TRANSCRIPT OF PROCEEDINGS BOARD OF INQUIRY Basin Bridge Proposal HEARING at BASIN RESERVE, MT COOK, WELLINGTON on 20 May 2014 BOARD OF INQUIRY: Retired Environment and District Court Judge Gordon Whiting (Chairperson) James Baines (Board Member) David Collins (Board Member) David McMahon (Board Member) Page 7081 APPEARANCES <NEIL JOHN JAMIESON, affirmed [9.41 am] ....................................... 7082 <EXAMINATION BY MS WEDDE [9.44 am] ............................... 7083 5 <MICHAEL ROBERT DONN, affirmed [9.41 am] ................................. 7082 <EXAMINATION BY MR MILNE [9.56 am] ................................ 7088 <CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR JONES [11.07 am] ................. 7094 <RE-EXAMINATION BY MR MILNE [10.23 am] ........................ 7103 <RE-EXAMINATION BY MS WEDDE [11.04 am] ....................... 7118 10 <FURTHER CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR JONES [12.13 pm] ............................................................ 7140 <FURTHER CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR JONES [12.33 pm] ........................................................... 7147 <FURTHER RE-EXAMINATION 15 BY MS WEDDE [12.44 pm] .......................................................... 7152 <THE WITNESSES WITHDREW [1.15 pm] .................................. 7165 <PATHMANATHAN BRABHAHARAN, affirmed [2.24 pm] ............... 7167 <EXAMINATION BY MS WEDDE [2.24 pm] ............................... 7167 20 <CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR MILNE [2.28 pm] .................. 7169 <THE WITNESS WITHDREW [3.07 pm] ....................................... 7185 <DUNCAN BRUTTON KENDERDINE, sworn [3.11 pm] ..................... 7186 <EXAMINATION BY MR CAMERON [3.11 pm] ......................... 7186 25 <CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR MILNE [4.59 pm] .................. 7218 Basin Reserve, Wellington 20.05.14 Page 7082 [9.39 am] CHAIRPERSON: Good morning everybody, another lovely Wellington morning. 5 MR BAINES: With no wind. CHAIRPERSON: No wind on the day of wind, this is our windy day today. Yes, now we have got the wind experts who are going to be, yes if you 10 could just come forward gentlemen and sit at the witness table. [9.40 am] MS WEDDE: Sir, would you like the witnesses to be introduced or are you 15 happy for them to do that themselves as we did for the other hot tubs? CHAIRPERSON: Well it is up to counsel if you would like to introduce each one. There is one called by NZTA and one called by? 20 MS WEDDE: Yes, we have Mr Jamieson called by NZTA and Dr Donn called by the Architectural Centre. CHAIRPERSON: Well perhaps if you introduce your witness and Mr Milne can introduce his witness, there is only two of them and we will get 25 them sworn in first and I will explain to them how the process works and you introduce your witnesses and we will start. MS WEDDE: Thank you, sir. 30 <NEIL JOHN JAMIESON, affirmed [9.41 am] <MICHAEL ROBERT DONN, affirmed [9.41 am] CHAIRPERSON: Yes, thank you gentlemen. Well this is what we call 35 contemporaneous witnessing. Are both of you or either of you done that before? MR JAMIESON: No. 40 MR DONN: No. CHAIRPERSON: No, very well, well it is very simple. You have both been sworn in and what happens is we have discussions rather than cross- examination of each topic as it has been identified by the parties and 45 you will be asked questions, one of you will be identified and asked a question by the person who is asking the question whether it be one of Basin Reserve, Wellington 20.05.14 Page 7083 the lawyers or Mr Jones at the back and you give an answer to it and then if the other person would like to comment or add something or disagree with what was said, then you just speak up so you just treat it as a conversation, okay. It is mean to save time and it is also much 5 more interactive as between the experts. <EXAMINATION BY MS WEDDE [9.44 am] MS WEDDE: Good morning, Mr Jamieson, is your full name Neil John 10 Jamieson? MR JAMIESON: It is. MS WEDDE: You have prepared a statement of evidence-in-chief and rebuttal 15 evidence for this inquiry? MR JAMIESON: Yes, that is correct. MS WEDDE: At paragraph 1.3 of your evidence-in-chief you set out your 20 qualifications and experience? MR JAMIESON: That is correct. MS WEDDE: Do you have any corrections to make to your evidence? 25 MR JAMIESON: No. MS WEDDE: Thank you, and you have also prepared a summary statement. 30 CHAIRPERSON: Yes, if you get each witness to read their summary please? MS WEDDE: Thank you, the Board has indicated they would like you to read your summary of evidence please? 35 MR JAMIESON: The concise summary of evidence? CHAIRPERSON: Yes. MS WEDDE: Your concise summary of evidence. Thank you. 40 MR JAMIESON: This statement provides a concise summary of my evidence in relation to this project including my evidence-in-chief dated 25th of October 2013 and my rebuttal evidence dated 21st of January 2014. 