January 21, 2025 • 8 mins
Construction work on the first phase of Wellington's controversial Golden Mile project was supposed to have begun this month - but diggers and bulldozers are nowhere to be seen.
The council previously said contracts for the project, which would remove cars from Lambton Quay, Willis St and Courtenay Place, would be signed in December. Works on Courtenay Place were to begin this month.
When asked for an update on the process, a Wellington City Council spokesperson told Newstalk ZB "we have no fixed contracts or dates at this stage."
Contract negotiations are responsible for the delay, the spokesperson said.
Wellington City Councillor Tony Randle, opposed to the project, joined Nick Mills to share what councillors have been told about the delay.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Said, b counselor Tony Randall is online.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Good morning, Tony, good morning and have a new year.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Happy New Year to you. Can you add some light now?
I just let our listeners know we called you. You didn't
call them the show, but we called you. We just
want to know what's going on. Can you tell us
what's happening? Do you know?
Speaker 4 (00:28):
So, as a counselor, we haven't received any update from officers,
nothing formal. I'm a little bit surprised too, but I
have had some other information indirectly that the contract haven't
been signed yet and that perhaps construction won't start until February,
(00:50):
I mean, which is understandable given where we are in January.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
I think also the text that said perhaps the water
pipe construction on Wakefield Street is holding it up because
of course Wakefield Street is needed.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Eventually to be the route for the northbound buses, right
and you know, because one of the things about the
construction is, you know, we've still got a major public
transport service to runs right through the same the construction zone,
and so they would have known it.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Tony Soda interrupt. But and it's rude to me, but
I've got to ask you this. They would have known
about that Wakefield Street works on the water works there
miles months and months ago. You don't plan something like
that and say, oh, we're going to dig a hole
in the huge, big, massive hole in the middle of
Wakefield Street and we're going to screw the whole side
of the city up without planning.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
Well, I agree, But whether the Golden Mile team knew
about the Wakefield Street from Wellington Water team.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Look, we've had.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
Other things missed, like, for example, the water pipes on
long Thornton Key.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
You know that was missed, So.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
I really don't know. Hopefully they didn't know about it,
and it's all part of the master plan.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
But you're also right that they should.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
Be able to outline that plan now because people who
not just businesses but people commuting through the area workers
all need to and of course people who want to
go out to visit Courtney Place need to know what's
going to happen.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
You reckon it might be something to do with the
costs blowing out. Do you reckon that that's one of
the issues.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
It could be an issue, And I tell you it
will be devastating if the costs of god even higher.
I mean they've already gone up once since it was approved,
and Toys obviously made sure that all of the money
for doing thatthin Key and Courtney place is still in
the long term plan, which is why rates are going
up so much. But you talked about a new design.
(02:51):
I've never heard of a new design. In fact, I
think that the current design is going to go. It
has to go in as is. I mean, if they
change the design, that sort of may reset the funding.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Well, what was the point I'll hold on Tony once again,
I've button here, But what was the point of taking
that design around to all the businesses and it's getting
their feedback and getting their ideas if there wasn't going
to be any change to it?
Speaker 4 (03:15):
Look, I don't know. I do know that that has
been the theme about the Golden Miners, that they can't
touch the design. Otherways, the national government may withdraw it's
it's well sure of.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
He sure of.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Hell should have explained that to the people that wasted
a lot of time listening to what they were getting
their ideas, shouldn't they?
Speaker 4 (03:35):
Yeah, yeah, I mean I listened to Torris discussion with
you last year late last year, and you know you
had that discussion about whether she's listening or not, and
you know, on the gold and Miles she said she
was listening, but she wasn't changing her mind about what's
going to happen. And you know, I guess that that
sort of issue is you know, where we're at, you know,
(03:55):
whereas where Tories heads at is actually and of course
you know her supporters are on the Golden Mile, where
they're at with respect to what's happening and where is
there a costplayer? Hopefully there's not. Hopefully it's just part
of a plan that things are starting slowly, Tony.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Have you emailed the council staff and asked what's going on?
Will they give you a reply or not?
Speaker 4 (04:17):
It probably will, yes, I should think so. It's I
hadn't realized that things were still, you know, so up
in the air that you couldn't get an answer from
from the you know, a clear answer from the media
people at the council. And so I can do that
and I will do that and we'll see what comes
back from there.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
I'd like to know, do you reckon there's a chance too,
And I and I don't think this is a bad thing.
I think this is a very smart thing. Do you
think there's a chance now that the Reading Cinema complex,
big big piece of Courtney Place has been sold to
a local developer that everyone's just on hold and see
what he wants to do with that before they go
ahead with it. Which wouldn't which would make perfect sense,
(04:59):
wouldn't it.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
It would make sense to join up these disruption from
from that project. But Reading is further down, and so
I understand the plans to start at the Kent Cambridge,
Serius and Courtney Place intersection, to do that between now
and June, and then going into Courtney Place starting from June.
That was told to us.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
So you're thinking that it's just the Cambridge and the
real where where I would say was the tasting room
corner that corner.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Is that what you're talking about?
