News briefs – August
Councils propose ‘super city’ merger
Wellington City Council has joined three other councils in putting forward a proposal for a Wellington ‘super city’ made up of all six Wellington region councils: Wellington City, Hutt City, Upper Hutt, Porirua City, Kapiti District, South Wairarapa District, Carterton District and Masterton District.
The proposal is not supported by Carterton and Masterton councils, who want a separate Wairarapa council, nor does it have the support of Upper Hutt and Kapiti.
Councils around the country were given a short deadline to come together and come up with amalgamation arrangements, otherwise the Government will make its own decisions.
The Government will make an ‘in principle’ decision about whether to accept the proposals in September, but a final decision won’t be made until May 2027.
Wellington voted number 1 Australasian city
Wellington has been ranked the #1 City in Australia and New Zealand in the 2026 Travel + Leisure Co. World's Best Awards.
The annual awards are decided by travellers, with more than 207,000 readers casting over 661,000 votes across destinations, hotels, airlines, and experiences worldwide.
According to the travel publication, the results reflect the places that continue to inspire visitors through exceptional experiences, authentic character, and a strong sense of place.
https://www.travelandleisure.com/worlds-best-awards-best-cities-11952492
Fast track for SH1 improvements despite no funding
NZTA is lodging an application for a Fast-track Approvals with the Environmental Protection Authority Te Mana Rauhī Taiao for the consents and approvals for SH1 Wellington Improvements.
This is despite NZTA recently revealing that funding for the project is not currently available, and that that the agency is stopping detailed design work.
The designs being submitted for fast tracking have been updated following public feedback.
Due to the high interest in the proposed design around the Basin Reserve and in Hataitai, we’ve prepared a summary of the updated designs for these 2 sections of the route in advance of lodging our application. This includes updates in Hataitai to improve pedestrian access and safety, add new footpaths and shared paths and help alleviate bus congestion. Around the Basin Reserve, we’ve realigned a slip lane to better accommodate game day events and crowds. You can view this summary on the SH1 Wellington Improvements project page.
