02 April 2019

Our City Tomorrow

Planning for Growth

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E rautaki ana mātou

Planning for GrowthIssues and Opportunities Report

TABLEOFCONTENTS

EXECUTIVESUMMARY

1- INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................................4

2- SETTINGTHESCENE...................................................................................................................5

3- VISIONANDPRINCIPLES............................................................................................................7

4- KEYCHALLENGESANDOPPORTUNITIES.....................................................................................8

APPENDIXA: IssuesandOpportuntiesPapers–SummaryofKeyPoints

APPENDIXB: TableofOverlappingIssues,OpportunitiesandPotentialConflicts

APPENDIXC: FactsandFigures

EXECUTIVESUMMARY

! GrowthandchangearebigissuesforWellington.Populationincreasehasoutstrippedthenumberofdwellingsconsentedeachyearsince2013.Thistrendissettocontinue.CurrentforecastsshowthatWellingtonwillhaveshortfallofupto15,000homesby2047.

! Thepopulationisageingandmorepeoplearelivingalone.By2047nearly60%ofallhouseholds

willbesinglesandcoupleswithoutchildren.Thecitythereforeneedsmoresmallerhomesoverthenext30years.

! Employmentisalsoexpectedtogrow.Thecentralcityhoststhehighestconcentrationofjobsin

theregion.Withoutextrainvestment,particularlyinpublictransport,thecitywon’thaveenough

transportcapacitytomeettheprojectedgrowthandthiswillimpactnegativelyontheeconomicprosperityoftheregionasawhole.Agrowthstrategythatdirectsnewdevelopmenttoareasfurthestawayfromthecentralcitywillleadtomorepressureonthetransportnetwork.

! Futuregrowthwillplaceincreasingpressuresonalreadylimitedservices,spacesandfacilities

fromarangeofcompetingneeds.Oneofthebiggestchallengesishowtoreconcile,manageandprovideforthesecompetingprioritiesaspartoffuturegrowth.

! TheThree-Watersinfrastructureisalreadyunderpressureandthereisinsufficientcapacityin

someareas.Decisionsonareasforgrowthandintensificationmustbesupportedbyprioritisationofinvestmentforthenecessaryinfrastructuretoservicetheseareas.Futuredevelopmentwillalsoneedtomeetstongerrequirementstominimisewaterwastageanduse,andnotresultinfurtherdegradationofwaterquality.Otherservicessuchaselectricitysupplymustalsobeconsidered.

! Asthepopulationincreasestherewillbelessprivateopenspaceandincreasedpressureon

existingopenspacesandfacilities,particularlyinthecentralcity,towncentresandinnersuburbs.Thiswillmeanhigheruseofourexistingopenspaceswhichwillflowontohighermaintenance

costs.Wewillalsoneedtoplanandprovidefornewopengreenspacestomeettheneedsofthegrowingcity.

! ForWellingtontoaccommodatetheexpectedgrowthintensificationwithintheurbanareais

inevitable.Thecentralareaandinnersuburbsrepresentprimelocationsforhigherdensityhousing.Thechallengewillbetomaintainvaluedcharacterintheseareaswhileenablingnewdevelopment,andtoprotectandenhanceexistingparksandopenspacestosupporthigherdensityhousingandmorepeople.

! Wellingtoniansplacehighvalueonthecontributionthatheritagemakestothecity.Heritageisnotincompatiblewithhigherdensityhousingandisnotabarriertochange.Itisanassetthatcansupportabroadsetofoutcomesforthecity’sfuture,iftheintegrityofheritagevaluesismaintained.

! Thescientificandengineeringcommunitiesarecontinuallyimprovingourtechnical

understandingoftheCity’snaturalhazards.Tsunami,flooding,sealevelrise,liquefaction,slopefailureandgroundshaking,andtheireffectsonpeopleandinfrastructurecannowbemodelledindetail,andweunderstandtherisksmorethaneverbefore.TheserisksmustbeexplicitlytakenintoaccountastheCitygrows,andconsciousdecisionsabouttheacceptablelevelofriskmustbemadebycommunities.

! OurCityTomorrowconfirmedthatpeoplewantWellingtontobecompact,inclusiveand

connected,greener,resilient,vibrantandprosperous.ThesefivegoalsmustunderpinthestrategyforhowandwhereWellingtonwillgrow.

! Whilsttherearesomedifficultchallengesahead,therearealsoarangeofoptionstoexamine

andchoosefrom.Implementingarangeofoptionsislikelytobethewayforwardtoenable

growthandaddresshousingcapacityinamannerthatisconsistentwiththefiveoverarchinggoalsabove.

! Examplesfromothercitiesshowthatifwedonotsufficientlyplanforandaccommodategrowth

thenthelikelyresultwillbeproblemssuchasincreasedhousingunaffordabilityandhomelessness,overcrowdingandreducedlivingstandards,populationlossestootherareasresultinginlongercommutes,andincreasedcongestionandgreenhousegasesemissions.

! Planningandprovidingforgrowth,ifdonewell,canbringsignificantbenefitsthatcrossover

manyareasandmakeWellingtonamoresustainableandresilientcity,andstrengthenitsreputationasoneoftheworld’smostliveablecities.

1- INTRODUCTION

ThecurrentpopulationofWellingtonisaround216,000.Another50,000to80,000peopleareexpectedtobelivinghereinthenext30years.Thecitycannotmeetthisfuturedemandunlessitplansandprovidesformorehousing.

TheNationalPolicyStatement(NPS)onUrbanDevelopmentCapacityrequiresWellingtonCityCounciltoprovidesufficientfeasibleresidentialandbusinesslandtomeettheprojectedpopulationandbusinessgrowthoverthenext30years.

ThePlanningforGrowthprojectrespondstotheNPSandseekstoidentifywheregrowthshouldtakeplace,andwhatisneededtoenablethisgrowthtohappen.Itiscloselylinkedtothe‘Let’sGetWellyMoving’programmewhichaimstodeliverWellington’sfuturetransportsystem.

ThePlanningforGrowthprojectwillleadintothedevelopmentanewSpatialPlanforthecitythatwillreplacethe2015UrbanGrowthPlan.Thiswillsetoutthestrategyforaccommodatingfuturegrowth.Itwillalsoguidedecisionsontheinfrastructureinvestmentthatisrequiredtosupportthisgrowth.AfullreviewoftheDistrictPlanwillfollow.

ThenewSpatialPlanisexpectedtobefinalisedinearly2020,andthenewproposedDistrictPlantobenotifiedinlate2021.

PlanningforGrowthcrossesoveranumberofdifferenttopicareasasfollows:

! LandUseandHousing

! Transport! Infrastructure(ThreeWaters)! OpenSpaceandNaturalEnvironment! ClimateChange

! UrbanDesign! Heritage! Communityfacilitiesandsystems

AnIssuesandOpportunitiespaperhasbeenpreparedforeachofthesetopicareas.AppendixAincludessummaryofthekeypointsfromthesepapers.AppendixBcontainsatablehighlightingsomeoftheoverlappingissues,opportunitiesandpotentialconflictsthatcrossoverthetopicareas.

ThepurposeofthispaperistoprovideanoverallbackgroundtothegrowthissuesfacingWellingtonCity,andtohighlightsomeofthekeychallengesanddecisionsaheadforthePlanningforGrowthproject.Itwillserveasaninformationsourcefortheforthcomingcommunityengagementprocess.Itisimportanttonotethatthispaperprovidesahighleveloverviewofthekeyissuesandchallenges.Itdoesnotseektocoverallofthedetailedissuessetoutwithineachofthedifferenttopicareapapers.

2- SETTINGTHESCENE

! PopulationandEmploymentGrowth

ThepopulationoftheWellingtonRegioncurrentlystandsataround500,000people.Itisforecasttogrowbybetween90,000–138,000residentsby2047.MostofthisgrowthwillbeinWellingtonCity.

Thecity’spopulationisageingandmorepeoplearelivingalone.By2047nearly60%ofallhouseholdswillbesingleoccupancyandcoupleswithoutchildren.Smallerhouseholdsareexpectedtomakeup70%ofourhouseholdgrowthoverthenext30years.

Employmentisconcentratedinthecentralcity,withover40%oftheregion’sjobsand63%ofthecity’sjobslocatedinthecentralcity.

