Fears for CBD retailers

11/10/2006 12:00:00 a.m.

VIBRANT Wellington fears retailers and cafes in the CBD will lose money if a BNZ building is built at the proposed Harbour Quays office park.

The group, which is supported by city retailers, hoteliers, property owners, developers and concerned citizens, will decide this week whether to seek a judicial review of Wellington City Council’s decision not to notify CentrePort’s consent application for new office accommodation for the BNZ at the site.

Non-notified resource consent applications do not go through the submission process. Members of the public do not have the opportunity to make submissions in opposition to or support of the proposal.

CentrePort, the Wellington port company, proposes to develop 41,000 square metres – about 10 new buildings – of commercial office space on empty CentrePort land near the Westpac Stadium. The business park being developed on the site is called Harbour Quays.

Vibrant Wellington spokesman Brent Slater says the proposed BNZ building, which would bring employers from five different buildings into one, will be detrimental to Wellington’s CBD if it is located at Harbour Quays.

"While the 1,000 BNZ employees in one building will be good for management, retailers will miss out. The workers won’t have enough time to go to town during their lunch breaks, because of their location. Cafés will be emptier and retailers will lose sales."

He says Vibrant Wellington is aware of CentrePort’s plans for another nine such office buildings in addition to the existing Statistics building and the proposed BNZ office block.

Another of Slater’s fears is that Wellington will become like Auckland’s Queen Street, if the BNZ building is located at Harbour Quays.

"Offices have been moved to the Viaduct recently, and Queens Street is lacking vitality. This could happen to Wellington’s CBD."

Vibrant Wellington is proposing that the surplus CentrePort land be earmarked for mixed use, including residential and high-end retail, and civic facilities such as the indoor sports complex.

"We are now taking legal advice on the merits of applying for a judicial review of the council’s decision to avoid notification, with a view to having the decision quashed," Slater says.

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