Category: Act Now

Community turns out to show opposition to proposed Basin Reserve flyover

Posted on by tjonescan

The Wellington community came out today to show their ongoing opposition to the proposed construction of a flyover at the Basin Reserve.Approximately 30 people gathered this morning at the northern end of the Basin Reserve near where the proposed flyover will be constructed if it gains approval from the Board of Inquiry.

Tim Jones, Co-convenor of Save the Basin Campaign said: “The community came out today to show their support for–and solidarity with–the many people preparing their representations to the Board of Inquiry. The streamlined legal process is not for everyone, so today’s event was an opportunity to illustrate the wider community’s opposition to the proposed flyover.”

The West Indies test match which began at the Basin Reserve today was also an opportunity to share with an international audience the NZTA’s plans to construct a flyover at what former Wellington City Councillor and New Zealand Cricket player John Morrison has called a top ten test match playing venue in the world.

Tim Jones says “This is a site of not only national, but also international significance and we cannot allow the NZTA to bulldoze through it with a flyover that will simply not bring the purported traffic benefits. It is terrible transport planning, poor urban design and simply not acceptable at a site of national and international significance.”

Along with many other submitters in opposition to the proposal, the Save the Basin Campaign is in the midst of preparing a case to the Board of Inquiry. The hearing will begin in February with a decision due by the middle of 2014.

Ends
Contact: Tim Jones
027 359 0293
stoptheflyover@gmail.com

Take A Stand Against The Proposed Flyover: Wednesday 11 Dec, 9.30am, Basin Reserve

Posted on by tjonescan

Save the Basin Campaign invite you to show your support for keeping the Basin Reserve precinct a ‘flyover-free zone’. Like the majority* of Wellingtonians, we do not want a flyover at the Basin Reserve. We are calling the community to come out in force to show solidarity with the over 150 individuals, businesses, schools, churches and community groups that will be presenting their opposition to the proposed flyover to the Board of Inquiry.

What: Together we take a stand against the proposed flyover
When: 9.30am, Wednesday 11th December
Where: At the north-eastern corner of the Basin Reserve (near the Kent Tce traffic lights)

A flyover would dominate the view from St Mark's School - With thanks to Wellington Scoop
A flyover would dominate the view from St Mark’s School – With thanks to Wellington Scoop

Please bring placards, banners, t-shirts and whatever you have to show your solidarity with those people making submissions to the Board of Inquiry.

* 83% of submissions to the Environmental Protection Agency oppose NZTA’s application to construct a flyover at the Basin Reserve.

Join the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/183481505184236/

Dollars And Nonsense

Posted on by tjonescan

Cash, moolah, dollars, dineros.

Whatever you call it, we need it. (At least, we need some of it – we don’t want to be unreasonable!)

That’s because we’re a community organisation pitted against a lavishly-funded Government agency that can afford to pay top dollar to secure the services of lawyers, consultants and expert witnesses.

We make up some of the gap through volunteer work done by already busy people – but we need money too. And if you want this nonsensical, retrograde, ugly flyover stopped, then we need your help. Incidentally, when we were in Stockholm – my buddy shattered his arm one night doing something silly, and we had to get a låna pengar direkt to get him fixed up.

The good news is that it’s easy to donate. Here’s how:

Donate within New Zealand

Online:

Kiwibank account: 38-9011-0725227-01

By mail:

Please send a cheque marked “Save the Basin Campaign” to:

Save the Basin Campaign
c/- PO Box 19-056
Courtenay Place
Wellington 6149

Donate worldwide

Please donate via our page on the Givealittle fundraising site:

http://www.givealittle.co.nz/org/savethebasin

We’d love to acknowledge your support, so please email us at stoptheflyover@gmail.com and tell us the details of your donation.

Thank you for your support.

Email These Councillors Between Now And Wednesday

Posted on by tjonescan

In December, by a margin of 8-7, Wellington City Councillors voted to oppose a Basin Reserve flyover and investigate alternatives. On Thursday the 21st, the Council votes again on its flyover stance, and we want those eight Councillors to stand strong and continue to oppose a Basin Reserve flyover – starting with Mayor Celia Wade-Brown and Transport Portfolio Leader Andy Foster.

Between now and Wednesday, it’s time to remind these eight Councillors of their previous anti-flyover stance, tell them again why a Basin Reserve Flyover would be such a bad idea, and urge them to continue their anti-flyover stance in Thursday’s vote.

Otherwise, we risk the Council effectively siding with NZTA in future consent hearings. That’s exactly what Kapiti Coast District Council did in the Kapiti Expressway hearings, and it proved to be a disastrous mistake for Kapiti Mayor Jenny Rowan, her fellow Councillors and their community.

