Volume 2: Assessment of Environmental Effects 438 28 Social Effects Overview The purpose of this Chapter is to provide a summary of the assessment of the social effects of the Project. The assessment has found that the majority of the potential negative effects to people would be experienced during the construction period and relate to the disruption to travel patterns, noise, air, and vibration effects to those nearby. Any adverse effects of construction activities on the community would be managed through the management plans and a robust communication strategy during construction. The operation of the Project would have positive benefits associated with the transport improvements and ability for people to move through the area. Potential negative effects arise in relation to the visual impacts on the character and amenity of the surrounding areas. The proposed mitigation measures across the Project in each technical area are in place to manage those adverse effects. 28.1 Introduction An assessment of social effects has been undertaken and is contained in Technical Report 14: Social Impact Asessment in Volume 3 of these documents. The assessment is based on information from a number of sources, predominantly: consultation feedback received to date, including general consultation and targeted interviews; site visits and open days held in the area; a demographic study of the area; council policies, strategies and plans; and information and assessments obtained from other specialists, and specialist workshops. By their nature, social impacts are the human experiences of other effects individually or in combination. Avoiding double counting of effects is therefore important where there are overlaps with other AEE specialist assessments. For example, the operational effects of the Project on air quality and the proposed mitigation are discussed in the Assessment of Air Quality Effects (Technical Report 6:
Volume 2: Assessment of Environmental Effects 439 Assessment of Air Quality effects in Volume 3 of these documents and in Part G, Chapter 20 of the AEE. The Project has been assessed both within the broader context of the wider Wellington Region and within the city in terms of its effects on the local communities between the central city, Mount Victoria and Mount Cook. Potential and actual social effects of the Project have been assessed under an assessment framework. The assessment framework takes into account national and international best practice and frameworks, such as that from the IAIA 132, NZTA guidelines, local policy and the Project context. The structure of the assessment framework is: Way of Life impacts on accessibility, connectivity, patterns of living and mobility; changes to ways of walking and cycling; and changes to public transport. Wellbeing changes to wellbeing; safety; Environment and Amenity noise, dust, visual changes; Community impact on people s property and neighbourhoods; impacts on schools; impacts on community areas and sites; impacts on community plans and aspirations; and impacts on and accessibility to commercial areas. 28.1.1 Community and stakeholder engagement Community engagement has been an important element of the social assessment. This has been undertaken through face to face meetings, information received through discussions at Public Open Days, and consultation feedback. Wider consultation on the Project has been undertaken and summarised in Part F, Chapter 10 of the AEE and in TR2 (Volume 3). The specific and targeted meetings for the 132 The International Association for Impact Assessment
Volume 2: Assessment of Environmental Effects 440 social assessment has supplemented the wider community engagement for the Project and directly informed the social assessment to investigate primary information about community values, aspirations and concerns, a variety of consultation methods, detailed in, have been used to consult with the community and stakeholders. Through this consultation, the social specialist has held face to face meetings with: representatives from Mount Cook School; St Mark s Church School; Wellington College; Wellington City Council (City Communities and Grants); ACE House (Wellington Aftercare); I-Kids; Grandstand apartments; Landscape apartments; and Mt Victoria Residents Association. Not all stakeholders identified provided feedback through this process, either, due to being engaged with other parts of the Project team (such as the case for St Joseph s Church) or because they did not respond to invitations for follow up consultation. The outcomes of the general and targeted community and stakeholder engagement form part of the social impact assessment in Technical Report 14: Social Impact Assessment, in Volume 3 of these documents and are taken account of in the assessment of social effects below. 28.2 Existing social environment The social environment of the Project Area has been identified by assessing its demographic profile, land-uses and community facilities, and travel patterns in the area.
