Entities associated with Sir Peter Jackson and Dame Fran Walsh have bought more than $100 million worth of property in Wellington's Lyall Bay - so what could be in the pipeline?
And days after it was revealed Wellington Hospital had stopped serving toast to new mums immediately post-birth, what's happening now?
NZ Herald Wellington Issues reporter joined Nick for her regular Capital Letter slot.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk said by taking the pulse of the city.
The Capital Letter on news Talks edb.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Joining us for her regular Capital Letters slotters New Zealand Herald,
Wellington's Issues reported Georgina Campbell, good morning.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
George, good morning.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Let's start with the big news that I broke on
the show. Would be a Tory farer. Don't give me
that dirty look because I know you. You had released
it earlier or we all made noises of it. But
I talked to Tory Farno about it because I'd heard
it one hundred million was one hundred and ten million.
I got that wrong. Let's sir Peter Jackson has brought
up more properly in Lyle Bay. What's he going to
(00:48):
build there? Come on, George, you must know.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Yes, so properly. Records have now confirmed that interests associated
with Sir Peter Jackson have spent one hundred and five
million dommers buying a large piece of land in Lyle Bay.
I know it's the talk of the town. It's like
the the gossip stars have aligned on this one, and
the rumors are that it could be the site of
(01:13):
Peter Jackson's long awaited movie museum. Now, it is worth
noting that neither Sir Peter Jackson or his partner, Dame
framwellsh have publicly commented on their plans for the site,
but it would be kind of exciting if that's what
was going to happen there, and people will remember that
originally the movie museum was going to be part of
(01:34):
Tarkina the Convention Center, and unfortunately kind of that plan soured.
Former Mayor Justin Lester said, they just sort of kept
waiting for Sir Peter Jackson to give the council more
detailed designs and in the end they couldn't wait any
longer and had to go ahead without them. But I
went back through Wellington City Council documents from twenty sixteen
(01:57):
which kind of outlined the plan for the museum, because
I thought, you know, everyone's talking about a museum, but
what would that actually look like? What would it do
for the city. And it was pitched as you know,
an iconic tourist attraction. It was going to take up
ten thousand square meters at the Convention Center over two
levels and a mezzanine in Sir Peter Jackson's collection like
(02:21):
He's got the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Car, thousands of
designs and props and models that have been used for
films over the years. It was expected the museum would
attract three hundred and fifty thousand visitors annually, create two
hundred and fifty eight jobs, and generate twenty eight point
two million dollars in new spending. So if it is
(02:41):
going to be the movie museum, it would be a
big deal.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Big deal. Would they be able to get car parpy
you live in that area. I live in that area.
Car parking is a problem, you know, and getting people
to and from through Well, we've got the second Mount
Victoria cunnel cunning so we'll be okay a little bit better,
won't we.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Yeah. I'm not holding my breath on that one.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Oh well, that's another story.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
That's another story.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
But yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
The difference is is that Tarkena is in the central city.
This would be in Lyle Bay, and I think there
would be some questions around how the infrastructure out there
is set up for something like that, including roads and
car parking and all the rest of it.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
I'm not going to put a cafe in there, probably would.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
And the movie museum probably yeah. Probably.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
I hear my roomors are telling me there's also going
to be some sort of polytech or training school in there,
you know, like a movie associated to movies. So that's
what I also hear. You can keep that one between
me and you're at the stage, but that's what I'm
that's what I'm hearing. We heard a few months ago
that the Council's convention center Taquina isn't going as well
(03:48):
as expected, but you have found out that it's been
actually propped up by something that really doesn't make me
feel that good. Tell us about it.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Yeah, So this is what's known as the Downtown Levy.
It's a levy on businesses and this year it will
generate seventeen point six million dollars from more than three
thousand properties, so it's you know, decent amount of money.
But I did find out that three point nine million
(04:19):
dollars of that is being spent on Tarkina, and that's
for Tarkina's net operating costs. And look, it's it's always
been intended, it's in the public domain that Tarkina's net
operational costs would be met by rate payers. Which is
through the levee and general rates. But I think it
was good to find out actually how much of that
(04:39):
levy is been used. Well, it's about four million dollars
and Wellington Chamber of Commerce isn't very happy about it.
It's chief executive Simon Arcus said, you know, the levee's
initial purpose was to subsidize free parking in the city
and for promotional days for businesses. Like it's businesses paying
this levy, right.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
We're paying the levee to bring more people into the city.
That was the whole idea of the levy. That's what
we were sold it as, hey, you you help out,
give us some money. We'll bring more events, more things
to the city, not build a convention center. And I
mean yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Well, Simon Arkas says that the levee has sort of
become a default fund, heavily weighted towards the arts and
now being used to prop up Tarkina. He sort of
feels like it's a fund that has become something that
the council can just sort of dip into for some
extra cash. The good news is is that Wellington Menatory
Faro sees while the information that she's seen indicates that
(05:35):
the levee was good value for money. She is open
to reviewing how the money is spent, especially given the
economic climate, and you know, business is paying the levee
should be part of that conversation.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Be devil's advocate on that. And this is no disrespect
to Torri Fano at all. But of course she's going
to say that, isn't she because she's dipping into a
fund and she's going to say it's all good and everything.
