Waitangi Park’s eco-friendly wetland

Waitangi Park’s unique wetland will ‘daylight’ the Waitangi Stream and channel it through a series of treatment systems designed into the park landscape, providing both environmental benefits and aesthetic appeal.

The wetlands will significantly improve the stream’s water quality by passing it through both artificial and natural filtration systems.  The treated water will meet or exceed fresh water quality guidelines before being discharged into the harbour or re-used for irrigation of the park.

The Waitangi Stream flows into the park through a series of culverts, which combine approximately 400m upstream.  The culverts currently discharge into Wellington Harbour via an outfall located under the Overseas Passenger Terminal.

The wetland is constructed with an excavated trench lined with natural clay, topped by a Bentonite liner.  A hard edge is formed on one side using pre-cast concrete units that will double as seats.  The other bank is formed with a sloping edge, allowing access to the water.  The wetland can be crossed at several locations by way of concrete bridges, topped with plantation-grown hardwood.

Construction will be undertaken in tandem with the rest of Area One of the park, which is being built now, and is expected to be completed in early 2006.

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Chaffers Dock – stylish and people-friendly

Mahoney Corporation, developer of the Chaffers Dock development, saw the potential for the former Herd Street Post and Telegraph Building early on.  After winning WWL’s tender process for the sale of the ground lease on the site, they are now on the way to seeing that potential fulfilled with construction expected to be complete by mid-2006.

Sixty-four modern and stylish apartments occupy the upper levels of the building.  The inhabitants of these apartments will enjoy fabulous views over the harbour and Waitangi Park day and night.  And while this makes for a stunning ambience and lifestyle for them, it also means that the seaward side of the waterfront and Waitangi Park will be subject to ‘natural surveillance’, making these areas safer for the public.

The added population housed within Chaffers Dock will also contribute to the use and viability of local services and amenities.  Given that the presence of a few people often attracts even more, Waitangi Park and its surrounds should always be a place humming with fun and excitement.   Luckily, Waitangi Park and rest of the waterfront are still big enough to provide quiet places for relaxation and meditation as well.

In addition to the apartments, the ground and first floors of Chaffers Dock are being opened up for public use.  A large, airy atrium will cover an internal piazza.  The developers are already being approached by retailers, providores and café proprietors to discuss possibilities for uses within the piazza.  This means nearby residents and other park users can still enjoy the unique Waitangi precinct, regardless of wind, rain or sun - day or night.

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Waitangi Park progress

Progress is being made across all fronts in the construction of Area One of Waitangi Park. Click here to see some images of the latest progress.

Roading and Promenades
• New street lights for park frontage on to Oriental Parade and Cable Street are expected to replace the old streetlights this month
• New kerb and channel along Oriental Parade is done and now continuing west along Cable Street
• Bluestone cobbles salvaged from the site are being laid in Herd Street at the edges of the crossings.
Activity Zone
• Excavation is now down to grade and work is proceeding on the Children’s Play Area.
Wetland
• The inner section of the wetland clay liner has been laid but the weather has hindered the curing process.  Once finished to the engineer’s satisfaction, work will proceed on the installation of the pre-cast panels to the stream edge. Most of these are on site ready for installation.
Graving Dock
• Demolition of the western and northern ends of the Line Depot is complete and the way cleared to begin excavation of the Graving Dock area.
• All of the driven concrete piles are in place and the installation of the last three in-situ piles is expected to be complete this month.
General
• Concrete for the base for the Pou (signpost) at the Oriental Bay entrance to the park has been poured.
• Ducts across Cable Street are being laid in May to allow for power, water and control wiring for the wetland pumps to be installed.

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Public consultation – how the process works

This is the fourth in a series looking at how the waterfront is developed and how the public has input into decision-making processes.

From Proposal to Resource Consent

Once the Waterfront Development Sub-committee (WDSC) has given the go ahead for a proposal(s) to proceed, the next step is to obtain resource consent. 

WWL or any other developer with WDSC approval to undertake a development on the waterfront, has to apply for and be granted, a resource consent from the Wellington City Council before any existing or proposed waterfront feature can be built or changed.  In some cases (i.e. if the development is over the water) the Greater Wellington Regional Council may also be involved.   The Council’s District Plan also says that waterfront applications must be publicly notified to give the public the chance to scrutinise the proposals and make submissions on part or all, of them.

The resource consent application must include:

• a project description of the proposed features, activity and uses and how they relate to the rules in the District Plan and the Wellington Waterfront Framework
• a description of the existing environment, mitigation, avoidance and remedy of adverse effects on that environment during and following completion of the proposed development.

Once the application has been submitted it is publicised and submissions are invited from the public.  The detail of the application is made available on the Council’s website and at their offices and WWL also has copies available for the public to view.

