Podcasts about Golden Mile

Wellington's potential next Mayor is making headlines for dishing out suggestions to the current mayor. Andrew Little called on Tory Whanau to not sign any more contracts in the Golden Mile redevelopment – calling it unethical to do so before a new Mayor is elected in October. In a statement to Newstalk ZB, Whanau said candidates “do not have the mandate to demand that our Council cease progress on any democratically agreed-upon projects” Wellington Mayoral candidate Andrew Little talks to Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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's taken the best part of a decade but sod has finally been turned on Wellington's Golden mile upgrade. The $116 million dollar plan was part of the "Let's Get Wellington Moving" intiative before it was canned and is supposed to transform the capital's entertainment precinct. But some local businesses who will be affected by the upgrade say the timing is off - and one bar reckons it could be the final straw that sinks nearby businesses. Nick James reports.

Businesses in the capital city are still feeling glum - Westpac's latest survey has found Wellington has the lowest business confidence of any region in the country. With interest rates dropping and spending increasing, when will confidence return? Also, Wellington mayor Tory Whanau has officially turned the sod at the first tranche of Golden Mile works this morning. How will the plan affect businesses? To answer those questions, Working Style director Chris Dobbs and Tommy's Real Estate CEO Ben Castle joined Nick Mills for the Business Panel. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Businesses in the capital city are still feeling glum - Westpac's latest survey has found Wellington has the lowest business confidence of any region in the country. With interest rates dropping and spending increasing, when will confidence return? Also, Wellington mayor Tory Whanau has officially turned the sod at the first tranche of Golden Mile works this morning. How will the plan affect businesses? To answer those questions, Working Style director Chris Dobbs and Tommy's Real Estate CEO Ben Castle joined Nick Mills for the Business Panel. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 16 April 2025, Wellington's worst kept secret is out of the bag: former Labour leader Andrew Little is running for mayor. He tells Heather what he'd do with the much-debated Golden Mile. Finance Minister Nicola Willis gets a grilling over the Reserve Bank's funding - is the bank getting a budget cut or actually a boost? Why Heather doesn't think cracking down on junk food advertising will do anything to help with kids eating junk food. Plus, the Huddle debates the Māori Party's call that Māori should get the NZ Super 10 years early. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Labour leader Andrew Little has today confirmed he will stand for the Wellington mayoralty in the upcoming local body elections. Little said he is standing for mayor because Wellington needs “urgent change” and “serious leadership”. “I'm confident I can win,” he said today. He had previously ruled out throwing his hat in the ring but has revealed this morning that he wants to “end the chaos at council” which he believed he had the experience to do. He wanted to return the council to “what it should be doing” and serving the people. Little says he's been approached by “quite a cross-section” of Wellingtonians asking him to run. “Obviously Labour people but also National Party, Green Party people, community leaders, business people.” He said the city was in a fragile state and believed some major projects could be reconsidered. “We need to make sure what we are doing isn't causing disruption at a particularly sensitive time.” The first phase of the Golden Mile project was scheduled to start this month, but Little suggested further work could be deferred. “For the remainder of the project, I'm not saying don't do it, what I am saying is let's have a think about when it might be best to do that.” The city needed to recover, he said. Little's main priorities have been listed as investing in parks, swimming pools and libraries, prioritising cheaper transport and housing development, supporting small businesses, taking action on climate and honouring the Treaty. He said it was clear to him that Wellington “is in trouble”. He highlighted the city's cost of living crisis, public service cuts and the council being “out of touch” as three of the major issues facing Wellington residents. He said he wants to do away with “regressive” policies like asset sales, closure of community facilities and “millions of dollars in corporate welfare for an international cinema owner”. “My focus as mayor will be getting the best for Wellington. That means being able to work constructively with the Government in the city's interests and it means standing up to the Beehive when needed. It means being clear in my Labour values but always working across political lines to be a mayor for all of Wellington.” “This council [has] on the block a number of community facilities like the Khandallah pool, like Begonia House - those things should be our priorities, they're certainly my priorities. Those are the things that strengthen communities and make a city.“ He said the recent rates rises were “not acceptable” and making the city unaffordable, and thought the council needed a “much tighter grip on council finances”. While he believed cycleways were a good thing some routes had been poorly executed. He said his track record showed he was able to work with people from across the political spectrum. “We all love this city. We're creative, we're full of talent, we're diverse, and we're a place where people from all walks of life can feel included and make a home. “Wellington is the place I chose with my wife Leigh to raise our family and there's nowhere else we would rather be.” He has submitted his nomination seeking the Wellington Labour Party's support for his mayoral campaign and a formal campaign launch will follow in the coming weeks. Little entered Parliament in 2011 and was leader of the Labour Party and leader of the Opposition from 2014 to 2017. Little was a senior minister under former prime ministers Dame Jacinda Ardern and Chris Hipkins. Candidates who have confirmed plans to run for the mayoralty are Tory Whanau, councillor Ray Chung, businessman Karl Tiefenbacher, conservationist Kelvin Hastie, Wellington Live owner Graham Bloxham and former city councillor Rob Goulden. The election will be held on October 11. Little joined Nick Mills to discuss his candidacy. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TheKingzone and TheFizzer give you a short sharp wrap of their better bets for this week's Saturday Racing.Join our Ladbrokes Mates Mode Pot

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.

