The big news of the day from the Wellington Stuff team, including traffic and weather updates, and all the latest news you need to go about your day in the region.

Good evening Wellington. Im Mandy Te, taking over for live updates this afternoon and evening.
7.44pm: Overnight closure of State Highway 58 Paremata cancelled
Tonights overnight closure of SH58 between Paremata roundabout and Postgate Dr is cancelled.
Road works will continue tomorrow, so drivers should plan ahead and detour via Whitby.
7.42pm: Tree felling near State Highway 1 Hataitai
Drivers should plan ahead as traffic will be operating with a stop and go method.
Road works start at 9pm and finished at 4.30.
Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency said there was one more night of this work planned this week.
6.58pm: More traces of Covid-19 found in wastewater samples
Further traces of Covid-19 have been found in wastewater samples taken from Porirua and Karori on May 16. This comes after traces of Covid-19 were found at Moa Point last weekend.
Additional samples were taken on Tuesday and the Ministry of Health said it would provide an update on those test results on Thursday.
Wastewater testing for Covid-19 by ESR in Wellington.
There is no risk of infection from Covid-19 in wastewater, the ministry said.
The ministrys current assessment remains that the weak positive results are likely due to recently recovered cases continuing to shed the virus.
5.40pm: Finnish programme, KiVa, helps Wellington school tackle bullying
A programme developed more than 16,000 kilometres away is helping pupils at a Wellington primary school tackle the issue of bullying.
Seatoun School associate principal, Susan Kliffen, said bullying rates have fallen at the school since it started using KiVa, a programme developed in by the University of Turku in Finland .
Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon said coming to Seatoun School today has just reinforced how important it is for a school to try and eliminate bullying.
The vision of ensuring that New Zealand is a safe, kind place to live in lies with our children.
4pm: Southern Landfill Transfer Station to close for repairs
Wellingtons Southern Landfill Transfer Station is to close temporarily on weekdays while the roof replacement is being carried out but it will be open as usual at weekends.
Work on the replacement starts on Monday, June 14, and is expected to last for at least five weeks. The closure will affect domestic customers dropping-off general waste, hazardous waste and green waste, but commercial waste operators will not be affected.
The Tip Shop, Recycle Centre and Capital Compost will remain open.
3.20pm: Wellington Airport argues for more space
Wellington Airport is arguing for more space, to allow for the inevitable growth in visitor numbers and remove existing delays caused by a lack of terminal connections.
Air New Zealands regional fleet spent a total of 203 hours idling on the tarmac in the capital waiting for a free spot in the year ending February 2021, according to airports chief commercial officer Matt Clarke.
The airport is in the midst of a hearing to decide whether 15.6 hectares of land, previously owned by the Miramar Golf Club, among other areas up for debate, is allowed to be used for airport business.
This would mostly mean parking planes and building the associated infrastructure, to accommodate the jets.
The Government introduced legislation today to ensure the Covid-19 vaccination programme can continue. (File photo)
1.25pm: National takatpui artists’ collective receives $70k Creative NZ grant
hua Collective, founded by digital designer Sonya Milford, aims to bring together and showcase Aotearoas creatives who are part of the rainbow community and are also black, indigenous or people of colour (BIPOC).
Milford said the awarding of the grant is indicative of professional arts in Aotearoa becoming more inclusive of diverse communities.
The hua Collective creative team, from left: Pati Solomona Tyrell, Sherry Zhang, Sonya Milford, and Tallulah McLean.
12pm: Power outage in Aotea, Ranui, Papakowhai and Grenada Village:
Wellington Electricity is reporting that 1082 customers in the area are being affected by a power outage.
Power was estimated to resume shortly after 2.20pm.
11am: Clayton Lewis re-signs with Wellington Phoenix
The Wellington local lad signed a two-year extension contract ahead of Saturdays homecoming match with Western United.
Lewis featured in all 22 games for the Phoenix this season but due to the teams relocation to Wollongong in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Saturdays game will be his first at Sky Stadium.
9am: Ben Hurley: Turn Off Your Mind, Relax and Float Down Stream
Billy T Award winner Ben Hurley returns to San Fran with comedy to distract from all the seriousness. No Trump, no Covid, no climate crisis, just jokes and stupid yarns.
May 19, 20, 21, 22 from 7pm. Tickets available here.
The New Zealand International Comedy Festival presents Ben Hurley at San Fran this week.
8.10am: A pedestrian has died after a crash in Lower Hutt on Tuesday night
Emergency services were notified of the crash on SH2, Western Hutt Rd, near Grounsell Cres, shortly before 10pm.
Police confirmed the serious crash unit been advised and would be investigating the circumstances of the incident.
