Good call on changes to Town Belt Bill, says Chamber

Good call on changes to Town Belt Bill, says Chamber

Wellington City Council has done the right thing by agreeing to changes to the Town Belt Bill, says Wellington Chamber of Commerce.

“This is a sensible move,” says Chief Executive John Milford. “The Chamber too had concerns around how clauses 6 (b) and 23 could affect such vital projects as the Mt Victoria tunnel duplication and parts of the bus rapid transit route.

“Leaving the bill as it was could have been a handbrake on vital work around these transport improvements – by removing the Public Works Act from the process and making parts of the compulsory acquisition process impractical – and that’s the last thing we need.

“We must make sure we don’t hold city back – but at the same time we need to balance both protection and future proofing connectivity and our infrastructure.

“Agreeing to remove the provision for objections and sending them instead to the Environment Court makes perfect sense. The town belt will still be protected, and that’s vital too.

“It’s disappointing this has not been foreseen earlier in the preparation of the bill. We would prefer that these changes are made prior to first reading, but this is a positive step.”

“It’s good to see the council working constructively with the Government to progress good, sensible legislation.”

ENDS

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