Katie Chapman at Stuff reports:

Major routes in and out of New Zealand’s capital city could be blocked by rubble from more than 400 buildings with unstable masonry in the event of a big earthquake.

A new council report into Wellington’s resilience has found the city’s economy would take a $37 billion hit if it experienced an event like the Christchurch earthquake, with many core businesses and services – including the Government – likely to leave the city permanently.

Among concerns highlighted in the report are the 435 buildings in Wellington with unreinforced masonry, 166 of which are heritage buildings.

The location of many earthquake-prone buildings along important strategic roads means routes needed by emergency services in the event of a big earthquake could end up blocked by fallen masonry.

The short version is if a big quake hits Wellington, we’re all fucked.

Transmission Gully will at least provide an alternate route out in the future , but even getting to the start of that will probably prove highly difficult.

Still it could be worse than being left to rot in a quake destroyed Wellington. The Government will probably relocate to Palmerston North – a fate worse than death!

The Nelson Mail reports:

    The Local Government Commission has approved the draft reorganisation scheme for Nelson and Tasman, paving the way for the two local authorities to merge by the end of the year.

    The new council, to be called Nelson Tasman District Council, would have a mayor and 16 members. All staff of both councils, apart from the chief executives, would transfer to the new council, to be headquartered in Richmond.

It’s good to see local authorities in Nelson and Tasman being pro-active about how to improve local government in their area. I wish our politicians in Wellington would do the same.

The Dom Post reports from earlier this week:

    Wellington’s smaller cities could “wither away and die” if councils in the region are not restructured.

    The warning comes from a group who have launched a website encouraging debate on local government amalgamation in the Wellington region.

    The Shape the Future website was launched in response to a lack of action by politicians.

    The aim of the campaign was to encourage ratepayers to voice their views on the future of local government in the region.

    The website’s founding sponsors are Bob Francis, the former mayor of Masterton and current chairman of the Wairarapa District Health Board, Porirua city councillor Ken Douglas, Wellington accountant John Shewan, community sector representative and Owhiro Bay resident Vivien Maidaborn and Paraparaumu company director Norrey Simmons.

    Mr Douglas, who has been a councillor in Porirua since 1998, said the current debate on whether councils in the region should be consumed by a super-city had missed the point.

    Instead, discussion should be about purpose not structure.

    “I’m supporting this approach about the need for rationalisation because if we don’t then places like Porirua will essentially just wither away and die.”

I’m with Ken Douglas on this issue. In fact I’ve gone to the Shape The Future website and signed up as a supporter. I note other supporters include the Mayor of Porirua Nick Leggett, former Labour Minister Steve Maharey, NZer of the Year Sir Paul Callaghan so it is a diverse group of supporters politically. I encourage readers who support change, signing up as supporters and engaging on what that change should be.

Ken Douglas is right to say we should focus on purpose or functions, not structure. The structure should follow.

My thinking is:

• We should define what functions are best provided regionally – water, tourism, transport etc are obvious inclusions but there are more. Let’s debate them.
• Then we should state that all other functions should be decided or provided at a local level (not necessairly the same boundaries as current) – community facilities
• After we have worked out functions, then you look at structure issues such as whether the regional body and the local bodies should be seperate entities as at present, or part of one overall Council (as in Auckland). I think people would be keen to get details about how much money is spent on our nine current Councils communicating and liasing with each other, plus enforcing rules and even prosecuting each other.
• Then we would also look at where boundaries should be at the local level. If for example we decided that we should have one entity with a regional council and several community councils, then you might have three community councils covering the area of the current Wellington City. One for the CBD and neighbouring suburbs. One for the South-Eastern suburbs and one for the North-Western suburbs.

Many of the Mayors and current Councillors (not all) see any change as a threat to their tenure. That is why we should not leave the debate to them. That’s why I’m supporting the debate.

Bronwyn Torrie at Stuff reports:

Wellington’s most loathed car will be reined in and reviewed after public outrage.

Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown has ordered a review of the Parkwise spy car after growing pressure for it to be scrapped. It follows a flurry of complaints about unreasonable parking fines and overzealous operators.