Business owner Karl Tiefenbacher has officially joined the Wellington mayoral race. Speaking exclusively to Newstalk ZB Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills, Tiefenbacher announced he plans to stand as an independent candidate for the mayoralty. He has yet to announce any policies but said his core priorities include changing the culture of Wellington City Council, keeping rates down, and stopping wasteful spending. Tiefenbacher, who calls himself “Wellington's ice cream guy” as the founder of Kaffee Eis, has previously run for council twice and lost. Last year he fell short by only 45 votes to the Green Party's Geordie Rogers in a byelection for the Pukehīnau Lambton Ward. His campaign website is now live, with the slogan “Wellington, It's Time!”. “Wellington has expensive challenges ahead. As a business owner I understand it's essential to invest wisely, with responsible and affordable decisions”, his campaign site states. This time around he also plans to run for a council seat in the Motukairangi Eastern Ward. His biography states Tiefenbacher was born and raised in Wellington and had “a successful career in the finance sector for 18 years” before starting cafe and gelato manufacturer Kaffee Eis. Tiefenbacher has previously been critical about the Golden Mile project and moves to pedestrianise Cuba St. He describes himself as a centrist. Earlier this month, the local branch for the Labour Party confirmed it had to extend nominations for a mayoral candidate, after no one put their hand up to run for the party. Confirmed candidates for the mayoralty include incumbent Tory Whanau, city councillor Ray Chung, predator-free champion Kelvin Hastie, Wellington Live owner Graham Bloxham, and former city councillor Rob Goulden. Of the confirmed candidates, all but Bloxham and Whanau have previously run for the mayoralty unsuccessfully. Diane Calvert, a third-term councillor and former mayoral candidate, is rumoured to be eyeing up running, telling the Herald this month she still hasn't decided. “As an independent, I'm not on a deadline set by a political party,” Calvert said. John Apanowicz, another current councillor, said he's still keen to run but is seeking the support of his family and will announce his plans at a later date. Luke Pierson, a businessman and founding member of lobby group Vision for Wellington, had been rumoured to be considering a run for the top job, but has confirmed he's not going for it. “I can rule it out. My focus is on Vision for Wellington - which is inherently apolitical,” Pierson said. The local election will be held on October 11. Candidate nominations open on Friday, July 4 and close on August 1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're told a housing boom is on the way in the capital with a new district plan allowing for more higher-density homes closer to the city. Has this made it easier to develop in Wellington, and what will it mean for house prices? Also, for the first time the Wellington City Council has responded to public concern over a cycleway project, voting to investigate reinstating carparks to Glenmore St near the Botanic Gardens. It's the fifth u-turn in a year, after the Reading Cinema deal, airport shares sale, Begonia House and Khandallah Pool. Is this the council responding to residents' concerns, or does it demonstrate they don't properly consult before making decisions? To answer those questions, as well as discussing the Golden Mile, Wellington Water and citizens arrests, Kaffe Eis owner Karl Tiefenbacher and property developer Mark Quinn joined Nick Mills for the Business Panel. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Zoe George & Mark Knoff Thomas. They discuss the Golden Mile upgrade and a suburban pool complex's incredible turnaround

Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman and panellists Stephen Franks & Boopsie Maran discuss Wellington's Golden Mile plans, and the culture of big business making "dupes" of popular new inventions. Boopsie Maran is Director of Urban Strategy firm Places for Good Stephen Franks is a lawyer with the firm Franks Ogilvie and former ACT MP [picture id="4KC3WC2_Courtney_Place_plan_3_jpg" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

Mixed-use developments have emerged as a powerful trend in the real estate industry, with industry players revolutionising the way we live and experience urban spaces. They combine residential, commercial, recreational spaces and even healthcare facilities within a single development. While such developments are not new concepts in the market, they have become increasingly popular as more people recognise the value of amenities and convenience within arm’s reach. The iconic Golden Mile Complex renamed The Golden Mile, has recently been repositioned into a mixed use development with offices, medical suites, and retail space. It will be linked to a new 45-storey residential tower named Aurea which is developed through a joint venture between Far East Organization and Perennial Holdings. Shaw Lay See, Chief Operating Officer, Sales & Leasing Group, Far East Organization and Ismail Gafoor, CEO of real estate agency PropNex share their perspective on mixed use developments and the appeal of such projects.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

RNZ has seen council documents that show construction is set to begin on the long awaited and controversial $140 million Golden Mile upgrade in April. Local bar owner Jeremy Smith spoke to Corin Dann.

Proactive's Tylah Tully breaks down ‘Just the Facts' of the latest news from AuMEGA Metals Ltd. AuMEGA has reported positive results from a high-resolution airborne magnetic geophysical survey conducted over the Hermitage Gold-Antimony Project in south-central Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The survey covered around 234 square kilometres and revealed significant geological complexity along a 27-kilometre strike length. It identified several second-order and third-order faults, with major geological structures aligning with previously collected high-grade prospecting samples, including 7.31 g/t gold, 193 g/t silver and 2,044 ppm antimony. The company considers Hermitage a highly prospective opportunity along the second-largest known gold structure in Newfoundland. The project is geologically comparable to major gold deposits such as Bendigo and Fosterville in Victoria, Golden Mile in Kalgoorlie and Windfall in Quebec. Although exploration at Hermitage has been limited, early results are encouraging, with multi-gram outcropping gold samples collected. The survey data will be used for geological mapping and further prospecting ahead of an inaugural diamond drill program in the second half of the year. Additionally, AuMEGA's winter drill program at Bunker Hill in Canada is progressing, with site development underway. Drilling is expected to begin soon, targeting between 10,000 and 12,000 metres in the current quarter. #AuMEGAMetals #HermitageProject #GoldExploration #MiningNews #GeophysicalSurvey #AntimonyMining #SilverMining #GoldDiscovery #NewfoundlandMining #ResourceExploration #MineralDevelopment #GreenfieldsExploration #MiningUpdates #DrillingProgram #Geology #MiningSector #ExplorationFunding #PreciousMetals #DiamondDrilling #MiningIndustry

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.

This week's episode is packed with crucial updates and insights that could directly affect your real estate decisions in 2025.A much stronger-than-expected jobs report has thrown a wrench into predictions for interest rate cuts, potentially keeping the Bank of Canada on hold this January. With Canada adding 91,000 jobs last month, (far exceeding expectations) compounded by labour market strength is complicating the case for lower rates. However, not all is as it seems: 62,000 of those jobs went to workers over 55, and a significant portion came from public sector growth (44%!). We break down what this could mean for mortgage rates and why the 5-year bond yield is already climbing.In Vancouver, affordability continues to be a challenge as recent policies are expected to push home prices higher. On the flip side, there's good news out of Burnaby, where one of the first multiplex building permits has been approved. The timeline, fees, and offsite costs surprised even the developer—and might give hope to those exploring small-scale development opportunities.We also tackle the ongoing affordability crisis, exploring how the ban on natural gas in new construction and new net-zero mandates are inflating the cost of homes. For example, a fourplex project now have an additional $150,000 for electrical upgrades, adding roughly $40,000 to the cost of each unit. These policy changes are a stark reminder to “watch what they do, not what they say” when it comes to government claims about building affordable housing.Meanwhile, mortgage arrears are also starting to climb, with delinquency rates hitting a 9-year high in Toronto. Yet even as the headlines grab attention, the data tells a different story—arrears remain well below pre-pandemic levels, and the overall risk of panic is low. However, with 50% of mortgage holders set to face higher payments over the next two years (in excess of 30+%), it's clear that financial strain is building for many Canadians.We also take a closer look at the nearly 30% of homes listed for sale that are vacant. Are they former Airbnbs, second homes, or properties listed to dodge the vacancy tax? It's a fascinating trend that raises more questions about the current state of the market.And to cap it off, we're excited to showcase a stunning family home on Vancouver's prestigious Golden Mile in Kitsilano. Located on West 1st Avenue, this property boasts breathtaking ocean views, over $1 million in renovations, and one of the most luxurious primary suites you'll ever see. Don't miss this incredible listing—check it out at www.3262W1st.com _________________________________ Contact Us To Book Your Private Consultation:

