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Doing it in Miramar....

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« on: July 05, 2011, 02:48:35 pm »


When is Mount Crawford prison closing?

By KERRY MCBRIDE - The Wellingtonian | 5:00AM - Thursday, 30 June 2011

JAIL WITH A VIEW: Wellington Prison in Miramar. — Photo: The Dominion Post.
JAIL WITH A VIEW: Wellington Prison in Miramar. — Photo: The Dominion Post.

CORRECTIONS MINISTER Judith Collins is about to do a U-turn on Mount Crawford Prison in Miramar.

Ms Collins opted to reopen Mount Crawford in 2009, ignoring pleas from Miramar residents to leave it closed.

Now the minister has signalled she intends closing it again, though she is tight-lipped about details.

She said earlier this month she wanted Wellington's oldest prison closed, calling it a "disgrace".

Rongotai MP Annette King is pushing for a definite answer from Ms Collins about when the prison — now known officially as Wellington Prison — is to be closed.

Miramar residents were also eager to have definite news about the future of Mount Crawford, said Enterprise Miramar Peninsula chairman Allan Probert.

Two weeks ago Ms Collins said prison officers were often faced with "very difficult, Dickensian situations" and supported shutting Wellington's oldest prison.

"Wellington Prison is one of New Zealand's oldest operational prisons and it has long been signalled that it will be closed at some point," a spokesman said.

"In fact, the prison was temporarily closed in 2008 and only reopened in 2009 due to a lack of planning by the last Labour Government.

"Decisions on the immediate future of the prison have yet to be made. This includes details of when and how it will close."

Ms King said the minister was "teasing" Miramar residents by suggesting shutting the prison was imminent.

"This level of uncertainty is worrying for not just residents but also prison staff, prisoners and their families," Ms King said.

"All I'm asking for is some transparency on if and when it will close."

Mr Probert said he was disappointed by the lack of communication from Corrections.

"You're either closing it or you're not — there's no two ways about it," he said.

The prison did not belong in such a populated area.

"Maintaining such a decrepit building does not make sense when prisoners could be relocated to Rimutaka prison, which is more than happy to take them," Mr Probert said.

Mount Crawford Prison opened in 1927, replacing The Terrace Gaol. It can hold up to 120 inmates.


http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/the-wellingtonian/5207598/When-is-Mt-Crawford-prison-closing



Editorial: The Mount Crawford Prison fiasco

The Wellingtonian | 5:00AM - Thursday, 30 June 2011

CORRECTIONS MINISTER Judith Collins can hardly be proud of her work in what has developed into the Mount Crawford prison fiasco.

In July 2009 the minister opted to reopen the decrepit old prison, despite the entreaties of the Miramar community, other politicians and even some within the corrections system.

Now, not two years later, she has branded conditions at Mount Crawford — officially known these days as Wellington Prison — as "Dickensian" and "a disgrace".

So after forking out a hefty amount of our money to tart up the dilapidated old prison, Collins has now faced the inevitable and indicated she will be closing it again.

Mount Crawford has a considerable history. It was built in 1927 to replace the Terrace Gaol, which looked out loftily over Wellington.

There must have been something about our forefathers. They seemed to insist on giving prisoners the best views in the city.

For more than 80 years inmates at Mount Crawford have been housed in an edifice with a view that any Wellingtonian would love.

The prison itself is years, decades even, past its used-by date, as it was in 2009 when Collins foolishly decided it needed to be reopened.

One ridiculous aspect of the whole episode was a comment made by a Collins spokesman the other day.

During a tedious statement that dealt with issues such as the prison population "stabilising", and "being below projected numbers", he said: "In fact, the prison was temporarily closed in 2008 and only reopened in 2009 due to a lack of planning by the last Labour Government."

Collins made a bad call on Mount Crawford. It cost tax-payers money and was regressive. To now be blaming the previous Government's lack of planning is simply stupid and is politicking at its worst.

The answer, as Enterprise Miramar Peninsula spokesman Allan Probert has consistently said, lies in Upper Hutt.

There is room for Rimutaka Prison to be expanded, which would more than compensate for the loss of Mount Crawford, with its capacity of 120 inmates. Why this option was not explored properly in 2009 is baffling.

Anyway, with Collins now indicating that the antediluvian prison is to be shut, the question becomes: what will be done with the site (which is presently owned by Corrections)?

Port Nicholson Trust, which now owns a considerable portion of Shelly Bay, has said it expects to be offered any land that becomes available within the whole peninsula. That issue will need to be dealt with.

Clearly there will need to be consultation between the Port Nicholson Trust, the Government, Wellington City Council and Enterprise Miramar Peninsula.

Various suggestions have been made, ranging from green space or a hotel, conference centre, or retirement home, to apartments, housing and retail shopping.

Such a prime location deserves to have something outstanding built there — and we're not talking about another Wellywood sign.

Already, development of the area has been stalled because of the decision to reopen a clearly doomed prison for a couple of years.

It's time for those involved to get on now and start making some good decisions.


http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/the-wellingtonian/opinion/5207605/Wellingtonian-editorial-The-Mt-Crawford-Prison-fiasco



Some earlier news stories about this topic published by The Wellingtonian....

Mt Crawford jail closed but still expensive  (04 March 2009)

Mt Crawford decision irks nearby residents  (18 June 2009)
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« Reply #1 on: July 08, 2011, 04:09:36 pm »


Miramar Peninsula: Subdivision or parkland?

