Auckland Council city centre priority location director, Simon Oddie, told the Herald the council has received a report that a pedestrian recently slipped on one of the tree pits. Aucklanders are criticising new bright yellow safety signs on a central city street, claiming they have ruined the “vibe” of the area. Auckland Council told the Herald the major project, Te Hā Noa, on Victoria St aimed to make the key central city street greener, easier and safer to move through. When finished, Victoria St will have one vehicle lane in each direction, wide tree-lined footpaths with places to sit, street furniture, public art and a designated cycle lane. Brown earlier called for a pause on the Victoria St linear park project in February last year due to cost and disruption.

Source: New Zealand Herald April 11, 2026 23:02 UTC