Nick Mills: Can the Golden Mile review now

EDITORIAL:

Let’s be honest now — when is enough actually enough in this city? 

How long have Wellingtonians been listening to the words “Let’s Get Wellington Moving”?  

Seven years? Eight years? Longer? The project was officially launched back in 2017.  

Nearly a decade ago. Nearly a decade of workshops, consultations, artist impressions, reviews, counter-reviews, delays, blowouts, political infighting and endless promise for us. 

And what do we actually have to show for it? 

Seriously — what do we have to show for it? 

Because I walk through the start of the so-called Golden Mile redevelopment near the Embassy Theatre almost every day, and if you told a visitor from out of town that millions of dollars had already been spent there, they would laugh at you.  

They’d say, “Where? How? A few plants? Some shifted paving? A slightly rearranged pedestrian area? A cycleway?” 

That’s the transformational city-shaping project we’ve been arguing about for the best part of a decade? 

Meanwhile the city struggles. 

Retailers are struggling.

Businesses are struggling.

People are worried about rates.

Roading’s a mess.

Water infrastructure is collapsing. 

Construction costs have exploded. 

The council can barely afford what it already has on its plate. 

And now we’re spending another FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS on another review. 

Another review. 

Not fixing anything. 
Not building anything. 
Not deciding anything. 
Just another group of people sitting around discussing whether previous groups of people were right or wrong. 

I’m with Andrew Little on this one.  

At some point politicians have to actually make political decisions. If you were elected to lead, then damn well lead.  

Stop outsourcing every difficult decision to panels, consultants, independent reviews and strategic assessments. 

The original Golden Mile budget was in 2020 was $78 million. 
Then it became $160 million. 
Now it’s sitting around $220 million. 
And even Andrew Little is saying the council simply cannot afford another $60 million blowout. 

Hello! You wouldn’t need a degree to work that one out. 

So here’s the simple question: 
If we can’t afford it, why are we pretending we can? 

Because what’s happened in Wellington is death by consultation. 

Death by process. Death by indecision. We have become a city addicted to talking about things instead of actually doing them. 

And here’s the worst part — this uncertainty has hung over central Wellington businesses for years. Years.  

People trying to invest, lease buildings, open restaurants, run cafés, survive construction disruptions, they want to employ staff — all while the city keeps changing the plan every six months. 

Enough. 

Either do the project properly, fully funded, with certainty and timelines — or pull the plug and let us move on with our lives. 

And now. Not in 6 months' time – now. 

But this endless middle ground of reviews, pauses, re-scopes and consultant reports is draining the life, confidence and energy out of Wellington. Forget it 

Nearly a decade in, Wellingtonians deserve an answer and now. 

Not another workshop, not another panel.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
At B When is enough actually enough? How long have
Wellingtonians been listening to the words let's get Wellington moving?
Seven years? Eight years longer? The project actually officially was
launched back in twenty seventeen, so it's nearly a decade ago,

(00:35):
nearly a decade of workshops, consultations, artists, impressions, reviews, counter reviews, delays, blowouts,
political infighting, and endless promise for us. And what do
we actually have to show for it? Seriously, what do
we have to show for it? Because I walked through

(00:57):
the start of the so called Golden Mile redevelopment near
the Embassy Theater almost every day, and if you told
a visitor from our of Wellington that millions of dollars
have already been spent there, they would laugh at you.
That's say, where how a few plants, some paving, a
slightly rearranged pedestrian area and a crossover cycleway. That was

(01:24):
the transformational city shaping project that we've been arguing about
for the best part of a decade. And meanwhile, the
city struggles. Retailers are struggling businesses are struggling, people are
worried about the rates. Roadings are mess water infrastructure is collapsing,

(01:44):
Construction costs have exploded, and the Council can barely afford
what it has already got on its plate. And now
I'll bring you the news that another four hundred thousand
dollars on another review, another review, not fixing anything, not

(02:07):
building anything, not deciding anything concrete, just another group of
people sitting around discussing where the previous groups of people
were right or wrong. And I'm with Andrew Little on
this one. At some point politicians actually have to make
political decisions. If you're elected to lead, then damn we'll lead.

(02:29):
Stop outsourcing every difficult decision to panels of consultants, stop
independent reviews, and stop tesategic assessment. The Golden Mile original
budget was in twenty twenty seventy eight million dollars. Then
it became one hundred and sixty million dollars. Now it's

(02:53):
sitting at two hundred and twenty million dollars roughly, and
even Andrew Little saying the Council simply cannot afford another
sixty million dollar blowout. Hello, Hello, you wouldn't need a
degree to word that one out. So here's the simple question.
If we can't afford it, why are we pretending to

(03:15):
afford that we can afford it. Because that's what's happening
in Wellington. It's death by consultation, death by process, death
by indecision. We have become a city addicted to talking
about things and instead of actually getting off our ass
and doing them. And here's the worst part. This uncertainty

(03:39):
has hung over central Wellington businesses for years years. People
trying to invest, wanting to invest, trying to lease, wanting
to lease buildings, wanting to open businesses. They want to
be able to survive the construction disruptions that they were
told were going to happen. They want to employ people
while the city keeps changing the plan every six months.

(04:04):
I'm calling enough that do the project and do it properly,
fully funded, with certainty and timelines, or pull the plug
and damn well, let us move on with our life
and you know what, now not in six months time?

Speaker 1 (04:21):
Now?

Speaker 2 (04:22):
Put this endless middle ground reviews, pauses, rescopes and consultant reports.
That's training the life and confidence and energy out of
the city. Put it to one side. Forget it because
nearly a decade in Wellington, we deserve an answer, and now,

(04:42):
not another workshop, not another panel.

Speaker 1 (04:45):
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