Podcasts about courtenay place

OPINION Tory Whanau has said no. She's said no to standing for Wellington mayor for the three terms she always said she'd run for. She's out; she's thrown in the towel. We won't get the exciting election campaign of Tory Whanau v Andrew Little, which I must say I was looking forward to. And I'll be honest; I wanted her to run. I wanted to know if Wellington as a city really believes in the green idealisms she promotes. This election was going to tell me whether it was a flash in the pan or whether it was real. But Tory has pulled out. What I can't quite work out is why this was announced on the same day that she stood on Courtenay Place with her brand new Bunnings shovel, digging up the ground to celebrate the start of the Golden Mile redevelopment works. Clearly, the hole she dug was simply too big. She couldn't climb out of it. Tory says her decision not to run is a better outcome for everybody involved. She now wants to run for the Māori ward on council. She also told the Herald this morning she'd like to be a government Minister one day. You can make your own mind up on that one. Now there have been rumours around Tory pulling out for a while now. Firstly, the rumour was she was going to pull out to let Justin Lester have a crack. Then Andrew Little stepped out of the shadows, and the rest is history. So now all we can do is reflect on her legacy. And what a legacy it is. Tory will always talk about the Golden Mile and her ambition to get the work underway. She'll always mention the amount of work the council has done on our pipes. She'll mention her fight to upgrade the council's social housing, and of course she'll praise her work on building the cycleways that split the city in more ways than one. She told me she rates her mayoralty a nine out of ten. But that's her saying those things. Wellington as a city will reflect on some more colourful aspects of her leadership. The drinking; Whanau admitted to being a bit tipsy when she left The Old Quarter restaurant without paying her bill, and how can we forget the alleged 'do you know who I am' comment. Who will forget Whanau bringing her dog into the council office. That was a no no. And in November 2023 she publicly acknowledged having an alcohol problem following a drunken incident at a bar. Then there was that interview on Wellington Mornings that made national news. Whanau, who earns $180,000 a year, mentioned she was selling her car to help pay her bills. She later admitted that the car had been sold months earlier, and her comments were supposedly taken out of context. But that's her personal legacy. What's her political legacy? Well she pushed the terrible Reading Cinema deal that was going to cost Wellington City Council $32 million in a corporate welfare deal. That failed. She advocated for the sale of the Wellington City Council's 34% stake in the Wellington International Airport. That failed. She got her Bunnings shovel out yesterday to dig up the Golden Mile, but most contracts still haven't been signed and it may never fully go ahead. I think it's fair to say most people in this city feel Wellington has gone backwards in the last three years. That's her legacy. Personally, I have always had a good relationship with Tory. Yes, she cut her connections with our programme. She felt it wasn't talking to her people, and she probably thought I was too tough on her. But we got along. I respected her, and while I didn't like a lot of what she did as mayor, she was a character. I did like the fact we had a character as mayor. Unfortunately for us, it went too far. We started to be the butt of everybody's jokes. Her decision yesterday is a bad good thing for Wellington. I'm sad we won't have an exciting race or a strong contest of ideas. But it means the city is guaranteed a new direction - something a lot of us have wanted for a long time. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was a huge weekend in Wellington with Cuba Dupa, three nights of Graham Norton, Sir Bob Geldof, the Hurricanes, the Phoenix and one of the world's largest cruise ships in. So what does a weekend like that do for the city's economy? Also, work on the controversial Golden Mile project begins this month, starting at the Cambridge/Kent terrace end of Courtenay Place. But we've also learnt work on the rest of the project won't begin until next year. Is this about to become the key issue of this year's local body elections? To answer those questions, Restaurant Association president and Monsoon Poon owner Mike Egan and Method Recycling co-founder India Korner joined Nick Mills for the Wellington Mornings Business Panel. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was a huge weekend in Wellington with Cuba Dupa, three nights of Graham Norton, Sir Bob Geldof, the Hurricanes, the Phoenix and one of the world's largest cruise ships in. So what does a weekend like that do for the city's economy? Also, work on the controversial Golden Mile project begins this month, starting at the Cambridge/Kent terrace end of Courtenay Place. But we've also learnt work on the rest of the project won't begin until next year. Is this about to become the key issue of this year's local body elections? To answer those questions, Restaurant Association president and Monsoon Poon owner Mike Egan and Method Recycling co-founder India Korner joined Nick Mills for the Wellington Mornings Business Panel. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A witness has recalled the moment he stopped a motorist from driving away after a woman was allegedly struck by a car in Wellington. The woman, who is 66 years old, is still in critical condition after she was hit while crossing the road on Courtenay Place in the CBD last night. Police are now speaking with the 82 year old man who was driving the car. Ashleigh McCaull reports.