Projectionsshowtheregionalemploymentgrowingbybetween15%and20%overthenext30years.Theseprojectionssuggestthatbetween55%and60%offuturegrowthinemploymentislikelytobelocatedinthecentralcity,potentiallyincreasingthenumberofjobstherefromthecurrent94,000tobetween116,000and125,000in30years’time.

! HousingShortage

PopulationgrowthinWellingtonhasoutstrippedthenumberofdwellingsbeingconsentedeachyearsince2013.Thistrendissettocontinue.

WellingtonCityhasbeenidentifiedasamedium-growthCouncilundertheGovernment’sNationalPolicyStatementforUrbanDevelopmentCapacity2016(NPS-UDC).TheNPS-UDCrequiresmediumandhigh-growthcouncilstoassesstheirresidentialandbusinesslandcapacityanddemandandtoensuretheyprovidesufficientfeasibleresidentialandbusinesslandtomeetprojectedpopulationandbusinessgrowthoverthenext30years.

TheNPScapacityassessmentforWellingtonCityisatanadvancedstageandwillbefinalisedinthecomingmonths.Thelatestresultsshowthat:

• ThepopulationprojectionsforWellingtonCitypredictanincreaseofbetween46,7661and74,4842peopleby2047.

• ResidentialdemandandcapacitymodellingshowsthattheCitywillneed32,000newhomesoverthisperiod.Underthecurrentplanningsettingstherewillbeashortfallofupto15,000

homes.

• Thisshortfallequatesto2-3moresuburbsofcomparablesizetoKarori(thetotalnumberofdwellingsinKaroriin2013was5,586).

1Forecastid2017-20472StatisticsNewZealandHighSeries

KEYPOINTS:

! Thepopulationisgrowingandwealreadyhaveahousingshortage.! WellingtonCity’spopulationisexpectedtogrowbybetween50,000–80,000by2047.! Underthecurrentplanningsettingstherewillbeashortfallofupto15,000homes.

! Thetransportinfrastructuredoesnothaveenoughcapacitytomeettheprojectedgrowth.

! Thewater,stormwaterandwastewaterinfrastructureisalreadyunderpressureandthereis

insufficientcapacityinsomeareas.Newinfrastructureoftenrequiresadditionalland.

! WellingtonCityCouncilisrequiredundertheNationalPolicyStatementtoprovidesufficientfeasible

landtomeettheprojectedpopulationgrowth.

! Examplesfromothercitiesthathavenotplannedforgrowthhaveresultedinproblemssuchas

increasedhousingunaffordabilityandhomelessness,overcrowdingandreducedlivingstandards,

populationlossestootherareasresultinginlongercommutes,increasedcongestionandgreenhousegasesemissions.

! Planningandprovidingforgrowth,ifdonewell,canbringsignificantbenefitsthatcrossovermany

areasandmakeWellingtonamoresustainableandresilientcity,andstrengthenitsreputationasoneoftheworld’smostliveablecities.

AppendixCcontainsavarietyoffactsandfiguresrelatingtogrowth,housingandtransportthatarerelevanttothePlanningforGrowthproject.

3- VISIONANDPRINCIPLES

OverthelastdecadeWellingtonianshaveconsistentlyexpressedapreferenceforcompacturbanform,sustainabletransportandenvironmentalsustainability.Thisisechoedincentralgovernment’sPolicyStatementonLandTransport,theRegionalLandTransportPlan,Wellington2040,theWellingtonUrbanGrowthPlan2014-43,andearlycommunityfeedbackonLet’sGetWellingtonMoving.

TheOurCityTomorrowengagementcarriedoutin2017confirmedthatpeoplewantWellingtontobecompact,inclusiveandconnected,greener,resilient,vibrantandprosperous.ThesefivegoalswillunderpinthestrategyforhowandwhereWellingtonwillgrow.

4- KEYCHALLENGESANDOPPORTUNITIES

Futuregrowthwillplaceincreasingpressuresonalreadylimitedservices,spacesandfacilitiesfromarangeofcompetingneeds.Oneofthebiggestchallengesishowtoreconcile,manageandprovideforthesecompetingprioritiesaspartoffuturegrowth,aswellashavingregardtootherimportantissuessuchasnaturalhazardriskandprotectingheritage.

Whilsttherearesomedifficultchallengesahead,therearealsoarangeofoptionstoexamineandchoosefrom.Implementingarangeofoptionsislikelytobethewayforwardtoenablegrowthandaddresshousingcapacityinamannerthatisconsistentwiththefiveoverarchinggoalsreferredtointheprevioussection.

PlanningforGrowth–KeyChallenges

LivingwithRisk–NaturalHazards

! ThescientificandengineeringcommunitiesarecontinuallyimprovingourtechnicalunderstandingoftheCity’snaturalhazards.Tsunami,flooding,sealevelrise,liquefaction,slopefailureandgroundshaking,andtheireffectsonpeopleandinfrastructurecannowbemodelledindetail,andweunderstandtherisksmorethaneverbefore.

! TheserisksmustbeexplicitlytakenintoaccountastheCitygrows,andconsciousdecisions

abouttheacceptablelevelofriskmustbemadebycommunities.

! Thisislikelytoconstraingrowthinsomeareas,andtoincreasethecostof

development.Costpressureswillbeexacerbatedbydifficultiesaccessinginsurance,whichwillrequireassetownerstoconsideralternativechoiceswhenconsideringhowtomanagerisk.

Ourwater,stormwaterandwastewaterinfrastructureisunderpressureandthereisalreadyinsufficientcapacityinsomeareas

! Thenetworkisvulnerabletoearthquakesandriskofcontamination.

! Partsofthenetworkareinanaginganddecliningcondition.

! Thedemandforwaterwillexceedsupplyby2040andthereislikelytobelesswateravailableinthefuturetouse.Asustainablewatersupplyiscriticaltoagrowingpopulation.

! Futuredevelopmentwillthereforeneedtobemanagedsothatitminimiseswaterwastage

anduse;doesnotincreasestormwatervolumeswherethereisinsufficientcapacity;doesnotresultinfurtherdegradationofwaterquality;andincorporatesmoresustainablewaterdesignfeatures.Landtolocateneworupgradedinfrastructuremayberequired.

Ourtransportinfrastructuredoesnothaveenoughcapacitytomeetprojectedgrowth

! Bothpopulationandemploymentgrowthmeanstherewillbeanincreasingnumberofpeople

whotraveltotheCBDeachday.

! Thiswillplaceadditionaldemandsonanalreadystressedtransportnetwork.Capacity

constraintsareamajorissueforthecurrenttransportsystem.Duringpeaktimesthebusandrailnetworksarealreadynearcapacity.Basedonforecastgrowthratestheywillreachcapacityinfiveyears.

! Theuseofmoreefficientmodesoftransportthantheprivatecarthereforeneedstobe

increasedtocaterfortheexpectedgrowth.Themostefficientwaytoincreasethecarryingcapacityofthesystemistoimprovepublictransportandencouragemorewalkingandcyclingbyprovidingsafeandattractivestreetsandotherimprovementstosupporttheseoptions.Thisisconsistentwiththelegacyofcompacturbanformandastrongcultureofwalking,cyclingandpublictransportuseinWellington.

Morepeoplewillleadtoincreasedpressuresonalreadylimitedparks,openspacesandfacilities

! Asthepopulationincreasestherewillbelessprivateopenspaceandincreasedpressureon

existingopenspacesandfacilities.Therewillbeaneedtoidentifywhattypesofspacesthe

citywillneedtorespondtogrowth,includingopportunitiesfornewparks,redevelopmentofexistingparksandincreasedlevelsofservice.Thenaturalenvironmentwillrequireongoingprotection.

! Peopleneedpublicspacewhenlivinginapartmentsandmulti-unitdevelopmentstomaintain

socialconnectionandqualityoflife.Thepublicrealmthatissovitaltosuccessfuland

attractiveurbanenvironmentsincludesparksandopenspacesandcommunityfacilitiesandthesemustdevelopandchangeovertimetomeetchangingcommunityneedsandexpectations.