OPINION: Some disturbing news came across my desk yesterday. I got a lovely email from Nicola Cranfield with the sad news that Cranfield's on Johnson St near Lambton Quay is closing. Often shops close during a recession and unpredictable times. Shops close because they go broke. Businesses close when owners have just had enough. But Cranfield's has been operating in Wellington for 33 years and reading Nicola Cranfield's email really affected me. Nicola has fought endlessly against Let's Get Wellington Moving and the Golden Mile project. She's met with counsellors, she's met with businesses, she's gone to every meeting she possibly could have gone to, just to fight the cause to save Lambton Quay from both Let's Get Wellington Moving and the Golden Mile project. She's had the acrimony of presenting to Wellington City Council with councillors not even looking her in the eye, looking down at their devices not caring what she has to say.,not caring what she and her mother had done for our city over 33 years. Absolutely no respect whatsoever. But that didn't stop Nicola from fighting. That didn't stop Nicola from being a proud Wellingtonian wanting her successful family business to carry on against all the distractions and inconvenience that was thrown at her by those two major projects and our council. Things got so frustrating for her that she decided that she would not renew her long term lease and go month to month. Unfortunately for us in Wellington it didn't work for Nicola Cranfield and her shop is closing. A Wellington institution gone, just like that. It's interesting Nicola is not blaming or even bringing into the equation the public sector job losses due to government cuts. I've met Nicola a few times she's the most positive, bright, energetic and focused businesswoman you could ever expect to meet. She's someone you talk to and say to yourself ‘gosh aren't we lucky to have a person like that running a business in our city'. Well no longer; she joins the long list of fabulous Wellingtonians who ran amazing businesses that got caught up in the downward spiral and are out… An article in the Herald today from Thomas Coughlan, outlining the effects and breaking down the job losses by numbers is very interesting. It shows it's more of a self-perpetuating downhill spiral than actual cash disappearing from the community. People that haven't lost their job still have the disposable income to spend - they're just adjusting and being extremely careful. Even last night I met a couple who hadn't lost their jobs, still had disposable income and they felt guilty for going out. It felt wrong to them, with everything going on. Our city is in a bad place, and no, it's not just because of these public service cuts, which much of us would agree are needed to some extent. No, its a wider issue. It's an economy on the slump, it's a council that doesn't seem to understand the big issues, its uncertainty over projects like the Golden Mile. I love this city, I love it a lot - but Wellington doesn't feel like it did five, ten or twenty years ago. We're in a slump, we're in a spiral - and I think most of us know it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christmas is supposed to be a lot of things these days. And yet it doesn't always deliver all that it's meant to deliver. But then, the very first Christmas, it wasn't all sweetness and light either. If nothing else, it was a decidedly uncomfortable Christmas.   OVERTAKEN BY EVENTS There are times in our lives when it feels as though circumstances or events outside of our control have completely taken over our lives. We've all been there and some people I know are there right now. Perhaps you were looking forward to a family Christmas and your marriage or somebody else's marriage in your family is starting to fall apart. Or perhaps, you find yourself completely alone or maybe sickness has struck and you're wondering how to get through it. And at this point, the whole idea even of celebrating Christmas seems completely irrelevant, off this planet. Despite what all the happy Christmas ads on television would have us believe, Christmas is not a happy time for many people. It's sad but true. Now, that's not to say that we're all going to have a lousy Christmas, no. But when we scratch the glitzy veneer of what Christmas has become in the twenty-first century, when you go below the surface, most people have something going on in their lives that takes the shine off what should be (according to what everybody else is telling us) the celebration of Christmas. Season's greetings, peace on earth, merrrryyyyy Christmas, ho ho ho. Yeah, right. Somehow the umpteenth re-enactment of the Christmas pantomime at Church and that nativity scene in the store window (if you can even find one anywhere these days) just doesn't seem to connect with life's realities when we've been swamped by a wave of whatever it is in our life, in your life, this year. I've had many a Christmas like that over the years. Truly, I have. Life can be tough sometimes. And when you're involved in ministry in any way, shape or form, you'll know that it's even tougher because the devil is on your case. You run into opposition and attacks sometimes seemingly from every direction and on those Christmases the pantomime version of Christmas simply isn't enough. You with me? But let's wind the clock back to the old, old story, to the days leading up to the birth of Jesus, the Christ. Because when I go back to that story, there's nothing safe, there's nothing comfortable, there's nothing pantomimey at all about it. The road to that very first Christmas was a hard road and it's on that road that we discover a God who's prepared to get on the journey with us. Think about the circumstances that had overtaken Joseph and Mary's lives to that point. Firstly, they'd fallen in love. Hey, that's a good thing, that's a great thing, that's a special thing. But then Mary falls pregnant to the Holy Spirit, out of wedlock in a day and age where that was a scandal. You can imagine how Joseph felt, right? – robbed, betrayed, dismayed, hurt, alone, disappointed, angry, the full gamut of emotions. Events had overtaken his life. This one painful event which was completely outside of his control. It hurt so much but being the good guy that he was, he planned to cut off the engagement and to dismiss Mary quietly so as not to make a big thing of it in public. Events, circumstances, things out there that were going to rob him, unbeknown to him at the time, of the very first Christmas. You see if you're in that boat, you're not the first one. This old, old story has a modern twist in its tail, does it not? The truth of that first Christmas (even though it happened two thousand years away) is here and now when you get behind the pantomime version and you check out what really happened. So there's young Jo about to be robbed of that first Christmas and then God. Whenever circumstances are about to roll over the top of us, it's always, always a case of 'then God' because this God who loves you beyond any measure that you would care to apply to His love, He always shows up. He showed up back then for Joseph. Let's have a listen: Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph but before they lived together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man, unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the Prophet, 'Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall name him Emmanuel which means God is with us'. When Joseph awoke from his sleep he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, he took her as his wife but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son and he named him, Jesus. (Matthew 1: 18-25) I wonder how many times you and I have skimmed over that old, old story with the attitude, "Oh yeah, I know that one. Yeah sure, it's fine," without ever really thinking about what it meant for Mary and poor old Joseph. The stress it put on their relationship, the glances and the whispers of scandal that happened in their tight-knit little community. And just when Joseph was about to do what he thought was the decent thing out of his pain – God showed up. God showed up in a mighty way to speak truth and comfort and love and destiny into Joseph's heart. I don't know how real that dream felt to him at the time, probably it was a really powerful dream if it was from God. But when he woke up it was still only a dream but it was enough for Joseph to act upon. He didn't have the Gospel accounts of Matthew and Mark and Luke and John to rely on back then, like you and I do have now, he didn't know how it was all going to turn out. But when he heard the voice of God he acted on it. Christmas is about difficult circumstances. Christmas is all about God breaking into this world in an exquisite blend of love and power and humility. Christmas is about God and it's about you.   A LONELY JOURNEY Now I know that this is not going to come as any great surprise to you but I have never been pregnant. Something (by the way) that I've often given thanks for because I'm your typical male – the idea of going through childbirth is something I can't comprehend. Which is why, I guess, God didn't leave it up to men to be mother's – wise move God, wise move. Anyway, back to Christmas, I'm trying to imagine what it was like for Mary who was pretty much full term to travel from Nazareth the Bethlehem for the census. We don't think too much about it because these days the drive from A to B would take, umm, two to three hours I'm guessing; maybe four, if you took it slowly and you had a break for lunch along the way. You'd probably do it in a comfortable air conditioned car although even then, let's say a three to four-hour car ride wouldn't be particularly the most delightful experience for a woman who was close to full term, would it now? But back then it was a one to two-week journey. Tradition has it … if you believe all the paintings and drawings that Mary rode on the back of a donkey, of course, there's no Biblical evidence for that, we're not told how she got from Nazareth to Bethlehem. But for her sake, I'm hoping she was on a back of a donkey or riding in the back of a cart somewhere rather than walking the whole way because one thing's for certain she wasn't riding in an air conditioned car. My point is this … we often look back on the old, old Christmas story as though it's a fable or a pantomime or, I don't know what. It was so long ago and we've heard it so many times that we just have this two-dimensional view of what went on. Yeah, yeah Mary, Joseph, angels, shepherds, wise men, Bethlehem, manger, yeah all that jazz. And when we look at Christmas that way, it's almost as though we're closing our hearts off to the wonderful real, gritty, here and now things that God's wanting to speak into our lives. Mary and Joseph didn't have an easy run of it. It was time for a census. The Roman emperor had decreed that it was time to do a people stocktake. And the way they did it back then (before marks sensing, computer readable census forms distributed to each household) was that you had to head back to your ancestral home and for Joseph that meant Bethlehem. In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea to the city of David called Bethlehem because he was descended from the house and the family of David. He went to be registered with Mary to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. (Luke 2: 1-5) See, the Romans were nothing if not efficient administrators. They, in fact, had a huge impact on the distribution of the Gospel after Jesus' resurrection and ascension because of the road and port infrastructure that they'd built and the relatively peaceful and homogenous Roman Empire that dominated the known world at the time. But on this occasion, as far as Mary and Joseph were concerned, they were being a right proper pain in the backside. Quite literally for Mary if she was fortunate enough to have travelled the journey on the back of a donkey. I imagine that if you or I had been Mary or Joseph, we would have had a few choice words and thoughts about the timing of this rotten, lousy census. Why now? What a pain! How inconvenient! Mary is almost full term and she and Jo are travelling with a sea of humanity in all different directions heading for their ancestral homes, in their case that was Bethlehem. Isn't that how it feels when circumstances and events beyond us seem to dictate the course of our lives? Pretty frustrating, isn't it? – inconvenient and sometimes, downright dangerous and hurtful. But this census wasn't just some random event. It wasn't a happen chance thing. As with everything, God was in it because centuries before through the Prophet Micah, He had spoken to His people about their Messiah whom He would send who would be born in, yeah you guessed it, Bethlehem. Let's take a look, Micah 5: 2 and 3: But you O Bethlehem of Ephratah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel whose origin is of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labour has brought forth, then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel. See, God had a plan. His plan was that Jesus, the bread of life as He later referred to Himself as, would be born in the town of Bethlehem, a word which literally means 'the house of bread'. God's plan was to speak powerfully to His people through the Words of Micah's prophecy and through the fulfilment of that prophecy in the birth of Christ in Bethlehem. My point is this, events are never random. Events that seem to roll over the top of your plans and your hopes and your dreams even never just happen by chance. Sometimes the most difficult and devastating events are the most powerful moves of God in our lives and through our lives and into the lives of other people around us. Of course, it never feels like it at the time. And rarely (if ever) does God give us the big picture if you will to explain what's going on and what He's up to when He's doing that and letting these things happen to us. But that doesn't change the fact that God's sovereign will is playing out right there and then. Psalm 135 verse 6 says: Whatever the Lord pleases he does in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all the deeps. So whatever that looks like in your life right now, remember your God is up to something good … I mean really good.   