The Wellington City Council has unveiled the full design for the changes to Courtenay Place, set to begin in April.In other news, Kinleith Mill has announced that 230 workers will lose their jobs due to a reduction in paper production operations.Tamatha Paul has raised questions about National's commitment to housing, leading to an interesting slip by Chris Bishop regarding the party's definition of social housing.We will also look at a powerful oral submission opposing the Oranga Tamariki (Responding to Serious Youth Offending) Amendment Bill, a potential gold rush in Otago, and Mariamenos' mokopuna bill. Additionally, we'll cover her speech during the second reading of the repeal of 7aa.As always, we'll bring you the latest memes, positive news stories, and an overview of upcoming government submissions.=================================Come support the work we're doing by becoming a Patron of ⁠⁠#BHN⁠⁠ www.patreon.com/BigHairyNews⁠=================================Merch available at www.BHNShop.nz Like us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/BigHairyNews Follow us on Twitter.@patbrittenden @Chewie_NZFollow us on BlueskyPat @patbrittenden.bsky.socialChewie @chewienz.bsky.socialEmily @iamprettyawesome.bsky.socialMagenta @xkaosmagex.bsky.socialFollow us on BlueskyPat @patbrittenden.bsky.socialChewie @chewienz.bsky.socialEmily @iamprettyawesome.bsky.socialMagenta @xkaosmagex.bsky.social

OPINION The Golden Mile. Three words that terrify business owners on Lambton Quay, Willis Street and Courtenay Place. You know the plan. Removing cars from those three streets, pedestrianising the roads and installing bus lanes only. Parking will be gone too. It started off with Let's Get Wellington Moving. Then that was scrapped. But Wellington mayor Tory Whanau promised to make sure it still went ahead. She secured the money from the coalition government and made it something of a legacy project. But recently the council had gone silent on the plan. We learnt no contracts had been signed and there were certainly no shovels in the ground. But ysterday the media were called into Wellington City Council offices for a top-secret meeting to reveal the latest plans. And it turns out there's not much to report. First of all, contracts for the whole project still haven't been signed. The only contract signed is for the corner intersection of Courtney Place, Kent Terrace and Cambridge Terrace. Spades in the ground by April we're told, and it'll take 8 months to complete... for one intersection. Move over the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Wellington has Tory's corner. But that's it. No other contracts. No idea when work on the rest of the Golden Mile will start. For what is the Mayor's legacy project and something very important to her, she's moving extremely slowly on getting it done. Not that it worries her. "I think this is the happiest I've felt since the election," she told Newstalk ZB yesterday. Then there's the cost. The entire project is forecast to cost $116 million - but the council would not say yesterday the breakdown for the Courtenay Place section, citing commercial sensitivity. Then you've got support for businesses, or lack thereof. There will be none. Then there's the Mayor's comments about leases. She met with her mayoral business group this week to discuss the possibility of renting out empty spaces month by month to allow for pop up stores. The council owns none of those properties, so how do they decide what goes on with them? What landlord wants a lease for month-by-month? But being very serious here, I've always felt the improvement of Courtenay Place is imperative for our city to move forward. But the timing couldn't possibly be worse. We've got a multimillion-dollar development at Reading Cinema about to take place, we have businesses struggling from three or four years of the toughest economic climate most can remember. And we're going to destroy Courtenay Place before we rebuild it. You just have to look at Thorndon Quay to know how damaging this will be. There's only one solution to all of this in my eyes. Stop and wait. Wellingtonians need to have their say. We have to hold on til the next election before we do anything. Whether Tory wins the mayoralty again can be a referendum on the Golden Mile. If Wellington wants it, she'll be back in. If not, scrap the whole damn thing. And if you get back in Tory - fill your boots, build your field of dreams. Your golden mile. But that's if you wins the election - and only if. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington City Council has revealed the final design for the Golden Mile upgrade on Courtenay Place, but a contractor for most of the project has not yet been hired. Nick James reports.

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce says the council needs to financially compensate businesses affected by the Golden Mile works. Construction on the Kent and Cambridge intersection with Courtenay Place will begin in April, as part of the project to revitalise the city's tired night-life stretch. Mayor Tory Whanau previously floated a business support package, but officials yesterday said that was no longer an option. Business Central CEO Simon Arcus told Mike Hosking that while the works need to be done, support for operators is a must. He says it's not good enough to put businesses and livelihoods in peril and not offer any protection. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another rehearsal, so a few more teaser clips of the show developing…On Friday, February 21, I'll be performing poems from my latest book as part of a Fringe Festival show: The show is taking place at Photospace Gallery in Courtenay Place, Wellington, at 7.30pm. I'm being backed by musicians John Kingston and James Gilberd of the duo Filtersphere. Their ambient, improvised wash of music is the perfect soundscape for my Richard Reimagining — a kind of poetry remix where I take about a third of the poems in the book and re-arrange them to tell the same story-arc of the poetry sequence's narrative, but in a whole new shape. We are rehearsing the material to build up an idea of how it will go on the night. And I'm really thrilled with it so far. I couldn't have better support and understanding and intuition from my musician pals.Anyway, work in progress, but have a look and let me know what you think. And maybe see you there on the night? Or tell your friends in the Wellington vicinity.See below for the details again about the show, in a link. And also there's a previous rehearsal clip to click on if you missed it at the time, or wish to compare. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe

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. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington's Reading Cinema Complex has sat empty on Courtenay Place for six years, but has now been purchased by Wellington's Prime Property Group. Epic Hospitality Group owner Greig Wilson says the building's closure in 2019 had an immediate effect on business revenue on the street. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's hope that the sale of a large, derelict building will breathe new life into Wellington's CBD. Real estate group Prime Property has bought the Reading Cinemas building on Courtenay Place but has yet to reveal its plans. Nick James reports.

Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau believes she still has a majority of one vote in favour of selling the council's stake in Wellington Airport - but told Nick Mills she isn't sure if the next vote will succeed. "We check it every week and people flip-flop. That's the problem."  The controversial idea passed during the council's long-term plan vote but will come back to the council for a second vote in December. Multiple councillors now say there is a majority against the vote. "It's going to be really difficult. Just like the [long-term plan], it takes a lot of political management," Whanau said.  "It's been a yes up until this point. We have councillors who have changed their mind, you have to ask them. If they want to be irresponsible with our finances, that's on them."   "I don't understand why you don't interrogate them as much as you interrogate me."   Whanau also spoke to Nick Mills about the state of roading changes on Thorndon Quay, the idea of a New Year's Eve party on Courtenay Place, and the state of Wellington Water.  LISTEN ABOVE OR WATCH BELOW  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business owners in Wellington's Courtenay Place hope to boost the area's image with a New Year's Eve street festival. 35 businesses have come together to pitch an outdoor event offering food, drinks and entertainment - and all they need is approval from the council. Courtenay Place business owner Greig Wilson says they're putting extra pressure on the council to ensure it gets approved on time. "It's a model that's worked really well in the past, with Sevens parties and Lord of the Rings premieres." LISTEN ABOVE    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The abandoned Reading Cinema site in central Wellington is for sale. The Courtenay Place property, which has 1.5 hectares of freehold land on the capital's sought-after Golden Mile, was listed on Saturday. Wellington Chamber of Commerce chief executive Simon Arcus spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Tonight on The Panel Wallace is joined by panellists Leonie Freeman and Shane Te Pou discuss Melissa Lee and Penny Simmonds being stripped of portfolios after an announcement by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Also, they discuss how to revitalize Courtenay Place after the Wellington City Council pulled out of its deal with Reading Cinema.

Wellington City Council has called it quits on a controversial $32-million-deal with Readings International to reopen the cinema complex on Courtenay Place. Wellington City Councillor Tim Brown spoke to Corin Dann.

A Courtenay Place bar owner says it's critical Wellington City Council has a plan for the area.  It's walked away from a $32 million deal to renovate Reading Cinema, which has been closed since an earthquake risk was discovered in 2019.  The council says it's working on other projects to help revitalise the city's entertainment district.  But Dakota Bar's Jose Ubiaga told Mike Hosking that the area has been on the decline for years and is getting worse.  He says the council doesn't seem to have any clear vision for Courtenay Place, and even the Golden Mile is all over the place.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Panel, Wallace and panellists Jo McCarroll and David Farrar discuss the controversial deal WCC has made to buy the earthquake-prone Readings Cinema complex on Courtenay Place and a new initiative encouraging Kiwis to up their vegetable intake.

Wellington City Council is set to resume negotiations with Reading Cinema after a failed bid by councillors to stymie a $32 million property deal. The council wants to buy the land the closed complex is on and lease it back to the international company which owns it. Not all the councillors are happy about this. Then again, not many Wellingtonians are happy with the state of Courtenay Place, either, with the Reading shopping complex looking particularly run-down. Lambton ward councillor Nicola Young spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Wellington City Council has decided to push ahead with a $32 million property deal in a bid to end the long-running Reading Cinema saga. The council will buy the land under the earthquake prone complex on Courtenay Place, with the international company that owns it planning to use that money to redevelop it. Dakota Bar owner Jose Ubiaga spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss

Wellington City Councillors will decide the fate of a $32 million deal to fix a major eye sore in the capital's CBD today. The council is proposing to buy the land under the quake prone Reading Cinemas shopping complex on Courtenay Place and lease it back to the cinema company. The building has been closed since January 2019 because of its quake risk. Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Wellington City Councillors will decide the fate of a $32 million deal to fix a major eye sore in the capital's CBD today. The council is proposing to buy the land under the quake prone Reading Cinemas shopping complex on Courtenay Place and lease it back to the cinema company. The building has been closed since January 2019 because of its quake risk. City councillor Iona Pannett opposes the deal. She spoke to Corin Dann.

An organisation that provides a safe space and a friendly face for young people out on Friday and Saturday nights is extending its service from mid-February through to April.   Take 10, with the support of Wellington City Council, has been parking up their mobile unit on the corner of Courtenay Place and Taranaki Street on Friday and Saturday nights since 2019.   Run by the Vulnerable Support Charitable Trust (VSCT), volunteers engage with Wellingtonians to share water, lollies, play a game or two or just have a chat from 10pm to 3am on both weekend nights.  From this weekend there will be additional support with a pop-up Take 10 going into the unoccupied site at 47 Courtenay Place.   It's importance is showcased at this time of year, with an influx of students in the city along with a list of large events and festivals. The pop-up will provide more kaitiaki presence during the busiest time of year – in late summer large events and festivals are coupled with an influx of students for the beginning of the academic year.  Clint Schoultz from the VCST joined Nick Mills to talk about their service. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington's Mayor Tory Whanau hopes a future government will resurrect the just-ditched plans for light rail in the city. In the meantime, she says she's keen to get some shovels in the ground for the council-led work on the golden mile -- which spans Lambton Quay and Courtenay Place. Tory Whanau spoke with Ingrid Hipkiss.

A 'road cone Christmas tree' erected in Wellington has left plenty to be desired, with many residents not getting the joke. The council - which is responsible for the tree on Courtenay Place - says it represents all the different infrastructure projects under construction. But some locals - who struggle to get through the city without encountering disruptions - aren't amused. That left us wondering - which New Zealand towns do well at generating Christmas spirit? Morning Report producer Emma Ricketts decided to find out.

Today on The Panel, Wallace and guests Cindy and Peter talk about the prospect of getting unlimited workplace leave and what they would do with more time off. The panelists also discuss a new Christmas tree on Courtenay Place in Wellington made from road cones which has got opinions jingling in the capital. Plus, with Black Friday just one day away, they dissect whether supposed sales are all they're cracked up to be or if there's something not quite right about the discounts on offer.

Hutt Valley Chamber CEO Patrick McKibbin and Wellington hospitality operator Greig Wilson join Nick Mills on the Business Panel. Together they debate whether Petone needs to be changed officially to Pito-one, coalition negotiations still dragging on, whether the New Building Standards need to be reviewed, proposed bus lanes for the Hutt Road, and liquor licenses being opposed on Courtenay Place. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hutt Valley Chamber CEO Patrick McKibbin and Wellington hospitality operator Greig Wilson join Nick Mills on the Business Panel. Together they debate whether Petone needs to be changed officially to Pito-one, coalition negotiations still dragging on, whether the New Building Standards need to be reviewed, proposed bus lanes for the Hutt Road, and liquor licenses being opposed on Courtenay Place. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Wellington City Councillor says the mayor's ignoring the wishes of the incoming government by pushing ahead with the Golden Mile redevelopment.  Tory Whanau says the final contract is days away from being signed despite National opposing it.   It would see cycling and pedestrian improvements and get rid of cars between Lambton Quay and Courtenay Place.   Diane Calvert was asked by Mike Hosking if the comments are just to stick it up the new Government because Whanau doesn't like them.  She reckons that's part of it, because she claims Tory Whanau's continually championing the Green agenda.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Wellington City Councillor is defending his comments on a commercially-sensitive Council deal. The Post reports Council is looking to buy the site where Reading Cinema stands, for $32 million dollars. The boarded up Courtenay Place complex has been closed for years. Councillor Ray Chung is one of five people under a code of conduct investigation, around alleged breaches of confidentiality. He's reiterating his feelings about the deal. "I don't believe that this is a good thing for the city council to be getting into, getting a commercial proposal. Because we don't have any money to even fix our own buildings." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Wellington City Councillor is defending his comments on a commercially-sensitive Council deal. The Post reports Council is looking to buy the site where Reading Cinema stands, for $32 million dollars. The boarded up Courtenay Place complex has been closed for years. Councillor Ray Chung is one of five people under a code of conduct investigation, around alleged breaches of confidentiality. He's reiterating his feelings about the deal. "I don't believe that this is a good thing for the city council to be getting into, getting a commercial proposal. Because we don't have any money to even fix our own buildings." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A group of Wellington bar owners say they face unreasonable delays for liquor licences, and are unfairly blamed for antisocial behavior on Courtenay Place. 

Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has issued five of her councillors with a code of conduct complaint, alleging they breached confidentiality. Whanau confirmed she received a complaint about the conduct of five councillors from Deputy Mayor Laurie Foon and, after seeking advice, decided to proceed with issuing the complaint. “To assist me in my consideration of these allegations, I have initiated an independent review to establish if any breach has occurred. That review will be undertaken by Linda Clark, partner at law firm Dentons Kensington Swan. “Given my role under the Code of Conduct, I do not intend to make any further comment on this matter until the independent review has been completed.” Four of the councillors - Diane Calvert, Ray Chung, Tony Randle and Nicola Young - issued a joint press release this afternoon outlining the nature of the complaint. One other unnamed councillor has also reportedly been issued with the complaint. The councillors say the complaint comes after a public-excluded meeting earlier in October where Wellington City Council discussed the future of the Reading Cinema complex on Courtenay Place. Despite the meeting being held behind closed doors, the Herald understands a multimillion-dollar deal, involving the council buying the land underneath the Reading Cinema, was under consideration. It was discussed in a public-excluded part of the meeting. Reasons given for this included allowing the local authority to carry on negotiations, including commercial and industrial negotiations, without prejudice or disadvantage. At the time, Whanau said it was “getting really boring” that some of her councillors continued to speak to the media about confidential council meetings. “It creates an environment where the public does not have the full picture and loses faith in our processes and decision-making,” Whanau said. The councillors say Whanau left “a clear breadcrumb trail about a deal with Reading Cinema making it easy for the media to identify the project”. “So why is she attacking and blaming us?” Councillor Diane Calvert said the complaint is an attempt to silence councillors. Councillor Diane Calvert. Photo / Mark Mitchell “The mayor and chief executive are trying to silence and discredit the independent councillors; the ones who are most concerned about the city's finances. It is an orchestrated attack on democracy.” The complaint also references the councillors' concerns about the Town Hall's cost blow-out and the financial challenges facing Wellington. The Town Hall budget recently exploded from $182 million to a possible $329m. Since the Town Hall was declared earthquake-prone and closed in 2013, the cost of the work has grown from $43m to $60m to $90m to $112m and most recently to $182m in 2022. Vita Molyneux is a Wellington-based journalist who covers breaking news and stories from the capital. She has been a journalist since 2018 and joined the Herald in 2021.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand Herald Wellington Issues Reporter Georgina Campbell joins Nick Mills every week for A Capital Letter. This week they discuss Wellington bar owners banding together to fight their opposed liquor licenses, Tim Brown wanting the council to sell its shares in the airport, and more budgeting issues facing the Interislander's new mega ferry terminals. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National has vowed to scrap Golden Mile redevelopment if contracts remain unsigned The project is part of the 7.4 billion dollar Let's Get Wellington Moving transport plan, and would see cars taken away between Courtenay Place and Lambton Quay. Major works on it are set to start mid next year but, contracts for it haven't been signed yet. The National Party's vowing to scrap the project as it currently stands if they get into Government and contracts still aren't signed off. Their Transport Spokesperson Simeon Brown is urging the Wellington City Council to refrain from doing so until at least after the election.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau sits down for her monthly catch up with Nick Mills on Wellington Mornings. This time they discuss in detail liquor licenses being opposed by the council and other agencies, the council delaying changes to how ratings are determined, and whether the Michael Fowler Centre and Opera House are still safe following their new earthquake ratings. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Playwright Dave Armstrong and political commentator Brigitte Morten join Nick Mills on Friday Faceoff. Together they vigorously debate the state of New Zealand's education system, whether gang members should be eligible for home detention, Labour falling in the polls, and if alcohol is really behind trouble on Courtenay Place.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Wellington bar owner is slamming Council, Police, and Te Whatu Ora for cracking down on fun. The El Barrio and Vinyl Bar owner's attempt to open up a new spot on Courtenay Place, is being thwarted by the three agencies. The new bar is nearly fully fitted-out, and almost ready to open. Owner Greig Wilson, says some believe another bar would see more alcohol-related harm. He joins Nick Mills on Wellington Mornings.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington City Councillor Nicola Young and Director at Franks Ogilvie Law Brigitte Morten joined Nick Mills on Friday Faceoff. They talked about the UFS Pharmacy in Courtenay Place deciding to shut down due to Let's Get Wellington Moving. Also on the agenda, the seemingly large increase in drink driving, alarming wait times at Wellington region hospitals, Mayor Tory Whanau's Friday night out and National Leader Chris Luxon being  confronted by a Tawa business owner during the week. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retailers in the capital want a stop to plans to make Wellington's golden mile pedestrian only. The council will vote tomorrow on whether to move all vehicles except buses off the road between Parliament and Courtenay Place. As Ashleigh McCaull reports, businesses fear the move will have negative consequences.

A popular Wellington retailer is among the businesses and organisations slamming proposals for the city's Golden Mile. The council will vote tomorrow on a key aspect of Let's Get Wellington Moving - getting rid of cars along Lambton Quay, up through Willis and Manners Streets, to Courtenay Place. Several business owners signed a letter to the mayor, stating the removal of cars from Wellington's key retail area will drive customers away. Moore Wilson's Julie Moore says the lack of consultation and engagement surrounding this project is concerning. "We have grave concerns of the damage that this proposal will do to our city. We're a small city, small population, small in size, and this proposal is basically from one end of our city to another." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A popular Wellington retailer is among the businesses and organisations slamming proposals for the city's Golden Mile. The council will vote tomorrow on a key aspect of Let's Get Wellington Moving - getting rid of cars along Lambton Quay, up through Willis and Manners Streets, to Courtenay Place. Several business owners signed a letter to the mayor, stating the removal of cars from Wellington's key retail area will drive customers away. Moore Wilson's Julie Moore says the lack of consultation and engagement surrounding this project is concerning. "We have grave concerns of the damage that this proposal will do to our city. We're a small city, small population, small in size, and this proposal is basically from one end of our city to another." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A well known Wellington man known as "Mike the juggler" has been named as a victim of last week's Loafers Lodge fire. 67-year-old Mike Wahrlich frequented Wellington's Lambton Quay and Courtenay Place for about 30 years, and was known for his big grin as he juggled tennis balls. His sister yesterday confirmed to Stuff that he was likely one of the four confirmed victims. Wellington City councillor Tamatha Paul spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss this morning.