Speaker 4 (05:30):
Only yes, that's right, that the major piece of underground
work to be done, because that's obviously a huge intersection
with all the water pipes and other utilities. So it's
going to take months just at that location to fix
that up before they go into Courtney Place. When they
go into Courtney Place, that's when the real disruption will
happen with removing all access for cars and all that
sort of stuff.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Wow, So what will that mean for people going down
Cambridge or Kent Terrace around that area when that starts?
Well that will that interfere with that or will it
be just inside that?
Speaker 4 (06:00):
I don't know. I mean I don't know where the
water affects the buses, especially the North down buses of course,
which will probably go straight through that intersection. I haven't
seen any particular plan. I mean from a traffic perspective,
it's already down to one lane. They can hardly cut
it any further, so you know, the congestion will just
be there and it could be worse, But I don't
(06:23):
In some ways, it can't get much worse without actually
blocking all the cars totally.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Have you have you talking about blocking all the cars completely?
Have you driven down Cambridge Terrace? I mean, sorry, Wakefield Street.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
Not what's that wake No? I haven't, but I heard
it's now called Wakefield Parking Lot.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Or I've called it a no go zone like I
like that. On's it called the Wakefield Parking Zone? Well,
I know some of the took twenty seven minutes because
they timed it because they were on a conversation on
their phone to get from the end of Court the
end of Oriental Bay, you know where those apartments are
at the end of Oriental Bay, the Schaefer's Marina or
whatever it is, from there to a car park opposite
(07:05):
the New World. So because they can't, you can't you know,
that car park, and by opposite New World, you can't
actually turn right and go into that anymore. You've got
to go all the way down, turn right into the
gas where the gas stations, and come right all the
way out.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
Oh no, no, that's terrible.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Look yeah, look, look the pressure.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
This council is really is not I mean to a
certain extent, this council official position is, you know, to
get a bicycle. I mean the.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Projects they're doing and are really too I.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
Mean there are projects all over the city around transport,
but they're one consistent theme and that is, uh, we
don't like cars. We saw that on removing of car
parking to get access to the botanical guns on Denmills
Red you saw it Maulsworth Street.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
So where a cycle way. Look, that's the.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
Direction that Tory is committed to from the you know,
from the green Climate change agenda, and you know, we're
we're really more in the mode of of of wait
until when it happens. Personally, the longer it takes, the
better because the the lest amount of work they'll get
done before the lection. So I don't mind the delay.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
No, I don't mind the delay either. But I just
like to know Tony, thanks, appreciate you coming on the show.
We called you. You didn't call us. I just want to
make that perfectly clear. We wanted some information and we
thought that.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
We were listening to you anyway.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
By the way, so I was following what the other
callers were saying and textas.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Thank you, appreciate you, appreciate you coming on. I'm starting
to like Tony Randall.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news Talks It'd Be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Said, b counselor Tony Randall is online.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Good morning, Tony, good morning and have a new year.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Happy New Year to you. Can you add some light now?
I just let our listeners know we called you. You didn't
call them the show, but we called you. We just
want to know what's going on. Can you tell us
what's happening? Do you know?
Speaker 4 (00:28):
So, as a counselor, we haven't received any update from officers,
nothing formal. I'm a little bit surprised too, but I
have had some other information indirectly that the contract haven't
been signed yet and that perhaps construction won't start until February,
(00:50):
I mean, which is understandable given where we are in January.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
I think also the text that said perhaps the water
pipe construction on Wakefield Street is holding it up because
of course Wakefield Street is needed.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Eventually to be the route for the northbound buses, right
and you know, because one of the things about the
construction is, you know, we've still got a major public
transport service to runs right through the same the construction zone,
and so they would have known it.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Tony Soda interrupt. But and it's rude to me, but
I've got to ask you this. They would have known
about that Wakefield Street works on the water works there
miles months and months ago. You don't plan something like
that and say, oh, we're going to dig a hole
in the huge, big, massive hole in the middle of
Wakefield Street and we're going to screw the whole side
of the city up without planning.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
Well, I agree, But whether the Golden Mile team knew
about the Wakefield Street from Wellington Water team.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Look, we've had.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
Other things missed, like, for example, the water pipes on
long Thornton Key.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
You know that was missed, So.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
I really don't know. Hopefully they didn't know about it,
and it's all part of the master plan.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
But you're also right that they should.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
Be able to outline that plan now because people who
not just businesses but people commuting through the area workers
all need to and of course people who want to
go out to visit Courtney Place need to know what's
going to happen.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
You reckon it might be something to do with the
costs blowing out. Do you reckon that that's one of
the issues.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
It could be an issue, And I tell you it
will be devastating if the costs of god even higher.
I mean they've already gone up once since it was approved,
and Toys obviously made sure that all of the money
for doing thatthin Key and Courtney place is still in
the long term plan, which is why rates are going
up so much. But you talked about a new design.