The car will be limited to monitoring school zones – its original purpose – while the review is done.

Hopefully it will stay focused on school zones rather than revenue maximisation.

Went to Otari-Wilton Bush for what was meant to be a one hour walk along the purple and red trails. I took a wrong turn though and ended up doing the yellow trail also. Two hours later I get back to the car!

Still some very nice scenery on a sunny afternoon. Had rained this morning though, so the tracks were steep and slippery.

Went for a walk along the ridgeline of Tinakori Hill today. Magnificent views, and very enjoyable on a hot sunny day like today.

Everytime I go up there and I look at the above structure and wonder what the hell was it meant to be, and why is it up there. Sometimes I think it looks like a basketball scoreboard. At other times I think it is the back of a hoarding. Others, maybe it could be a screen for a drive-in movie.

However it is on top of a hill with no vehicle access and stuff all passer-bys. Why would you have it there?

Someone out there I reckon knows what it is, and the history of it. If you do, please leave a comment.

Oh yes, and could the owner please clean the graffiti off it.

UPDATE: Thanks to some smart readers, the mystery has been solved. It is a passive microwave repeater. I would have never guessed that due to the lack of electronics or electricity to it, but of course it doesn’t need any.

The Dom Post reports:

Will Wellingtonians be blown away by the winning alternative to Wellywood?

The public vote has been counted and the sign dubbed Wellington – Blown Away is the clear winner of the first stage of voting with a whopping 46 per cent of the votes.

Designed by a team from advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, the sign dIt is aepicts the word “Wellington”, with the last few letters appearing to be whipped off the hill by the wind.

Second with 21 per cent of the votes was The Eye of the Taniwha, which shows the giant eye of the mythical beast gazing across the harbour.

These two designs will now go head-to-head with the Wellywood concept in a final vote that opens on Wednesday, and closes on November 17, with voting via dompost.co.nz.

As I blogged previously, putting two alternatives against Wellywood may be an attempt to skew the result. There is a risk that say 65% don’t want Wellywood, but if the vote is 35% Wellywood, 33% Wellington – Blown Away and 32% Eye of the Taniwha, then Wellywood wins. It is a shame they do not allow us to rank the three alternatives.

Because of the nature of the vote, I urge all those who do not want Wellywood to vote for “Wellington – Blown Away”, to avoid splitting the vote and letting Wellywood win. It got twice as many votes as Eye of the Taniwha in the first vote, so is the most likely to beat Wellywood.

Voting starts tomorrow and both Wellingtonians and non-Wellingtonians can vote. Please vote for “Wellington – Blown Away” to finally kill off the Wellywood sign once and for all.

Stuff reports:

A group of regional councillors is promoting the establishment of a Wellington super-city, sparking accusations of underhandedness among mayors.

The group says a “super-council” could be up and running in two years and consist of just 11 members.

The plans for a new Wellington council are revealed in a discussion paper being circulated by Greater Wellington regional council chairwoman Fran Wilde and other regional councillors.

So what is proposed:

The regional council, Wellington City Council and seven district and city councils would be abolished and replaced by the super-council and local community councils. Wellington City Council currently has neither the political nor legal mandate to consider regional interests or issues beyond its boundaries, the document says.

There are currently 87 councillors, eight mayors and 13 regional councillors across the region. Under the new proposal, the 11-member council would be made up of a representative each from Wairarapa, Porirua and Kapiti. Hutt Valley would have three and Wellington four, and a leader would be elected separately.

I’m all in favour. We don’t need 100 councillors for our region.

Chris Finlayson announced:

Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Chris Finlayson today announced the establishment of a 76 hectare reserve for the people of Wellington and New Zealand on the iconic Miramar Peninsula.

The new reserve area, known as Watts Peninsula, is a prominent Wellington landmark at the northern tip of the Miramar Peninsula and a historically significant part of New Zealand. …

The land is currently owned by the Defence Force and is home to a number of historic military gun emplacements, pa sites and former ammunition magazines.

Work is under way to develop the land as a public reserve.

