Wellington City Council has announced its Golden Mile project has been paused by the Council to allow a review of costs and risks to be completed.
At a council meeting on 20 November, Councillors decided to undertake an independent review, which they say will take between three to six months to complete and cost around $200,000 to $400,000.
In a statement, the Council said the review will consider whether the existing project remains viable and aligned with its original objectives in the context of current economic conditions, in light of significant cost and risks escalation. It will include economic analysis on both the short and long-term impacts of the project across the full route from Lambton Quay to Courtenay Place.
The NZ Transport Agency will also be involved in the review, as they are providing 51% of funding for the transport aspects of the project.
Mayor, Andrew Little said the review will provide up-to-date information so that decisions on the future of the project are based on the most current costs and the real and likely cost to the Council.
“The project cannot be delivered within the existing budget and the risk for ratepayers to be stuck with expensive, inflexible contracts is simply too great,” he said.
The Council says that currently there is no risk of penalties to existing contracts as no contract has been signed.
It also confirmed that with the project now paused, the contract for Work Package 2 (WP2) will not be signed in November as planned. This also means construction along Courtenay Place won’t start in early 2026 as expected.
“While many Wellingtonians want the Golden Mile upgraded but it’s prudent to pause so we’re sure we’re delivering a project where the benefits justify the cost,” said Mayor Little.