45 The Background to the Wind Assessment. The wind assessment of the Basin Bridge project that I carried out as part of the assessment of Basin Reserve, Wellington 20.05.14 Page 7084 environmental effects relied on consideration of the results of wind tunnel studies carried in similar circumstances for similar scale structures in Wellington City and over 25 experience in assessing wind conditions for buildings and structures in urban areas. No wind tunnel 5 testing was performed for the Basin Bridge project for this assessment. As noted in the joint witness statement dated 29th of November 2013 at paragraph 16 I agreed with Dr Donn that a wind tunnel study would quantify the existing wind speed levels and would also identify the 10 effects of the project with more exactness in terms of safety and amenity than a wind assessment. Dr Donn recommends that a wind tunnel study should be undertaken. Opus research does not make recommendations about whether wind 15 tunnel tests are required or not because we are a provider of wind tunnel testing services. [9.45 am] 20 In Wellington we refer any questions in this regard to Wellington City Council and their wind consultant who is currently Dr Donn however, I note that none of the designed elements of the project are greater than 18.6 metres in height which is the height threshold that triggers the requirement under the Wellington City District Plan for a wind report 25 which is either a wind assessment or a wind tunnel study. For this project a wind assessment was carried out despite not triggering the requirement for such a wind report. Wind Assessment – The Existing Wind Speeds. In the worst 30 conditions that would be experienced in a typical year gust wind speeds in the area around the Basin Reserve range from low 10 metres per second or less in very sheltered areas to very high around 25 metres per second in the most exposed locations. 35 These higher wind speeds are generally considered by wind engineers to be potentially dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists. Typically wind speeds are highest in the larger open spaces around the wind rid corners of the taller or more exposed buildings and in the gaps between buildings. They are mostly lowest in the areas in the lee (ph 1.27) of 40 buildings or where other structures provide some protection. Assessment of Wind Effects. Pedestrians and Cyclists on the Bridge. Wind conditions at either end of the bridge will be similar to the wind conditions currently experienced in these areas that is the conditions 45 will be as determined by the existing topography, buildings and landscaping. Wind conditions in the central section of the bridge where Basin Reserve, Wellington 20.05.14 Page 7085 it is above the level of most surrounding buildings are likely at infrequent times to range up to extremely high levels. The orientation of the bridge to the prevailing winds means that there 5 will potentially be a significant cross wind element of exposure for users of the bridge however, as agreed in the joint witness statement at paragraph 11 they will not be strong enough to blow pedestrians or cyclists off the bridge. 10 They may at times be unpleasant or difficult for pedestrians or cyclists to travel in and at the upper levels of wind speeds there is the potential for people to be blown off their feet or bikes, but these latter occurrences will be quite infrequent. Bridge users will not suddenly be trapped in the middle of the bridge with no means of escape. 15 The highest wind speeds will typically occur during the worst storms or gales during the year, usually with considerable warnings of worsening weather. People can choose to brave these conditions or not or take alternatives routes or means of transport as they do in other parts of 20 Wellington, many of which are much windier than the Basin Bridge is likely to be. It is possible to provide additional wind shelter for pedestrians and cyclists on the bridge and I would agreement with the submission that 25 the fence on the shared pedestrian cycle path will not provide significant shelter from the wind. Additional wind shelter could be provided using higher side barriers, either solid or with a maximum porosity of around 30 percent as discussed during expert witness conferencing. 30 The inclusion of additional wind shelter on the bridge was considered but was rejected on urban design and visual grounds. In my opinion, wind shelter on the bridge is desirable but not essential for the bulk of the time wind conditions will generally be acceptable. Signage will 35 also be used to alert bridge users to potentially windy conditions on the infrequent occasions when this occurs and to provide pedestrians and cyclists with information on alternative routes which are available. Vehicles on the Bridge. Vehicles are generally most significantly 40 affected by strong cross winds and these effects are greater for high sided vehicles and motorcycles.