By DAVE BURGESS - The Dominion Post | 5:00AM - Friday, 08 July 2011

MIRAMAR PENINSULA: A view showing the hill above Shelley Bay with Wellington City behind it. — ANDREW GORRIE/The Dominion Post.

MIRAMAR PENINSULA: A view showing the hill above Shelley Bay with Wellington City behind it.
 — ANDREW GORRIE/The Dominion Post.


THE Defence Force is looking to sell a large chunk of historically significant land on Miramar Peninsula and its plans include about 150 homes in "clustered heritage communities".

But the Conservation Department and Historic Places Trust consider the land of national historical significance and will recommend to the conservation minister that it be fully protected as a reserve.

Defence owns 76 hectares of surplus land on what it calls Watts Peninsula. About 14ha would be suitable for rezoning to create 150 residential building sites, says a report entitled Watts Peninsula: Lifestyle-Heritage-Community-Living Together. The homes would be a mix of detached, semi-detached and terrace-style, and owners would pay a fee to a body established to protect, enhance and maintain the heritage features.

The vision would preserve historic military gun emplacements, pa sites and former ammunition magazines, and create six conservation areas.

New recreation links suitable for walking, running and cycling would be created to provide access to the coastal road, Scorching Bay beach, Shelly Bay, and Fort Ballance, on the northern tip of the peninsula. A new road would run along the historic magazine road to join Nevay Road.


MIRAMAR PENINSULA: The hill above Shelley Bay, with Wellington Prison on top. — CRAIG SIMCOX/The Dominion Post.

MIRAMAR PENINSULA: The hill above Shelley Bay, with Wellington Prison on top.
 — CRAIG SIMCOX/The Dominion Post.


A Defence source confirmed the land was being prepared for "disposal" under the Public Works Act, which ensures that those with a recognised interest in the land get priority when it is sold. Cabinet rules require that fair market value is paid for the land, which has a current rateable value of $7.26 million.

If the land is not sold under the terms of the act, the Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust, which already owns much of Shelly Bay, has first right of refusal. If the trust does not buy the block, it would be put on the market. The trust did not reply to Dominion Post questions.

The Watts Peninsula report was commissioned "to stimulate discussion and provide a possible concept for the future of the property that could best support the mixed interests", the source said.

"In this case, the Historic Places Trust has made recommendations and the Conservation Department is considering its requirements for a `conservation purposes' public work."

DOC Wellington manager Rob Stone said protection of the entire peninsula would be recommended to Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson. "We see Watts Peninsula as being particularly suited for a city or regional park and for the management to be vested in the city or regional council, with DOC involved at a level of providing technical assistance."

Several parties were interested in the peninsula, Mr Stone said. "If the land is transferred to DOC, then we would work with these parties, including tangata whenua, to manage the site." A spokesman for Ms Wilkinson said she expected to be formally briefed on the issue within a couple of weeks.

Historic Places Trust central region general manager Ann Neill said: "We will be working with the parties to ensure the site is recognised and appropriately protected."

Colin Ryder, of the Watts Peninsula Coalition, said the housing proposal would be a blight. "With medium to high-density housing you could, literally, be looking at 200 to 300 residences and, with subdivision on up to 45-degree slopes, there would need to be extensive earthworks."


http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/5252981/Miramar-Peninsula-Subdivision-or-parkland



A regional park on northern Miramar Peninsula?

By KEN NEW - The Dominion Post | 11:15AM - Friday, 08 July 2011

MIRAMAR PENINSULA: A view showing the Miramar and Wellington Airport. — ANDREW GORRIE/The Dominion Post.

MIRAMAR PENINSULA: A view showing the Miramar and Wellington Airport.
 — ANDREW GORRIE/The Dominion Post.


THE New Zealand Defence Force's plan to sell land at the northern end of Miramar Peninsula to allow housing development has apparently been done without public consultation and would result in nationally important historic sites being razed. The considerable environmental, recreational and tourist potential of the area would also be lost.

We understand that Defence’s plan envisages various options, including high-density semi-detached and terrace-style housing. Given the topography of the site and the necessity for significant earthworks, this plan would destroy many of the area’s most valuable attributes.

The Department of Conservation has documented the high historical and cultural importance of the area. There are important pā sites and widespread evidence of the military history of the area, including a nationally significant military road connecting many of the historical features — this road would almost certainly be obliterated if Defence’s plan goes ahead.

Forest & Bird believes this prime landform should be protected from the visual pollution of high-density housing. The peninsula can be seen from the city centre and from much of the harbour and harbour-side. Although the city council has recognised the landscape value of the area by zoning it open space, Wellingtonians may be unaware that the area is not protected as a reserve.

This area’s special landform and historical characteristics are found together in only two other sites in New Zealand — Auckland’s North Head and Christchurch’s Godley Head (unfortunately badly damaged by the recent earthquakes). North Head attracts 500,000 visitors annually, and is one-tenth the size of the Defence land on Miramar Peninsula.

Environmentally, it is significant that Miramar Peninsula has been possum-free since 2006 and that in recent years tūī and kererū have returned to the peninsula. It is an important link in a bird corridor from the Rimutakas to East Harbour Regional Park and across to Karori Sanctuary (Zealandia). The peninsula also supports several species of skinks and geckos.