7.50am: A social media challenge has resulted in a significant increase in car theft in Wellington
Online videos viewed by Stuff show youths breaking into vehicles, hot-wiring them and fleeing police. The videos are being shared on social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.
Detective Senior Sergeant Warwick McKee said police have seen a significant increase in vehicle crime in the past three months, with the northern suburbs of Wellington and the Porirua area most affected.
Teenagers, some as young as 13, are believed to be responsible for a significant increase in vehicle crime in Wellington. (File photo).
7.20am: Wellington Water: Works on SH1 Kilbirnie to be extended into early June and Paremata road closure (nights) to continue till Friday morning.
The altered road layout on SH1, Kilbirnie between the intersections of Kilbirnie Cres and Ruahine St will stay in place until early June after Wellington Water found the water main is in worse condition than originally identified.
SH 58 Paremata to Whitby will be closed for two more nights between the intersections of Paremata Crescent and Postgate Drive. Contractors would carry out storm water upgrades between 9pm and 5.30am Wednesday and Thursday nights.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has provided detour details here.
6.30am: Wellington weather
It’s a cool clear morning and the MetService forecasts that it will stay that way for the rest of the day. Gusty northwestlerlies will calm and turn west nearing midday and Wellingtonians can expect a high of 17 degrees Celsius.
Lower North Island forecast from Wednesday May 19.
Metlink apologises for increased cancellations
Wellington’s bus service cancelled 118 bus services between Sunday and Thursday last week.
Today Metlink has posted 27 cancellations ahead of 6.25am. Commuters can check for bus and train alerts and cancellations on the Metlink website.
From the pages of this morning’s The Dominion Post:
Deal gives iwi greater stake in $500 million Shelly Bay development
Taranaki Whnui and The Wellington Company have reached an agreement on the $500 million development at Shelly Bay, in a joint venture that will have cultural, social, environmental and commercial dimensions.
Under the new plan, the iwi will have a greater stake in the development project than previously proposed, including owning all commercial assets and securing a distinctive presence in the area.
The proposed development at Shelly Bay includes new housing units, shops, and a boutique hotel, among other things. (File photo)
Ian Cassels, the developer who owns The Wellington Company, said this is a real saving of Shelly Bay … it will become a pristine community thats never been seen before in New Zealand in terms of what it offers and what it does.
The Wellington Company’s managing director Ian Cassels says the company will now hold workshops and speak with the community about its plans.
Government to introduce new law for Covid-19 vaccine after legal challenge
The Government introduced a new law on Wednesday to ensure the Covid-19 vaccination programme can continue after a legal challenge. (File photo)
The Government introduced legislation today to ensure the Covid-19 vaccination programme can continue.
The case Nga Kaitiaki Tuku Ihu Medical Action Society Incorporated v The Minister of Health was in the High Court at Wellington last week, with the judgement delivered on Tuesday.
The High Court decision called into question the legislation under which the vaccine was approved.
Health Minister Andrew Little said the bill would make sure New Zealanders continue to have timely access to the medicines and treatments they need and it would be passed under urgency.
And in the arts …
Katy Cottrell wants to make people think about re-purposing furniture and the decline of timbers.
The ancient art of marquetry is the subject of a new exhibition in Porirua.
Rauemi Taiao/Material Nature by Wellington artist and teacher Katy Cottrell, runs at Ptaka Art + Museum to June 20 and features about 30 works by Cottrell which reveal the intricate craftsmanship of the art form.
In marquetry, pieces of veneer are applied puts sees decorative designs put onto to structures to make decorative designs.
Reminders:
Remutaka Hill Rd closed overnight.
A reminder to motorists travelling between Upper Hutt and Featherston, the Remutaka Hill Rd will be closed for maintenance between 9pm and 4am until Friday. Stop and go traffic management will also be in place during the day for the next two weeks. Plan your nighttime journeys ahead as the detour involves a three and a half hour loop via the Pahiatua track.
State Highway 58 Paremata closed overnight.
State Highway 58 Paremata roundabout to Postgate Dr will be closed till Thursday night starting from 9pm. Works will take place from 9pm to 4.30am. Motorists have been asked to detour via Whitby.
Jervois Quay will be closed over Queens Birthday weekend for storm water pipe repairs
All six lanes of Jervois Quay will be closed from 7pm on Thursday June 3 to 6am on Tuesday June 8 to replace the damaged storm water pipe that caused disruption in early February. The existing pipe will be removed and replaced with a 750mm pipe.
Closing all six lanes of Jervois Quay over Queens Birthday will allow construction work that would normally take six weeks, to be completed in four days and five nights.
Motorists are advised to avoid using Jervois Quay during the work and to look at alternative travel options.