File ref: IRC-3225
25 May 2022
Chuck Schooner
[FYI request #19121 email]
Kia ora Chuck
Thank you for your request made under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings
Act 1987 (the Act), received on 12 April 2022. You requested the fol owing information:
• Net loss of businesses and or forecast loss of businesses folowing the implementation/
construction of the fol owing cycleways:
o Central city cycleways
o Cobham drive
o Hutt Road
o Kilbirnie connections
o Miramar town centre
o Newtown to city
o Newtown connections
o Oriental parade
o Thorndon quay
• If the above is not measured, can you please explain why?
• Can you please provide any business "hubs" that have opened up fol owing the
implementation of the cycleways above?
• If rates were tied directly to businesses rather than landowners does Wel ington City
Council / GWRC believe they would have any businesses stil operating in the city?
Wel ington City Council (the Council) has
refused your request for information.
The Council has not undertaken forecasting on business due to the development of the Bike
Network. This part of your request has been refused under section 17(g) of the Act because the
information is not held.
The Council has not forecast loss of businesses due to the development of a safe, connected Bike
Network. In many urban cases, evidence suggests that creating more people-orientated streets
including, but not limited to the instalment of bike lanes, increases footfal and revenue in these
areas. Changes in
Fort Street in Auckland that reduced vehicle volumes and speed, and encouraged
cycling, lead to 47% more visitors and a 429% increase in hospitality spending. We expect in the
next 30 years to see a substantial increase in population in our central city and suburban centres
and these main arterial streets which connect them wil need to be used to move more people.
The Newtown to the City transitional bike and bus improvements project is monitoring the
economic impact of the new bike and bus lanes. Baseline economic data has been collected and will
be compared with ‘after’ data once the full route has been instal ed and the new design has had
time to embed. Attached (Item 1) is some research data the was undertaken by the Council. I refer
you to pages 14-20. Please note that the strong rebound in Thorndon (absent at other areas in the
CBD) is probably due to the large number of Home Improvement retailers in that precinct. Spend
on the Home Improvement category has been strong irrespective (or because of) COVID-19.
The Council does not have business hubs as such, but the spatial plan identifies growth and multi-
use development in the central city and suburban centres. This part of your request has been
refused under section 17(g) of the Act as the al eged documentation containing the information
specifically about business hub creation around bike lanes is not held. The Bike Network aim is to
reduce our emissions from road transport, make it easier and safer for everyone one to move
around our growing city, opens up our streets for people of al ages and alibies and help connect
people to places.
The Council must fol ow the rules as set out by the Local Government (Rating) Act 2002 and
supported by the Council’s
Revenue & Finance Policy, Rates Postponement Policy and
Rates
Remission Policy. The Council cannot comment on rates being tied directly to businesses as this is
not part of the legislation and no research has been undertaken on this aspect. Therefore, as we do
not hold such information, this part of your request has been refused under section 17(g) of the Act.
Right of review
If you are not satisfied with the Council’s response, you may request the Office of the Ombudsman
to investigate the Council’s decision. Further information is available on the Ombudsman website,
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.
Please note, we may proactively release our response to your request with your personal
information removed.
Thank you again for your request, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Kind regards
Asha Harry
Official Information
Wellington City Council | 2 of 2