There is no regional park in Wellington City. This area is the ideal location for one — accessible to Wellingtonians and visitors, it offers a unique mix of historical, military, cultural, environmental, scenic and recreational values. Together with the restoration work being planned for Point Dorset and revegetation already being done by residents’ groups, environmentally Miramar Peninsula could be an area whose time has come!


Ken New is a member of the Forest & Bird Wellington Branch committee and convenor of the “Green Wellington” branch sub-group.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/5255249/A-regional-park-on-northern-Miramar-Peninsula
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« Reply #2 on: July 14, 2011, 07:31:58 pm »


Hobbit photos in Miramar park banned

Security company patrols Miramar park

By TENNESSEE MANSFORD - The Wellingtonian | 5:00AM - Thursday, 14 July 2011

FORBIDDEN: The view you aren't allowed to photograph. — TENNESSEE MANSFORD/The Wellingtonian.
FORBIDDEN: The view you aren't allowed to photograph.
 — TENNESSEE MANSFORD/The Wellingtonian.


PEOPLE taking pictures of Hobbits from a hilltop park above Peter Jackson's studios in Miramar risk having the images deleted and being charged with trespassing.

This is the potential outcome for anyone using cameras on Wexford Hill, a Wellington Airport-owned property that overlooks the Stone Street studios, where The Hobbit is being made.

The land, which has panoramic views of the eastern suburbs, looks like a park. It is mowed, unfenced and has seats on the summit.

Until recently, an old Ministry of Transport sign (still visible) warned people not to drive vehicles there.

Six large notices have now been erected telling members of the public that although they are welcome on to the land for "usual recreation purposes", they are not allowed to take photos of any property or people at the Stone Street studios below.

The notices are signed by Recon security company, which works for The Hobbit production company 3foot7.

When approached for comment, The Hobbit publicist Melissa Booth said everyone at the studios was on a two-month break, including the producers. She recommended contacting the security company.

A Recon spokesman said the company worked directly for 3foot7, which had an agreement with Wellington International Airport.

He said if its security officers find people taking pictures they will be asked to delete the images and, in the worst case, the officer would issue a trespass notice.

Wellington International Airport chief commercial officer Matt Clarke said the [security] company had a right to restrict people taking photos because "the land is privately owned and use is able to be restricted".

The airport has issued a licence agreement to 3Foot7 to protect the production company's copyrighted property from being infringed by people taking photographs or digital recordings from the site.

Mr Clarke said the licence was a practical arrangement, "not a commercial one".

3Foot7 meets the cost of preparing and issuing the licence.

Canterbury University associate professor of law Ursula Cheer said that without seeing the licence referred to, it was difficult to say what its legal status was.

"The production company through its agent, the security firm, is like the owner and can put up signs stating the conditions of coming on to the property. This means the notice looks quite effective."

Members of the public who went on to this land and breached the terms on the signs might be trespassing and could be asked to leave and to surrender film, she said.

"If they do not do so, they might be sued in trespass and if they publish photos, then the claims based on intellectual property rights might follow."

"It does look as if the company is trying to avoid legal action, however, by confiscating and destroying the films, etc."


http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/the-wellingtonian/5279001/Hobbit-photos-in-Miramar-park-banned
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« Reply #3 on: August 04, 2011, 07:03:46 am »


Jackson wants to save land for public

Director wants peninsula to be protected

By DAVE BURGESS - The Dominion Post | 5:00AM - Thursday, 04 August 2011

Lord of the harbour: Director wants peninsula to be protected.

MULTI-MILLIONAIRE film director Sir Peter Jackson is using his influence to ensure a King Kong-sized chunk of land on the Miramar Peninsula is kept out of developers' hands and incorporated into the city's green belt.

The New Zealand Defence Force is looking to sell 76 hectares of surplus land on what it calls Watts Peninsula — near but not including Wellington Prison — which overlooks Jackson's Miramar film-making facilities.

Defence Force director of housing and property Peter Bollmann said a lawyer representing Jackson had recently been in contact.

"They've always had a peripheral interest because they've filmed bits and pieces up on the peninsula. But, yes, he has made contact with us at Defence and we have told him what the disposal process is."

Jackson took time off yesterday from making The Hobbit to issue a statement to The Dominion Post.

"We are concerned about protecting the green belt for future generations," it said.

"While we have no current intention of buying any land, we are investigating how we might be able to support the current proposal for Defence-owned land on Watts Peninsula to remain in public ownership."

Watts Peninsula Coalition spokesman Allan Probert said the group welcomed Jackson's interest and support.

"We've always found Sir Peter supportive of initiatives on the peninsula. He is a passionate Wellingtonian, and this would be a great way for him to create an amazing legacy for the city."

"What's important at Watts Peninsula is not the short term but the potential for the whole city in the long term."

The coalition wants the area to remain as open space but be developed along the lines of a successful Sydney Harbour military heritage project that would turn it into a reserve and tourist attraction.


LONG-TERM POTENTIAL: Watts Peninsula could become a Jackson legacy. Watts Peninsula Coalition spokesman Allan Probert says his group welcomes Jackson's interest and support. — ANDREW GORRIE/The Dominion Post.
LONG-TERM POTENTIAL: Watts Peninsula could become a Jackson legacy. Watts Peninsula Coalition spokesman
Allan Probert says his group welcomes Jackson's interest and support. — ANDREW GORRIE/The Dominion Post.


