Fowler Fizzes

The mayor began the meeting by saying that he was delighted that so many people were present, and then had to subject himself to the indignity of reading a telegram from a dozen or so ratepayers opposed to the Council's proposal, and who were unable to attend the meeting. But Mr Fowler then went on to say how holding forums was part of Council policy, and that the Council was willing to listen to all 'valid' views. He seemed to have forgotten the Council forum on the Civic Centre, which was advertised on a Friday night only for a Sunday forum, and at which consequently only very few people attended. Architect Martin Hill writing in the Dominion on Friday 29th August, described this as making a laughing stock of the idea of people's involvement.'

After this, the floor was handed over to City Planner Ken Clarke, who noted that in 1965, when the plans were made, the Council's Officers were very engineering and roading oriented. This was obviously supposed to provide him with an excuse as he detailed the Council's proposals, which he summarised by expressing the belief that if the Council was going to build a road, it might as well build a decent one.

At this point, the meeting was opened up for questions and comments. First to speak was an elderly man who told the meeting that, 20 years ago the Council had had an embargo on the Western side of Herbert Street, but had lifted it, whereupon almost immediately, the large modern building which now stands on the corner of Dixon Street and Herbert Street was built. That was why the Victoria Street extension now had to go on the Eastern side of Herbert Street, and consequently take a less direct and more circuitous route.

This point also related to the Council's embargo on the Eastern side of Willis Street, and Councillor Button insisted that Willis Street would eventually have to be widened to four lanes, but that the urgency of this would depend on the progress of the Victoria Street extension. The meeting was reminded that present traffic problems in Willis Street have been aggravated by the closure of a portion of Cuba Street for the Cuba Mall, to which Councillor Brunt responded by saying that it was rather silly to have to build a new street every time one was closed off for a mall. The suggestion was made that the proposal to extend Victoria Street might make some sense if Willis Street and the Victoria Street extension were to constitute a one way system But the mayor replied to this that there was a consensus of opinion on the Council that one-way streets were a disaster.

Mr Fowler also expressed his pride in the high occupancy rates for public transport in Wellington but then added that 70 to 80% of Wellington's people do not use public passenger transport Having thus succeeded admirably in confusing the issues on the question of traffic, he handed the floor over to Councillor Button, chairman of the Council's Transport Committee who told how 90,000 passengers were carried on the buses every day. Councillor Button insisted however that it was motor traffic that had been the foundation of Wellington, and which always would be so, but which assertion leaves unanswered the question of how Wellington existed before 1900. Yet this approach comprised the basis for his arguing that the Council's aim was to develop the movement of traffic, because, after all, traffic was doubling every seven years. This also appeared to constitute some sort of reason for the City Council to refuse to buy any new buses.

This led directly to a discussion of one of the Council's important reasons for the Victoria Street extension (now that they can no longer blame it on the North West Connector) - the fact that there was no adequate rear access for shops in Cuba Street and the Te Aro area generally Somehow the Victoria Street extension is supposed to remedy this situation, but Councillor Button thought that there might be problems with double parking! Yet, presumably the already existing streets which provide the line along which the Victoria Street extension is to run already provide rear access to these shops, and therefore those shops which do not have rear access are unlikely to have it improved by the Victoria Street extension. And for all that an ex-truck driver pointed out, the type of road that the City Council proposes to make out of the Victoria Street extension will hardly be one for backing a truck off. Rear access for service vehicles will very likely be made more difficult, rather than easier!

Another of the arguments used to justify the Council's proposal was that Herbert Street and the building occupied by Radfords on the corner of Farish Street and Manners Street were, in general, in a rather dilapidated state. However, the proposed alignment for the Victoria Street extension does not require the demolition of the Radfords building and thus that argument would appear to be largely specious It was suggested that the rundown state of Herbert Street was a result of the City Council's proposals to demolish most of the buildings in the area, and that therefore no-one was prepared to spend any money there Obviously the general decay could be much more cheaply remedied with some paint and some paving

Councillor David Shand then proceeded to attack Councillor Button's arguments first of all by pointing out that there were very few schemes that could not be justified on traffic grounds such as for example, un-plugging the Cuba Mall. Traffic would go anywhere where there was space for it Further, he told how the Council as a whole did not appear to be willing to reconsider its plans, and had voted against his proposal at its July meeting to defer any action for three months. The Council's substitute for this deferment was to hold this public meeting.

At this stage, many others of those present at the meeting started to follow David Shand's lead in questioning the genuineness of Mr Fowler's claim that the City Council was prepared to change its mind. It had committed itself by programming the extension to reach Vivian Street by the end of 1977, and by including it in its budgeting. It had arranged for the National Roads Board to meet three quarters of the cost, which is a sad comment on the role of that body.

At the conclusion of the meeting, two motions were passed: the first, opposing the Victoria Street extension, by a very large majority, and the second calling for a public hearing on roading policy in the Te Aro area, without a dissenting voice. Yet one cannot help but suspect that the City administration of Mayor Fowler, who seems to regard himself as some sort of petty dictator will ignore these expressions and go ahead with extending Victoria Street.