Tairangahia a tua whakarere;
Tatakihia ngā reanga ō āmuri ake nei
Honouring the past; Inspiring the future
05 July 2021
Polly Larkman
Senior Southern Lease Manager KiwiRail
E:
[email address]
Dear Polly
Wellington Railway Staton – Proposed installaton of Trial Snapper System on Platorms
Covenant Platorms feedback – pre consent
I write on behalf of Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga to comment on the proposed instal aton of
Snapper units on the Wel ington Railway staton main platorm as a trial by Metlink.
This place is a Category 1 Historic Place List and recognised for its high heritage value external y and
internal y.
The guiding document for any proposals is the Conservaton Plan. While the current Conservaton Plan is
outdated it is under review, and the specifc spaces and elements has been looked at by Conservaton
Architect Ian Bowman.
Consultaton
Greater Wel ington along with KiwiRail and Wel ington City Council have been engaged in discussion over
the pilot project, with KiwiRail Conservaton Architect Ian Bowman providing assistance on appropriate
locaton and design. The fnal design has not yet been approved.
Both KiwiRail and Heritage New Zealand [subject to the Heritage Assessment] inital y have agreed in
principle that the trial is important, and can assist in a beter soluton for the fnal system.
Documentaton:
The following documentaton has been shared in preparaton for consent including:
20210521 WRS Validators.pdf
AEE WRS validators.pdf
images of the units in locatons on the platorms
example of current Snapper unit
Wel ington RS Platorm HA.pdf
Wel ington Staton Capacity Assessment v06(draftpdf
Wgtn staton tcket columns -archaeology.pdf
SR 485292 Pre-applicaton meetng record e-tcketng Wel ington Staton v2.pdf
NZHPT leter Pilot Instal aton Request (24.06.21t
(64 4t 494 8320
Central Regional Ofce, Level 7, 69 Boulcot Street
PO Box 2629, Wel ington 6140
heritage.org.nz
Proposed trial of six validators
A Natonal Ticketng system is proposed deploying electronic tcketng and payment systems.
The Metlink Pilot is for a temporary instal aton of the six (6t validator posts on the main platorm. Greater
Wel ington have advised that any subsequent permanent instal aton of validator posts would be subject
to consultaton with HNZPT with respect to size, design, colour, locaton, numbers and scale and would
require new applicatons to be made to WCC and HNZPT. The outcomes of the Pilot project, and the
upcoming appointment of a preferred provider for Natonal Ticketng Soluton, wil be available to inform
this consultaton on the future arrangements.
The proposed tme frame to the permanent Natonal Ticketng Soluton is planned to occur by December
2022, with ful transiton completed by March 2023. Metlink have requested an extension to the proposed
end date of March 2023.
Resource consent advice has been sought from Wel ington City Council by MetLink and consent may be
required for this work. Approval is required by KiwiRail and Heritage New Zealand under the covenant.
Preliminary advice Heritage New Zealand
The following advice was given subject to the Heritage Assessment and fnal design:
The instal aton of the selected six [as per drawing AG03 April 2021] validators are considered
intrusive elements within a historic space.
In-ground work is supported as the platorm ground materials at these locatons are of limited
heritage fabric and the in-ground work can be removed and is reversible.
No changes are proposed to the building wal s or historic elements.
The six validator units selected are the only opton given for the GWR trial. Alternatve types are
recommended that are smal er in scale and more in keeping with a historic staton.
The proposed locatons of six units is based on GWR trial requirements and are not considered in
heritage terms to be appropriate in terms of the original design and layout.
The proposed colour schemes are GWR colours. The heritage recommendaton is that any new
elements, especial y intrusive elements, are in the railway staton historic colours and recede in
prominence i.e. dark brown, black but with some additonal colours.
It is expected that the Pilot wil contnue untl end of 2022 and that it is a trial, and that at this
tme, the Snapper equipment wil be replaced with the new vendors equipment and new
approvals from Heritage New Zealand and consents wil be required to support this.
Existng validators can be ful y removed at the end of the Pilot period and platorm area restored
with minimal efort.
Heritage Consultant recommendatons
The assessment of the heritage values of the platorms is supported as a review of this porton of the
staton untl the Conservaton plan is revised. Conservaton Plan.
The assessment of the impact on Heritage Values of the proposed works is supported.
(64 4t 494 8320
Central Regional Ofce, Level 7, 69 Boulcot Street
PO Box 2629, Wel ington 6140
heritage.org.nz
Summary
Heritage NZ is general y supportve in principle of a trial process that is contained within the historic
platorm area, however the units are intrusive and impact negatvely in terms of heritage values on the
historic platorm. As such intrusive elements are not recommended on a place of high heritage value.
The review of the Conservaton Plan by KiwiRail is a signifcant step in helping identfy and update
heritage values and guidance for al partes.
While there is no revised Conservaton Plan Ian Bowman's report confrms that the heritage values of the
platorm area, spaces and elements is of high value and has a high degree of rarity in line with the
Category 1 heritage status of the Railway Staton.
Cumulatve change has not been addressed on the platorms to retain integrity and authentcity. This
project contributes to intrusive elements. The platorm area designed in the 1930s have overtme been
constrained by more recent additons and closing of of the main gates and has a number of intrusive
elements. There has been no ratonalisaton or consideraton given to the platorms with proposed
increased numbers.
There is a concern that long term any introducton of new intrusive elements does not hold or enhance
existng heritage values.
It is noted that there is no master plan or development plan for the future of this area that co-ordinates
and takes a heritage based approach that supports heritage, modernisaton and future uses.
There is a strong indicaton, signal ed by the proposed validator project, that there wil be increasing
numbers of passengers and possible impacts on the staton and its platorm area, but there is no
assessment or planning for the potental impact of any rapid transport system as part of the central city.
A co-ordinated approach and long term plan, along with the revised Conservaton Plan is considered
important with any future plans, and should be considered prior to the implementaton of the fnal units
or system.
Heritage New Zealand would assume that the fnal instal aton of a validator system at the Wel ington
Railway Staton would include a ful re-address of the current design, including locaton, along with
consideraton of the increased passenger predictons and the overal site design, which is supported by
Greater Wel ington.
The instal aton of the six units, as a trial, fal outside of good heritage practce on a number of criteria.
Re-movability and reversibility at the end of the trial is acknowledged along with the limitaton of the
instal aton to March 2023 as a maximum.
However the advice stands that:
in the interim optons should be found that are less intrusive in scale, design and colour, and with
a more appropriate locaton that considers the wider platorm and ongoing use through the
staton.
that a co-ordinated approach and development plan be begun between partes that looks to the
most appropriate balance of long term uses [including long term predictons] and retaining
heritage values in line with the Conservaton Plan.
(64 4t 494 8320
Central Regional Ofce, Level 7, 69 Boulcot Street
PO Box 2629, Wel ington 6140
heritage.org.nz
Heritage New Zealand supports in principle the proposal however agrees with the recommendatons of
the Heritage consultant that:
the current design be modifed in design and scale
modifcaton of the colour scheme [notng Metlink have agreed to a reduced scheme of dark
blue/green colour], and
Align the validators with the wal of the railway staton rather than diagonal;
and in additon
A Heritage Constructon Management Methodology Plan be developed for instal aton, and
demountng at the end of the trial, with conservaton architect supervision in both the plan and
constructon project; and
A Development Plan for the ongoing uses of the platorm area is undertaken which looks at
heritage values and user requirements into the future in preparaton for the next stage
Based on the ongoing discussions Heritage New Zealand would like to see some movement on the colour
scheme and the alignment.
Yours sincerely
Laura Kel away
Conservaton Architect Kaihoahoa Penapena `
Level 1, 79 Boulcot St | Wel ington 6140 | Ph: (64 4t 471 4895 |Mobile 027 445 3599
(64 4t 494 8320
Central Regional Ofce, Level 7, 69 Boulcot Street
PO Box 2629, Wel ington 6140
heritage.org.nz
