Latest news with #GreaterWellington
Scoop
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Local Business Owner & NZDF Serviceman, Nigel Elder, Selected As ACT Candidate For Greater Wellington Regional Council
ACT Local has selected Nigel Elder, a long-time Lower Hutt resident, New Zealand Defence Force serviceman, and successful business owner as its candidate for the Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai/Lower Hutt constituency of the Greater Wellington Regional Council in this year's local election. Nigel is a dad, a keen cyclist and rugby enthusiast, and has called Lower Hutt home for over a decade. He currently serves in the New Zealand Defence Force, has worked in agriculture, and for the past 15 years has run his own wine export business—proudly taking quality New Zealand produce to the world. 'I'm running to bring smarter, leaner regional governance to Greater Wellington. We need better infrastructure, more efficient services, and real support for the industries that keep our region moving. "I'll champion practical solutions and flood protection, reliable public transport, clean water, instead of waste and grandstanding. I back local control over water assets, not another Three Waters-style bureaucracy. Let's respect property rights, cut the red tape, and get Greater Wellington working again. No fluff, just straight-up results.' – Nigel Elder Earlier this year, ACT New Zealand announced it would be standing Common Sense Candidates for local government for the first time — after hearing from New Zealanders across the country who are sick of rising rates, ballooning budgets, and councils that ignore the basics while chasing ideological vanity projects. When you vote ACT Local, you know what you're getting: Fixing the basics Lower Rates Cutting the waste Ending race-based politics Restoring accountability ACT Local Government spokesperson Cameron Luxton says: ' ACT Local candidates are community-minded Kiwis who've had enough of wasteful councils treating ratepayers like ATMs. It's time to take control on behalf of ratepayers — to restore accountability and deliver real value for money. ACT Local is about getting the basics right: maintaining roads, keeping streets clean, and respecting the people who pay the bills. Our candidates won't divide people by race or get distracted by climate vanity projects. They're here to serve, not lecture." – Cameron Luxton
RNZ News
09-07-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Three confirmed measles cases in the Wairarapa
Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi There are three confirmed cases of measles in the Wairarapa region, Health New Zealand says. It says the three cases are connected and are linked to overseas travel. Medical Officer of Health in the Greater Wellington region, Dr Annette Nesdale, said all three confirmed cases had recently travelled overseas where they are thought to have caught the virus, but were not infectious on their return flight to New Zealand. MORE TO COME... Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
13-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Happy Valley Land Purchased For Metlink Bus Depot
Press Release – Greater Wellington Te Pane Matua Taiao Approved by 86% of respondents during consultation for the 2024-34 Long term Plan, the strategy to acquire depot sites is considered crucial for securing the long-term continuity of Metlink bus services. A Happy Valley site has been purchased by Greater Wellington for the development of a bus depot as part of the regional council's Public Transport Asset Control Strategy. Approved by 86% of respondents during consultation for the 2024-34 Long term Plan, the strategy to acquire depot sites is considered crucial for securing the long-term continuity of Metlink bus services. Greater Wellington Transport Committee chair Thomas Nash says by controlling depots, the council is removing barriers for new bus operators to enter the market. 'Value for money for residents and public transport users through open and fair competition is a key plank of our strategy, which also aims to improve the passenger experience as we transition to a zero emissions fleet,' Cr Nash says. 'This purchase gives us a base for growth by encouraging bus operators that do not have depots to bid for Metlink contracts. It gives us certainty to make long term investments in charging infrastructure for electric buses, at a location that will help us deliver a more planned, responsive and efficient network.' 'We need the right infrastructure in the right places,' says Greater Wellington chair Daran Ponter. 'The depot will be near the start of several bus routes – including the high frequency route 1 – and will support the expansion and electrification of north to south services. 'Beyond 2030, the future is uncertain for the earthquake prone, historic Kilbirnie bus depot, while a depot in Rongotai has space constraints. 'That's why Metlink is also exploring opportunities for another depot north of Wellington, and breaking ground on a new depot by the airport to buttress east to west buses – including our most popular service, the route 2.' Greater Wellington takes possession of the one-hectare, Happy Valley section in May 2026, and plans for a depot to open there in mid-2028. Deputy Transport Committee chair Simon Woolf says the purchase is 'sensible future proofing' for the region. 'Happy Valley depot will eventually strengthen bus services between Wellington's south coast and growing areas in the north,' Cr Woolf says. 'It will initially stable up to 80 diesel buses, until sufficient energy is connected and battery chargers installed to power our expanding electric fleet.' South Wellington bus user and regional councillor Yadana Saw says Metlink is committed to being a good neighbour and responsible member of the Happy Valley community. 'Securing this site safeguards public transport assets in public ownership. It enables genuine engagement with people working and living nearby and strengthens our partnership with mana whenua Taranaki Whānui and Ngāti Toa Rangatira – by bringing us together on any sites of significance,' Cr Saw says. 'BigAir gym will continue to operate on the site, and other tenants will be given time to relocate. When development begins, we'll take steps to protect Ōwhiro Stream from any stormwater run-off that comes from the section. This is a win for transport, the environment and our community for the long term.'
