Report for the year ended 31st March 2012 

It’s good to report back on our 31st year and, from this, to think about the future for Wellington, and how we can contribute to it. Since the Civic Trust began in 1981, our aim has been to help make Wellington the best of all possible places to live and work. Our founders, drawing on the 1960s Civic Trusts’ work in the UK, and on the later ones  in New Zealand which we heard about at last year’s AGM, set these goals (amongst others) in our constitution which still frame our work now:

• To stimulate public interest in and care for the beauty, history and character of the City of Wellington and its surroundings and adjacent countryside and coastline and its dignity as the Capital City;
• To preserve, develop and improve buildings and features of general public amenity or historic interest or beauty;
• To create or improve features of beauty or interest in and about the City and its contiguous countryside and coastline;
• To promote high standards in architecture, landscape management, building and town and country planning.

The 31st AGM will be held on Monday 14th May 2012 5.30pm for 6pm, at Turnbull House, Bowen St, Wellington.

Guest Speaker: John Shewan, of Shape the Future 

Please join members and trustees for drinks from 5.30pm. 

Chairman’s introduction

Our logo is the only graphic we use in these newsletters — because we want them to be best known for the facts they convey to members and supporters. Should we put effort into more attractive communication, or would this detract from the Board’s focus on the Wellington issues which are our core focus? Something you might like to come along to the AGM on Monday May 14th and discuss – the notice of Agenda and of our guest speaker, John Shewan, and the Annual Report of our actual work through 2011/12, come with this mailout. There’s also the invitation to renew your subscription. The Civic Trust needs your continued support, and continued new members. The annual fee is kept low, but like many small costs it is tempting to save on them. The Annual Report, and this Newsletter update, will I hope confirm the value of the Trust and the value to you and to our city of your being a supportive member.

Read more »

The Wellington Civic Trust welcomes the opportunity to make a submission on the Wellington City Bus Review.

We are pleased that two regional councillors held public meetings to hear first-hand the concerns of the users of these services. We would have wished that all the Wellington regional councillors had taken the opportunity to engage directly with the public on this important issue. Read more »

One year on from the huge February 2011 earthquake, board members invite you to consider this request from our Christchurch colleagues.

From the Christchurch Civic Trust:

Online Petition: Stop the destruction of Christchurch heritage buildings

Wholesale destruction continues. The former Sydenham Post Office: demolished. Only 2 or 3 historic / heritage buildings left on Colombo St, Sydenham: unbelievable! Christ Church Cathedral could be demolished in part or full: unthinkable! The owner of the former Chief Post Office in the Square wants to demolish. The former Christchurch Railway Station is still under threat.  Read more »

The Wellington Civic Trust has told the Wellington Regional Council to think again. It has asked the council to withdraw its support for the flyover alongside the Basin Reserve, and the other roading plans being pushed on to Wellington by the NZ Transport Agency.

The Trust says the roading issue is of great significance to the city and the region. It challenges the council’s belief that the subject lacks sufficient “significance.”

Read the rest of the story on Scoop.co.nz

To the Wellington City Council Strategy & Policy Committee

1. The draft before you is about the July 2011 NZTA “Public engagement” scheme. They’ve made available the public feedback about it to inform Council’s submission. We’re heartened by that, it’s what your press statement of July 4th committed to; it’s worth noting in the submission itself.
2. One of those 2000+ giving feedback was us, the Civic Trust. We said then that NZTA billed its scheme as “an improvement for a successful capital city” and our stance then and now is made in this light.  Read more »

To the Wellington City Council Strategy and Policy Committee

The Trust agrees with the main finding of the report — that the framework is fit for purpose. The Trust has never understood why the Council would wish to disturb a set of objectives and principles which were the product of a consultative and collaborative process and which had successfully established benchmarks for evaluating specific proposals.  Read more »

To the Wellington City Council

This is our submission on the Town Belt Guiding Principles (public consultation closing 9 September 2011). It is of enduring interest to us, and we wish to be heard in any oral submissions process on this consultation.

Overriding paramount principles

1. Firstly, the Wellington Civic Trust (the Trust) recommends to Council that there be overriding paramount principles.  The foremost of these would be that the Town Belt is to be accorded a mana and a sanctity that place it supremely above all other public reserve and recreation areas.  The other overriding principle would be that each generation of Wellington Councillors and citizens honour the responsibility of protecting and enhancing the Town Belt as open recreational space for future generations in perpetuity. This is not just another park.  Read more »

To the NZ Transport Agency

Why the Wellington Civic Trust is making a submission

1. The Wellington Civic Trust has as its first object “to promote a civic environment whereby the City of Wellington, its surroundings, and its adjacent countryside and coastline become a resource for the use, benefit and enjoyment of all Wellington citizens.” (Constitution and rules, Objects, Clause 4 (a)) The NZTA proposals are billed as “improvements for a successful capital city.”  We have therefore approached this project in that light.  Would it promote that object set out in our constitution and in so doing would it make this capital city more successful?