Heritage at risk
A Wellington City Council survey asks homeowners about their heritage area experiences and challenges. The Mt Victoria Historical Society has some serious concerns. READ MORE.
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NEWS BRIEFS – April
Mayfair appeal lodged
Neighbours opposed to the Mayfair apartment block being built at the end of their shared driveway are now going to the Environment Court to try and stop it going ahead.
Westbourne Grove property owners lodged the appeal on 11 March, after developer Mark Quinn gained consent in February for a seven-storey multi-unit development of 32 residential units, 29 carparks, 25 cycle parks and associated earthworks, and subdivision consent for 32 unit titles.
The legal action by the owners and residents of the four properties living along the narrow Westbourne Grove accessway puts a temporary halt to the project, which was poised to start. More than 40 percent of the apartments were already sold or under contract according to the developer.
A spokesperson for the residents, Ralph Highnam, said the group would be making no further comment as the matter was before the court. Timing for the legal action is not yet known.
New retaining wall
McFarlane Street residents will have to contend with single lane access for several months while work is carried out on the street’s retaining wall.
The Wellington City Council has advised that from 16 March until May 2026 traffic will be managed under temporary traffic control using either a single lane priority system or stop/go control, and that access will be restricted at time.
The council says it is constructing a new retaining wall with anchored steel post to stabilise the existing walls and the undermined road slope.
Inner city negative about highway proposals
Residents in the CBD and inner-city suburbs are most negative about proposed changes to State Highway 1 including the construction of a Mt Victoria tunnel.
NZTA’s community engagement carried out at the end of 2025 gathered feedback from 2,432 people and organisations on the SH1 Wellington Improvements project, which includes a second Terrace Tunnel, changes to SH1 through Te Aro, Roading upgrades at the Basin Reserve, a second Mt Victoria tunnel and changes to SH1 through Hataitai and Kilbirnie.
Overall, more people (49%) thought the project would make things worse or much worse for them personally than those who thought it would be better or much better (31%), but more people (44%) thought the project would make things better or much better for the Wellington region than worse or much worse (40%).
Split by council ward, 63% of CBD respondents (which includes Mt Victoria) believed the project would make things worse for them personally, including 39% saying it would be ‘much worse’. 51% believed it would be worse or much worse for the Wellington region.
Feedback from all respondents on the second Mt Victoria tunnel element of the project was positive with 48% of people saying it will make things better or much better, compared with 40% of people saying it would make things worse or much worse.
NZTA said the input will help to inform the next stage of the project design, which will be included in the Fast-track Approvals Act (FTAA) application for the project in mid-2026.
