Home

Rumour: five options for the Basin, consultation starts 22 February

By Save The Basin - Posted on February 10th, 2010

Rumours are flying that the NZ Transport Agency will begin consultation on the options for the Basin Reserve on Monday 22 February, and that five options will be presented - three involve building an unnecessary flyover, and two are "at grade", i.e. ground level without a flyover. Consultation will run for six weeks.

Capital Times
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 02/17/2010 - 17:16.

Capital Times has run a page 2 story on this - which is really good to see - and included your fantastic, high quality presentation image. That's one way to get them to post their info - I'm sure it will have an effect as NZTA will want to get the discussion going as much as the rest of us.
Capital Times article: http://www.capitaltimes.co.nz/article/2783/Willitfly.html

there is also discussion going on at these sites:
Arch Centre : http://architecture.org.nz/2010/02/17/wellington-2040-our-vision/
Eye of the Fish : http://eyeofthefish.org/basins/
Scoop : http://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=20585

"Basin traffic schemes prefer flyover"
Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 02/13/2010 - 11:23.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/local/3318990/Basin-traffic-schemes...

A tunnel to fix traffic problems around the Basin Reserve is still a possibility despite being omitted from five preferred options.

The New Zealand Transport Agency's five options, including three flyover proposals, were leaked after a confidential briefing on Tuesday. They have still to be approved by its board.

The most expensive option, at $97 million, has a two-lane flyover from the Mt Victoria tunnel to Buckle St. Another option has a flyover closer to the cricket ground and a third has a flyover running north-south, to the east of the Basin. It would join Kent Tce about 70 metres to the north of the cricket ground and end near the entrance to Government House.

Two ground-level proposals are cheaper at $38m and $52m respectively.

Transport Agency regional director Deborah Hume said consultation on the concept plans "will definitely result in changes".

About 15 options were considered, including a tunnel to link Buckle St and the Mt Victoria tunnel.

"The board will be made aware of that and if they want to bring it back to the table and talk about it with the public - that could still happen yet."

The Government's plans to construct an Anzac Memorial Park on Buckle St had also been taken into account, Dr Hume said.

Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Chris Finlayson said the Government was committed to developing the war memorial park in Buckle St. Work was progressing.

Basin Reserve Trust spokesman John Morrison said the agency had taken care to ensure the Basin's heritage and stature would not be damaged. "We believe there will be much more room at the northern end and the opportunity of enhancing the Basin Reserve is quite good. We think we could very well come out of this much better off."

But Save the Basin spokesman Kent Duston said the project's cost was spiralling out of control and should be re-evaluated.

"From beginning to end, this Basin Reserve flyover just looks like a fiscal disaster area. We have seen costs go from [the original cost estimate of] $27m to $97m in the space of about three years."

Regional Wines and Spirits co- owner Moira Gaffeney was in the dark about the flyover options and how they might affect trade.

"It's hard to know what impact it would have on us but there definitely would be an impact, particularly during construction."

Options are expected to be issued for consultation on February 22.

supposed "leaks"
Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 02/13/2010 - 11:15.

The Dompost yesterday said that the 5 options had been "leaked" - and so I'm looking forward to seeing them here! Who else would want them and who better to post them?

Leak ! Seek ! Find ! Post !!!

We await....

Your wish is my command ...
Submitted by Save The Basin on Sat, 02/13/2010 - 19:01.

Here you go, complete with a slightly rubbish diagram.

What are the important issues that if discussed together could..
Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 03/15/2010 - 09:49.

It seems like there are a number of options being placed out there by NZTA, Save the Basin, and perhaps others.

What are the existing assumptions (made by NZTA or otherwise)
- about need for fly through?
- what the best methodologies are for congestion relief or enhancing mobility?
- future oil consumption, and vehicle use?
- acceptable impacts on community?
- ....

What are the important issues that if discussed TOGETHER, the different stakeholders could distill what was important, and agree and stand together for a new solution?
What are the assumptions at the base of these proposals that inform their designs?

I also think energetically, being 'save the basin reserve' will help attract attention and get people talking, but for anything new to emerge and for energy to be going TOWARDS something, what would be the byline or vision of what you DO want?

Carl
Watcher and Supporter from Auckland