM.
“They have a history of speaking out against LGWM so this isn’t a surprise to me. But ultimately, the Notice of Motion will fail.
“While I acknowledge we live in a thriving democracy and councillors are entitled to take this action, I am confident that there’s majority support for LGWM around the council table as well as in the community at large.”
Whanau said her focus was on building more affordable housing, efficient transport and better livability through LGWM to ensure a sustainable city for future generations.
But Calvert said LGWM was not demonstrating the most effective structure to deliver on the key strategic transport needs of the city in an affordable way.
“Currently there has been no mechanism to enable each partner to the programme to effectively review the effectiveness of the whole programme given briefings and information, provided to date, have largely been project-specific based.
“The last briefing the Council had, last Friday, from LGWM did not instil any confidence and left us even more concerned given: projected budget blowouts, a lack of sufficient engagement with all sectors and decisions made to engage without the council’s approval.”