! Buyinglandfornewopenspaceandbuildingnewcommunityandrecreationfacilitiesrequires

significantinvestmentandcanbeachallengingandlongprocess.Thereisashortageofgreenspaceinthecentralcityanditmaybenecessarytobuylandinthisarea.Landpurchasearoundexistingparksininnercitysuburbshaspotentialtoimprovethenetworktocaterformorepeople.Redevelopmentofparksovertimewillimprovetheirvaluetothecityandresidents.

! Weneedtobetterunderstandwhattypesofopenspacesandfacilitiesareneededandwhere,

andtoplanandprovideforamoreflexiblemultipurposenetworkofopenspacesandfacilitiesthatcansupportarangeoffunctions.Increasedmaintenancecostswillberequiredtosupportpopulationgrowthandhigheruseofthesespaces.

! Insummarytherearethreetypesofresponsetoagrowingcityandpopulationthatwillbe

requiredacrosstheparksandopenspacesnetwork:1-purchaseoflandfornewparks;2-

redevelopmentofexistingparks;andincreasedmaintenanceacrossallparks.Thiswillneedtobeadequatelyfundedbutprovidesareturnforinvestmentacrossmultipleareasincludingthenaturalenvironment,socialoutcomes,healthandwellbeing,stormwatermanagement,communityresilience,disasterresponseandrecovery,aswellascontributingtotheeconomicwellbeingofthecity.

Providingforintensificationandmaintainingcharacter

! Therearelimitedoptionsforgreenfieldgrowththatalignwiththecompactcity

approach.

! Agrowthstrategythatdirectsnewdevelopmenttoareasawayfromthecentralcitywillleadtomorepressureonthetransportnetwork,andanincreaseincarbonemissions.

! Theinnersuburbsrepresentaprimelocationforhigherdensityhousingwithproximitytothe

CBDandpublictransport.Theseareasarealsosomeofthemostresilientlandinthecitywithrelativelyflatandstablegroundawayfromtheimpactsofsealevelrise.However,largepartsoftheseareasarealsovaluedbecauseoftheirstreetscapecharacter(wherethereareconcentrationsofbuildingsconstructedpriorto1930).TheDistrictPlanrestrictsthedemolitionofthosebuildings,meaningthatredevelopmentofsiteswithintheseareascanbechallenging.

! AstocktakecommissionedbyWellingtonCityCouncilhasbeencarriedoutonthesixpre-1930characterareascontainedintheDistrictPlan(Mt.Cook,Thorndon,HollowayRoad,Aro

Valley/TheTerrace,Newtown/BerhamporeandMt.Victoria).Approximately5,500propertieswereindividuallyassessedtodeterminetheircontributiontothecharacteroftheareainwhichtheyarelocated.Thestocktakeidentifiedthatthemajorityoftheproperties(78%)wereofprimaryorcontributoryvaluetothecharacteroftheseareas.22%werefoundtobeneutralordetractive.Theoverallbreakdownisasfollows:

! Thestocktakeworkalsoassessedbuildingsorgroupsofbuildingsnotcurrentlylistedinthe

DistrictPlanthatarepotentiallyofoutstandingcharacterthatcouldwarrantfurtherresearchandconsiderationforprotectionthroughtheDistrictPlanreviewprocess.

! IfWellingtonistoaccommodatetheexpectedgrowththenintensificationwithintheexisting

urbanareaisinevitable.TheneedformorehousingandforaresilientCitywillplacetheseinnercharacterareasunderpressure.Thechallengeistomaintainvaluedcharacterwhileenablingnewdevelopment.

! Thereisgenerallyapoorperceptionofthemulti-unitdevelopmentthathasbeenbuilt,andin

someareasthereissignificantcommunityoppositiontoenablinghigher-densityhousing.

However,welldesigneddevelopmentthatconsidersitscontextcanachievetheoutcomesofhigherdensitydevelopmentandmaintainingcharacter.

PlanningforGrowth-KeyOpportunities

Planningforgrowthcandeliveranumberofbenefitsforthecity

! Whilsttherearesomedifficultchallengestoprovideforgrowth,therearealsoanumberof

potentialoptionstoaddresstheissues,suchastraditionalengineeringsolutions,additionalfundingtofixandupgradecriticalinfrastructurepressurepoints,re-examiningandchanging

ourplanningsettingsthroughafullreviewoftheDistrictPlan,andawiderangeofinnovativesolutionstoovercomethevariousproblems.

! Implementingarangeofoptionsislikelytobethewayforwardtoenablegrowthandaddresshousingcapacity.

! ThereissignificantpotentialforgrowthintheCentralCityandsomesuburbancentres.

DevelopmentintheselocationscansupportandenhanceWellington’scurrentstrengthsasacompact,sustainableandliveablecity.

! Themostefficientwaytoincreasethecarryingcapacityofthetransportsystemistoimprove

publictransport.Forthecentralcity,workonthisiswelladvancedthoughLet’sGetWellingtonMoving.

! Therearecurrently50,000peoplelivingwithinwalkingdistancetothecentralcity,andthe

numberofpeoplecyclinghastripledsince2000.However,thereisstillsignificantpotentialformorewalkingandcyclingbyenablinggrowthintherightplacesandprovidingsafeandattractiveroutesandotherimprovementstosupporttheseoptions.

! Wellplanneddevelopmentandgoodurbandesigncanoffersignificantbenefitsthatcross

overmanyoftheplanningforgrowthtopicareasandmakeWellingtonamoresustainableandresilientcity,aswellasstrengtheningitsreputationasoneoftheworld’smostliveablecities.

! Planningforgrowthallowsforconsciousandinformeddecision-makingontheallocationof

landforinfrastructureandactivitiestosupportgrowthandchange.Thereistheopportunitytolookatthepublicrealmandhowtoensurethereistherightmixandallocationofspaceforallofthethingsthatmakeahighqualityfunctioningurbanenvironment.Forexample,how

willlandbeallocatedforroads,threewaters,parks,cycleways,placesforpeopletogather,andcommunityfacilities(suchascommunitycentres,librariesandrecreationcentres).

! Providingforhigherdensitiesinappropriatelocationsandfacilitatingtheuptakeofmore

sustainablemodesoftransport(walking,cycling,publictransportandmicro-mobilitydevicessuchasscooters)willreducecartravel,decreasegreenhousegasemissions,andimprovehealthandwellbeing.Higherdensityalsoprovidestheopportunitytoenhanceconnectednesswithinneighbourhoodsandacrosscommunities.

! Reducingthevolumeofvehiculartrafficandreallocatingroadspacefromvehiclestomore

pedestrianfriendlyspaceswillenhancetheamenityandvibrancyofthecentralcity.

! Awellplannedandmanagedmultipurposeopenspacenetworkcansupporthigherdensity

livingaswellascontributingtomultiplecity-widebenefits:biodiversity,recreationandleisure,healthandwellbeing,asenseofplaceandidentity,opportunitiestogathertobuild

communityconnections,buildcommunityresilience,andsupporteffectiveresponseandrecoveryfollowinganemergencyevent.

! Betterintegrationofparksandinfrastructureplanningcandeliverwin-winresponsesto

growthanddevelopment,suchastheincorporationofmoregreentransportinfrastructurewithsustainabilitybenefits;increasedbiodiversityandhabitat;andmorepermeablesurfacestohelpmanagestormwaterandwaterquality.

! Wellingtoniansplacehighvalueonthecontributionthatheritagemakestothecity.Heritage

isnotincompatiblewithhigherdensityhousingandisnotabarriertochange.Itisanassetthatcansupportabroadsetofoutcomesforthecity’sfuture,iftheintegrityofheritagevaluesismaintained.Retainingandreusingheritagemakesgoodenvironmentalsense.

! Thevastmajorityofthecity’sfoodisgrownoutsidethecitylimits.Wellingtonistherefore

vulnerabletolossoffoodsupplyduetofactorssuchasitsearthquakeriskandgeography.

Futuregrowthanddevelopmentprovidestheoppounitytoprovideamoresustainablefoodsysteminthecitywithco-benefitsaroundclimatemitigation,morewatersensitivedesign,increasedhealthandwellbeing,andenhancedresilience.

LanduseandHousing

• PopulationgrowthinWellingtonhassignificantlyoutstrippedthenumberofdwellingsbeingconsentedeachyearsince2013andthistrendissettocontinue.

