One year on from the huge February 2011 earthquake, board members invite you to consider this request from our Christchurch colleagues.
From the Christchurch Civic Trust:
Online Petition: Stop the destruction of Christchurch heritage buildings
Wholesale destruction continues. The former Sydenham Post Office: demolished. Only 2 or 3 historic / heritage buildings left on Colombo St, Sydenham: unbelievable! Christ Church Cathedral could be demolished in part or full: unthinkable! The owner of the former Chief Post Office in the Square wants to demolish. The former Christchurch Railway Station is still under threat. Read more »
The Wellington Civic Trust has told the Wellington Regional Council to think again. It has asked the council to withdraw its support for the flyover alongside the Basin Reserve, and the other roading plans being pushed on to Wellington by the NZ Transport Agency.
The Trust says the roading issue is of great significance to the city and the region. It challenges the council’s belief that the subject lacks sufficient “significance.”
To the Wellington City Council Strategy & Policy Committee
- The draft before you is about the July 2011 NZTA “Public engagement” scheme. They’ve made available the public feedback about it to inform Council’s submission. We’re heartened by that, it’s what your press statement of July 4th committed to; it’s worth noting in the submission itself.
- One of those 2000+ giving feedback was us, the Civic Trust. We said then that NZTA billed its scheme as “an improvement for a successful capital city” and our stance then and now is made in this light. Read more »
To the Wellington City Council Strategy and Policy Committee
The Trust agrees with the main finding of the report — that the framework is fit for purpose. The Trust has never understood why the Council would wish to disturb a set of objectives and principles which were the product of a consultative and collaborative process and which had successfully established benchmarks for evaluating specific proposals. Read more »
To the Wellington City Council
This is our submission on the Town Belt Guiding Principles (public consultation closing 9 September 2011). It is of enduring interest to us, and we wish to be heard in any oral submissions process on this consultation.
Overriding paramount principles
- Firstly, the Wellington Civic Trust (the Trust) recommends to Council that there be overriding paramount principles. The foremost of these would be that the Town Belt is to be accorded a mana and a sanctity that place it supremely above all other public reserve and recreation areas. The other overriding principle would be that each generation of Wellington Councillors and citizens honour the responsibility of protecting and enhancing the Town Belt as open recreational space for future generations in perpetuity. This is not just another park. Read more »
To the NZ Transport Agency
Why the Wellington Civic Trust is making a submission
- The Wellington Civic Trust has as its first object “to promote a civic environment whereby the City of Wellington, its surroundings, and its adjacent countryside and coastline become a resource for the use, benefit and enjoyment of all Wellington citizens.” (Constitution and rules, Objects, Clause 4 (a)) The NZTA proposals are billed as “improvements for a successful capital city.” We have therefore approached this project in that light. Would it promote that object set out in our constitution and in so doing would it make this capital city more successful?
To: info@gw.govt.nz
The Wellington Civic Trust (the Trust) is a strong supporter of public transport, because it:
- is consistent with the Trust’s purpose with respect to the civic quality of Wellington
- reduces demand on road space and helps avoid need to expand roading space, thereby avoiding the generation of “induced” traffic
- contributes to CBD quality by bringing people closer together and improving pedestrian connections, and enables the vibrancy of a compact CBD
- has positive environmental effects such as reduced emissions and air pollution
- reduces fuel use and so increases economic resilience as fuel scarcity increases prices.
- provides mobility for non-car users.
We welcome the opportunity to submit on the proposed Plan, using the questions posed on the feedback form.
Introduction
1. The Trust commends the Council for the presentation of the plan – the language is plain and direct and issues for comment have been highlighted to facilitate public involvement. The areas of ‘focus approach’ is particularly useful.
2. We accept the strategy on which the plan is based, as explained in the opening comments from both the Mayor and the Chief Executive. Rates affordability is a key issue. The city has to continue to invest in core infrastructure and if acceptable living standards are to be maintained, so must essential services. A number of service charges are being increased. This is no doubt inevitable because the ratepayer should not have to bear the full burden of unavoidable increased in costs. It would, however, be a shame if service charges forced an increasing number of our citizens to be priced out of services previously within their reach. That would amount to a partial loss of citizenship.
The trust thanks the ministry for the opportunity to comment on the engagement document on the GPS on land transport funding. Our comments follow.
Comments:
- While entitled ‘the GPS on Land Transport funding’, it does not cover KiwiRail’s expenditure on the rail network. It therefore misses any opportunities for looking at the transport network as a whole, and is unlikely to achieve full value for money since this approach cannot optimise the use of all existing resources and infrastructure. For example, Hamilton to Tauranga is proposed as a RoNS while the parallel railway line has received some upgrading and is capable of more. Read more »
The Wellington Civic Trust Awards were held in the Council Chambers on 28 April 2011. These were the lustrous winners:
Category winner — ‘Enhancement or Protection of the City’s Built Environment’
Te Wharewaka, by Architecture+
The runner-up was the Chews Lane Project byAthfield Architects.
Category winner — ‘The City’s Public Spaces’
Te Ahumairangi Hill Lookout, Tinakori Hill
The runner-up was Taranaki Wharf West.
Category winner — ‘Art in the City ~ People’s Choice’
Colin Webster-Watson’s Frenzy, Taputeranga Reserve, Owhiro Bay