Reserve status will retain the land in public ownership and also ensure the area receives full heritage protection, Mr Finlayson said.

In addition it will enable the preservation of indigenous flora and fauna, such as native orchids, skinks and little blue penguins.

This is a great decision. I am probably one of the most frequent visitors to Watts Peninsula. Used to camp next to it, and have spent many a day exploring it.

The area has a lot of historic gun and battery emplacements. Most of them are in the open, but there are some hidden ones also. In the pine forest, there is one old battery which is very hard to locate. The entrance is a fairly narrow steep hole in a bank, but then it opens up to various rooms and tunnels down below. I’ve even slept overnight in it.

This area is above and near the Massey Memorial. It provides some of the best views of Wellington Harbour. I’m really pleased to see it made into a reserve. It is one of our better hidden secrets, and it will be cool if more people over time get to enjoy it.

You can vote at the Dom Post for one of five alternatives to Wellywood. The top two options will then go into a run-off ballot against Wellywood. That final ballot should be a ranked one, otherwise it may be seen as an attempt to have Wellywood win by splitting the vote.

My order of preference is:

1. Te Capital
2. Wellington’s lost umbrellas
3. Wellington (blown away)
4. Taniwha
5. Eye of Taniwha Whataitai
6. Wellywood

Make sure you vote and have you say. We all have to live with the winning option.

In case Wellingtonians have been wondering what those lights in the sky have been, they are spotlights from three of Victoria University’s campuses who teamed up with   Fuji Xerox, Dimension Data, EMC, Mainzeal, Downer and NEC Business Solutions to light up the skies during the Rugby World Cup.

So they will show for the final time tomorrow night. After that maybe they could go to the Air Force for use as an anti-missile laser defence system

On the outside of the Academy of Fine Arts building on the Wellington waterfront, I noticed a few weeks ago a memorial to a dog, called Paddy the Wanderer. I was taken by the story, and felt it worth blogging about.

Paddy was the pet of a young girl whose father was a seaman and she would often take him to the wharves to meet her father returning. She died in 1928 of pneumonia and Paddy took to wandering the wharves, possibly looking for his mistress.

He became the adopted pet of the watersiders, the harbour board workers. the seamen and the taxi drivers. They fed him and paid his registration fees.

He got to travel around Wellington, the country and even overseas. Taxi drivers would drive him around Wellington and he travelled on boats to most ports around NZ, and even on occasion to Australia. He even got to fly in a gipsy moth.

The Wellington Harbour Board appointed Paddy Assistant Night Watchman, with responsibility for pirates, smugglers and rodents. They say he was a very intelligent dog who for example would not cross a street until the light turned green.

Paddy died in 1939 and had a fleet of black taxis with a Police escort carry his coffin, bringing Wellington to a standstill. During the dark days of the Great Depression, Paddy became loved by many Wellingtonians and many who were alive them have a story about him.

You can see a photo of him in this old Evening Post.

Just had monster hail storm in Wellington. The noise was amazing, and within minutes turned Wellington white.

The roofs and roads are all white.

This is my outdoor balcony. The hail is close to an inch thick on it.

Another view out to the left of the stadium.

And this is the roof of the indoor balcony.

A nice profile of Wellington in the New York Times:

IT was a Saturday night in Wellington, New Zealand, and the denizens of Cuba Street were proving that the ’80s aren’t dead. A performance group decked out in unitards, Lycra G-strings, leg warmers and fluorescent wigs was dancing almost in rhythm to tunes like “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and “Like a Virgin,” occasionally inspiring the crowd to join in. Farther down Cuba Street, clutches of the young and restless spilled out along the pedestrian mall on their way from bar to restaurant to cafe, many ending up at nightspots like the Matterhorn to catch the latest hot D.J. from Ireland or Ethiopia. In the middle of the mall, one of the city’s signature landmarks, the Bucket Fountain, dropped water from one bucket to another and onto passers-by, causing them to shriek and jump into one another’s arms to dodge the spray.  …

Back on Cuba Street while the dance troupe was still shaking those leg warmers, we struck up a conversation with a truck driver who paints and a construction worker who makes films. (In the less-modest United States, they’d be a painter who drives a truck and a filmmaker who works construction.) Both avowed that Wellington was by far the most avant-garde city in all of New Zealand, and to prove it, they decided to find us the kind of cool bar that could be found only here.