The Dominion Post revealed last month that the Defence Force had written a paper outlining plans for 150 homes to be built in "clustered heritage communities" on the peninsula.

It is working with the Conservation Department on the disposal of the land under the Public Works Act.

Next cab off the rank should negotiations with DOC fail is the Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust, which has first right of refusal under the terms of its Treaty of Waitangi settlement.

If the trust should turn down that option, the land would be sold on the open market. It has a current rateable value of $7.26 million.

Mr Bollmann said the Defence Force had no plans to develop the land, which is currently zoned so it cannot be used for commercial or residential developments.

"We are trying to get out of that property and we have been for a number of years. Our objective is to get it out of our control so its future use can be progressed in accordance with local planning guidance and community involvement."


http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/5384905/Jackson-wants-to-save-land-for-public
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« Reply #4 on: August 04, 2011, 08:18:28 am »



HOBBITWOOD?
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« Reply #5 on: August 31, 2011, 12:01:05 pm »


Giant support sign in Miramar for All Blacks

Support sign to be installed soon

The Dominion Post | 5:00AM - Wednesday, 31 August 2011

GO, NEW ZEALAND: An artist's impression of what the All Blacks sign will look like on the hill.
GO, NEW ZEALAND: An artist's impression of what the All Blacks sign will look like on the hill.

IT WON'T BE WELLYWOOD — but any day now Wellingtonians will wake to see a sign on the Miramar cutting.

Wellington International Airport is putting up an All Blacks sign at the site of the proposed sign while the public selection process, launched today, is held to decide what will go up permanently.

The white letters will be installed overnight as soon as the weather is calm enough.

Chief commercial officer Matt Clarke said the sign would welcome the 40 per cent more international visitors expected in Wellington during the Rugby World Cup, which starts next week.

"It's a fantastic opportunity to show our support for the national team and just express how excited we are to be hosting all of these visitors for the Rugby World Cup."

The All Blacks sign will stay in place until the publicly chosen sign is installed.

New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew said the team was humbled by temporary sign, which showed the Wellington region's support for the All Blacks.

"The level of support the All Blacks are receiving around the country in advance of Rugby World Cup 2011 is fantastic. The sight of a giant All Blacks sign as people fly into Wellington is a really generous and unique way of demonstrating  commitment to the team."

"We were humbled by the concept when the airport first approached us with the idea and more than happy to give it our support."


http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellywood-or-what/5534114/Giant-support-sign-in-Miramar-for-All-Blacks
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« Reply #6 on: November 02, 2011, 08:13:50 am »


Miramar peninsula to become public reserve

By PAUL EASTON - The Dominion Post | 11:57AM - Tuesday, 01 November 2011

RESERVE ANNOUNCEMENT: Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown,Sir Ngatata Love and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Christopher Finlayson. — Photo: The Dominion Post.
RESERVE ANNOUNCEMENT: Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown,Sir Ngatata Love
and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Christopher Finlayson.
 — Photo: The Dominion Post.


LOCALS AND HISTORIANS are welcoming plans to preserve the history of a slice of the Miramar Peninsula.

The New Zealand Defence Force had been looking to off-load 76 hectares of surplus land on what it calls Watts Peninsula — near but not including Wellington Prison — which overlooks Sir Peter Jackson's Miramar film-making facilities.

Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown, Greater Wellington Regional Council chair Fran Wilde and Heritage and Culture Minister Chris Finlayson announced plans for the future of the area today.

Under the plan, a steering committee, headed by Sir Ngatata Love, would oversee the restoration of the area, including Fort Ballance, and would likely establish more walking trails.

It will become a 76 hectare reserve, ruling out the possibility of it being developed for housing.

Enterprise Miramar Peninsula chairman Allan Probert welcomed the announcement.

"It has always been our wish to preserve it for public ownership. We are very happy about the whole thing. It's the end of a long battle for us, so we are feeling very vindicated today. There's a wonderful story to be told there."

Local historian Allan Jenkins said it was "a great day for Wellington.”

New Zealand Historic Places Trust Central Region General Manager Ann Neill said the site had "considerable historic and heritage significance ".

"We welcome moves to protect and conserve these sites. The peninsula’s proximity to the Capital makes it a unique place with significance to all New Zealanders."

Heritage and Culture Minister Chris Finlayson said the land's final status was not yet known, however he backed it becoming an historic reserve.

The land could end up being administered by the Historic Places Trust, Conservation Department, and the Ministry of Culture and Heritage.

"Essentially it will be an all of crown activity."

It could take as long as 50 years for the area to be developed, he said.

He hoped the reserve would one day rival Vancouver's Stanley Park.

"It's something that really adds to the amenity value of Vancouver and I want that here. I see it being a place for walking cycling, visiting our military history and that of the early iwi of the area.”

The Dominion Post reported earlier this month that a deal was being worked on by Finlayson which would also see 13 hectares owned by the Corrections Department go to DOC.

A museum to showcase props from Sir Peter's blockbuster movies such as the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but also others from as far back as Bad Taste in 1987, has been trumpeted for years without coming to fruition.