• Arangeofoptionsislikelytoberequiredtoaddresshousingcapacity,suchas:

- Upzoning(increasingthedensity)aroundsuburbancentres;- Relaxinginfilldevelopmentcontrols;- Increasingbuildingheights;- Removingon-sitecarparkingrequirementsintheinnersuburbs;

- Reviewingandpotentiallyreducingthepre-1930scharacterareas;

- Identifyingnewgreenfieldgrowthareas;- Designinghousingthatismoreresilienttonaturalhazards.

• Threewatersinfrastructureisunderpressureandthereisinsufficientcapacityinsomeareas.

Decisionsonareasforgrowthandintensificationmustbesupportedbyprioritisationofinvestmentforthenecessaryinfrastructuretoservicetheseareas,andthespacetobuildthese

assetswhereitisnotcurrentlyavailable.

• AstudyofdevelopmenttrendsinJohnsonvilleandKilbirnieovertheperiod2003–2013

identifiedthatthemostsignificantbarrierstonewhousingdevelopmentrelatedto:

- Limitedlandsupply/fewvacantsites.

- Difficulttofindadjoiningsitesthatcanbeamalgamatedtoundertakecomprehensiveresidentialdevelopment.

- Removalofexistinghousingstock to facilitatecomprehensivemulti-unitdevelopmentwasnot commercially viable. Piecemeal infill housing involves less risk and still provided anadequatefinancialreturn.

• Thereisgenerallyapoorperceptionofthemulti-unitdevelopmentthathasbeenbuilt,andin

someareasthereissignificantcommunityoppositiontoenablinghigher-densityhousing.

• Analysisofmulti-unitconsentsfrom2008–2018showsthatmostmulti-unitdevelopmenthas

beentakingplaceintheInnerandOuterResidentialAreas,withonlyasmallpercentagetakingplaceintheMediumDensityResidentialAreas.A‘typical’multi-unitdevelopmentwillbeuptosixunits;containonlyonetypeofdwelling;be2or3storeyshigh;haveonetotwobedroomsin

APPENDIXAISSUESANDOPPORTUNTIESPAPERS–SUMMARYOFKEYPOINTS

theInnerResidentialAreaandtwotothreebedroomsintheOuterResidentialArea;withlessthan16m2ofprivateopenspaceperunit.

• Asshownintableandchartbelow,since2010houseshavebeenthemaindwellingtypeprovided

inWellington.However,itisanticipatedthatthischangewithashifttomoreapartmentsand

townhousesbeingbuiltaspartofthefuturegrowth.

CentralArea

• Since2004themajorityofnewconsenteddwellinghavebeeninTeAro.TheCentralAreaisset

tocontinuetobetheCity’shighestgrowtharea,andthereisstillasignificantopportunityforgrowthinTeAro.

• WithmorepeoplelivingintheCBDthereneedstobesufficientprovisionofaccessibleoutdoorspacewithinthecentralarea,andpossiblyalsoarequirementthatnewapartmentsareprovided

withanoutdoorspace,eitherprivateorshared.Existingopenspacewillneedinvestmentforimprovementsovertimetomeettheneedsofthechangingurbanenvironmentandthepeoplewholivethere.Thepublicrealm(includingparks)willcostmoretomaintainwithincreaseduse.

• Giventhefutureanticipatedgrowthinapartmentsandforecastincreaseinthenumberof

familiesandsharedlivingsituationsinthecentralcity,thereshouldalsobeanemphasisonincreasingthesizeofapartmentsandnumberoflargerapartments.

InnerSuburbs

• Theinnersuburbsareanotherprimelocationforhigherdensityhousingwiththeirproximityto

publictransport,services,andemploymentandtheirlocationonrelativelyflatandstablegroundawayfromtheimpactsofsealevelrise.However,someoftheseareas(Newtown,Berhampore,AroValley,Thorndon,TheTerrace,HollowayRoad,MtCookandMtVictoria)arealsovaluedbecauseoftheircharacter.TheDistrictPlanrestrictsdemolitionandalterationofbuildingsconstructedpriorto1930intheseareas.

• TherequirementtoprovidemorehousingandfortheCitytoberesilientwillplacepressureon

thesecharacterareas.Are-evaluationofthesecharacterareasisunderwayandthiswillhelpinformdecision-makingaboutthecontinuedprotectionoftheseareas.

Greenfieldland

• Therearelimitedoptionsforgreenfieldgrowththatfollowsthecompactcityapproach.Thetwo

maingreenfieldareasthathavebeenidentifiedfordevelopmenteachhavetheirownproblemsasfollows:

- LincolnshireFarmaccountsforoverhalfofthezonedgreenfieldlandavailable.However,

thePetonetoGrenadalinkroadproposalmeansthatdevelopmentofthisareamaybedelayeduntiladecisionismadeontheroadalignment.

- UpperStebbingshasbeensignalledasagrowthareasincetheearly2000s.Astructure

planiscurrentlyunderdevelopmentforthisarea.Rezoningisneededbeforedevelopmentcanproceed.

Centres

• Thecentresprovidesignificantpotentialtoprovideforadditionalhousing.However,thelevelof

developmentneedstobeappropriatetoeachcentre,localtransportsystems,ThreeWaters

infrastructure,andparksandcommunityfacilities,aswellasachievinggoodurbandesignandamenityoutcomes.

BusinessAreas

• There are 27 BusinessAreas split across Business 1 and 2. Business 1 coversmixed use areas.Business2arepredominantlyindustrialareaswhereresidentialisnotanticipatedorprovidedfor.AnalysisofconsentingactivitywithintheBusinessAreasbetween2014–2018showsthattherehasbeensignificantresidentialdevelopmentwithinthethreeBusiness1areasofTakapuIsland,Fraser and Greta Point. There is another significant residential development currently at theconsentingstageintheShelleyBayBusiness1Area.TheRongotaiSouthBusiness1Areaisalsoundergoingchangewithanumberofdemolishedbuildingsandwarehousesbeingre-purposedasofficespaces.Business2 isstillprimarilycommercialand industrialanddevelopmentactivity isrelativelylow.

Transport

• Wellingtonisexpectedtogrowsignificantlyoverthenext30years,bothinresidentsandjobs.

Thiswillplaceadditionaldemandsonanalreadystressedtransportnetwork.Somekeytransportstatisticsinclude:

- Onanormalweekday,some82,000peopletraveltoorthoughtheCBDduringmorningpeak

(7amto9am);50%travelbycar,35%usepublictransport,and16%walkorcycle.

- Overthepast17yearstherehasbeenadecreaseinpeopleusingacarforthistrip,and

increasesinpublictransportusage,walkingandcycling.

- Inthepast12yearsthemodeswiththebiggestincreasewerewalking(34%)andcycling

(53%).

- Overthelast10to15years,peakperiod(7amto9am)trafficonmajorroadshasremained

broadlyunchanged,withmostgrowthincartripsinthemorningoccurringbetween6am-7am.

- Onaverage,15,000peoplearriveattherailwaystationdailybetween7amto9am

(weekdays);90%ofthemthenwalktotheirfinaldestination.

- Inner-citypopulationhasalmostdoubledbetween2001and2013,andmostofthesepeople

(80%)walktowork.

- Duringthemorningrushhourmorethan11,000peoplecomeintotheCBDonfoot.

- Everyweekday,between7amand9am,12,000buspassengerstravelalongLambtonQuay.

Busspeedsaverage8to10km/hduringthisperiod–onlyslightlybetterthantheaveragewalkingspeedof5km/h.

- Anexceptiontoourhighrateofpublictransportusageisthenear50-50splitbetweencarsandtaxisforpeoplegoingtoandfromtheairport.Publictransportcurrentlyaccountsforlessthan10%oftripsto/fromtheairport.

• Thecentralcityhoststhehighestconcentrationofjobsandproductivityintheregion.Without

extrainvestment,thecentralcitywon’thaveenoughtransportcapacitytomeettheprojectedgrowthandthiswouldimpactnegativelyontheeconomicprosperityoftheregionasawhole.

• Capacitythereforeneedstobeincreasedtocaterfortheexpectedgrowth.Themostefficient

waytoincreasethecarryingcapacityofthesystemistoimprovepublictransport.Thisisconsistentwiththelegacyofcompacturbanformandastrongcultureofwalking,cyclingandpublictransportuseinWellington.

