Flash idea for Parliament revamp

WALK THIS WAY: A new revamp may include flashing green women could replacing men on pedestrian lights around Parliament.

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Flashing green women could replace men on pedestrian lights around Parliament under a quirky revamp that could pack the area with cafes, shops and bars.

Under the radical Wellington City Council vision, which has so far cost $50,000, Parliament's grounds could be upgraded and extended into Molesworth St and Lambton Quay.

The flashing green women would celebrate New Zealand being the first country to give women the vote and was backed by Mayor Kerry Prendergast. "Anything that illustrates the quirkiness and creativity of Wellington ... is great."

Aitken St, home of Archives NZ and the National Library, could be used as an exhibition space to illustrate stories from the political past.

"Our Extraordinary Democracy - The Capital City Initiative" is the council's vision to improve the way people feel about the Parliament area by giving it the same sense of awe and importance as a national park.

Ms Prendergast said the initiative would allow Wellington to get extra mileage out of being the capital city. "This is the centre of democracy and it is where we have led the world in lots of ways. We need to capitalise on that but bring into it the creative innovation that the city has achieved."

The council's chief urban designer, project leader Gerald Blunt, said the initiative was another step in cutting the apron strings of Mother England. "It is about the capital city's role ... but it is also all about our national identity."

The council will debate the initiative at its strategy and policy committee tomorrow before seeking Government support.