I mean, the good news is I think we've got
to look at the good news because you like to
be positive and I like that too. Is that it's
amazing center. It's great. I mean, I love it to qina.
I think it's a really good thing for the city.
(06:08):
Got a really good cafe in there, doing well and
feeling good. It's only amount of time till it comes right.
But I don't want them dipping into our fun to
bring stuff in there. The council should be down more
paying for it.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Yeah, and mind it has you know, it's had more
than one hundred and twenty events in its first year,
contributing forty three million dollars to Wellington's economy. The problem
is is that it's not performing as well as hope
with its net position was last reported as being down
one point two million dollars compared with the budget. So
as you say, hopefully that will come right.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Okay, let's move on. We talked about this on Monday
and we ran through the details of the Wellington Hospital.
You turn over tea and toast for mums. This was
a terrible idea. Thank goodness. This is for mums that
gave birth. They told them they couldn't have tea and
toast after or a milo and toast after they gave birth.
This was the craziest thing I've ever heard of. Now
(07:01):
they've done a bit of a U turn thanks to
me and you.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Yeah, yeah, And I just want to clarify U turn
because people were saying that the hospital had U turned
but that was kind of temporary. They said, well, while
we work this out, we'll still offer them toast. And
I went back to House New Zealand and I said, no,
I want to know whether the toast is going to
be on the menu for good, not just in the
interim when you sought out your processes. So a House
(07:25):
New Zealand spokesman told me that toast and spreads will
now be offered to women as part of a range
of meals, and importantly, he said, this is not going
to change. So women will be able to have a
slice of toast with some jam on whatever they want,
milow cup of tea after giving birth. And from what
(07:46):
I've seen on social media, women have said that is
like the best slice of toast they've ever had in
their life. Even if it's like.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
A thin, little mea piece of.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
It just tastes like heaven.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Well.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
I had the experience of talking to my daughter in
law when this news Chris came out, and she said
that two years ago when she gave birth to my
gorgeous green and so she said it was the best
post that she'd ever had, and she had she was
sitting there talking to me, she was almost like frothing
at the mouth telling about it. How could a piece
of toast be that good after you give birth?
Speaker 3 (08:17):
I understand one hundred percent, absolutely, And it's such a
small thing, just a piece of toast that obviously brings
so much comfort to women.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Great, thanks George, always a pleasure. Great to have you
on the show. We're lucky to have you on the
show every Wednesday. Since the show started. That's why the
show rates so well, because George
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Is on for more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills,
Listen live to news talks It'd be Wellington from nine
am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk said by taking the pulse of the city.
The Capital Letter on news Talks edb.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Joining us for her regular Capital Letters slotters New Zealand Herald,
Wellington's Issues reported Georgina Campbell, good morning.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
George, good morning.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Let's start with the big news that I broke on
the show. Would be a Tory farer. Don't give me
that dirty look because I know you. You had released
it earlier or we all made noises of it. But
I talked to Tory Farno about it because I'd heard
it one hundred million was one hundred and ten million.
I got that wrong. Let's sir Peter Jackson has brought
up more properly in Lyle Bay. What's he going to
(00:48):
build there? Come on, George, you must know.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Yes, so properly. Records have now confirmed that interests associated
with Sir Peter Jackson have spent one hundred and five
million dommers buying a large piece of land in Lyle Bay.
I know it's the talk of the town. It's like
the the gossip stars have aligned on this one, and
the rumors are that it could be the site of
(01:13):
Peter Jackson's long awaited movie museum. Now, it is worth
noting that neither Sir Peter Jackson or his partner, Dame
framwellsh have publicly commented on their plans for the site,
but it would be kind of exciting if that's what
was going to happen there, and people will remember that
originally the movie museum was going to be part of
(01:34):
Tarkina the Convention Center, and unfortunately kind of that plan soured.
Former Mayor Justin Lester said, they just sort of kept
waiting for Sir Peter Jackson to give the council more
detailed designs and in the end they couldn't wait any
longer and had to go ahead without them. But I
went back through Wellington City Council documents from twenty sixteen
(01:57):
which kind of outlined the plan for the museum, because
I thought, you know, everyone's talking about a museum, but
what would that actually look like? What would it do
for the city. And it was pitched as you know,
an iconic tourist attraction. It was going to take up
ten thousand square meters at the Convention Center over two
levels and a mezzanine in Sir Peter Jackson's collection like
(02:21):
He's got the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Car, thousands of
designs and props and models that have been used for
films over the years. It was expected the museum would
attract three hundred and fifty thousand visitors annually, create two
hundred and fifty eight jobs, and generate twenty eight point
two million dollars in new spending. So if it is
(02:41):
going to be the movie museum, it would be a
big deal.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Big deal. Would they be able to get car parpy
you live in that area. I live in that area.