• Residentsinsuburbsclosetothecentralcitytendtocommutebywalkingorcycling,whilethe

prevalenceofdrivinggenerallyincreaseswithdistancefromthecitycentre.Agrowthstrategythatdirectsnewdevelopmenttoareasfurthestawayfromthecentralcitywillthereforeleadtomorepressureonthetransportnetwork.

• Issueswiththecurrenttransportsystemthatneedtobeaddressedinclude:

- Busesarecaughtupintrafficcongestionsoserviceefficiencyandreliabilityisseverely

compromised.Manythroughjourneysusethesameroutesascommuterjourneys(e.g.VivianStreetandthewaterfrontquays),compoundingthecapacityproblematpeaktimes.

- Trafficcongestionalsoimpactsnegativelyonamenityinthecentralcity,andonthesafetyand

convenienceofwalkingandcycling.

- Duringpeaktimesboththebusandrailnetworksoperatenearcapacity.Basedonforecast

growthratestheywillreachcapacityinfiveyears.

Cartravel

• Thecentralareaandinnersuburbshavelowanddecreasingratesofcarownershipandhigh

ratesofcommutingbywalking,cycling,andpublictransport.In2013thetotalpopulationofthecentralareaandinnersuburbswas57,000.However,themajorityofWellingtonresidentsliveintheoutersuburbs(2013population=140,000).Carownershipishighestandgrowinginthe

outersuburbs.Onaveragecartravelisthreetimeshigherinoutersuburbscomparedtothecentralcity.

Publictransport,walkingandcycling

• Thenumberofpeoplecommutingtothecitybypublictransporthasgrownby45%since2000.

Carcommutinghasdroppedfrom50.5%ofcommutesin2001to43.7%ofcommutesin2013.

• Over80,000peopleperdaycommutetothecentralcityfromelsewhereinthecityandthewider

Wellingtonregion.Bothpopulationandemploymentgrowthmeanthattherewillbeanincreasingnumberofpeoplewhoneedtotravelto,within,andfromthecentralcityeachday.

• Therearecurrentlyabout50,000peoplelivingwithinhalfanhourwalkofthecentralcity.This

suggeststhatthereispotentialforevenmorewalkingifsupportedbyadequateinfrastructureandamenity.

• Thenumberofpeoplecommutingbybikehasnearlytripledsince2000,butthereisstillan

unmetdemandforcyclingprimarilyduetolackofinfrastructure.Lackofsafecycling

infrastructureisthekeybarriertopeoplecyclingmoreoften.

• Growthneedstobeaccompaniedbysafeandattractivestreetstosupportandpromotewalking

andcycling.Streetscapeimprovementscanalsoprovideenvironmentalqualityandstormwatermanagementimprovementopportunitiesandcontributetothecharacterofthecityandour‘green’credentials.

• Landtransportaccountsfor35%ofthecity’sgreenhousegasemissions.Changesinthevehicle

fleetandtechnologicalchangewillbringbenefitsfromreducedemissions.Furtherreductionscanbeachievedthroughreducingtheneedtotravelbylocatingresidentswithinwalkingorcyclingdistanceofworkandlocalservices;andbyencouragingtheuptakeofwalking,cyclingandpublictransportthroughimprovementstotheseoptions.

• Thereisstrongevidencethatpeoplewhowalkandcycleforjourneyshavebetterhealth

outcomesthanpeoplewhodonotusethosemodes,orwhousethemlessfrequently.Increasedexerciseassociatedwithactivetransportmodesalsoresultsinimprovedmentalhealth.Travelthroughgreenspacesincreasestheseoutcomesevenfurther.

Let’sGetWellingtonMoving(LGWM)

• LGWMisajointinitiativebetweenWCC,GWRC,andtheNZTA.ItisfocussedonincreasingthecapacityofthetransportsystembetweenNgaurangaandtheairport.Theobjectivesaretodeliveratransportsystemthat:enhancestheliveabilityofthecentralcity;supportsgrowth;reducesrelianceontheprivatevehicle;improvessafetyforallusers;andisadaptabletodisruptionsandfutureuncertainty.Anannouncementisexpectedin2019oncentralgovernment’sinvestmentcommitmentstothenextstageofLGWM.

ThreeWatersInfrastructure

• ThereareinfrastructureissuesformanypartsoftheCity.Therewillbeacapacitytippingpointwhenthenetworkcannolongercopeandrequiresmajorupgradestoenablenewdevelopmenttotakeplace.Sealevelriseisalsoafactorthatimpactsontheseservicesandgrowthpotential.

• Greenfielddevelopmentiseasiertodesignandmanagethaninfilldevelopment.Infill

developmentsaremoredifficultastheyconnecttoexistingservicesandrelyontherebeingsparecapacityinthenetworkfortheadditionalload.

• TherewillnotalwaysbeafeasiblesolutionforallThreeWatersconstraints.Whileasolutionmay

bepossible,itmaynotbeaffordable.Solutionsarethereforelikelytobeacombinationofengineeringsolutions,changesinbehaviour,andmoremodernsustainableapproachessuchasWaterSensitiveUrbanDesign.

Watersupply

• WaterforWellingtonCityissourcedfromthreeprimarysources:theheadwatersoftheHutt

River;theWainuiomataandOrongorongorivers;andtheWaiwhetuaquifer.

• Specifictotheimplicationsforgrowth,theabilitytotakewaterfromtheseriversislimitedby

consentsthatrequireminimumflowstobemaintainedsothattheecologicalhealthofriversissustained.WaterextractedfromtheWaiwhetuaquiferisalsolimitedbyconsentswhichareintendedtominimisesaltwaterintrusionrisks,astheaquiferextendsbeneaththeharbour.

• Threemainproblemsarethat:1)Thedemandforwaterwillexceedsupplyby2040.2)The

networkisoldandvulnerabletoearthquakesandtheriskofcontaminationand3)Theremaybelesswateravailableinthefutureforustouse.

• Interventionswillberequiredacrossallthreeproblemareastoreducewateruseandwaterloss.

Aprogrammeofworkstoensureasustainablewatersupplyiscriticaltoagrowingpopulation.Additionallandmayberequiredfornewinfrastructure.

Wastewater

• Wastewaterneedstobetreatedanddisposedinanappropriatewaytominimiseriskstohuman

andenvironmentalhealth.

• Keyproblemsarethatmanypartsofthenetwork:

- havelimitedcapacityforadditionalflowsfromnewdevelopment(theKaroriwastewatertreatmentplantisalreadyatcapacity);

- areinaginganddecliningcondition;and

- arepronetooverflowsofuntreatedwastewater,whichisworsenedbycrossconnectionswherestormwaterdownpipesareincorrectlyconnectedintothewastewatersystem.

- Thetopographyandgeographyofthecitymeanswastewater/stormwateroverflowsoftenendupinstreamsandtheharbourwithenvironmentalimpactsandimpactsonthe

recreationvalueofthosespaces.

• TheNPS-FreshwaterManagementandtheProposedNaturalResourcesPlanplaceincreased

protectiononthewaterqualityofstreamsandharboursfromtheadverseeffectsofwastewateroverflows,soCouncilmusttakeaction,includingincreasedinvestment,torestrictorbettermanageoverflowsofuntreatedwastewater.

Stormwater

• Thestormwaternetworkcomprisespipesandchannelsacrosstheregionwhichdischargesintoopendrains,watercourses,andtheharbour.Preventingbuildingsandlandusefromimpedingoverlandflowpathsandstorageareasisimportantformanagingflowsandprotectingpeopleandproperty.

• Muchofthenetworkhasbeendesignedtocarryonlylowtomediumintensityrainfallevents.However,increasingstormintensitiesandpredictedsealevelriseandwillcausemorefrequentfloodingandwillimpactontheabilityofstormwatertofreelydischargeintocoastalreceivingwaters.

• Manyofthestreamsandflowpathsarepartofpublicparksandopenspaces.Stormeventsandstormwaterflowisincreasinglyimpactingthenaturalenvironmentandrecreationfacilitiesintheseareas.

• Stormwaterqualitycanbeharmfultothereceivingwatersasrainfallpicksupsediment,contaminants,petrochemicalsandmetalssuchaszinc,copperorlead.Stormwaterfromgreenfielddevelopmentinparticularcanresultinexcessivedischargesofsediment.

