Path plan ‘poisoned chalice’
Homeowners could face hefty costs as council looks to shed path responsibility
More than 1000 Wellington homeowners are set to be handed responsibility of paths that the council has underfunded for years, but it could be a poisoned chalice with the worst due for repairs costing up to $2 million.
The Wellington City Council has notified 1018 property owners on 288 paths that it is reviewing its policy. The preferred option is to hand all cost and responsibility for the paths, which are built on council land to private homes, to homeowners.
The council currently pays half. Paths used as a thoroughfare are exempt.
But crucial details, not included in a letter to homeowners but in council documents, show how much they could now be in for. So-called “half cost paths” featured 219 retaining walls and 33 supporting structures.
“Many of these retaining walls need to be replaced,” council papers said. “Retaining walls needed for land support would likely cost between $50,000 to $2m each.”
Furthermore, the council plans to hand responsibility of the paths over on a “like for like” basis, but this meant restoring them to their original condition rather than bringing them up to current building standards.
“A number of these half cost paths need to be redesigned and reconstructed to meet national building standards, adding significantly to the total cost,” council documents say.
In Thorndon, one of the half cost paths cited as an example in council consultation documents is a crumbling and overgrown staircase.
The brick staircase sits on top of a metres-high retaining wall which overlooks Glenmore St and provides access to three properties – but none of the tenants or owners were yet aware that a policy change was proposed.
Everyone approached by The Post was surprised to hear about the change and had not yet received a letter.
The staircase is not being used by one of the properties, but under the rule change, all three properties would have to take responsibility and share the costs of its maintenance.
The council – struggling under a pipes bill of billions of dollars over coming years, a $147m cost blow out on fixing the Town hall, and an array of big spends such as reopening the central library – has already imposed three years of big rate rises on residents and is looking at another.
But it is also looking at cuts such as reducing pool hours, and new ways that could be seen as ways to make money. The most-recent is a plan to make coupon parking zones, where the first two hours are free, metered parking.
Council papers show that it has drastically underspent on the shared cost paths. It was estimated that $2.7m a year was needed to maintain all the paths, but the most recent year with figures available was the 2020-21 year when $7559 was spent by the council. It also spent between $36,000 and $183,000 a year in recent years on retaining walls.
Information on the council website says the current system is operationally challenging to administer and may impose “significant financial impact on the council“.
Council transport and infrastructure manager Brad Singh wrote to affected homeowners telling them the existing policy originated in 1934 and was the only one of its kind left in New Zealand.
“Its rationale is unclear, it is difficult to administer, and it creates equity concerns among private property owners.”
“It does not work well for either the council or property owners.”
The council has asked for feedback on the plan, with five options put forward ranging from staying with the status quo through to the council’s preference, handing all costs to home owners.
Council spokesperson Richard MacLean said there were no plans to gift the land, along with costs and responsibility, to homeowners.
Legal advice about the proposal was “ongoing”, MacLean said.
“Its rationale is unclear, it is difficult to administer, and it creates equity concerns among private property owners.”
Brad Singh
Council transport and infrastructure manager on original policy