Once the public submission period has closed, the application is heard by independent commissioners (usually town planning or resource management experts).  At the hearing, WWL formally presents its application, Council officers and/or other experts give their input as evidence and members of the public may also have the opportunity to present their submissions.

After hearing all of the evidence, the commissioners decide if the proposals can go ahead (with or without conditions) or they can turn the application down.

If WWL or a submitter disagrees with the judgement and has legal grounds for appeal, they may do so and the application goes before the Environment Court. 

If the resource consent is granted, either by the Commissioners or the Environment Court, the development can proceed to construction, under the terms of the consent.

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Project Progress

Waitangi Park Area One – Construction continues (see item earlier in this issue).
Overseas Passenger Terminal and Clyde Quay Wharf – Evaluating development proposals
Odlin Building – Construction continues
Wellington Free Ambulance Building – Construction to begin in June 2005
Steamship Wharf – Fit-out of One Red Dog pizza restaurant and Belgian bar on hold due to The Barmy Army’s use of Steamship Wharf as its Wellington headquarters. Fit out will be competed following their departure. Hotel on Queens Wharf Outer-T – Commercial negotiations continue Chaffers Dock – Construction continues (see item earlier in this publication)
Wharewaka and Wharenui/wharekai – Applications for resource consent being prepared
Taranaki Street Wharf West Public Open Space – Application for resource consent being prepared
Site 7, Kumutoto – Resource consent application hearing 7 and 8 June (see item earlier in this issue)
Kumutoto Public Open Space – Resource consent application hearing 7 and 8 June (see item earlier in this issue)
Water Whirler – Detailed design completed; construction company selection process commenced.

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Sink F69

HMNZS Wellington has docked alongside the waterfront breastworks next to Te Papa where its transformation from warship to underwater dive attraction continues.

The Wellington was attached to a tug and towed from Auckland’s Devonport Naval Base to its temporary home alongside Te Papa on Wellington’s waterfront, where it arrived with much fanfare on Friday 13 May.

The frigate will be berthed at this site for 6 months as it is prepared for its new job as an artificial reef off Island Bay.  The Wellington will be open to the public on weekends during this time.

The sink date is scheduled for 12 November, weather permitting.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

The Museum of Wellington City & Sea is about to launch a new major permanent exhibition ‘Telling Tales – Wellington’s 20th century’.

Wellington’s first car crash, a murdered lover buried in Mount Victoria, racial prejudice and civil unrest are just some of the stories featured in the latest exhibition at the Museum.

A permanent exhibition, Telling Tales features little-known or previously secret, stories of Wellington’s past and is a reflection of Wellington’s development in the 20th century.  The gallery forms a timeline featuring objects, film and sound with 100 stories of Wellington’s past 100 years. 

"Many of the events that are portrayed in the exhibition are well within memory. Our goal is to make local history more contemporary and more accessible," says Museum Director Paul Thompson.

Wellington Waterfront Ltd is collaborating with the Museum on Telling Tales Live, an eight week public programme, featuring a series of concerts, talks and workshops designed to enhance the exhibition.

For further information on Telling Tales Live, download a full programme by clicking here.

Telling Tales opens on Saturday 28 May at 10am. The exhibition will be officially opened by Carmen, whose Mayoral campaign features in the exhibition. The opening will be followed by a celebration including performances by Ngati Poneke Young Maori Club, Strike, Footnote Dance and Twinset.

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Currently showing in Circa Theatre’s main auditorium is, The Cherry Orchard, often billed as Anton Chekhov’s last great comedy.  It is an enduring masterpiece by one of the world's finest-ever playwrights.

It’s Russia in spring – and the cherry orchard is up for sale.  Madame Ranevskaya, returned from five years in Paris, is overjoyed to be back in her idyllic childhood home with all that is loved and precious… especially the magnificent cherry orchard which means everything to her.  But faced with a mountain of debts she has an impossible decision – lose the family estate or carve up the land for summer holiday cottages.  Atmospheric, compassionate and funny, The Cherry Orchard brilliantly portrays a family caught in Russia on the verge of dramatic change.

Also playing in the Studio Theatre at Circa, is If Pain Persists.  

Sick and tired of that hacking cough? Suffering from irritable bowel syndrome? Having difficulty getting it up?  Or just looking for someone to whinge to?  Come in and see Beth, the junior pharmacist at Lurgies.  She doesn’t know it yet, but she’ll be running the shop today, all on her own!  Be there to witness the chaos as Beth deals with close encounters of the Upper Hutt kind.  With an obese hypochondriac, a flaccid Scotsman, a precocious five year old and a dancing, love-sick courier – it’ll be a day you’ll never forget….but one Beth will definitely want to!
 
You can book for both plays on line at www.circa.co.nz , by phone on 801-7992 or in person at Circa Theatre on Wellington’s waterfront!

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For more information about other events and activities taking place on the waterfront, check out our website: www.wellingtonwaterfront.co.nz