• Legislationinfluencesthewaywemanagestormwater.TheNPS-FreshwaterManagementandProposedNaturalResourcesPlan(PNRP)haveintroducednewandmorestringentprovisionsfortheprotectionofwaterquality,includingnewconsentrequirementsforallstormwaterdischarges.

• Futuredevelopmentwillthereforeneedtobemanagedsothatitdoesn’tincreasestormwatervolumeswherethereisinsufficientcapacity,andalsothatitdoesnotresultinfurtherdegradationofwaterquality.However,regulatorytoolsthatrequirewatersensitiveurban

designfornewdevelopmentarecurrentlylacking.

Problemareas

• Thereareknownissuesforwatersupply,wastewaterorstormwaterservicesintheareasofTawa,NorthernWellington,Woodridge,Karori,Khandallah,andIslandBayandtheCentralCity.Futuregrowthintheseareaswillneedtobesupportedbysufficientfundingtorectifythese

pressurepoints.

• Areasthathavebeenidentifiedforpotentialintensificationwherethereareknowninfrastructure

issuesare:

- UpperStebbings:theLowerStebbingsnetworkwasdesignedbythedevelopertoonlysupport

theLowerStebbingsarea.ShouldazoningchangeoccurtoenablethedevelopmentofUpperStebbingsthenadeveloperagreementwilllikelyberequiredtoservicethewholearea.

- Kilbirnie:islowlyingandsusceptibletoflooding,particularlyduringhightideperiods.Sea

levelriseisakeyfactorlimitingtheabilityofgrowthhere.Thereiscurrentlyonlyamedium20yearsolution/investmentinstormwatermanagementforKilbirnie.

- Johnsonville:haslowlyingareasthataresusceptibletoflooding.Therearealsolocalised

wastewaterconstraintsinthesewernetwork.

- CBD/AroSt/Newtown:aresusceptibletoflooding.Therearealsowastewaterconstraintsbut

someofthesewillbemitigatedduetocurrentandplannedprojects.Inthelongerterm,sealevelrisewillrestricttheabilitytodrainfloodwaterinthelowlyingCBD.Stormwaterplanningwillbeacriticalissuetoenablegrowthinthisarea.

OpenSpaceandNaturalEnvironment

• Wellingtonhasastrongnaturalenvironmentsettingthatisimportanttothecharacterand

identityofthecityandthequalityoflifeforthepeoplewholiveandworkinWellington.

• Asthepopulationincreasestherewillbelessprivateopenspaceandincreasedpressureon

existingopenspaces.Weneedtoestablishwhattypesofopenspaceareneededandwhere,andwhatareasneedprotectionfromtheimpactsofdevelopment.Theexistingparkswillneedtobedevelopedandimprovedovertimetomeetchangingurbanformandtheneedsofthegrowingcommunities.Maintenancesofparkswillincreasewithincreaseduse.

• Purchaseofnewlandforopenspaceisexpensiveanddifficult.Forrecreation,improved

management,maintenanceandredevelopmentofexistingparkscancaterforincreasedrecreationaluse.Therewillbearangeofoptionsforprovisionofopenspaceandrecreationtoa

growingpopulationthatwillincludeamixofnewlandandfacilities,redevelopmentofold,andincreasinglevelsofmaintenanceandprovisionofprogrammes.

• Awellplannedandmanagedmultipurposeopenspacenetworkcansupporthigherdensityliving

aswellascontributingtomultiplecity-widebenefits:biodiversity,recreationandleisure,

resilience,healthandwellbeing,andsenseofplaceandidentity.

• Thereisanopportunitytobetterintegrateparksandinfrastructureplanningtoprovidewin-win

responsestogrowthanddevelopment,suchastheincorporationof‘greeninfrastructure’withnewtransportinfrastructuree.g.treeplantinginconnectionwithnewcyclewayswithmultiple

benefitsrelatingtomoreattractiveandusabletransportinfrastructure;betterhealthoutcomes;sustainabilitybenefits;increasedbiodiversityandhabitat;creatingmorefoodresilienceforthecitythroughurbangrowingspaces;andmorepermeablesurfacestohelpmanagestormwaterandwaterquality.

• RoadreserverepresentsoneofveryfewoptionstofindCouncilownedandunderutilisedland.

Fromaparksandopenspacesplanningperspective,roadreserveprovidesalandareafor

alternativeusesthatcanachieveoutcomessuchashabitatandbiodiversityenhancement,stormwatermanagement,cityamenityandcharacter,andsocialandhealthoutcomesforpeoplewhousethesespaces.

• Wellingtonhasyettoseegreenrooftechnologybecomestandardpracticeandthiscouldprovide

partofthesolutiontotheprovisionofgreenopenspace.ClimaticconditionsinWellingtonwillbeaconsiderationinapplicationoftheseinalocalsetting.

ClimateChange

• Thereisaglobalcommitmenttoavoidingmorethan2degreescelsiusofclimatewarming.However,wearecurrentlytrackingfor3-4degreeCelsiusrisebytheendofthecentury.

• Intheabsenceofsubstantialchangetherewillbethecontinuedimpactsofclimatechange-sea

levelrise,drought,moresevererainfallandstormevents,andpotentialbiodiversityimpactsthathavenotbeenfullyexplored.

• HalfofNewZealand’semissionscomefromtheagriculturalsector.ForWellington,around60%

oftheemissionsarefromtransport(aboutathirdisfromtheairportbutalargeproportionisfromroadtransport).Theothermajorcontributorisenergyusefrombuildings.

• Therearebenefitsfromthecompactcityapproachtoreduceemissions:lessjourneystoworkbycar;andmoreapartmentsandtownhouses,whichhavelowerenergyuseandgenerateless

carbonthanstandalonehouses.

• Theinnerresidentialareahassomeofthelowest-carbonareasofthecitytoliveandtherefore

thegreatestpotentialforgrowththatlimitscarbonoutput.However,furtherdevelopmentintheseareasislimitedbytheblanketcharacterprotection.Thechallengeistomaintainimportantcharacterwhileenablingnewdevelopmentinalower-carbonlivingenvironment.

• Fromasustainabletransportpointofview,itwouldalsomakesensetoremovetheminimum

parkingrequirementtocreateamorepermissivedevelopmentenvironmentthatdoesnotfocusonthecar.

• WellingtonCityCouncilhasaLowCarbonCapitalPlanthatexpiresinJune.Councilwillsoonbe

consultingon‘FirsttoZero-Wellington’sblueprintforaZeroCarbonCapital’.Thisprovidesthe

opportunitytoinvitethecommunitytohaveaconversationaboutclimateissues,theplan’sgoalsandactivities,andthechallengeswe’llfacegoingforward.ThePlanningforGrowthprojectiscloselylinkedtotheFirsttoZeroconsultationanditsoutcomes.

UrbanDesign

• Urbandesignisnotanoutcomeascomparedtotheothertopicsubjectssuchasinfrastructure

andhousing.Itisaprocess,withthedesiredoutcomebeinggoodqualityenvironmentsforpeopletolive,workandplay.

• Urbandesignisnowawell-establishedandacceptedpartofthedevelopmentprocessin

Wellington.

• Keyissuesforthedeliveryofgoodurbandesignandqualityoutcomesinclude:

- Ensuringthatthedesignofourbuiltformandpublicspacerecogniseandrespondtowhat

makesWellingtonunique.

- Creatingadaptablebuildingsandspacesthatenablechangeandsupportvariety,vibrancy,

chanceexchange,safetyandchoice.

- Arefocusforourstreetsfrommovementtoplaces.

- Sustainabilityneedstobeattheheartofdesign,forexampleincorporatingwatersensitive

designandopportunitiestogreenthecitywhereverpossible.

• GoodurbandesigncanoffersignificantbenefitsthatcrossovermanyofthePlanningforGrowthtopicareas:

- Itcanhelptosupportandenablehigherdensitydevelopment.

- Increasetheeconomiccompetitivenessofcitiesbymakingthemmoreefficientplacestowork

anddobusinessin.

- Providesaferandmoresociallyinclusivecities,withlesscrimeandothersocialproblems.

- Helptoprovidehealthierhomesthatarewarmerandmoreuseable,andhealthierlifestyles

throughareasbeingmoreattractiveforwalkingandcycling,andforhealthandleisure.- Addressissuessuchasclimatechangeandbiodiversitythroughmoreefficientuseof

resourceslikelandandwater.

- TeArangadesignprinciplesareasetofoutcome-basedprinciplesfoundedonMāoricultural

values.Thesevaluesprovideameansofassertingidentityofselfandplace,andenhancingtheoverallpresence,visibilityandparticipationofmanawhenuainthedesignofthephysicalrealm.

Heritage

• Wellington’sheritage,alongwithitscityscapesandlandscapes,peopleandbuiltformareallpartofwhatdefinesitsidentity,makesthecityunique,andcontributestoourreputationasoneoftheworld’smostliveablecities.Wellingtoniansplacehighvalueonthecontributionthatheritagemakestothecity.

• WellingtonCityCouncilalreadyrecognisesthepublicgoodvalueofheritageandcharacter

throughitsprotectionintheDistrictPlanandthroughincentivesforconservationandearthquakestrengthening.

• Manyofourheritagebuildingshavenationalandinternationalsignificance,whileothershave

localsignificance.Thereare:

- Over600protectedheritagebuildingsintheDistrictPlan;- Afurther35heritageareas,144Māorisignificantsites,248contributingbuildingsinheritage

areasand44objectsareprotectedintheDistrictPlan;- 8innercitysuburbsexhibitinghistoricpatternsofsettlementarespecialcharacterareasin

theDistrictPlan;and

- 103placesinWellingtonCityhaveHeritageNewZealandCategory1designations.

• Theidentification,protectionandappropriatereuseofourbuiltheritagewillbecrucialto

preservingthecity’sidentityandqualityoflife.Ratherthanbeingabarriertochange,built

heritageshouldbeconsideredasanassetthatcansupportabroadsetofoutcomesforthecity’sfuture.

• Featuresofthenaturalenvironmentarealsoimportanttotheheritageofthecity.Examples

includetheWellingtonTownBelt,Otari-Wilton’sBush,andnumerousheritagetreesaroundthecity.

• KeyconsiderationsformanagingWellington’sheritageinlightofgrowthpressuresincludethe

following:

- Heritagebuildingsareuniqueandanylossofheritageisirreversible.Meetingfuturegrowth

pressuresshouldnotcompromisetheabilityoffuturegenerationstoenjoytheheritagebenefitsweenjoy.

- Heritagehasstatutoryrecognitionasoneofthecountry’snationallysignificantnaturaland

physicalresources.Councilhasastatutoryobligationtoprotectthisheritage.

- Heritageisabroadconceptthatencompassesbuildings,areas,contextsandcurtilage,korero,

wāhitapu,intangibleheritage,story-telling,futureheritage,archaeologyandculturallandscapes.

- ProvidingforthekaitiakitangaofMāoriheritageandvaluesthroughengagementand

partnershipswithtangatawhenuaiscrucialtoourdevelopmentasaninclusivecity.

- Wellington’sheritagecreatessocial,economic,culturalandenvironmentalvalue.Heritage

buildingsandareasperformauniqueroleinunderpinningwellconnectedandstrongcommunities.Forexample,theCubaStreetheritagearearepresentsamodelofeconomicrevivalbasedontheadaptivereuseofheritagebuildingsfornichebusinesses,innovativestart-upsand‘pointofdifference’economicandvisitationattractors.

- Denserurbangrowthneedstofocusonthequalityofthebuiltenvironmentandnotjustits

capacity.Goodurbandesignisconsistentwithprinciplesofheritageprotectionandadaptive

reuse.

- Heritageisnotincompatiblewithhigherdensityhousing.Heritagecanevolveandchangeto

meetcurrentneedssuchasdemandforhigherdensitylivingandnewrequirementsfor

seismicstrengthening.ThecurrentDistrictPlanprovidesfortheretentionofpublicheritagevalues,butalsorecognisestheneedforheritagetochangeandevolve.

- Retainingandreusingheritageitemsmakesgoodenvironmentalsense.Buildingreusealmost

alwaysoffersenvironmentalsavingsoverdemolitionandnewconstruction.

Communityfacilitiesandsystems

• Communityspacesandfacilitiesarecrucialinensuringthatourcommunitiesaremoreconnected,inclusiveandresilient.Thereisacitywidenetworkof25centresacrossWellington.Manyold

communitybuildingsarenotfitforpurpose.

• Therearealsoanumberofprivatelyownedandmanagedcommunityspacesandfacilitiese.g.

privateschools,churchesandsportsclubs.

• Furtherintensificationwillincreasepressuresonthesespacesandfacilities,particularlyinthe

centralcitywhereintensificationhasalreadyputpressureonlimitedspaces.

• Weneedtolookatnewwaysofprovidingcommunityspacesandfacilities.Thiscould

includeexploringopportunitiesforsharedpublicandprivateuse,andinnovativesolutionstoenablemoreflexiblemulti-usespacesandbuildings.Publicspaceplaysakeyroleinhighqualitycitylivingenvironments.

• WellingtonhasaveryhighleveloflibraryusagepercapitacomparedtotherestofNew

Zealand.Somefacilitiesareunderutilisedfortheirsize(e.g.WadestownLibrary).Otherfacilitiesareheavilyusedfortheirsize(IslandBayLibrary).

• TheCentralLibraryisundersizedforthecurrentpopulationbase.Italsorequires

earthquakeremediationwork.

• Overthelast30years,thebusinessoflibraries(andcommunityfacilitiesgenerally)has

mirroredchangesinsociety,technologyandtheeconomy,resultinginchangingcustomerexpectationsandmultiplenewlinesofbusinesse.g.wifiprovision.Thesechangesimpacthowweprovideservicesacrossthecity.

• InthecontextofPlanningforGrowth,thisparticularlyimpactsthesuitabilityofour

currentphysicalbuildingsandsupportinginfrastructure(forexample,overallfootprintandcapacity,flexiblespaces,acoustics,accessibility).Thisalsorelatestoothercommunityfacilitiessuchascommunitycentresandrecreationcentres.

• AnewLibraryStrategicPlanisforthcomingwhichwilllooktoidentifypriorities.Whilelibrariesaregenerallywithinthedefinitionof“core”servicesundertheLocalGovernment

Act2002,therearenostatutoryrequirementsaroundthebuildingsorprovisionofservices,excepttoprovidefreemembership.

• Publictransportroutesandanymajorchangestopublictransportarelikelytohaveflow

oneffectstohowWellingtoniansuselibrariesandothercommunityfacilities,andwhichonestheyuse.

• Thelocationsandtypesoflibrariesthecityneedsdependsonandalignswiththegoalsfor

aresilient,inclusive,compactandconnectedcity.

• Thereisanopportunitytoconsiderhowprovisionoflibraries,communitycentresand

recreationfacilitiescanoverlapandcomplementtoprovideanetworkofspacesthat

meetchangingcommunityneeds.

• Thevastmajorityofthecity’sfoodisgrownoutsidethecitylimits.Wellingtonisthereforevulnerabletolossoffoodsupplyduetofactorssuchasitsearthquakeriskandgeography.ThePlanningforGrowthprocessprovidesanopportunitytoexploreoptionsforincorporatingamoreresilientandsustainablefoodsysteminWellington.Thebenefitsof

asustaianableandresilientfoodsystemforWellingtoninclude:

- Communityresilience:asustainableandresilientfoodsystemenhancescommunity

resiliencebyprovidingabufferinthecaseofanemergency,andfosteringindependenceandcommunityconnectedness.CurrentlyWellington’sfoodwholesalersareclusteredatGranadaNorth.However,overhalfofthecity’spopulation(100,000)liessoutheastoftheWellingtonfaultlineandcouldpotentiallybecutofffromthisareainamajorearthquake.

- IncreasedaccesstohealthyandaffordablefoodforallWellingtonians:thecostofhealthy

foodhascontinuedtoincreaseinWellington,whichputsgreaterpressureonlowincomehouseholdstochoosecheaperlessnutritiousoptions.“Fooddeserts”havebeenidentifiedinmanycitiesaroundtheworldasplacesofloweraccesstofreshhealthyfood(suchasfreshveggiemarkets),andconversely“foodswamps”areoversaturatedbylesshealthyoptionssuchasfastfoodoutlets.