NO ROOM AT THE INN Well, here we are on Christmas Eve and I'm guessing you know where I'm headed with this story, right? I remember a few years back, my wife and I flew from Australia to the US, to Chicago, in fact. That's a long flight, about twenty-four hours door to door. We had a room booked at a hotel on the Golden Mile in Chicago because I was speaking at an IT conference there and the conference organisers had set it all up for me. In LA where we had to clear customs, we discovered that they'd lost Jacqui's suitcase (along the way), fantastic! And then when we landed in Chicago, we had to part ways because I had to fly on for a couple of days to Minneapolis, St Paul. So the plan was Jacqui would catch a cab to the Chicago hotel and I would join her in a couple of days time. Now, it was her very first trip to the US of A. She doesn't do a lot of travel so heading to the hotel on her own was just a little bit daunting. So not only is her luggage missing but she has to find her own way to downtown Chicago and when she arrives, get this, she's told, "No, sorry but the hotel is fully booked." "Hang on, there's a conference here and my husband is the keynote speaker and the conference organisers have booked a room and ..." Well, you can imagine her despair, right? She was ready to cry and she's been travelling now for the last twenty-four hours so she's exhausted. She's alone in a foreign country, her luggage is missing and now they tell her there's no room at the hotel. Two hours it took to get it sorted. At one point they found a room but because the booking was in my name and not hers they weren't going to let her have it. Fortunately, the hotel manager got involved and saner heads prevailed. We did, by the way, eventually find her luggage but that's a whole another story. Now, if you have any sort of heart beating inside you, you'll be feeling a bit sorry for poor old Jacqui. A bit like a lost soul in a foreign land, all alone with waves of exhaustion and despair crashing all over her. For her fortunately, it all worked out. But if I now take you back to the old, old story, the first Christmas story, there was a couple who rocked up to Bethlehem for whom things didn't work out so well – Mary and Joseph. They've come down to Bethlehem from their hometown of Nazareth, up north. A few hours by car these days, as we saw yesterday but for them it's been a one to two-week journey by foot perhaps with the aid of a beast of burden to carry the full term, very pregnant, almost due Mary but perhaps not. It's a journey that makes our twenty-four hour flight from Sydney to Chicago look like sheer luxury by comparison. They're tired, they're exhausted, they're ready to get to their room and dive into the Jacuzzi and relax, but let's pick up their story: In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration that was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered, Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea to the city of David called Bethlehem because he was descended from the house and the family of David. He went to be registered with Mary to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there the time came for her to deliver her child and she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them at the inn. (Luke 2: 1-6) Much of the nation of Israel was on the move at this time because of this wretched census ordered by the Emperor Augustus. So, there really was a convention in town when they arrived in that small village, as it was back then, the village of Bethlehem. They weren't in downtown Jerusalem there on the Golden Mile but out of town in this hamlet. And frankly there weren't a lot of five-star or even two or three star hotels available, those that were choc-a-block. And so after, presumably, a few hours of schlepping around and discovering there wasn't a room to be had anywhere some kind inn keeper, seeing Mary's condition, offered them a shed out the back which housed animals. Now I don't know, sheep, goats, maybe the odd cow if he was really wealthy. Can you imagine how Mary's heart sank when she entered that stable where she knew she would give birth? After that whole fanfare with the angel and falling pregnant, not the normal way but through the Holy Spirit? Hey, surely God was with her. Surely, God knew what was going on, His Son, the very Son of God is about to be born. "My son too" Mary is thinking to herself and now I get a stinking stable? Come on you women who have had children put yourself in Mary's shoes, how do you feel? Not all that impressed, right? Your water's break, the pain starts and you lie down on the floor of a stable that's been pooped on and weed on by the assemblage of farm animals watching you give birth. Just fantastic. I don't know what you're expecting of Christmas this year. It's almost upon us and it's supposed to be great. The world hypes it up as being a great celebration, Christians and Churches hype it up as being a great celebration. I don't think that's how it felt for Mary on that day and I know that's not how it feels for a whole bunch of people today. But let me tell you this … God was in that place with Mar. He was watching over her, He was with her and yes He chose a humble, uncomfortable place for His Son – the Son of God, the Creator of the universe, to be born as a man. God often chooses humble, uncomfortable places for His people. It's just His way. But no matter how uncomfortable it may be for you, no matter how God forsaken this place may seem in which you've found yourself, I want to tell you this, God is with you because Jesus on that first Christmas, Jesus came for you. Do you remember what it was that the angel said to Joseph in his dream when he was explaining to him what had gone on with Mary falling pregnant? Matthew 1: 21-23: ‘She will bear a son' said the angel, 'and you shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins'. All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the Prophet 'behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall call him Emmanuel which means 'God is with us'. Jesus is God on the journey with us. Back in Chicago when Jacqui stood negotiating with those difficult hotel employees over the counter, she no doubt felt incredibly alone, lost in a foreign land. Her husband off in another city, completely uncontactable. Perhaps, as you face whatever it is you're facing the same thoughts race through your mind as no doubt went through Mary's when she lay eyes on that crummy, stinking stable for the very first time. Doesn't God get it? How can He let this happen to me? Why doesn't He fix it? And so you're sitting here on this Christmas Eve wondering even what Christmas is all about. If that's you, if that's a bit of what you're feeling right now, then I have just one word for you from the Lord, 'Emmanuel'. God is with you. You are never alone. And though He may have chosen circumstances for you right now that you may not have chosen for yourself, on this day, on this Holy day, know this … your God is with you and that beautiful wondrous truth, this truth that we are celebrating right now, at this time that we call Christmas, that truth is something that nothing and nobody can take away from you. Your God is with you.