The Defence Force is disposing of its land under the Public Works Act, which gives purchasing priority to other government departments.


http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/5887335/Miramar-peninsula-to-become-public-reserve
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« Reply #7 on: January 11, 2012, 03:17:29 pm »


Hobbit eyes move to failed film set

By MICHELLE DUFF - The Dominion Post | 1:25PM - Wednesday, 11 January 2012

NEW LIFE? The Miramar peninsula may soon be used as a set for filming of The Hobbit. — ANDREW GORRIE/Fairfax NZ.
NEW LIFE? The Miramar peninsula may soon be used as a set for filming of The Hobbit.
 — ANDREW GORRIE/Fairfax NZ.


THE HOBBIT may return to Miramar Peninsula for filming after applying for permission to reuse an old film set there.

Peter Jackson's production company, 3 Foot 7, has applied to Wellington District Council for a resource consent to use the land on the northern tip of Miramar Peninsula for filming between March and May.

The land had been used for the failed feature film Kingdom Come.

The area would be used for "the construction of temporary structures for the purpose of a film set," which would include earthworks, tree and vegetation removal and filming activities, the resource consent said.

Up to 60 shipping containers would be brought into the area to act as rigging for scaffolding to build the film sets, which would be up to nine metres tall.

Construction was earmarked to take from December until March, with filming taking place for approximately eight weeks during March, April and May.

During this time, about 600 people would be on the set between 4am and 10pm seven days a week, including actors and extras, catering staff, film crew, support staff and security staff, the consent said.

Residents of nearby Akaroa Drive and Maupuia Road would be informed by letter box drops, as 500 vehicle movements were anticipated on and off the set each day.

The Defence Force-owned land was the site of the film set for the $180 million Kingdom Come, which was abandoned after its backers were plagued by financial troubles.

The set was built in 2008 and has now been dismantled.

The Defence Force have given 3 Foot 7 a licence to occupy the land, which was being used for stock grazing, from 22 December until 31 July.

A spokeswoman for The Hobbit would not confirm if the film was being shot in that location.


http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/culture/6241046/Hobbit-eyes-move-to-failed-film-set
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« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2012, 12:11:34 pm »


Wellington prison tipped to close

By DANYA LEVY - The Dominion Post | 8:39AM - Monday, 19 March 2012

MOUNT CRAWFORD: The prison could be closed. — ANDREW GORRIE/The Dominion Post.
MOUNT CRAWFORD: The prison could be closed. — ANDREW GORRIE/The Dominion Post.

WELLINGTON's Mount Crawford Prison is expected to be one of the regional facilities closed and replaced with a new privately built prison in South Auckland.

Prime Minister John Key this morning confirmed old regional prisons are set to close.

The Government announced earlier this month that Serco, the private company managing Auckland's Mount Eden prison, would also run the new 960-bed jail at Wiri which would be built by Fletcher Construction.

Although the prison numbers have been falling, the Government says it needs extra capacity in Auckland.

Serco is expected to reduce reoffending by more than 10 per cent and will face financial penalties if it fails to meet the target.

Key this morning said the Government is speaking with unions about closing old regional prisons but would not confirm which prisons would close.

Prisons at New Plymouth and Invercargill are also expected to close.

"We will be effectively replacing them with Wiri which is a very up-to-date facility," he told TVNZ's Breakfast programme.

The Government had considered the affect of the closures on local communities, he said.

"But overall, these are very, very old prisons and we need to work our way through what would happen if we kept them."

"They require a lot of ongoing maintenance, (and) they wouldn't be great facilities for prisoners and the staff that work in them."

Labour's justice spokesman Charles Chauvel said Wiri was expected to cost the taxpayer about $1 billion over 25 years but its "indirect" costs were becoming clear and were "disturbing".

"National seems to have made a decision that, rather than refurbish many regional state-owned institutions, it will simply close them. Prison closures will be a big blow to regional economies. Job losses will be significant."

The proposal made "little economic or social sense".


http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/6597257/Wellington-prison-tipped-to-close
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« Reply #9 on: March 20, 2012, 01:48:18 pm »


Jail closure would free prime Miramar land

By SHABNAM DASTGHEIB - The Dominion Post | 5:00AM - Tuesday, 20 March 2012

WELLINGTON PRISON, the site of the last local execution and more recently a home for segregated prisoners, may be set to close after nearly 90 years.

Prime Minister John Key has confirmed old regional prisons are to close and be replaced with a new, privately built jail at Wiri, in South Auckland.

Wellington Prison, also known as Mount Crawford and set high on the hills of the Miramar Peninsula, is expected to be one of those to close.

The Corrections Department says it will not comment until it has consulted staff, but a spokeswoman said yesterday an announcement would not be far away.

The prison houses up to 120 men who need to be separated from the mainstream prison population. Inmates there may have committed an offence that makes them vulnerable to attack in mainstream prisons, or have informed on other prisoners.

The prison's history stretches back to 1927, when it was built as a replacement to the Terrace prison.

Wellington's last execution took place there in the winter of 1935, when Charles William Price was hanged for murdering his girlfriend.

The Dominion reported that Price had been wakened at 6.15am on the day of his hanging, he breakfasted at 7am, and was fetched from his cell at 7.56am. He was dead by 8am.

High-profile inmates at the prison have included axe murderer John Ericson, who was sentenced to life after hitting his wife 22 times on the back of the head with a hatchet. He escaped in 2007 while working in the prison garden and prompted a massive manhunt with armed police, dogs, helicopters as well as the police maritime unit.

Over the years, several other inmates have also attempted to escape.

In 1994, Keith Cameron was found by police after having evaded authorities for two years. In 2009, four inmates tried to escape; one man leapt over the perimeter wall and ran off but was picked up about an hour later.

The prison was closed temporarily from June 2008 until July 2009.

Local groups such as Enterprise Miramar Peninsula have said in the past that they want the land there put to better use than a prison. Chairman Allan Probert was not available for comment yesterday.


http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/6601289/Jail-closure-would-free-prime-Miramar-land
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« Reply #10 on: May 24, 2012, 11:48:17 am »


Give Miramar some love, Oscar-winner begs

By JUDY O'CALLAGHAN - The Dominion Post | 5:00AM - Thursday, 24 May 2012

EASTERN WISHES: Daminda Dias, Allan Probert and Jamie Selkirk want the Wellington City Council to invest in upgrading Miramar, the heart of the capital's film industry.
EASTERN WISHES: Daminda Dias, Allan Probert and Jamie Selkirk want the Wellington City Council
to invest in upgrading Miramar, the heart of the capital's film industry.


OSCAR-WINNING film editor Jamie Selkirk has made a plea to Wellington City Council to repay the multimillion-dollar film industry by helping to upgrade the suburb where it began.

Selkirk, known for his work on The Lord of the Rings trilogy, addressed the city council yesterday on its draft long-term plan, asking it to reconsider its proposal to drop an upgrade of Miramar in favour of work in the central city.

The council had anticipated providing a focal point to the suburb's centre, and increasing safety, during 2012-13, but budget constraints meant significant upgrades to suburban centres were removed from the draft plan.

In his address to the council, Selkirk said he, along with Sir Peter Jackson and Sir Richard Taylor, had chosen Miramar as the place to lay down New Zealand's film industry's roots, putting $78 million into the eastern suburb over the years.

But it was still a "home without a heart", with unsafe roading that was a "bit of a shambles" and a public toilet taking up all the public space, he said.

The film industry brought $400m revenue to the city last year — as well as bringing 1500 workers and their families to Miramar — but council had failed to "cash in on that" by making the community more attractive.

Selkirk said in his written submission that "Miramar has for too long been left out in the cold" and spending $900,000 for a relatively simple upgrade was a "no-brainer".

Selkirk, Jackson and Taylor all helped to fund the $7m revamp of the Roxy Cinema in Miramar last year, along with cinema co-owner Daminda Dias.

Mr Dias told the hearing that the centre of Miramar had "always been a bit of a poor cousin". He was disappointed upgrade plans had been dropped just weeks before he thought work was about to begin.

Enterprise Miramar Peninsula chairman Allan Probert, who will address council today, said he always thought the business group had a good partnership with council.

The draft plan suggested investment in suburban centres could be considered where there were major partnership opportunities or significant growth.

So to not invest in the fastest growing suburb, which gives the city about $1.7m in annual commercial rates, would be a mistake, Mr Probert said.

There was constantly high foot traffic, but no traffic safety, no places to sit, and no ambience, he said.

"We must be the only suburb with a public toilet sitting there taking up space and blocking the area. It's just such an eye-sore."

A final decision on the draft plan submissions would be made at the end of June.


http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/eastern-suburbs/6973836/Give-Miramar-some-love-Oscar-winner-begs
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« Reply #11 on: June 16, 2013, 11:52:27 am »


Hobbit fire brings reality to dragon fantasy

By HANK SCHOUTEN - The Dominion Post | 8:16AM - Sunday, 16 June 2013

A PETER JACKSON Hobbit fantasy involving fire-breathing dragons got a bit too real on a Wellington film set last night.

A generator truck which caught fire on the site, near the old Mount Crawford prison, sent clouds of smoke billowing and engulfed a crane used to light the set.

The set, recently built in a patch of bush above Shelly Bay, was understood to represent Dale, the town of men under Lonely Mountain, which gets scorched by Smaug the dragon.

The buildings were made to look as though they had been gutted by fire, but the fire service said it definitely wasn't theatrical smoke. It took about 20 minutes to put the fire out.

Ed Scragg, who saw the fire from a Roseneath home on the other side of Evans Bay, said clouds of smoke billowed around the lighting tower just before 5pm.

Sir Peter Jackson's spokesman, Matt Dravitzki, confirmed filming continued after the fire was put out.

The set was built earlier this month for a few days' filming as part of 10 weeks of final-cut shooting for the last two instalments of the Hobbit trilogy. It was the last day of filming before a return to the studio tomorrow.

Dravitzki was not prepared to say what part of the Hobbit story they were working on, although he joked, "I was planning to tell you that the dragon Smaug set fire to the set."

The next Hobbit instalment, The Desolation of Smaug, is due in cinemas in December.

Meanwhile, Hobbit star Sir Ian McKellen visited an old friend in Christchurch during a brief trip to the city yesterday. As well as stopping in at the rebuilt Isaac Theatre Royal, of which he is an avid supporter, he met English actor and mate Michael Elsworth, who now lives in Christchurch.