Car parking is a problem, you know, and getting people
to and from through Well, we've got the second Mount
Victoria cunnel cunning so we'll be okay a little bit better,
won't we.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Yeah. I'm not holding my breath on that one.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Oh well, that's another story.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
That's another story.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
But yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
The difference is is that Tarkena is in the central city.
This would be in Lyle Bay, and I think there
would be some questions around how the infrastructure out there
is set up for something like that, including roads and
car parking and all the rest of it.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
I'm not going to put a cafe in there, probably would.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
And the movie museum probably yeah. Probably.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
I hear my roomors are telling me there's also going
to be some sort of polytech or training school in there,
you know, like a movie associated to movies. So that's
what I also hear. You can keep that one between
me and you're at the stage, but that's what I'm
that's what I'm hearing. We heard a few months ago
that the Council's convention center Taquina isn't going as well
(03:48):
as expected, but you have found out that it's been
actually propped up by something that really doesn't make me
feel that good. Tell us about it.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Yeah, So this is what's known as the Downtown Levy.
It's a levy on businesses and this year it will
generate seventeen point six million dollars from more than three
thousand properties, so it's you know, decent amount of money.
But I did find out that three point nine million
(04:19):
dollars of that is being spent on Tarkina, and that's
for Tarkina's net operating costs. And look, it's it's always
been intended, it's in the public domain that Tarkina's net
operational costs would be met by rate payers. Which is
through the levee and general rates. But I think it
was good to find out actually how much of that
(04:39):
levy is been used. Well, it's about four million dollars
and Wellington Chamber of Commerce isn't very happy about it.
It's chief executive Simon Arcus said, you know, the levee's
initial purpose was to subsidize free parking in the city
and for promotional days for businesses. Like it's businesses paying
this levy, right.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
We're paying the levee to bring more people into the city.
That was the whole idea of the levy. That's what
we were sold it as, hey, you you help out,
give us some money. We'll bring more events, more things
to the city, not build a convention center. And I
mean yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Well, Simon Arkas says that the levee has sort of
become a default fund, heavily weighted towards the arts and
now being used to prop up Tarkina. He sort of
feels like it's a fund that has become something that
the council can just sort of dip into for some
extra cash. The good news is is that Wellington Menatory
Faro sees while the information that she's seen indicates that
(05:35):
the levee was good value for money. She is open
to reviewing how the money is spent, especially given the
economic climate, and you know, business is paying the levee
should be part of that conversation.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Be devil's advocate on that. And this is no disrespect
to Torri Fano at all. But of course she's going
to say that, isn't she because she's dipping into a
fund and she's going to say it's all good and everything.
I mean, the good news is I think we've got
to look at the good news because you like to
be positive and I like that too. Is that it's
amazing center. It's great. I mean, I love it to qina.
I think it's a really good thing for the city.
(06:08):
Got a really good cafe in there, doing well and
feeling good. It's only amount of time till it comes right.
But I don't want them dipping into our fun to
bring stuff in there. The council should be down more
paying for it.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Yeah, and mind it has you know, it's had more
than one hundred and twenty events in its first year,
contributing forty three million dollars to Wellington's economy. The problem
is is that it's not performing as well as hope
with its net position was last reported as being down
one point two million dollars compared with the budget. So
as you say, hopefully that will come right.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Okay, let's move on. We talked about this on Monday
and we ran through the details of the Wellington Hospital.
You turn over tea and toast for mums. This was
a terrible idea. Thank goodness. This is for mums that
gave birth. They told them they couldn't have tea and
toast after or a milo and toast after they gave birth.
This was the craziest thing I've ever heard of. Now
(07:01):
they've done a bit of a U turn thanks to
me and you.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Yeah, yeah, And I just want to clarify U turn
because people were saying that the hospital had U turned
but that was kind of temporary. They said, well, while
we work this out, we'll still offer them toast. And
I went back to House New Zealand and I said, no,
I want to know whether the toast is going to
be on the menu for good, not just in the
interim when you sought out your processes. So a House
(07:25):
New Zealand spokesman told me that toast and spreads will
now be offered to women as part of a range
of meals, and importantly, he said, this is not going
to change. So women will be able to have a
slice of toast with some jam on whatever they want,
milow cup of tea after giving birth. And from what
(07:46):
I've seen on social media, women have said that is
like the best slice of toast they've ever had in
their life. Even if it's like.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
A thin, little mea piece of.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
It just tastes like heaven.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Well.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
I had the experience of talking to my daughter in
law when this news Chris came out, and she said
that two years ago when she gave birth to my
gorgeous green and so she said it was the best
post that she'd ever had, and she had she was
sitting there talking to me, she was almost like frothing
at the mouth telling about it. How could a piece
of toast be that good after you give birth?
Speaker 3 (08:17):
I understand one hundred percent, absolutely, And it's such a
small thing, just a piece of toast that obviously brings
so much comfort to women.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Great, thanks George, always a pleasure. Great to have you
on the show. We're lucky to have you on the
show every Wednesday. Since the show started. That's why the
show rates so well, because George
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Is on for more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills,
Listen live to news talks It'd be Wellington from nine
am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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