Volume 2: Assessment of Environmental Effects 441 Figure 28-1 The study area used to determine the demographic profile of the Project Area
Volume 2: Assessment of Environmental Effects 442 28.2.1 Demographic Profile A demographic profile 133 of the Project Area has been identified through analysis of Statistics New Zealand (Statistics NZ) data 134. The demographic profile describes the existing environment and assists in the identification of potential community groups which may be affected by the Project. A key feature of the Project Area is that the majority of it sits within census meshblocks 135 with low usually resident population (see green shading on Figure 28-1 below). This reflects the fact that the Project Area largely consists of land that has the City s principal and arterial roading corridors and otherwise unoccupied land that has been held for roading purposes. Although the Project Area has a low resident population, the transport network provides a key point of access between the eastern and southern suburbs and Mount Victoria and the CBD. Therefore the demographic profile used covers a larger study area to ensure that the adjacent areas of higher density are taken into account for the purpose of the social assessment. In this regard, the study area consists of several meshblocks around the Project Area (see Figure 28-1). The study area includes the suburbs (in whole or part) of Mount Victoria, Mount Cook, Te Aro, Berhampore, and Newtown. The demographic characteristics of the study area differs from that of Wellington City as a whole in that it is experiencing faster growth, is young, is highly mobile, with a high uptake of walking and cycling for transport, and has a mix of high and low incomes in neighbouring areas. The study area s usually resident population is approximately 33,267 people or 19% of that of Wellington City. Its growth rate (16% from 2001 2006) is higher than the growth rate for Wellington City as a whole (9% from 2001-2006). The study area age profile is dominated by young adults with most residents being between 15 and 34 years (57.3% at the 2006 census), and lower percentages of residents in all other age ranges than Wellington City overall. 133 Using Statistics New Zealand data based on Census 2006 data 134 For details of the demographic profile refer to Volume 3, Technical Report 14: Assessment of Social Effects of these documents 135 Statistics NZ definition: A meshblock is the smallest geographic unit for which statisitcal data is collected by Statistics New Zealand. Meshblocks vary in size from part of a city block to large areas of rural land. Each meshblock abuts another to cover all of New Zealand and Meshblocks aggregate to build larger geographic areas, such as area units, territorial authorities, and GWRCs. Sourced from: http://www.stats.govt.nz/surveys_and_methods/methods/classifications-andstandards/classification-related-stats-standards/meshblock/definition.aspx
Volume 2: Assessment of Environmental Effects 443 The percentage of households with no motor vehicle access within the study area (29%) is roughly double that of Wellington City (14%). Just under half of households in both the study area and Wellington City overall have access to a single motor vehicle (44% and 45% respectively). Wellington City has roughly double the percentage of households with access to two motor vehicles (29%) compared with the study area (15%). The main means of travel to work for residents in the study area were found to be by car, truck or van (28%) and walking or jogging (31%). 28.2.2 Land uses and community facilities The study area comprises a varied mix of land uses. These include facilities of citywide and national importance, such as the Basin Reserve and Government House. The area also includes a wide range of retail and commercial activities, particularly along the north / south axis of the Terraces and Adelaide Road, but also on Rugby and Sussex Streets. Residential activities are also spread through the study area, with particular focus in the southern portion of Mt Victoria, the Grandstand Apartments and on Sussex Street. The study area includes five religious facilities of which two will be most directly impacted by the Project. These are St Joseph s Church, and its associated social services, on Ellice Street and St Mark s Church on Dufferin Street. There are a significant number of schools and educational facilities in the study area (see section 6.5.2 of TR 14 for full details). Of these, three (Wellington College, St Mark s and Wellington East Girls) will be most directly impacted due to their relatively close proximity to the Project Area and changes to access patterns, particularly for buses. Others may also face more indirect impacts on the travel patterns for students and staff who need to travel through the Project Area. The study area also contains a number of medical facilities, including Wellington Hospital. These are not directly within the Project Area, but the need to maintain accessibility to these facilities for both local and regional communities is an important consideration. A final key land use in the study area is the road network, and in particular the key north/south (Cambridge and Kent Terraces, and Adelaide Road) and east/west (Buckle, Vivian and Paterson Streets) axis. Difficulties in local traffic movements particularly from Mt Victoria have been noted by local residents 136. The lack of cycling facilities limits the existing safety and amenity of this transport mode. The relatively high numbers of commuters walking through the immediate Project area 137 136 Refer to the summary of key stakeholder engagement in Volume 3, Technical Report 14: Assessment of Social Effects of these documents 137 For details of the demographic profile refer to Volume 3, Technical Report 14: Assessment of Social Effects of these documents
Volume 2: Assessment of Environmental Effects 444 shows the importance of providing for pedestrian uses. The Project provides an opportunity to improve local traffic movements for active and motorised transport users. The road network and its increasing level of congestion also impact on environment and amenity. For example Technical Report 10 Townscape and Visual Assessment states that: The busy traffic environment around the Basin Reserve [part of SH1], the continuing traffic growth and the undeveloped areas of land awaiting the upgrade of the traffic network, have eroded the overall townscape quality of the surrounding setting, thus affecting its visual amenity and sense of coherence. 138 28.2.3 Travel Patterns and community linkages The proximity of the area to the southern suburbs and the CBD has a particular influence on the predominant north/south flow of both pedestrian and cyclists. While the relatively lower levels of motor vehicle ownership amongst the usually resident population has some influence on travel patterns by motor-vehicle, the location of the Project Area between the CBD and the southern and eastern suburbs and the airport means that it is a key city node through which large volumes of motor vehicles travel both east-west and north-south. Passenger transport usage is also influenced by the location of the area relative to these key trip origins and destinations. However the location of the schools within the Project Area also have a key influence on passenger transport patterns in the study area with dedicated school bus routes and drop-off areas being provided and potentially impacted by the Project. At a city and region wide level access through the Project Area to the Wellington Hospital is a key community linkage for private travel and emergency services. 138 Pg 34, TR 10 Townscape and Visual Assessment
Volume 2: Assessment of Environmental Effects 445 28.3 Assessment of the social effects of the Project The assessment of social effects which follows first considers the effects of the operation of the Project and then considers the social effects of its construction. This assessment is structured on the four broad headings in the assessment framework, being way of life, wellbeing, environment and amenity, and community. 28.3.1 Assessment of social effects from operation 28.3.1.1 Way of Life The key positive social effect of the Project s operation relates to the significant improvements to accessibility and connectivity that will be created by the Project. These factors are outlined in detail in Part G, Chapter 13 of the AEE, and in Technical Report 4 Assessment of Traffic and Transportation Effects in Volume 3 of these documents. In brief however these benefits arise from the separation of north/south and east/west traffic flows and the consequential reduction in congestion and journey times, the improved accessibility along the key passenger transport spine and improved accessibility to and from Wellington Hospital. The improved pedestrian and cycle facilities that will be installed as part of the Project also offer a moderate benefit. Potential adverse effects on way of life factors, such as those which may arise due to severance effects created by the Project are considered to be insignificant. These effects relate to the local network changes, such as those at Hania/Ellice intersection, which have the potential to increase the degree of severance between existing communities in Mt Victoria and elsewhere. The conclusion that these effects will be insignificant reflects the fact that changes to the local network will not prevent connection between the relevant communities, but will rather add slightly to the distance of trips for motor vehicles. In addition it is recognised that accessibility for active modes (pedestrians and cyclists) will be improved. 28.3.1.2 Wellbeing The proposed improvements to pedestrian and cycle facilities will have significant safety benefits for users from both the Project Area neighbourhood and the wider community. These improvements may also have indirect benefits in terms of an increased uptake of these active modes of transport. Moderate wellbeing benefits are also expected to arise as a result of the landscaping and design improvements proposed for the corner of Buckle Street and Cambridge terrace. The extension of the National War Memorial Park, the connection between the Basin Reserve and the Home of Compassion Crèche (former), and the installation
Volume 2: Assessment of Environmental Effects 446 of access for people with disabilities will all create benefit for the communities neighbouring the Project Area. Some minor adverse effects may be generated due to the potential safety hazard associated with the bridge (falling or jumping), although these are not expected due to the low height of the structure. Minor adverse effects on wellbeing may also arise due to the impact of lighting from the road, and road vehicles, on adjoining residential buildings. 28.3.1.3 Environment and Amenity The Project s social impacts related to environment and amenity aspects are a mix of minor and moderate positive and adverse effects. The anticipated adverse effects relate to the changes that will occur to the character of and quality of the experience at the Basin Reserve. The changes proposed to the outlook from the Basin Reserve, relating to the bridge and the new building in the Basin are expected to be perceived as negative impacts on the Basin Reserve as a sports and event venue. Further adverse social effects will arise for those immediately adjacent to the Project Area, those in the surrounding neighbourhood and from a wider city perspective, due to the loss of visual amenity due to the bridge 139. The immediate community will also be negatively affected due to the small increases in road noise and vibration. Notwithstanding these adverse effects, positive environment and amenity effects will be generated for those in the neighbourhood of the Project and for the wider community due to the improvements that are proposed to various spaces within the Project Area. These improvements include the introduction of the building to the corner of Kent Terrace and Ellice Street, the extension of the National War Memorial Park at the corner of Cambridge Terrace and Buckle Street, and the streetscape improvements along Dufferin Street. 28.3.1.4 Community Community effects relate to how the community facilities are accessed, function and to the way people use the Project Area. In this regard, the operation of the Project has the potential to have a range of adverse effects associated with: loss of car parking space at St Joseph s Church; and 139 See the Project urban design, visual and built heritage assessments for further detail on the effects and mitigation of the amenity and landscape effects (refer to Part G, Chapters 21, 22, and 24 of the AEE and Technical Report 9: Assessment of Urban Design Effects, Technical Report 10: Assessment of Visual Effects, and Technical Report 12: Assessment of Effects on Built Heritage in Volume 3 of these documents).
