The Wellington Chamber of Commerce shares recent concerns raised by the ACT Party on the "Reshaping Streets" proposal from Waka Kotahi.

"We need a more reliable transport system and a more accessible central city," said Chamber Chief Executive Simon Arcus.

"But this proposal has fishhooks that could slow down travel, make it harder to find parks, and keep people out of central cities. Transport systems are interdependent and complicated and not solved on a street by street basis."

"The Newtown cycleway debate showed the damage a bad approach can do. Businesses risk being frozen out of the process and surprised at short notice if carparks or loading zones are removed from their streets."

Simon Arcus signals support for some aspects of the proposal, "Ultimately, this is not a green light from Waka Kotahi for arbitrary decision making. Our sense is the Council will still prefer to consult on change because it’s just better city management.

The Chamber supports getting regulations out of the way to speed up infrastructure projects, and slow down cost. We urge policymakers to reconsider the proposal to include genuine, inclusive consultation, rather than unilateral decision-making."

The Reshaping Streets proposal is open for consultation until September 19.

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