The Ministry of Culture and Heritage proposes to build a Memorial Park adjacent to the present War Memorial on Buckle St (in front of the Carrillon and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier). The Park is expected to occupy the land area between Mt Cook School and adjacent buildings in St Martin Square to the North, the block of land with Massey University, the War Memorial, the old Police Barracks and the Defence Forces site to the South, Tory and Tasman Sts to the East and Taranaki Street to the West.
The project also involves the Wellington City Council, Transit New Zealand and the Ministry of Defence as the other main government stakeholders.
Buckle Street is expected to be routed in a gradual arc past the Mt Cook School - about 10m at the closest point - instead of its present location about 40m away from the School boundary. Mt Cook School representatives and parents believe there will be major ill-effects if this proposed road change goes ahead.
Increases in the concentrations of carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and small particles (PM10) by 260% each are expected as a consequence of moving Buckle Street as planned, according to Ministry of the Enviroment formulae. Traffic pollution in this case cannot be mitigated or blocked: none of the mitigation options offered by the Ministry of the Enviroment apply here . Trees, walls, etc. are good and necessary for reducing noise, but make no difference whatsoever to localised hour-by-hour air pollution levels.
In study after study, traffic pollution has been shown to damage children’s respiratory health, and the higher the exposure, the worse the effects. In particular, traffic pollution exacerbates asthma. Truck traffic is particularly bad. Furthermore, a recent study suggests traffic pollution exposure in children can cause permanent, life shortening lung damage. Ministry of the Environment site on air pollution cited earlier has some general information worth looking at. For example, in Wellington particle concentrations already cause an estimated 79 premature deaths, 30 hospitalisations and 100,000 person days of restricted activity per year. Click here to see more.
Existing public health research shows inequalities in health outcomes in New Zealand by socio-economic status and ethnic group. (see pretty much anything published by Tony Blakely and/or the University of Otago Health Inequalities Research Programme.)
The 2005 Mt Cook School ERO Report shows the following breakdown in the school population
Mt Cook School | Decile 2 | |
Ethnic composition | New Zealand European/Pakeha | 27% |
African | 27% | |
Maori | 17% | |
Samoan | 10% | |
Asian | 10% | |
Other Ethnic Groups | 9% |
Moving the road, resulting in adverse health impacts for Mt Cook School children, would contradict the whole of government policy on Reducing Inequalities.
The main traffic intersection between Tory, Tasman and Buckle Sts will be brought much closer to the school entrance according to current Ministry of Culture and Heritage plans. Traffic volumes in this area have been increased by the creation of the Wellington Inner City Bypass from Willis Street to the Basin Reserve, and are expected to increase further. This is particularly worrying as significant safety concerns with the existing intersection have been reported to, and acknowledged by, the Wellington City Council. For example, vehicles frequently run through one of the crossing when pedestrians, including parents and school children have a signal to go. These present concerns remain unaddressed, but could be dealt with using a bridge for North-South foot traffic over Buckle Street in its existing location.
The question needs to be asked, "who will be the users of the Memorial Park and the surrounding area?"
The Memorial Park design should weight community and school highly AND facilitate government official use.
There has been no study commissioned to take into account the needs and perspectives of various users of the area
Consultation has occurred at a late stage after government parties have decided on the design parameters. This effectively blocks opportunities to negotiate the “best outcome for users”
The approach taken doesn’t seem to link with WCC longer term plans for the area - see below
Ernst Zolner, Director, Strategy and Planning for the Wellington City Council, indicated that the WCC intends to reduce the traffic in Tory Street. The idea is to make that thoroughfare more pedestrian friendly in the medium term, like Cuba Street. It would be good to know more about this, and the implications for the development and/or retention of amenities such as parks, a swimming pool and gym, retail outlets, and apartments.
A Memorial Park that is accessible, maintains the health and safey and legal rights of local residents, facilitates official commemorative occasions, and is consistent with a larger vision and urban planning for the Mt Cook area.
Mt Cook School and parents are compiling their concerns and suggestions to be incorporated in the Ministry's detailed design brief to go to selected landscape designers by July 6. We all know this is far from satisfactory - the timeline and current design parameters.
Representatives of Mt Cook School and parents attended a meeting of the Memorial Park Project Committee on 26 June 2007. Here is the:
These are people to whom you can express your concerns and offer suggestions:
Ernst Zollner
Director, Strategy Planning and Planning
04 801 3676
021 227-8105
Brodie Stubbs
04 496-6349
Sandy McCallum
Principal
04 385 9432
Geoff Stone
Local - looking after weblog and this wiki
021 204-3678