Volume 2: Assessment of Environmental Effects 447 the potential for local network changes to reduce access to facilities such as local commercial areas, schools and religious and community facilities. However given that the extent of the changes to the local network will be small, that only minor increases in journey times will result, that accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists will be generally improved and, in the case of the St Joseph s Church, additional car parking will be provided, these effects are considered likely to be insignificant. Some moderate or minor positive effects are expected in relation to community facilities. The installation of improved drop-off/ pick-up spaces for local schools is one such positive effect. Likewise the inclusion of the new Kent/Cambridge Basin Gateway and improved player facilities within Basin Reserve will be beneficial, and in terms of the new facility within the Basin Reserve will support community aspirations for continued use and improvement of this sporting venue. 28.3.1.5 Overview of operational effects While there will be adverse social effects from the Project s operation, particularly in association with the environment and amenity impacts, effects at local or city wide level are expected to be minor. In most cases there will be positive changes to street frontages and general pedestrian safety due to the reduced volume of traffic on local roads and improved footpaths and crossing facilities. Importantly the operation of the Project will not introduce significant new severance effects, and in fact can be expected to improve accessibility through the Project Area by grade separating north/south and east/west traffic flows and installing improved pedestrian and cycle facilities. Further, the various technical reports do not identify operational effects from factors such as noise, vibration or air pollution that would have significant and on-going impacts on the community s use of the facilities and properties adjoining the Project. Overall it is considered that the social effects of the Project s operation will be positive due largely to the improved accessibility for the community at both local and city wide level, to improvements for pedestrians and cyclists and to improvements to key spaces within the Project Area. 28.3.2 Assessment of social effects during construction 28.3.2.1 Way of Life The Project s construction is expected to have minor temporary adverse effects on accessibility for both the local community and the wider city. These adverse effects will relate to the restrictions that will be placed on traffic circulation through different parts of the local and state highway network as the various stages of construction advance. Such restrictions on traffic flow will result from works such as those that will occur at the intersection of Pirie/Vivian Street with Kent and
Volume 2: Assessment of Environmental Effects 448 Cambridge Terraces, in the vicinity of the Ellice /Hania intersection and at the Buckle Street/Cambridge Terrace intersection. These restrictions may cause frustration and delay. The construction works will also impact on accessibility for pedestrian and cyclists at various stages requiring the use of alternative routes. This will particularly be the case during the construction of the new building within the Basin Reserve. It is expected that construction traffic effects can be effectively managed through the implementation of the Construction Traffic Management Plan (Volume 4), including a communications strategy to manage advance notice of planned works programme and how traffic movements will be affected. The traffic and transportation assessment of effects contains detailed discussions relating to the above access effects (refer to Part G. Chapter 13 of the AEE Technical Report 4: Assessment of Traffic and Transportation Effects (Volume 3)). 28.3.2.2 Wellbeing Wellbeing related effects have the potential to occur in relation to uncertainty and disturbance during the construction process. As considerable effort will be placed on communication with parties during construction and also given the proposed implementation of the Construction Environmental Management Plan (Volume 4), and the sub-management plans, these adverse effects are expected to be no more than minor. Another potential adverse wellbeing effect may arise due to personal safety issues for pedestrians crossing the Project Area during construction. To enable construction, pedestrians will need to be diverted to alternative routes at different times during the construction period. This has the potential to lessen actual or perceived levels of personal safety for pedestrians. However, it is proposed that the Construction Transport Management Plan and Site Specific Temporary Traffic Management Plans (Volume 4) will be reviewed by a CPTED expert to ensure that such potential effects are appropriately avoided or mitigated. It is therefore considered that any adverse effects in this regard will be no more than minor. 28.3.2.3 Environment and Amenity The construction of the Project will have adverse social effects linked to environment and amenity. These adverse effects result from the impacts of construction noise and disturbance on nearby residences and on the amenity of the Basin Reserve. However these effects are expected to be minor because of the mitigation proposed in construction management plans described in section 28.4 below. The success of the Construction Noise and Vibration Management Plan (Volume 4) and the Communication Strategy in the overall Construction Environmental Management Plan (Volume 4) is of particular relevance and importance to this