"We worked together as amateur actors in Lancashire," said McKellen. Elsworth was also his double in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.


http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/8801887/Hobbit-fire-brings-reality-to-dragon-fantasy
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« Reply #12 on: June 16, 2013, 12:08:45 pm »


Protesters want prison site for public use

By PAUL EASTON - The Dominion Post | 8:22AM - Sunday, 16 June 2013

OUR MOUNTAIN: Save Mount Crawford Campaign protesters, from left, Allan Probert, Ben Wilde, Dan Henry and John Overton. — MAARTEN HOLL/Fairfax NZ.
OUR MOUNTAIN: Save Mount Crawford Campaign protesters, from left, Allan Probert, Ben Wilde,
Dan Henry and John Overton. — MAARTEN HOLL/Fairfax NZ.


A BACKROOM DEAL could see the historic former Wellington Prison site fall into the hands of private developers, concerned neighbours fear.

The prison, which sits atop Mount Crawford on Miramar Peninsula and has spectacular views over Wellington Harbour, closed last November after a colourful 85-year history.

Under its Treaty settlement with the Crown, the Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust has the right to buy the prison land and buildings if they are surplus to Crown requirements.

Land Information New Zealand Crown property manager Bill Naik said it took over the former Wellington Prison from Corrections on February 28th, and the land disposal process had started.

"The disposal process includes offering the land to Maori under a Treaty settlement before we offer it to the open market. However, we are not at that stage yet, and it is too early in the process to know if and when that will occur."

Now a new group is promising protest action if the site is not retained for the public.

"What has really got our back up is that it's not being done upfront. It's all being done behind the scenes," Save Mount Crawford spokesman John Overton says.

He has planted protest signs around the prison, wants a public meeting, and says a march is on the cards.

"If measures such as these do not succeed ... we may have to consider the possibility of using civil disobedience, to disrupt the sale process itself."

Overton said the public had always had access past the prison, but this might stop if developers took over. It was a link between Shelly Bay and a 76-hectare swath of land on Watts Peninsula, where there are plans for a public reserve.

The former prison should be part of those plans, and could also house a cafe and art galleries, he said. "It should be a bridge, not a barrier."

The prison has been described by the Historic Places Trust as having "aesthetic, architectural, historical, social and technological significance".

Past ideas for the site have included turning it into a hotel, due to its proximity to Wellington Airport.

Local resident Ben Wilde said he wanted a public process. "It seems like they're just going to hand it over and turn it into a gated community."

Wellington City Council Eastern ward councillor Simon "Swampy" Marsh said the community should be kept up to date. "After all, it's owned by all New Zealanders."

Sir Peter Jackson's plans to build a film museum in Shelly Bay were shelved, but the director has remained an advocate of the preservation of the heritage of Miramar Peninsula.

It is understood plans by the Todd Property Group to construct a housing subdivision at Shelly Bay are now on hold. The company declined to comment.


INSIDE STORY

  • Built in 1927 with much work from prisoners, using concrete made from sand from Wellington's south coast.

  • In 1965, mayor Frank Kitts described the prison as an "anachronism in land-starved Wellington".

  • Because of its small size, it usually housed only between 120 and 200 prisoners.

  • Four convicted murderers were hanged there. The last, in 1935, was Charles William Price, who killed his mistress, Evelyn Mary Madden.

  • Inmates have included convicted double murderer John Barlow, and the killer of Taita teenager Karla Cardno, Paul Joseph Dally.

  • Axe-murderer John Ericson escaped from Mount Crawford in 2007, and was caught 26 hours later.

  • The 6.2-hectare site had a capital value of $6.9 million in 2009.

  • In 2011, then Corrections Minister Judith Collins labelled its conditions "Dickensian".

  • Closed in 2012, after 85 years' operation.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/8801895/Protesters-want-prison-site-for-public-use
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« Reply #13 on: May 16, 2016, 07:49:46 pm »


from The Dominion Post....

Curious City: Behind the walls of Wellington Prison

The etching on the walls of Wellington Prison tell their own haunting story.

By TOM HUNT | 3:10PM - Sunday, 15 May 2016

The prisoners may not have appreciated it, but Mount Crawford had million-dollar views over Wellington Harbour.
The prisoners may not have appreciated it, but Mount Crawford had million-dollar views
over Wellington Harbour.


THE Latin above the front door loosely translates to, “God and my right”. On the floor beneath, the sign is direct and honest: Wellington Prison.

It has been four years since Mount Crawford jail on the hills above Wellington Harbour closed down, and the weeds and pigeons took over. There are cracks in the paving, and pigeon mess on the floors.

Phil Lister served as a guard at times when the jail was open. He works for Corrections as the national prison movement co-ordinator. More importantly, he is an unofficial historian for New Zealand jails.

He points out a plastered-over hole in the north end of the east wing cell block. The hole that was once there was for the gallows from which four men were hanged.

The half-sized door to the outside was for removing the bodies but also, prosaically, for firefighters to run hoses in.

The bodies of George Errol Coats (buried his partner alive in the soil dugout for the Mount Victoria tunnel), Edward Tarrant (killed an elderly man with an axe), George Edward James (murdered his partner and her 4-year-old son), and Charles William Price (killed his mistress) probably left through that undersized door.


Amateur prison historian Phil Lister.
Amateur prison historian Phil Lister.

Razor wire at Wellington Prison.
Razor wire at Wellington Prison.

Mount Crawford in 2007, about five years before its closure.
Mount Crawford in 2007, about five years before its closure.

