Wellington to receive a full, eco care-package

Wellington City Councillors have channelled their inner Lorax and spoken for the trees, unanimously approving a 30-year plan to ‘green’ the city centre. The Green Network Plan comes as a part of a desperate bid to reduce the effects of climate change and improve the overall health and wellbeing of the city and its residents.

The first steps to the Green Network Plan include enhancing 20 existing urban spaces, creating two new urban parks and doubling the number of trees in the central city to 4,000 over the next ten years.

The first of the two new urban parks are set to be built on the corner of Taranaki and Fredericks Streets.

“Having a new green space right next to The Cube will be so awesome for future students. There’s no better place to study than outside on a warm day, and I definitely think a lot of people will benefit from it,” says ex-Cube resident and Massey student Olivia Thompson.

Other plans to green the city include planting new shrubs and bushes, creating rooftop gardens, and more green walls like the one in Civic Square.

As a part of the Green Network Plan, the Council have also said yes to increasing the number of ‘blue spaces’ in the city. This includes bringing up buried streams that run through pipes, which will take pressure off Wellingtons storm water system. It will also be a more effective way to bring water to trees and plants.

“Planting car parks, roofs or even walls of buildings can also help reduce pressure on our stormwater infrastructure which can struggle in storms, the frequency of which is expected to increase in the coming years,” says Pūroro Āmua Planning and Environment Committee Chair, Iona Pannett.

“We want more biodiverse, interesting and quiet green spaces. At a philosophical level, it’s about learning to live in harmony with nature. It’s critical that we bring nature and birds back to the city.”

Although the plan is to be carried out over the next 30 years, we can expect to see some drastic changes within the next five. Keep an eye out for new trees being planted, new nature reserves being developed (including the one on Taranaki Street), and new waterways springing up.