(02:51):
I've never heard of a new design. In fact, I
think that the current design is going to go. It
has to go in as is. I mean, if they
change the design, that sort of may reset the funding.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Well, what was the point I'll hold on Tony once again,
I've button here, But what was the point of taking
that design around to all the businesses and it's getting
their feedback and getting their ideas if there wasn't going
to be any change to it?
Speaker 4 (03:15):
Look, I don't know. I do know that that has
been the theme about the Golden Miners, that they can't
touch the design. Otherways, the national government may withdraw it's
it's well sure of.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
He sure of.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Hell should have explained that to the people that wasted
a lot of time listening to what they were getting
their ideas, shouldn't they?
Speaker 4 (03:35):
Yeah, yeah, I mean I listened to Torris discussion with
you last year late last year, and you know you
had that discussion about whether she's listening or not, and
you know, on the gold and Miles she said she
was listening, but she wasn't changing her mind about what's
going to happen. And you know, I guess that that
sort of issue is you know, where we're at, you know,
(03:55):
whereas where Tories heads at is actually and of course
you know her supporters are on the Golden Mile, where
they're at with respect to what's happening and where is
there a costplayer? Hopefully there's not. Hopefully it's just part
of a plan that things are starting slowly, Tony.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Have you emailed the council staff and asked what's going on?
Will they give you a reply or not?
Speaker 4 (04:17):
It probably will, yes, I should think so. It's I
hadn't realized that things were still, you know, so up
in the air that you couldn't get an answer from
from the you know, a clear answer from the media
people at the council. And so I can do that
and I will do that and we'll see what comes
back from there.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
I'd like to know, do you reckon there's a chance too,
And I and I don't think this is a bad thing.
I think this is a very smart thing. Do you
think there's a chance now that the Reading Cinema complex,
big big piece of Courtney Place has been sold to
a local developer that everyone's just on hold and see
what he wants to do with that before they go
ahead with it. Which wouldn't which would make perfect sense,
(04:59):
wouldn't it.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
It would make sense to join up these disruption from
from that project. But Reading is further down, and so
I understand the plans to start at the Kent Cambridge,
Serius and Courtney Place intersection, to do that between now
and June, and then going into Courtney Place starting from June.
That was told to us.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
So you're thinking that it's just the Cambridge and the
real where where I would say was the tasting room
corner that corner.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Is that what you're talking about?
Speaker 4 (05:30):
Only yes, that's right, that the major piece of underground
work to be done, because that's obviously a huge intersection
with all the water pipes and other utilities. So it's
going to take months just at that location to fix
that up before they go into Courtney Place. When they
go into Courtney Place, that's when the real disruption will
happen with removing all access for cars and all that
sort of stuff.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Wow, So what will that mean for people going down
Cambridge or Kent Terrace around that area when that starts?
Well that will that interfere with that or will it
be just inside that?
Speaker 4 (06:00):
I don't know. I mean I don't know where the
water affects the buses, especially the North down buses of course,
which will probably go straight through that intersection. I haven't
seen any particular plan. I mean from a traffic perspective,
it's already down to one lane. They can hardly cut
it any further, so you know, the congestion will just
be there and it could be worse, But I don't
(06:23):
In some ways, it can't get much worse without actually
blocking all the cars totally.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Have you have you talking about blocking all the cars completely?
Have you driven down Cambridge Terrace? I mean, sorry, Wakefield Street.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
Not what's that wake No? I haven't, but I heard
it's now called Wakefield Parking Lot.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Or I've called it a no go zone like I
like that. On's it called the Wakefield Parking Zone? Well,
I know some of the took twenty seven minutes because
they timed it because they were on a conversation on
their phone to get from the end of Court the
end of Oriental Bay, you know where those apartments are
at the end of Oriental Bay, the Schaefer's Marina or
whatever it is, from there to a car park opposite
(07:05):
the New World. So because they can't, you can't you know,
that car park, and by opposite New World, you can't
actually turn right and go into that anymore. You've got
to go all the way down, turn right into the
gas where the gas stations, and come right all the
way out.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
Oh no, no, that's terrible.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Look yeah, look, look the pressure.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
This council is really is not I mean to a
certain extent, this council official position is, you know, to
get a bicycle. I mean the.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Projects they're doing and are really too I.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
Mean there are projects all over the city around transport,
but they're one consistent theme and that is, uh, we
don't like cars. We saw that on removing of car
parking to get access to the botanical guns on Denmills
Red you saw it Maulsworth Street.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
So where a cycle way. Look, that's the.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
Direction that Tory is committed to from the you know,
from the green Climate change agenda, and you know, we're
we're really more in the mode of of of wait
until when it happens. Personally, the longer it takes, the
better because the the lest amount of work they'll get
done before the lection. So I don't mind the delay.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
No, I don't mind the delay either. But I just
like to know Tony, thanks, appreciate you coming on the show.
We called you. You didn't call us. I just want to
make that perfectly clear. We wanted some information and we
thought that.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
We were listening to you anyway.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
By the way, so I was following what the other
callers were saying and textas.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Thank you, appreciate you, appreciate you coming on. I'm starting
to like Tony Randall.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news Talks It'd Be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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