Wellington police are being accused of intimidating bar patrons and staff in Courtenay Place and escalating tensions in the Capital's party central.  Police and paramedics are targeting the area on Friday and Saturday night to try and ensure revellers are kept safe and volatile situations are nipped in the bud. Many punters argue it's having the opposite effect, as Jemima Huston found out when she joined party goers at the weekend.

Bar owners are questioning the purpose of police marching into venues on Wellington's Courtenay Place, saying they're intimidating patrons and staff, and escalating tensions. Some owners say up to a dozen officers have entered bars at once, making people feel threatened and panicked. Jose Ubiaga owns several bars in Wellington. He spoke to Jane Patterson.  

Wellington businesses have packed a punch in a pre-election report that calls for amalgamation and the capital's own version of Auckland Transport, while also questioning the role of the city's economic development agency. The Herald can exclusively reveal the details of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce's pre-election report ahead of this year's local body elections. Businesses painted a grim picture of the current state of affairs and said the city's leadership has been inward-looking and complacent for too long. "Wellington businesses feel overshadowed by Central Government and that the city is now synonymous with bureaucracy and politics, rather than business and innovation, forgetting the very essence of the heart of the city." The issue of amalgamation has recently started bubbling away in Wellington after the idea was axed in 2015. The report recommended Wellington, Porirua, and Hutt Councils should transition to become one over time, which it said was a conversation already happening "behind the scenes". Wellington Chamber of Commerce chief executive Simon Arcus told the Herald the Auckland Council experiment was now seen as largely successful. He said businesses considered amalgamation as a solution to some of the more wicked problems like transport, housing, and sustainability. "The boundaries of Wellington City alone seem very artificial to try and solve those problems. You've got to have a bigger, regional solution to some of the big issues that the city is facing." For that reason, the report also said the regional and city councils should relinquish their transport responsibilities to create a new entity like Auckland Transport. Wellington Chamber of Commerce chief executive Simon Arcus. Photo / Supplied It recommended this entity should focus on reliability so people know they will get to work on time if they catch the bus. "Let's Get Wellington Moving, a source of enduring concern for business, is only one part of a tangled dysfunctional strategy that will benefit from the accountability of a single body," the report said. Accountability was a key theme throughout the report. Businesses said they often didn't know what their rates were spent on and how they directly benefited. They called for quarterly reporting from the council on this issue, as well as an annual independent "State of Business" report, and a dedicated go-between role funded directly out of commercial rates. Arcus said there was a lack of trust between the council and business. "We definitely don't want to dwell on the past which has been complicated by the make-up of council, we really want to try to work constructively to re-engage." The report took a swipe at Wellington NZ, the regional economic development agency, and said the council should clarify the organisation's "complex and cumbersome" mandate. It said the council should introduce KPIs based on economic growth and business success for WellingtonNZ. The report had three recommendations for the council's first 100 days. It said key infrastructure investment should be prioritised and restraint shown towards new projects until existing challenges were dealt with. The council should also work with businesses in this initial period to create a precinctplan for the city linking the stadium, Lambton Quay, waterfront, and Courtenay Place, it said. Finally, the report said a plan should be drawn up to prioritise and incentivise rapid CBD densification. Other recommendations included urgently addressing homelessness and antisocial behaviour, providing incentives to develop derelict sites, and positioning Wellington asthe national home of Māori and Pasifika business success and cultural celebration. Arcus said central Wellington needed to be safe, densified, and attractive for the capital to be a "magnet for talent" and seen as a destination. - Georgina Campbell, NZ HeraldSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington's Golden Mile is a step closer to becoming car free. New design plans for Lambton Quay and Courtenay Place were released for feedback yesterday. They include wider footpaths, outdoor seating areas, bike and bus lanes, and access for delivery vehicles. Retail NZ chief executive Greg Harford spoke to Corin Dann.

Consultation has opened on Wellington's Golden Mile.It goes all the way down from Lambton Quay from Parliament, up Willis Street heading south, over into Manners Street and then into Courtenay Place, where they're talking about only allowing pedestrians and buses to use it.This year's Pacific Island Forum is already in disarray.Kiribati has left the forum over a leadership dispute with forum Secretary General Henry Puna, whose appointment was seen as a snub over their own candidate.The College of Nurses wants to campaign for doubling the number of practitioning nurses.The Ministry of Health turned down their proposed model, but eventually, Health NZ agreed to meet.Simon Wilson and Phil O'Reilly joined Andrew Dickens on The HuddleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington's Golden Mile is one step closer.It goes all the way down from Lambton Quay from Parliament, up Willis Street heading south, over into Manners Street and then into Courtenay Place, where they're talking about only allowing pedestrians and buses to use it.The fourth round of consultation of Let's Get Wellington Moving has opened today and feedback is wanted on the stretch.Wellington Mayor Andy Foster joined Andrew Dickens.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2015 the St James Theatre, a Category 1 Heritage building on Courtenay Place, was found to be earthquake-prone.The work to strengthen the theatre to a minimum of 67% of the New Building Standard started in April 2019On Saturday the 2nd of July it will officially open its doors for a public open day.Nick Mills went along for a sneak peak.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington's historic St James Theatre reopens today after earthquake restrengthening that began three years ago. The Category One Heritage building in Courtenay Place was built in 1912 and houses the Royal New Zealand Ballet. It's a favourite theatre, and celebrations are planned to mark the reopening, beginning today with TEEKS and the Symphony Orchestra. Corin Dann spoke to Jill Day, chair of the Wellington City Council's arts and culture committee.