1) Who to Contact

Please email these Councillors. If you have time to send individual emails to each Councillor, especially Celia and Andy, that would be great – otherwise, a group email is fine.

Mayor Celia Wade-Brown   celia.wade-brown@wcc.govt.nz

Transport Portfolio Leader Andy Foster    Andy.Foster@wcc.govt.nz

Bryan Pepperell    Bryan.Pepperell@wcc.govt.nz

Helene Ritchie   helene.ritchie@wcc.govt.nz

Iona Pannett   iona.pannett@wcc.govt.nz

Paul Eagle    Paul.Eagle@wcc.govt.nz

Stephanie Cook    stephanie.cook@wcc.govt.nz

Justin Lester     justin.lester@wcc.govt.nz

2) What to Say

People often get hung up on what to say in such emails. But there’s no need to be hung up: all you need to say is that you oppose a Basin Reserve flyover and that you want the Council to keep opposing it, too, including in hearings on the proposal. The simpler and more straightforward your message is, the better. While remaining polite, you should leave Celia, Andy and their fellow Councillors in no doubt what you mean.

But if you need some arguments, check out the articles below, and then two simple, effective emails to Councillors that their authors have kindly agreed us to post.

3) Articles

Thursday’s flyover vote: how to get the best result for the coolest capital

Facts don’t support Expressway (or Basin flyover)

4) Sample emails to Councillors

From Margaret Tobin:

Dear Celia, etc
I want to make clear to you as a Mt Victoria resident of 54 years my
very strong opposition to the proposed flyover around the Basin
Reserve. It sickens me that as Wellingtonians we have to fight so hard
to be heard about what is important to us regarding the city scape. I
joined Wellington Waterfront Watch who represent the local people
about the preservation of the beautiful features of that valuable
asset, Wellington’s waterfront. And now I have joined Save the Basin
Campaign for exactly the same reason, to protect our assets. In this
case, that oasis between the city and the eastern and southern
suburbs, the Basin Reserve.

It is very wearing to be continually
having to defend the beautiful and priceless features of Wellington
that we hold dear from groups that are only thinking about short-term
gain in the form of dollars. There are other ways to improve the
infrastructure of the city, including sensible roading around the
Basin that does not include a flyover. Personally as far as traffic
build up in the area is concerned those of us who live in Ellice
Street don’t believe a flyover will ease this at all but simply move
the congestion and make it more visible. Please listen to the people
and stick up for the people. A flyover does not fit this area. It’s
for LA.

From Patrick Morgan:

Dear Councillors,

I joined 18,000 cricket fans this weekend at the Basin.  Superb, world-class facility. Like the green belt, it’s an asset we are custodians of for future generations.

I would like my children’s children to have the opportunity to hear the sounds of leather on willow on a summer’s day at the Basin.

Rod Oram makes a good case for smart urban design:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/8430627/Oram-Govt-bulldozing-good-design

There are better solutions for our transport needs.

On the 21st, please say no to the Govt’s misguided plans for the Basin.

How You Can Help Save The Basin Reserve

Posted on by tjonescan

I’m writing this on the first morning of the Test between England and New Zealand at the Basin Reserve. The ground is as full as I’ve seen it for many years, Billy the Barmy Army trumpeter is in good form, and an intriguing Test is underway.

But for how many more years will we be able to enjoy Test cricket at the Basin? The Basin Reserve Trust has stated that the ground is under threat from the 9-metre-high, 380-metre long flyover the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) wants to build right past the northern entrance to the ground. There are realistic alternatives to building a flyover, but with its distinctive mixture of 1960s transport thinking and blind arrogance, the NZTA plans to press ahead.

And we plan to stop them. Here’s how you can help:

Donate. The NZTA has lots of money. We need lots as well, for both publicity materials and potential legal action. Please help us out!

Tell the New Zealand Government to abandon the flyover project. New Zealand Governments often listen more to overseas visitors than to their own citizens – please email the Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, John Key, and tell him that a flyover outside the Basin gates is a terrible idea.

Sign and share our online Save the Basin Reserve petition: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Save_the_Basin/?cBRYbab

Tell Wellington City Councillors to continue their opposition to the proposed flyover. An important vote is coming up on 21 March. Please email these councillors and urge them to continue their opposition to a Basin flyover:

Mayor Celia Wade-Brown   celia.wade-brown@wcc.govt.nz

Transport Portfolio Leader Andy Foster    Andy.Foster@wcc.govt.nz

Bryan Pepperell    Bryan.Pepperell@wcc.govt.nz

Helene Ritchie   helene.ritchie@wcc.govt.nz

Iona Pannett   iona.pannett@wcc.govt.nz

Paul Eagle    Paul.Eagle@wcc.govt.nz

Stephanie Cook    stephanie.cook@wcc.govt.nz

Justin Lester     justin.lester@wcc.govt.nz

Join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Check out the full details, plus other ideas, on our Get Involved page – and check out our sister site at stoptheflyover.com.

Together, we can stop this stupid, outdated, ugly, and expensive folly from being built.

Is This What We Want For The Basin Reserve?

Posted on by tjonescan

The New Zealand Transport Agency doesn’t think the slopes of Mt Victoria make a good background for cricket. So they’d like to add their own unique brand of decoration:

A blot on the community, a blot on Wellington's international reputation
A blot on the community, a blot on Wellington’s international reputation

We think the Basin, cricket, and Wellington could do without the NZTA’s ideas of what constitutes good urban design. We think the NZTA should join the rest of us in the 21st century, where cities are tearing down flyovers, not building them.

If you agree with us, here is what you can do about it – and here is something that needs doing right now.

Immediate action needed: Write to Regional Councillors to urge them to refuse to support a flyover

Posted on by tjonescan

The Regional Council voted on a motion by Cr Paul Bruce to review their support for the transport plan that supported the flyover.

Stuff’s online poll gave the majority to go with the tunnel as the best option – 48% over 38% against those who favoured the flyover. But views within the Regional Council are still finely balanced. We encourage you to email your regional councillors (being careful not to spam them with too many bulk emails) and encourage them to refuse to support a Basin Reserve flyover. Their email addresses are:

Wellington
Kapiti
Lower Hutt
Porirua/Tawa
Upper Hutt
Wairarapa

 

Basin Flyovr image
A nasty piece of work: even the NZTA’s spin doctors can’t make their proposed Basin flyover look good

The next organising meeting is Tuesday 4 December 5:50 – 7:30 at Wellington City Council, meeting room 1 – use the City Council entrance

Posted on by tjonescan

Have you had enough of the Government and the NZ Transport Agency trying to bulldoze through their ugly, unnecessary and expensive Basin Reserve Flyover plan in the face of public opposition?

Whether you’re a local resident, a cricket fan, or someone who wants to see Wellington develop as a modern, sustainable city, it’s time to get organised and fight back.

We look forward to seeing you there!

News roundup: A big win for the campaign, our public meeting, and how to get involved

Posted on by tjonescan

Here is a round-up of recent Save the Basin Campaign news:

A big win around the Regional Council table

Thanks to the good work of Cr Paul Bruce and like-minded colleagues, the Wellington Regional Council (Greater Wellington) has withdrawn its previous backing for a Basin Reserve flyover and instead voted to take another look at transport options around the Basin. This means that two of the three supposed partners in this project do not support it, as Wellington City Council had already voted for an alternative option. Read the full story of this significant victory for our campaign here:

http://savethebasin.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/08/a-significant-victory-for-the-save-the-basin-campaign/

A new alternative to the flyover

As this Wellington Scoop article describes: http://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=50038, a new alternative proposal for the Basin has been set in front of the Councils and the Government by Richard Reid and Associates. We’re glad to see that organisations concerned about sustainable transport and sensible urban design are continuing to put forward alternatives to the costly, unnecessary, ugly and disruptive flyover planned by NZTA, and we look forward to hearing more about this latest proposal.

Coming up: our public meeting on Wednesday 21 November

We have a public meeting coming up later this month. We’ll be announcing more details soon, but here are the vital ones:

Date: 21 November

Venue: St Joseph’s Church, Mt Victoria (view map)

Time: 6 – 7.30pm

Before that, please come to our next Save the Basin organising meeting. It’s on Wednesday 14 November from 5.30-7pm – please email stoptheflyover@gmail.com for venue details.

And if you can’t make the meeting but would still like to help out, or would like to go on our mailing list, please email stoptheflyover@gmail.com anyway.

Get involved

Here’s What They Want To Do To The Basin

Posted on by tjonescan

We can tell people that the planned Basin Reserve flyover is a bad idea, but the argument really sticks once we can show people how bad a flyover would be. Here is the first image of our model of the planned Basin Reserve flyover next to the Basin:

First image of our model of the Government’s planned flyover next to the Basin Reserve

We think the whole Basin flyover plan is an outrageous and unnecessary waste of money. If you agree, here are some things you can do: