mt victoria, wellington

Regular walkers have long lamented how difficult it is to cross the six lanes of traffic on Kent and Cambridge Terraces, but thanks to a recent upgrade arranged by Mayor Kerry Prendergast, the process just got easier at the Vivian Street corner.

One of the oft-cited reasons for demolishing pre-1930s homes is that the cost of renovation can vastly exceed the cost of simply demolishing the property and building something new. This tends to be a roundabout way of saying that the costs of bringing old structures up to modern building standards can be prohibitive, in part because the standards have changed dramatically since WWII.

To understand the heritage controls in place in Mt Victoria, it's necessary to take a look at the Council's District Plan. There are two parts of the District Plan that are directly relevant to heritage in Mt Victoria:

• The application of the design rules for the Mt Victoria North character area (PDF), and
• The application of the pre-1930's demolition rule (PDF).

In recent weeks there has been considerable community discussion about the issue of heritage controls in our neighbourhood, and many have expressed strong opinions about the subject.

For better or worse, two recent Council decisions to allow the demolition of cottages at 99 Majoribanks Street and 63 Brougham Street have acted as the catalyst for the issue, and the very public (and increasingly acrimonious) debate over proposed changes to the Thorndon heritage rules has added fuel to the fire.

The purpose of this editorial is to help explore the options for our neighbourhood. It seems inevitable that the Council will seek to apply consistent heritage rules across the city, and these rules will have a significant impact on our community because of the age of the majority of our buildings. I'm expecting that many people will have an opinion about how (or whether) these rules should apply in Mt Victoria, and I'd like to invite everyone who has a view to add their comments.

Over the next few weeks I'll see if I can describe some of the issues behind the heritage debate and represent the disparate views of some of the different groups. All comments - positive and negative - are welcomed, and I've opened up the commenting system to allow everyone to contribute. As with all these things, I'd ask that we try and keep the debate civil, so moderation is in place to ensure we're discussing issues rather than personalities.

This is an important topic for our community, and I encourage you to have your say.

Kent Duston
Editor
mtvictoria.org.nz

The DominionPost is featuring the remarkable progress of hit-and-run victim Earl Krauskopf, who as residents will recall was run down and then robbed in the Pirie Street bus tunnel at the end of January. Earl is now walking - up to a year ahead of schedule - and the video from the DomPost website is truly inspiring.

In separate tunnel developments, Eastern Ward Councillor Rob Goulden is pressing for gates to be installed across the tunnel entrance to prevent vehicles using it illegally after the last bus of the night. It seems like a sensible and practical idea, but Council officers remain adamantly opposed to it. However local residents can testify to the fact that the tunnel continues to be used on a daily basis by motorists and pedestrians alike, so it seems reckless of officers to continue to play roulette with people's lives.

We wish Earl all the best for his recovery, and if anyone has information regarding the blue car that hit him they are encouraged to call the Police.

Public submissions on the WCC's Long Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP) close on Monday, so if you're thinking of making comment about how our city will run over the next decade, now is your chance. Further information on the LTCCP is available from the Council and there is an online submission form for those last-minute thoughts..

Occasionally an e-mail arrives in the inbox that just cries out to be shared with the community ....

Dear friends,

We'd like you to be the first to know about our very special only Wellington show this winter.

We're over the moon to have secured the capital city's fine orchestra hall, the Michael Fowler Centre, for A Magical Evening with the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra on Saturday 27th June.

It'll be the kind of show we'd put on for ourselves in our living rooms, only with a few more people. Every ticket is incredibly cheap at just $15 (plus booking fees) - an incredible price for an incredible evening of hot ukulele riffs, fancy outfits, witty banter and stunning harmonies in a gorgeous setting. And the tickets are seated, so the earlier you book, the better your seats will be.

Tickets go on sale on Monday 11th May via Ticketek (www.ticketek.co.nz). We'll see you there, once we've figured out just what to wear. We plan to be wearing our 'number ones', and we hope you'll dress up too.

Love,

The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra

Local residents will remember that the Ukulele Orchestra played at one of the Old Crossways open days, and were a smash hit. So if you'd like a fine and fantastic evening of great music and huge fun, this is the event for you!

Updated: There have been two clarifications to the story - the owners have pointed out that the original plans were for two car pads, rather than two garages, and MVRA have pointed out that they opposed the final design on the basis that they are opposed to the demolition of heritage buildings in the neighbourhood as a matter of principle.

Quite a few residents have remarked about the demolition of the cottage at 63 Brougham Street, and have enquired about whether the Mt Victoria Residents Association was involved in discussions about the demolition.

Hi all

As some of you may know, the Council’s Long Term Council Community Plan is now out for consultation. You now have until the 18th May to make a submission.

The document and associated information can be found at:

http://www.wellington.govt.nz/haveyoursay/publicinput/ltccp/2009ltccp.html

Some of you may have put in an initial submission. In order for your submission to be considered as part of councillors’ formal deliberations, you will need to re-submit your submission, with any additional points that you might like to make after you have seen the draft.

Our local Lambton Ward Councillors have been recognised for their hard work on behalf of the community in the latest edition of The Wellingtonian. The paper conducted a survey of the performance of the Wellington City Councillors at the midway point in their terms, and Deputy Mayor Ian McKinnon and Councillor Iona Pannett were amongst the four star performers around the Council table: