Kia ora koutou. In this month’s pānui | eNews:
WRLC Project Updates
- Riverlink: contractor named & work scheduled for 2023
- WRLC People: Interview with Dr Emmet McElhatton, Waterloo TOD Project Lead
- Future Development Strategy Workshops
- Regional Economic Development Plan
- Regional Emissions Reduction Strategy
WRLC Webinars
- Grant Ennis: Public Health Lecturer presents his new book, ‘Dark PR’
- Dr Katherine Trebeck: Wellbeing Economies, 10th May
- Recording: Ian Leader – Forget Silos, Think Jigsaws
Industry Updates
Work on $700 million project to transform Lower Hutt to finally start this year
After more than five years of extensive consultation, engagement, and consenting work by project partners on behalf of their local communities, RiverLink is pleased to announce AECOM-Fletcher as the preferred alliance to deliver the programme.
Finding the right team for the job has been the key focus for project partners over the past six months. This announcement marks a key milestone in the programme.
AECOM-Fletcher join RiverLink partners – Waka Kotahi, Hutt City Council, Greater Wellington, and iwi Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika and Ngāti Toa Rangatira – to deliver crucial flood protection and river restoration work, improvements to public transport, walking and cycling routes, local roads and the State Highway 2 Melling Interchange, as well as urban revitalisation of the Lower Hutt city centre.
Over the next six months, RiverLink partners and the alliance will work to explore further innovations and value improvements through the design to potentially reduce costs and improve outcomes (the Interim Project Alliance Agreement phase.)
When the final design, cost and construction approach are agreed, a Project Alliance Agreement will be signed later this year, with main construction to follow.
Interview with Dr Emmet McElhatton, Waterloo Transit-Oriented Design Project Lead
WRLC Communications & Engagement Advisor Freda Wells had the pleasure of sitting down to interview Dr Emmet McElhatton about the Waterloo CDO Project, and his work in general….
Dr Emmet McElhatton’s career has spanned four decades in various settings including commercial management, international trade and development, and the education and training sectors. He also has a PhD in Public Policy from Victoria University.
In his current role of Manager Policy – Metlink, at Greater Wellington Regional Council, Emmet’s cross-agency nous is being put to good use, as the Project Lead for the Waterloo Station Transit-Oriented Design Project – a significant multi-stakeholder project.
It all began with a roof repair: the Waterloo Station Transit-Oriented Design Project
Waterloo Station was built in the 1980s, and – like some fashion aspirations from that era – its design aspirations were due for a refresh. It has also had its fair share of general infrastructure-related, and customer experience-related issues over the years.
Update: Future Development Strategy Workshops
Work on the Future Development Strategy (FDS) is underway, to shape up a regional vision for how we want our region to grow and thrive, from 2022 – 2052.
From late March to mid-April, the FDS Project held workshops around the region with councils and iwi, to work on building understanding and a shared vision for our region’s future. Several growth scenarios were evaluated against FDS objectives, and presented to workshop attendees, in order to seek their feedback on these scenarios. This feedback will inform the draft FDS, which will then go out to public consultation.
Update: Regional Economic Development Plan
The first technology initiatives from the Regional Economic Development Plan being implemented by WellingtonNZ are underway, aiming to contribute towards the creation of 100,000 high-value jobs across the Wellington-Wairarapa-Horowhenua region over the next 30 years. These include the Scale-up Wellington Support Package and Technology Leadership Training Series. Planning is also underway to run Tech Week events across our region in May, including a Tech Careers event for high school students and a headline event with marketing guru Tim Doyle.
Update: Regional Emissions Reduction Strategy Project
Our Wellington–Wairarapa–Horowhenua region is an extraordinary and unique part of Aotearoa. We want to see our region thrive environmentally, socially, culturally, and economically now and for generations to come.
Yet the impacts of a warming world are already being felt in our backyard. This means making the hard decisions about our climate emissions now for the benefit of all people in our region – for today and tomorrow.
A Regional Emissions Reduction Strategy project is underway to develop a strategic approach to transitioning to a zero-carbon region that meets all of our needs and aspirations. The Strategy will focus on cross-region opportunities, and a co-ordinated approach to fast track the uptake of emissions reduction actions.
All voices are important when planning how we reduce carbon emissions in a targeted way – from government to iwi to sector specialists to community groups from across the region. The Strategy will include the voice of sectors and mana whenua and be delivered by a range of stakeholders.
The Strategy project runs until early 2024, and over the next few months there will be opportunities to participate in workshops and a big one-day Forum in July. If you’d like to know more or get involved in a workshop, please contact Project Lead Arya Franklyn.
WRLC Webinars
Grant Ennis - 08.05.23
Lecturer and author Grant Ennis will discuss his new book, ‘Dark PR’ – shining a light on how corporate disinformation is harming our environment and our health, joined by several guest speakers.
Dr Katherine Trebeck - 10.05.23
Trebeck will discuss wellbeing economics: what is a wellbeing economy and what does it mean for what we do?
Webinar: Forget Silos, Think Jigsaws
You can now view the recording of this webinar. Ian Leader (www.dottwodot.co.nz) speaks to a holistic framing of our communities as jigsaws rather than silos, and with theory and real life examples, he proves that, the better each piece understands its purpose (Why, How and What) and connections with the pieces around it, the stronger the individual piece and overall picture.
Industry Update
Workshop paper: How to talk about budgets & taxes for public good
This paper contains recommendations on how to talk about budgets and taxes for the purposes of deepening people’s understanding about a tax system that allows everyone to get what they need to thrive.
This paper, and the advice in it, is for anyone advocating for a more just taxation system and one that can help build and maintain more public good.