Wellington's Newtown cycleway is back in the news.This is the cycleway already under construction from Newtown to Courtenay Place - and it's getting rid of some carparks in the process.Six car companies are now trying to fight the progress by bringing a legal case, according to transport advocates.Laura Newcombe, owner of Four Seasons Florist says her business will be heavily impacted if the car parks outside her shop getting taken away.LISTEN ABOVE

In a month of protests, pandemic panic, grave unrest in the Ukraine and extreme weather events Mark Amery champions some art in Wellington that offers flowers, hugs, sunshine and togetherness. Featured is Salli Culy's paintings Hello to Everybody in a series of lightboxes in Courtenay Place (till May 25), Hanna Shim's exhibition at Enjoy Gallery (till March 30) Wishing You Well. Mark also does shout outs to Vincents Art Workshops in Wellington and the Paraparaumu-shot feature film by Linda Niccol, Poppy, currently streaming through TVNZ.

If you're in Wellington over the next fortnight, you'll find somewhere special to take a breather at the old Reading Cinemas building on Courtenay Place. Local artist Tanya Ruka will be serving up traditional Māori medicinal tea amidst photographic and video artworks at The Forest Rongoā Teahouse.

A hospitality operator is pushing to get extra security across Wellington city by summer, but the council isn't so sure.Matt McLaughlin is the owner-operator of Hoff Hospitality Group, and knows first-hand how chaotic Courtenay Place and Cuba St can be.Violent crime in Wellington city has steadily risen over the past five years with police data showing sexual assaults increased by almost 50 per cent. In the same time period, the number of acts intended to cause injury rose by 35 per cent, and the number of patched and prospective gang members has almost doubled.Throughout 2020 multiple violent incidents made headlines, and city councillors said they no longer felt safe on the central city streets.McLaughlin says throughout winter and Wellington's most recent lockdown, the disorder dissipated – but now he's noticed it creeping back to where it was in the summer of 2020 and he wants to bring more security onto the streets.He's proposing a solution - a team of security liaison officers, akin to roaming bouncers, who could intervene in escalating situations on the streets to defuse them before police are necessary."We've asked the council to look at it straight away – I'd like to think it could help out to have a roaming patrol of not security guards, because they'd have no real power, but people who could monitor situations, liaise between bar staff, customers and police and diffuse situations before it becomes an issue."McLaughlin believes having a set of people who were not fully uniformed could help engage those causing trouble."We're working really hard to make the streets safer because the problem isn't on the licensed premises – it's on the streets."Ideally, he wants these security officers in place by December 1 as the party season begins to heat up."We've pushed it through and we've asked council and said we need this in place by level 1 – whatever that may look like."McLaughlin's call for extra security comes just days after dozens of police flocked to Manners St in the city centre following reports of disorder.A spokesperson told the Herald the incident on Friday arose when a group of around 20 people tried to stop officers arresting two others."Their behaviour was unacceptable and the deployment of additional police resource quickly mitigated any risk to police and the community."But Wellington City councillor Iona Pannett isn't so sure extra guards and police are the solution - at least not in the long term."We don't create safety by just having more police or more cameras around - we create safety by encouraging a respectful relationship between people and making it clear discrimination is not acceptable."She says there needs to be "a very big culture change" and some of the things that could contribute to that is better funding for consent programmes like Don't Guess the Yes, and designing public spaces to be inclusive of everyone."For example, [Courtenay Place] not being a space that's just for drinking heavily - it needs to be a place that's active and inclusive all day and night."However, Pannett says in the short-term extra security could be helpful if it's done right."Some of those practical initiatives may help in the short term, but we really need to address our booze culture – and really that's the city and country's failure."At the end of the day, she says there are "no easy answers"."It's difficult and we have a booze culture and an intolerant attitude towards certain groups of people – these are deeply ingrained issues that need long term solutions."Detective Senior Sergeant Warwick McKee told the Herald police want everyone to feel safe across the city, no matter what time of day.To try to achieve this, police will deploy extra officers to patrol high-risk areas of the CBD."We also continue to prioritise the monitoring of the city's Alcohol-free Zones and educate people about where they can and can't drink in the city."Police would not comment directly on McLaughlin's pro...

Tarik Mallett is the founder and chief executive of Mobi2Go, a food ordering system helping restaurants around the world go digital. The business is going gangbusters during the Covid pandemic as click and collect and contactless ordering has become the norm. Founded in 2010, Tarik experienced a few lean years while he was building the platform, but he now services some of the biggest brands across New Zealand, Australia, the USA, Canada and Asia. In the last year the business has gone from 30 to 100 staff in three countries.

There was no increase in cases in Wellington today - with the total standing at 14. But the city will move to alert level 3 limits on Tuesday night. Our reporter Ben Strang is in Courtenay Place and joins Lisa Owen with the latest.  

