Wait for the Queen
25/08/2010 1:59:00 p.m.
LOCAL council watchdog Tom Law feels Wellington City Council funded design competitions are a waste of ratepayers’ money.
It’s been over nine months since Wellington Waterfront Limited (WWL) announced the winners of its much-acclaimed Blue Sky design competition, which sought design ideas from the public for Queens Wharf.
Capital Times has been advised that the six Blue Sky winning designers recently received a letter on August 16 that confirms that while the Queens Wharf Masterplan Steering Group [QWMSG] which will be making the final recommendation is revisiting many of the Blue Sky ideas, it is under no obligation to include them in final plans.
Law, of the Federation of Wellington Progressive and Residents Association says he felt that the Blue Sky competition was a waste of time and money from the beginning.
“This is another example of the council seeking public opinion, before eventually setting up a group that implements the council’s favoured opinion anyway. The Blue Sky competition has been a waste of ratepayers’ money. Entrants put a lot of effort into their designs, most did so on the basis that their design would be adopted if it won the competition. If the winning design is not implemented then that confirms my concerns that this whole competition has been a waste of time and money,” he says.
Individual designers are fearful of being identified and talking publicly in case it jeopardises the chances of their design being chosen.
WWL CEO Ian Pike confirmed it is possible that “none” of the winning designs will be incorporated into final plans for the controversial wharf and surrounding area, which is hoped to revitalise the Queens Wharf precinct
Pike says that the steering group is within its jurisdiction to discard the competition winner’s design.
“They will be looking at all ideas but it would be most surprising if none of the designs were incorporated into the final design. The designs are currently being checked to see if they meet criteria outlined at the Blue Sky competition guidelines, such as financial viability,” Pike says.
The QWMSG includes representatives from heritage and arts groups, landscape architects, developers, urban designers, community focus groups, architects and representatives of WWL, which is a council controlled organisation, owned 100% by the Wellington City Council.
Queens Wharf has never been far from controversy, with an Environmental Court decision scuppering plans for a Hilton hotel to be built on the site, despite planning permission having been granted by the council.
Capital Times requests to Wellington Waterfront Limited as to the total cost of the Blue Sky competition have not been answered.
It’s been over nine months since Wellington Waterfront Limited (WWL) announced the winners of its much-acclaimed Blue Sky design competition, which sought design ideas from the public for Queens Wharf.
Capital Times has been advised that the six Blue Sky winning designers recently received a letter on August 16 that confirms that while the Queens Wharf Masterplan Steering Group [QWMSG] which will be making the final recommendation is revisiting many of the Blue Sky ideas, it is under no obligation to include them in final plans.
Law, of the Federation of Wellington Progressive and Residents Association says he felt that the Blue Sky competition was a waste of time and money from the beginning.
“This is another example of the council seeking public opinion, before eventually setting up a group that implements the council’s favoured opinion anyway. The Blue Sky competition has been a waste of ratepayers’ money. Entrants put a lot of effort into their designs, most did so on the basis that their design would be adopted if it won the competition. If the winning design is not implemented then that confirms my concerns that this whole competition has been a waste of time and money,” he says.
Individual designers are fearful of being identified and talking publicly in case it jeopardises the chances of their design being chosen.
WWL CEO Ian Pike confirmed it is possible that “none” of the winning designs will be incorporated into final plans for the controversial wharf and surrounding area, which is hoped to revitalise the Queens Wharf precinct
Pike says that the steering group is within its jurisdiction to discard the competition winner’s design.
“They will be looking at all ideas but it would be most surprising if none of the designs were incorporated into the final design. The designs are currently being checked to see if they meet criteria outlined at the Blue Sky competition guidelines, such as financial viability,” Pike says.
The QWMSG includes representatives from heritage and arts groups, landscape architects, developers, urban designers, community focus groups, architects and representatives of WWL, which is a council controlled organisation, owned 100% by the Wellington City Council.
Queens Wharf has never been far from controversy, with an Environmental Court decision scuppering plans for a Hilton hotel to be built on the site, despite planning permission having been granted by the council.
Capital Times requests to Wellington Waterfront Limited as to the total cost of the Blue Sky competition have not been answered.