Volume 2: Assessment of Environmental Effects 449 conclusion. Noise and vibration effects need to be carefully managed, and their management appropriately communicated, to ensure that the Project s construction does not have significant adverse social effects. This is particularly the case in the vicinity of the Ellice/Hania/Dufferin intersections given the length of construction activities in the location (across all of stages1 to 7) and the proximity of sensitive activities. 28.3.2.4 Community As noted above community effects relate to how the community facilities are accessed, function and to the way people use the Project Area. In this respect the Project s construction will have adverse effects. It would not be possible for a road project of this nature to occur within an existing community and to not cause adverse effects on the way people use the Project Area and its facilities. Particular adverse effects of note will be: the loss of land used for car parking at St Joseph s Church; construction work directly within and adjoining Regional Wines and Spirits impacting on its operation local network changes temporarily making accessibility to schools, community facilities and commercial areas more difficult. These effects are expected to at most be minor. Again this conclusion relies upon the successful implementation of the Communication Strategy in the overall Construction Environmental Management Plan (Volume 4), and also on the Construction Transport Management Plan (Volume 4). Some positive community related social effects can be expected from the Project s construction. Specific it is considered that some minor economic benefits will be incurred within the study area (see Figure 28-1) due to workers increasing patronage of local businesses. 28.3.2.5 Overview of construction effects The Project s construction may cause a range of adverse effects that will impact on the community, particularly those directly adjoining and neighbouring the Project Area. Likewise community impacts at a city-wide level will be created due to restrictions on traffic circulation through the Project Area. With the construction of a Project of this size, within an existing community, it would not be possible to avoid such adverse effects. However, providing that careful management of the construction process occurs it is considered that these adverse social effects will be no more than minor.
Volume 2: Assessment of Environmental Effects 450 28.4 Measures to avoid, remedy or mitigate actual and potential adverse effects on the social environment 28.4.1 Measures relevant to the operational effects As noted the Project s operation is expected to have an overall positive social effect. These effects therefore do not require avoiding, remedying or mitigating. The adverse operational effects that are expected to arise relate largely to impacts on the quality of the Basin Reserve, visual impacts, and small increases due to road noise and vibration. These effects are considered to have been appropriately mitigated through Project design (described in the TR3: Urban and Landscape Design Framework) and by the proposed low noise road surfaces and bridge joints. 28.4.2 Measures relevant to the construction effects Adverse social effects are anticipated during the Project s construction. The key measure to mitigate these effects will be the careful management of the construction process, including on-going communication about the construction process with stakeholders. To this end a suite of proposed Construction Environmental Management Plans (CEMP) are included in the application as Volume 4. These will be finalised by the constructor prior to the commencement of construction, and taking account of designation and resource consent conditions and the final construction programme. The elements of the CEMPs particularly relevant to the mitigation of social effects are: the overall Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) this outlines the overall construction team structure and responsibilities, the Communication Strategy, construction monitoring, audit and review procedures. The draft construction methodology and programme this relates to understanding the staging of construction works and when particular adverse effects may occur. the Construction Noise and Vibration Management Plan (CNVMP) this outlines the noise and vibration sensitive activities adjoining the Project, the construction activities that have the potential to cause adverse effect, how these activities are proposed to be managed and the noise and vibration monitoring to be undertaken.
Volume 2: Assessment of Environmental Effects 451 The Construction Transport Management Plan (CTMP) this outlines the procedures for temporary traffic management measures and for the preparation of Site Specific Traffic Management Plans. The Construction Air Quality Management Plan (CAQMP) this outlines procedures to manage air quality impacts during construction, and in particular dust, and the monitoring relevant to dust management. The Communication Strategy incorporated into the CEMP is of particular relevance to the mitigation of the potential adverse social effects. The elements of this Strategy (the Communications Register, Community Reference Group, mechanisms for communicating with the general public, and the Feedback Register) will ensure that the differing community s of interest are communicated with on the appropriate level. These will also ensure that a clear process is available for stakeholders to provide feedback to the construction management process. Overall it is considered that implementation of the procedures set out in the suite of Construction and Environmental Management Plans will appropriately mitigate the Project s construction effects.