A long-time Wellington disability advocate is worried about the prospect of a carless Golden Mile in the capital. A car ban is to be introduced in 2024 along Courtenay Place, Lambton Quay and Manners and Willis streets. Only buses, cyclists and pedestrians will be permitted. Advocate Wendi Wicks spoke to Guyon Espiner.

A long-time Wellington disability advocate is worried about the prospect of a carless Golden Mile in the capital. A car ban is to be introduced in 2024 along Courtenay Place, Lambton Quay and Manners and Willis streets. Only buses, cyclists and pedestrians will be permitted. Advocate Wendi Wicks spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Wellington council hopes getting cars off the Golden Mile will give it more shine. A car ban will come into place in 2024 for the route from Courtenay Place to the Beehive - with the council saying it'll be better for the city. But it's certainly not without controversy. Our reporter Tom Kitchin and cameraman Dom Thomas went for a stroll along the mile to get a pulse of the city.  

Wellington retailers in the central shopping district fear a plan to ban cars will see businesses abandon the area. Under the proposal, an area known as the Golden Mile - Lambton Quay, Manners and Willis Streets and Courtenay Place - would only be open to buses, cyclists and pedestrians. Councillors say progress is finally being made in the beleaguered $6.4b Let's Get Wellington Moving programme. Hamish Cardwell has the story.

Wellington retailers in the central shopping district fear a plan to ban cars will see businesses abandon the area. Under the proposal, an area known as the Golden Mile - Lambton Quay, Manners and Willis Streets and Courtenay Place - would only be open to buses, cyclists and pedestrians. Councillors say progress is finally being made in the beleaguered $6.4b Let's Get Wellington Moving programme. Hamish Cardwell has the story.

One hundred Wellington bus drivers are on strike today after a breakdown in negotiations for a new collective employment contract. That means almost no buses for commuters across the city with people having to drive, walk or bike or work from home. Tensions went up a notch yesterday when their employer, NZ Bus, issued lockout notices to the striking drivers for an indefinite period. Reporter Harry Lock was on Courtenay Place.

"I don't feel safe."Wellington National list MP Nicola Willis has issued a challenge for MPs after violence continues to escalate in the capital city."I encourage any minister to walk down Courtenay Place, to walk through Manners Mall on any day of the week, at any time, and tell me they feel safe and if they don't feel safe, they need to be doing more to ensure others can."On her way to caucus, Willis said she felt "really uncomfortable" walking through the city past patched gang members."Who are yelling, who are aggressive, it doesn't feel like the Wellington I grew up in and it's not the Wellington I want my kids to grow up in."The city's safety has been in the spotlight recently after a string of serious assaults, including a fatal assault outside Te Papa earlier this year.Police data shows the number of sexual assaults in Wellington has increased by nearly 50 per cent in the past five years.The number of acts intended to cause injury, including common and serious assault, has also grown by 35 per cent over the same period.Willis said part of the issue regarding increasing sexual assaults could be partly down to social housing in the central city and the Government was not putting in place enough support for people in emergency housing.However, she believed another factor was the reduction of the use of closed-circuit cameras to monitor the central city.In a statement, Wellington City Council said there had been no reduction in CCTV monitoring and it had strengthened the programme "to provide the police and Wellington City Council to have a structured and planned approach to how we respond in real-time and/or to emerging issues in the city. The CCTV base has a direct link (two-way radio contact) with the police for immediate response and has been directly instrumental in assisting with arrests."The City Safety CCTV team oversees 64 cameras in the city."I am concerned about the explosion in emergency housing, New Zealand is now spending a million dollars a day putting people in motels. That's not good for them, and it's not good for the taxpayer and we're seeing the results in central Wellington at the moment," Willis said."The Government has absolutely failed."However, Wellington Central MP Grant Robertson said across New Zealand there are concerns about gang activity, and they have to work together to make it safer."We've invested a significant amount of money in wrap-around services through programmes like Housing First but also through the work of a number of NGOs that we fund."He said it's important to them that those people are not back on the street.If she were at the helm, the National housing spokeswoman said she would work with non-government organisations, charities and the City Mission to provide more appropriate housing."I'd like to see more houses being built, the Government releasing more houses for development, and more transitional housing. Supported accommodation for people who frankly often have very complex problems."And I don't buy the argument that the Government can't afford it."Willis said gangs were taking advantage of problems within the central city and she was hearing from people on the ground that there were more patched gang members than ever around town."And that's because they know there's now a client base, that's vulnerable people that they know they can deal drugs [to]. That's a bad recipe for those vulnerable people."Last year the Herald revealed the number of gang members and prospective gang members in the region had nearly doubled since 2016.Minister of Housing Megan Woods has been approached for comment, as has Wellington City Council. 

We chat to our resident hospitality expert T-Hou about how the bars and restaurants are getting on and how busy Courtenay Place is going to be post lockdown. Then he shares his rugby journey with us, his favourite Villagers to play alongside and guys he enjoyed sinking a few Tuis with at the clubrooms. Also a quick masterclass in smoke bombing. Brought to you by the Petone Rugby Club Bar, est 1885