The Wellington City Council has cut roughly $400m worth of projects from its long-term plan - a decision necessitated by the vote to keep its stake in Wellington Airport. Begonia House looks set to be demolished and the Golden Mile redevelopment is set to continue as planned. How did councillors come to their decision? Also, Wellington mayor Tory Whanau has seemingly softened her language when asked by Nick whether she plans to run for a second term as Mayor - will she run again? NZ Herald Wellington issues reporter Georgina Campbell joined Nick Mills for the Capital Letter. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The controversial "Golden Mile" project has again been given the go ahead by Wellington councillors after its latest meeting on budget cuts. Local bar owner Jeremy Smith spoke to Corin Dann.

The Golden Mile project emphasises space for bikes and pedestrians. Cycling advocate Patrick Morgan spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

There are fears big Wellington City Council budget cuts don't go far enough. The council yesterday voted in a mammoth meeting to make hundreds of millions of dollars of savings by slashing projects like cycleway spending, and demolishing Begonia House in the Botanic Gardens. Councillor Tony Randle told Mike Hosking the projects Mayor Tory Whanau managed to save, like the Golden Mile redevelopment and climate initiatives, should have been cut too. He claims they add more spending to the budget and says they now won't be able to make enough savings. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's frustration for some at Wellington City Council, as the city's Long Term Plan is laid out. Budget cuts were a big part of the discussions - as the city needs to bring in more money after the plan to sell the airport shares fell through. The Council's proposed demolishing the Botanical Gardens' Begonia House and they plan to chop upgrades for venues and a development of Frank Kitts Park. Wellington City Councillor Tony Randle says the Golden Mile project was spared - for the time being. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

rWotD Episode 2738: The Peth Welcome to Random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia’s vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Friday, 1 November 2024 is The Peth.The Peth (English language: The Thing) are a Welsh rock music supergroup band formed in Cardiff in 2008 by Super Furry Animals drummer Dafydd Ieuan as "an excuse to spend large chunks of his time in a recording studio" while other members of the Super Furry Animals were busy with solo projects. Ieuan asked actor, and former Super Furry Animals lead singer, Rhys Ifans to provide vocals for several tracks he had written, and recruited eight other people for the group, including Super Furry Animals bassist Guto Pryce, Meilyr Gwynedd, Osian Gwynedd, Mick Hilton, Dic Ben and Kris Jenkins. Ben was in an early incarnation of the Super Furry Animals along with Ifans, while Jenkins frequently plays percussion for the Super Furries and has appeared on all the group's albums since 2001's Rings Around the World as well as contributing to the 1999 single "Northern Lites".The group played their first concerts in 2008 in low-key venues in Wales before gigging in London and performing at that year's Green Man Festival. Debut album The Golden Mile was released in August 2008 to mixed reviews. The record's title refers to "the mile between the group's studio and the Grangetown region of Cardiff". A second album, Crystal Peth has been recorded but has yet to be released.In 2009 The Peth supported Oasis at a concert in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:17 UTC on Friday, 1 November 2024.For the full current version of the article, see The Peth on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Stephen.

Wellington's Golden Mile has done it tough this year, with around 50 stores closing down. Despite the grim financial times some businesses are staying the course and some big brands are returning to Lambton Quay. Rachel Helyer Donaldson reports

Bob and Chris spoke with the Director of The Golden Mile Alliance Christopher McDonald regarding the future of the Golden Mile.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's more criticism of central city roadworks in Wellington. Retail NZ, Hospitality NZ and the Bus and Coach Association are asking the council to review its Golden Mile pedestrianizing project. A number of businesses say roadworks and cycleway projects have forced them to close. Retail NZ Chief Executive Carolyn Young says it's 'disappointing' that mayor Tory Whanau says the Golden Mile is a bottom line. "We know that the issues around Thorndon Quay are significant, that businesses have really struggled and are closing." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's scepticism around how Wellington City Council can support struggling businesses.   Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau is looking at how the council can help Golden Mile businesses.   A number of sites in central Wellington have announced closures in recent weeks, many blaming transport changes, public sector cuts, and people working from home.  Guardians of the Golden Mile Spokesperson Barry Wilson told Mike Hosking the city is in deep trouble, and small bits of help will do nothing.  He says there's too much disruption, reckless spending, and road cones.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick is joined by the Racing Post's Lee Mottershead and they begin by reflecting on an impressive victory in the Sussex Stakes for Notable Speech & Timeform's Dan Barber debated whether that performance is enough to cement him as the best three year old miler. Goodwood's Adam Waterworth discusses Qatar's future sponsorship of the meeting and David O'Meara who has an astonishing eight runners in tomorrow's Golden Mile, is along to talk about their chances. Away from Goodwood, Cieren Fallon was back in the winners enclosure yesterday after a spell on the sidelines do to injury and Jane Mangan reflects on yesterday's action from Galway.

Nick is joined by the Racing Post's Lee Mottershead and they begin by reflecting on an impressive victory in the Sussex Stakes for Notable Speech & Timeform's Dan Barber debated whether that performance is enough to cement him as the best three year old miler. Goodwood's Adam Waterworth discusses Qatar's future sponsorship of the meeting and David O'Meara who has an astonishing eight runners in tomorrow's Golden Mile, is along to talk about their chances. Away from Goodwood, Cieren Fallon was back in the winners enclosure yesterday after a spell on the sidelines do to injury and Jane Mangan reflects on yesterday's action from Galway.

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.