- Reducingtheenvironmentalimpactsofthefoodsystem:thefoodsystemisasignificant

contributortoNewZealand’scarbonfootprint.Theconventionalproductionoffoodisalsoassociatedwitharangeofadverseenvironmentaloutcomesincludingpollutionofwaterways,

relianceonphosphatefertilisers,deforestation,lossofhabitat,andbiodiversity.Itisestimatedthatwewasteathirdofallthefoodweproduce.

- GreaterintensificationconsistentwithWellington’scompactformprovidesopportunitiesformoreefficientfooddistribution,andagrowthpatternwhichfacilitatesmoregrowingandprocessingoffoodinthecityreducescarbonemissionsassociatedwithtransportationoffood.

- FoodisimportanttoWellington’scultureandeconomy:partofWellington’s“CoolestLittle

Capital”reputationstemsfromitsvibrantsceneofcafesandrestaurants,craftbreweries,andcoffeeroasteries(manyofwhicharedemonstratingagrowingcommitmenttosustainability).TherearealsostrongmanawhenuatraditionsaroundfoodaswellasotherculturesthathavemadeWellingtontheirhome.

• AsustainableandresilientfoodsystemforWellingtonrequires:

- Easyaccesstofresh,healthyaffordablefoodforallresidents.- Shorterormorecarefullydesignedfoodsupplychains.

- Opportunitiesforresidentstoconnectwiththefoodcycle,suchasmultipurposecommunal“SocialFoodSpaces”inproximitytowherepeoplelive.

Issues Overlaps,OpportunitiesandPotentialConflicts

! Climatechangeandresilience

overlapsallareas

! Providingforhigherdensitiesinappropriatelocationsandfacilitatingtheuptakeofmoresustainablemodesof

transport(walking,cycling,publictransport,electriccars)willreducecartravelanddecreasegreenhousegasemissions.

! Amorecompactcitymeansmoreapartmentsand

townhouseswithlessenergyusecomparedtostandalonedwellings.

! Amoresustainablefoodsysteminthecityprovidesco-

benefitsaroundclimatemitigation,allowingformorewatersensitivedesign,increasedhealthandwellbeing,andenhancedresilience.

! Retainingandreusingheritageitemsmakesgood

environmentalsense.Buildingreusealmostalwaysoffersenvironmentalsavingsoverdemolitionandnewconstruction.

! Theexistingandfutureparksandopenspacesnetwork

providesopportunitiestomanagetheeffectsofclimatechange.

! Anecosystemservicesapproachtourbandesignand

planningwillresultinmoreresilientinfrastructureandcommunities.

! Improvedtransportoptions=

betteroutcomes

! Reducingthevolumeofvehiculartrafficandreallocating

roadspacefromvehiclestomorepedestrianfriendlyspaceswillenhancetheamenityandvibrancyofthecity.

APPENDIXBTABLEOFOVERLAPPINGISSUES,OPPORTUNITIESANDPOTENTIALCONFLICTS

! Competingneedswillleadto

increasedpressuresonexistingandsometimesalreadylimitedspace

! Intensificationwillincreasetherangeofdemandson

alreadylimitedservicesandspaces.Forexample:

! Intensificationwillplacemorepressureonpublicopen

spaces.Therewillbearangeofcompetingdemandson

thesespacessuchastoprovide:passiveandactiverecreationopportunities;sustainablefoodopportunities;betterwaterandstormwatermanagement;biodiversity;andplacesofrefugeinemergencies.Theseactivitiescanalsobemutuallysupportingifthespacesareappropriately

locatedanddesignedandofsufficientsize.Thereisalimittothenumberoffunctionsanyoneareacanhavebeforethevaluesbecomecompromised.Notallpublicparkspaceforexamplecanaccommodatestormwatermanagementinfrastructure.Thereneedstobecarefulconsiderationof

eachspacewithnoassumptionsmade.

! Fromasustainabletransportpointofview,itispreferable

toremoveminimumparkingrequirementsforsomeareasofthecity.Thisislikelytoincreasethedemandforon-

streetparking,whichisinconflictwiththedesiretoreleasemoreroadreserveforopenspace,sustainablewatermanagement,amenityoutcomesandwalking,cyclingandcommunitygatheringspace.

! Competingneedsforfunding

! PlanningforGrowthandtheSpatialPlanwillenable

integratedplanninganddecisionmakingtoidentifypressurepointsandinforminvestmentdecisions.Itcanalsoassistinidentifyingcreativesolutions.

! Investmentinthepublicrealm(streetscape,parksand

openspace,communityfacilities)willneedtooccur

alongsideincreasedhousingdensityandpopulationgrowth.Therearethreefactorstoconsider;increasedprovision,higherqualityspacesandplaces,andincreasedmaintenancecosts.

! Needformorehousingand

heritage/characterprotection

! Integratinghigherdensityhousingintoheritageand

characterareasisakeyplanningforgrowthchallenge.

! Wehaveastatutoryobligationtoprotectheritage.However,theneedtoprovidemorelandforhousingandforamoreresilientCitywillplacetheinnercharacterareas

underpressure,andare-evaluationoftheextentofthecharacteroverlayswillneedtobeundertaken.

! Intensificationandquality

urbandesignoutcomes

! Therehavebeenconcernsinrelationtothequalityofsome

existingapartmentandinfilldevelopments.Thepotential

removal/reductionofinfillplanningcontrolsalongwithincreasedapartmentdevelopmentandinfillhousingwillneedtobebalancedwithsomeminimumstandardsofamenityandquality.

APPENDIXCPLANNINGFORGROWTH–THEFACTSANDFIGURES

OURPOPULATIONISGROWINGANDWEHAVEAHOUSINGSHORTAGE! TheWellingtonRegionisforecasttogrowbyover96,000residentstoaround583,000by2043.

! ThefastestgrowingpartoftheregionisWellingtonCity.WellingtonCity’spopulationisexpectedtogrowbyaround53,000by2043underamediumgrowthscenarioandupto81,000underahighgrowthscenario.

! PopulationgrowthinWellingtonhasoutstrippedthenumberofdwellingsbeingconsentedeachyearsince2013andthistrendissettocontinue.Wellingtonwillhaveshortfallofupto15,000homesbasedonthehighgrowthforecast.

OURPOPULATIONISCHANGINGANDGETTINGOLDER

! Thecity’spopulationisageingandmorepeoplearelivingalone.

! By2043nearly60%ofallhouseholdswillbesinglesandcoupleswithoutchildren.

! Wewillrequiredifferenthousingtothecurrentpredominantlyfamilyhousingstock.

! Smallerhouseholdsareexpectedtomakeup70%ofourhouseholdgrowthto2043.

! Thetrendformoreapartmentdevelopmentinthecentralcityisexpectedtocontinue.

! TeArohasbeengrowingatoverthreetimestherateofthenextfastestgrowingsuburbs.

POPULATIONANDEMPLOYMENTGROWTH=MOREPEOPLETRAVELLINGTO,WITHIN,ANDFROMTHECITYEACHDAY

! Employmentisconcentratedinthecentralcity.Over40%oftheregion’sjobsand63%ofthecity’sjobsarelocatedinthecentralcity.

! Currentlyover80,000peopleperdaycommutetothecentralcityfromelsewhereinthecityandthewiderWellingtonregion.

! Projectionsshowtheregionalemploymentgrowingbybetween15%and20%overthenext30yearsandthatbetween55%and60%offuturegrowthinemploymentislikelytobelocatedinthecentralcity.

! Thenumberofjobsislikelytoincreasefromthecurrent94,000tobetween116,000and125,000overthenext30years.

WELLINGTONHASASTONGCULTUREOFWALKING,CYCLING,PUBLICTRANSPORTUSEANDALEGACYOFACOMPACTURBANFORM

! WellingtonianstravelmuchlessbycarthantheaverageNewZealander.

! Onaveragecartravelisthreetimeshigherinoutersuburbscomparedtothecentralcity.Carownershipishighestandgrowingintheoutersuburbs.

! Agrowthstrategythatdirectsnewdevelopmentawayfromthecentralcitywillleadtomorepressureonthetransportnetwork.

! AroundathirdofWellington’sgreenhousegasemissionsarefromroadtransport.

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