Scoop
13-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Happy Valley Land Purchased For Metlink Bus Depot
A Happy Valley site has been purchased by Greater Wellington for the development of a bus depot as part of the regional council's Public Transport Asset Control Strategy. Approved by 86% of respondents during consultation for the 2024-34 Long term Plan, the strategy to acquire depot sites is considered crucial for securing the long-term continuity of Metlink bus services. Greater Wellington Transport Committee chair Thomas Nash says by controlling depots, the council is removing barriers for new bus operators to enter the market. 'Value for money for residents and public transport users through open and fair competition is a key plank of our strategy, which also aims to improve the passenger experience as we transition to a zero emissions fleet,' Cr Nash says. 'This purchase gives us a base for growth by encouraging bus operators that do not have depots to bid for Metlink contracts. It gives us certainty to make long term investments in charging infrastructure for electric buses, at a location that will help us deliver a more planned, responsive and efficient network.' 'We need the right infrastructure in the right places,' says Greater Wellington chair Daran Ponter. 'The depot will be near the start of several bus routes – including the high frequency route 1 – and will support the expansion and electrification of north to south services. 'Beyond 2030, the future is uncertain for the earthquake prone, historic Kilbirnie bus depot, while a depot in Rongotai has space constraints. 'That's why Metlink is also exploring opportunities for another depot north of Wellington, and breaking ground on a new depot by the airport to buttress east to west buses – including our most popular service, the route 2.' Greater Wellington takes possession of the one-hectare, Happy Valley section in May 2026, and plans for a depot to open there in mid-2028. Deputy Transport Committee chair Simon Woolf says the purchase is 'sensible future proofing' for the region. 'Happy Valley depot will eventually strengthen bus services between Wellington's south coast and growing areas in the north,' Cr Woolf says. 'It will initially stable up to 80 diesel buses, until sufficient energy is connected and battery chargers installed to power our expanding electric fleet.' South Wellington bus user and regional councillor Yadana Saw says Metlink is committed to being a good neighbour and responsible member of the Happy Valley community. 'Securing this site safeguards public transport assets in public ownership. It enables genuine engagement with people working and living nearby and strengthens our partnership with mana whenua Taranaki Whānui and Ngāti Toa Rangatira – by bringing us together on any sites of significance,' Cr Saw says. 'BigAir gym will continue to operate on the site, and other tenants will be given time to relocate. When development begins, we'll take steps to protect Ōwhiro Stream from any stormwater run-off that comes from the section. This is a win for transport, the environment and our community for the long term.'
RNZ News
12-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Free fares for bus-replaced Wairarapa train services long time coming
File photo. Waterloo train station. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King Free fares for Wairarapa train services that have been bus replaced indefinitely have been a long time coming says a local councillor. The route between the capital and Masterton has been plagued by issues for the first half of this year. In March RNZ reported that just 17 percent of Wairarapa's trains were on time for most of February. Between April 2024 and April 2025 patronage on the line had plunged by 25 percent. Greater Wellington Regional Council have pointed to a lack of staff on the Wairarapa line which have necessary specialised training for the Remutaka Tunnel which had resulted in four services a week being bus replaced till further notice. The regional council believed Transdev who employed rail staff could provide enough training for the necessary number of workers by September. At a meeting today, council decided until then the bus replaced services would be free on the Wairarapa line. Greater Wellington regional councillor for Wairarapa Adrienne Staples said at the meeting the concessions were a long time coming. "This has been going on for a couple of months, we've been tearing our hair out in Wairarapa about this, and it has taken such a long time for us to take it seriously." Staples said the council now took the issue seriously but was critical for the time it took to do so. Fellow councillor and transport committee chair Thomas Nash said this was good initiative but that the problem was in the context of a wider problem with passenger rail in New Zealand. Nash said whenever tactical interventions like this were considered it needed to be done alongside consideration of long-term issues with the rail lines such as who owns the rail assets and the control of them. It was estimated that the council would lose between $4000 and $6000 a week because of the concessions. The council has also said that rail infrastructure issues such as rusty rails, points failures and signal faults have caused delays for trains. KiwiRail chief metro and programmes officer David Gordon said the Wellington rail lines went through a period where they did not see the level of maintenance investment they needed for decades. "Particularly the Wairarapa Line which was approaching a state where closure may have been necessary." Gordon said while infrastructure issues contribute to the performance of the Wairarapa passenger trains, there were other factors. "Service crewing shortages remain an ongoing problem and these are not a KiwiRail responsibility." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