Land Information New Zealand took over the jail after it was no longer needed by Corrections in 2012 and is in the process of disposing of it. There has been much talk of what will happen to the land — prime real estate with potential spectacular views over Wellington — but a final decision is a long way off

In its dying years, Mount Crawford was for “voluntary segregation” — those fearing gang retribution in the general prison population accounted for some, but many were sex offenders, including paedophiles.

In the main cell area of east wing there are 27 cells. Light streams in through high windows. It feels like a cathedral.

Each cell has a bunk bed, but only the rusting metal frames remain. There is a metal toilet, a bowl, and small desk.

The room seems tiny for one; it would be beyond claustrophobic for two when the door clangs shut.

There was a time in Lister's younger career before toilets were installed. The prisoners stood waiting in the mornings with their chamber pots ready to dump in the sluice room.

The stench doesn't bear thinking about.

“Life stinx,” the poetry on one cell reads. “PD [periodic detention] is worse.”


Graffiti in cells at Wellington Prison.
Graffiti in cells at Wellington Prison.

Graffiti in cells at Wellington Prison.
Graffiti in cells at Wellington Prison.

Graffiti in cells at Wellington Prison.
Graffiti in cells at Wellington Prison.

In cell 14, at the far end, it is written that the cell is haunted. It is apparently above where the executions took place: “Be warned”.

The warning is appreciated, if factually wrong: the gallows were outside and some distance away.

The east wing cells are luxury compared with the “pound”, a profoundly depressing 3x3-metre room where misbehaving prisoners were sent for up to 15 days.

The mattress that would have once been on the floor is gone but the only other furniture, a short wooden bench, remains.

Prisoners spent 23 hours a day in the room. The remaining hour was in the “exercise yard”, an adjoining grim room with a little more room and no view to speak of.

The exercise yards for the rest of the prison population are nearby. They are notably nicer, though the only greenery now are the weeds sprouting through the paving.

Wellington Prison in 2016 seems a torturous place but, says Lister, it was built in the 1920s with progressive intentions.

Instead of the Victorian-era jails, built and operated solely to punish, Mt Crawford had one side for hard labour, and the other for trades training.


The gallows at Mount Crawford. — Photo: Alexander Turnbull Library/Ref: 114/153/04-G.
The gallows at Mount Crawford. — Photo: Alexander Turnbull Library/Ref: 114/153/04-G.

George Coats, centre, flanked by police, was one of four men hanged at Mt Crawford jail.
George Coats, centre, flanked by police, was one of four men hanged at Mt Crawford jail.

On the walk out, the route goes past the gallows again, and Lister's conversation moves back to the prison's four executions in the 1930s.

Hanging, he says, is a simple mathematic equation. The condemned's weight is checked against the “table of drops” to show how much rope is needed to break the neck.

The table stops at 17 stone. “Over 17 stone, their head would be pulled off.”


__________________________________________________________________________

THE MEN WHO HANGED

  • George Errol Coats, 30, labourer, December 1931: His crime captured Wellington's imagination. Phillis Avis Symons, 17, had been pregnant when she was buried alive in soil dug out for construction of the Mount Victoria tunnel. She was the girlfriend of Coats, who was working on the tunnel. He bashed her over the head with a pipe and buried her in a grave he had dug days earlier. The head injuries were not fatal and she suffocated in the earth. The pathologist described how her body was discovered hunched up, indicating she had tried to escape but had been unable to due to the weight of the soil above her. Coats claimed she had committed suicide and he had buried her, fearing he would be blamed for her death.

  • George Edward James, 57, engine driver, December 1933: His murderous actions spread across the town. First, he killed his live-in partner Cecilia Smith in their flat in Ohiro Road, Brooklyn. He was later seen  merrily cycling with her 4-year-old son Noel across the city. Hours later Noel's body was found wedged in between some rocks at Shelly Bay. His head had been bashed. James then went to a Lambton Quay pub before throwing himself into the harbour. By the time police discovered the body of Ms Smith — lying on the bed, her throat slit — James had been rescued. He had left a suicide note on the wharf, blaming his daughter for his decision to kill those he loved. “Nancy … if you had only given me and Badge a little sum out of the money to start us up in married life … I am sorry to have come to an end like this but it is all through your selfish ways that I did. Yours broken hearted father, G James,” he wrote.

  • Edward Tarrant, 60, wood merchant, March 1933: The trial of Tarrant attracted great public interest in Blenheim in 1932,  it being the first murder in the region for 30 years. Tarrant, an expert axeman, was charged with attacking elderly Picton man James Flood in his home. Flood had been struck with an axe several times with such force he had nearly been decapitated, and his wallet was missing. Several days later, Tarrant — who was in financial difficulties — began spending money and settling debts all over town. Tarrant claimed he had found the wallet in a bush. When he was found guilty, Tarrant told the court: “I never did it.”

  • Charles William Price, 44, teamster, June 1935: On February 6th, 1935, Price hired a taxi from Hastings and collected his mistress, Evelyn Mary Madden. The pair had met working on a farm and had been sharing a room at several hotels around town. The taxi driver dropped the pair off in remote Argyll East, near Waipawa in Hawke's Bay. An hour later, Price returned to the taxi alone. He had bashed Madden, a maid, with a piece of wood about the head and hidden her body in a creek under willow branches. Days later, police found her white hat and empty wallet hidden in nearby bracken. The Crown prosecutor said Price might have murdered her in order to steal £30.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/79703909
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