Upmarket Wellington homewares store Cranfields will continue to trade - but might move out of the capital. The shop's closure was announced months ago, with owner Nicola Cranfield blaming uncertainty around the Golden Mile transport project, to effectively ban cars from a number of central city streets. The store is now looking for new premises. Nicola Cranfield says she's had a conversation with Hastings Council. "I was curious to know whether they were about to wrap up all those streets and remove parking and bring in a lot of cones. Fortunately, they laughed and said - why would we do that to our retailers? That was heartening." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're back with part 2 of New Launch 101! George and Yu Rong talk about the most anticipated new launch condos in 2024. They discuss key factors such as proximity to MRT lines, available amenities, and new launches with potential for lower prices due to low land acquisition costs. Their discussion continues with the importance of layout flexibility in new launch condos—where new launches often offer more bedrooms within the same square footage, providing more options for potential buyers.   Find out more about the development of new launches in Toa Payoh, where its GLS sites are highly anticipated, and the potential of new launches in the heartlands like Bedok South, Tampines, and Pasir Ris. That being said, learn about the reasons behind price changes by developers. An interesting topic of discussion is Yu Rong's mall tiers, ranging from basic neighbourhood malls to large, destination malls with unique offerings, and how this could potentially impact the attractiveness of a property.   All these enriching insights and more on this New Launch 101 episode on Nuggets on the go! Speaking of new launch condos, have you always thought of investing in a new launch condo but find yourself hesitating, afraid of making the wrong choice, or perhaps overwhelmed by the options? Compare 80+ condos in 10 hours at PLB New Launch Convention 2024 on July 7th, 10 am - 8 pm! 1 day, 10 speaking sessions with 6 keynotes by industry experts from PropertyLimBrothers, sharing exclusive PLB frameworks for choosing the right condo! Join 3,000 like-minded new launch buyers to gain exclusive frameworks to secure your dream home.   Early bird tickets now available at $7, sign up here: bit.ly/plbnlc24   (00:00:00) Intro (00:00:45) Chuan Park (00:06:07) New launch is a sure hit? (00:12:21) Lego-style construction (00:15:21) Toa Payoh GLS Site (00:18:48) Golden Mile compound (00:22:53) Bagnall Court (00:29:27) New launch surprises (00:30:27) Tiers of Shopping Malls (00:34:16) PLB New Launch Convention (00:35:59) Outtakes

Wellington city councillors will debate on Thursday whether to delay work on the Golden Mile until a new transport plan has been drawn up. Wellington councillors Tony Randle and Teri O'Neill 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.

A Wellington homewear store is closing its doors after 33 years, over concerns about the golden mile project - which prioritises pedestrians.

Greg Eurell's stable has been flying as of late and they have a great chance in the Golden Mile with Euphoric. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Golden Mile Day at Bendigo on Saturday and CEO Paul Scullie joined Racing Pulse with an update on the day ahead. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington City Council could hike up rates by more than 15 percent to pay for its leaky water pipe network. Council staff estimate the city needs a 1.1 billion dollar upgrade to water infrastructure. It means plans like the Golden Mile upgrade could be delayed. Our reporter Nick James joins us now from the capital. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6345920711112

The Government Wellington City Council and the Greater Wellington Regional Council have agreed in principle to dump the $7.4 billion Let's Get Wellington Moving project. Some things will stay, others added. Central Government will build and fund the Basin Reserve upgrade and a second Mt Victoria tunnel, and Wellington City Council will bring the Golden Mile project in-house. Cycling groups, businesses and city councillors have reacted to the decision.

The Bay Lights by artist Leo Villareal first went live on March 5, 2013. Exactly one decade later, the beloved artwork went dark. Ben Davis is the driving force behind The Bay Lights and the effort to bring the artwork back with twice the number of LEDs in a radically accessible new configuration. With the project 75 percent funded—and $2.5 million more needed to proceed—Davis will reveal what's next for the historic effort: organizational vulnerability.  Davis is the founder and leader of Illuminate, the art nonprofit behind many of San Francisco's large-scale and iconic public artworks, including lighting The Pink Triangle on Twin Peaks, activation of the Golden Mile on JFK Promenade, the Summer of Love lighting on the Conservatory of Flowers, Grace Light in Grace Cathedral, the revival of the Golden Gate Bandshell, and the series of giant laser art installations across San Francisco this summer.  Davis will also talk about his vision for San Francisco as the City of Awe.  The program talk will be followed by a reception and live music by "KAVIN" on the rooftop. In-kind food donations provided by local SF Hot Cookies and Casa Sanchez.    Community partner: Beyond The Fog Radio MLF ORGANIZER Robert Melton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The global digital-payments shift is more than just a matter of convenience. We examine the cashlessness push in different economies and potential effects on different currencies. The Golden Mile, a pioneering multi-purpose architectural experiment in Singapore, is crumbling. We discuss efforts to spare it from the wrecking ball. And a reading list to learn about, and from, history's greatest hoaxes.For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The global digital-payments shift is more than just a matter of convenience. We examine the cashlessness push in different economies and potential effects on different currencies. The Golden Mile, a pioneering multi-purpose architectural experiment in Singapore, is crumbling. We discuss efforts to spare it from the wrecking ball. And a reading list to learn about, and from, history's greatest hoaxes.For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.