Councillor Diane Calvert said the change was a “dog’s breakfast”. In an email to Foster on Thursday morning, she said: “Sending an email at 1.25am on the day of the debate proposing substantive amendments to your paper and little communication with elected members is alarming. “This whole LTP process (the most important task for any council) has caused far more angst for all than it should have been.
Kevin Stent/Stuff
Wellington City councillor Diane Calvert is appalled by the last-minute changes. “The city has many challenges and you as Mayor need to ensure that we are addressing them adequately through this process.
A massive campaign by cycling advocates has forced Wellington City Council to do a u-turn, signing off today on fast-tracking cycleways across the city.
Then 1.25am happened. That was the moment Mayor Andy Foster pressed send on an email in which he proposed changes to that 10-year plan. In essence Foster was proposing a change in cycleway funding that would mean borrowing more to bring the start of cycleway projects earlier, and changing the funding for the Pōneke Promise, a programme to try to make the central city safer. It was all part of a strategy to bring proposed rates increases down - more borrowing means less immediate impact on rates, while finding money for the Pōneke Promise from other places than directly by rates means less of an increase.
Report from RNZ
A massive campaign by cycling advocates has succeeded in convincing the Wellington City Council to do a u-turn, as councillors signed off today on Option Four for fast-tracking cycleways across the city.
Option Four – to spend $226million on cycleways over ten years – had been rejected in February in favour of a cheaper option focusing on high priority routes, but was passed today following an eleventh-hour amendment to the council’s long-term plan.
The plan that went out for public consultation was option three, to spend $120m on cycleways over a decade.
In a last minute amendment signalled to councillors overnight, Mayor Andy Foster proposed fast tracking some temporary cycleways at an extra cost of $52m. However, that was trumped by climate change portfolio leader councillor Tamatha Paul, who put option four back on the table. It had been ruled out earlier on the advice of council officers that there was not the workforce to do it.
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