First, they tried Havana Bar off a side street in two connected colorful, Cuban-style shacks, but despite its lively atmosphere and available tables our friends immediately pronounced it “dead.” We finally ended up at a place called Mighty Mighty, where the band was playing psychobilly rock. We perused the drinks menu, which was hidden in a vintage record sleeve, and observed the wildly decked-out patrons, some dressed in afro wigs and others in lederhosen.

My wife and I looked at each other, and then at our impromptu guides, their point well and truly made: Wellington is cool. We get it now.

It is indeed the coolest little capital city in the world.

In terms of other capitals, I do love Washington DC. Canberra is probably the most boring. London is cool also.

Well I have to say there are some advantages to being able to work from home. I do not plan to leave, and remarkably I have no appointments scheduled in town for the next three days except to the gym, so with that expectation will be hibernating at home this week.

Snow in Wellington is very rare, and snow of this intensity even rarer. Had a great view from the apartment and could see huge lumps of snow. Snapped a few photos:

Only lasted around 15 minutes but was very cool. The temperature noticeably dropped also. Heater is now working overtime.

Dave Burgess at the Dom Post reports:

Not content with its title as the coolest little capital in the world, Wellington is now hatching plans to ensure it offers the thrilling experience of a much bigger city over the next 30 years.

The Wellington 2040 City Strategy proposes using four goals to reshape the capital into a smart green city – which includes creating a “dynamic” downtown zone through a Central City Framework – over that time.

Mayor Celia Wade-Brown said the city council’s visionary document was multifaceted, and required buy-in from the community, otherwise it would never “capture Wellingtonians’ imagination or lead to success”.

There was a big focus on the central city because it provided the economic impetus for the region, was easily accessible, and was the capital’s collective playground. “It is the heart of Wellington and it’s about keeping that heart pumping.”

Among the plans for opening up a downtown zone was to revamp alleyways such as the Opera House Lane so they could be lined with cafes and bars. “It would be a much nicer use of space that is currently used by people to pee,” Ms Wade-Brown said.

That’s a good idea. The new Chews Lane has become well frequented.

New lanes could be created alongside existing buildings or built into new developments. The Oaks complex might be demolished to make way for a grassed area that would merge with Te Aro Park and Cuba Mall.

I remember when the Oaks was a happening place. Now it is a isolated ghetto.

I haven’t read the plan in detail, but I like what I see so far.

Dave Burgess at the Dom Post reports:

A Wellywood sign to celebrate the capital’s film industry will be built along the hillside next to the Miramar Cutting.

The Hollywood-style sign will be 3.5 metres high and 28m wide. It is understood to cost several hundred thousand dollars and is intended to be ready for the Rugby World Cup in September.

Veteran Wellington film director Geoff Murphy could barely stop laughing when told yesterday that the idea would proceed.

“We had a film industry well before this Wellywood bullshit was going on. I think it’s f …ing stupid. It is copying a foreign, bullshit glamour idea and it’s the pits of what people can aspire to.”

It is all those things and more. I hate it. It is pathethic and wannabe. I don’t know anyone in Wellington who wants it. The airport company should concentrate on safer runways and not spend passengers money on such stuidities.

Have they not listened to the tens of thousands who said no? Can they cite anyone in favour who is not a member of their “creative” team?

It will be interesting if they can get the sign insured. They may need to build 30 metre high walls around it, to keep it safe.

It’s so embarrassing to almost make me want to move to Auckland.

You can join the Facebook group against.

Or even better send an e-mail to the Airport, and tell them your views directly.

Christchurch gets earthquakes and Auckland got a tornado.

What is heading Wellington’s way? Tsunami?

Ohariu MP Peter Dunne did a good public service by getting the WCC to release a list of buildings that may not fully comply with modern earthquake standards (note some may now comply, so don’t make hasty decisions based on this info – ask landlords for more info).

Luke Howlison has put those buildings onto a map, which makes it very easy to use.

The Dom Post reports:

Wellington waterfront visitors will be able to connect to the internet for free from this morning with the launch of Trade Me’s wi-fi network.

Initially expected to cover the area south from Frank Kitts Lagoon to the waterfront side of Te Papa, it is likely to extend to areas including the Sunday markets.

Weather’s not great today, but hope to try it out at the weekend with an iPad at one of the fine bars on the waterfront.

Dave Burgess in the Dom Post reports:

There are too many taxis in Wellington and it is time to put a limit on them, the mayor says.

The taxi industry agrees and has called on the Government to introduce legislation to cap or reduce numbers in the city.

It is no surprise the taxi industry wants a cap – because that would protect incumbents and lead to higher earnings for current drivers.

It does not mean it will be a better service for those who want to hire taxis.

There are 1237 taxis licensed for Wellington City. About 400 were on the road before deregulation. This tripling of taxis in the past 20 years has led to overcrowded taxi stands and dubious parking practices as drivers clamour for business, especially in the late-night Courtenay Place party zone.

I regard it as a good thing that when you want to go home from Courtenay Place at 2 am, you can easily find a taxi.

I’d support tougher tests for becoming a taxi driver – both in English skills and location knowledge. But I don’t support an arbitrary cap on cab numbers.

You know what would be useful though – a website showing each taxi firm, and what their fares are.

A friend of mine has their kids at St Marks (which by coincidence was my intermediate school) but it has got too expensive for him as fees have gone up 25%.

They live in the Hutt but are happy to move to the right suburb to get into the right school.

Any readers out there have any recommendations or experiences with primary schools in Wellington. if so, please share them in the comments.

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce have announced:

The naming of Wellington as one of the world’s top ten cities will provide a wonderful boost to the city’s reputation and tourism industry according to the Wellington Employers’ Chamber of Commerce.

Lonely Planet has just named Wellington the ‘coolest little capital in the world’ and ranked it the 4^th top city in the world to visit in 2011.

“This is a huge tribute coming from such a respected publication.  It is well deserved.  It is also great news in that it will attract significant international interest in Wellington,” said Chamber President Richard Stone.

“Tourism is an increasingly important part of the Wellington economy and this accolade will provide a welcome lift.

20 years ago Wellington was the last place in NZ that most people would want to visit – let alone overseas tourists. The transformation over time has been great, and the Lonely Planet top ten rating is a great tribute. Lonely Planet is a bible for many travellers, and we should see a pick up in tourism on the back of this.

The Dom Post editorial:

That facility – jointly owned by Greater Wellington and Manawatu-Whanganui regional councils – revealed this month that a study it commissioned from economic forecaster Berl shows it contributes close to $2 billion a year to the regional economy.

Of that $2b, the report says, half comes from core port operations or the part of the business that, in 2009-10, included 46 cruise ships tying up alongside 450,000 tonnes of logs for export, the importing of 15,000 vehicles and the handling of the equivalent of 100,000 containers. That side of the business is steady.

I’d like the port to move. Not only is a terrible eyesore compared to the rest of the waterfront, but the land it is on would be terrific for cafes, bars, apartments and even maybe a hotel. Plus of course more public space also.

The port could move to Petone/Seaview which is already an industrial area. It would provide more jobs in the Hutt, and in Wellington.

The rest of the $2b comes from CentrePort’s incursion into property development, a strategy for growth the owners have presumably sanctioned but one that carries real risk, especially in volatile times.

It also surely carries political risk: how does Wellington City Council feel about a supposedly complementary local body attracting commercial tenants – until recently, reasonably happy in the capital’s Golden Mile – to its 70 hectares of waterfront?

More fundamentally, is property development a proper business for a ratepayer-owned company? Isn’t it generally so speculative a business that it is best left to entrepreneurs, who put their own – and their banks’ – cash at risk?

I’d have the port company concentrate on port operations in Petone, and have the existing Wellington land managed by the existing waterfront agency.