The Climate Change Commission has sent a letter outlining six principles for the government to help guide investment decisions being made as part of the economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic. They are: Consider how stimulus investments can deliver long-term climate benefits Bring forward transformational climate change investments that need to happen anyway Prepare our… Continue reading Six Climate Change Principles for Investment
Category: Land Development
Fast-track Consenting (shudder)
The government has announced that it will undertake a law change to fast-track eligible development. The details are still relatively light but the following types of projects have been singled out for priority at this early stage (my satirical comments added): Roading (to help us re-pollute the air); Walking and cycling (which has been revealed… Continue reading Fast-track Consenting (shudder)
Freshwater 2020 Report Released
Four issues have been identified: Our native freshwater species and ecosystems are under threat Water is polluted in urban, farming, and forestry areas Changing water flows affect our freshwater Climate change is affecting freshwater in Aotearoa New Zealand A must read for all land development professionals wanting to improve the quality of our environment.
Planning is not Predicting
I was taking a deep dive on the Tauranga Growth Strategy recently and found a fascinating drawing by Arkhefield + Urbis. It shows ‘conceptually’ how a neighbourhood could change over 40 years from 2010 to 2050. It was a lovely drawing of single family homes gradually being replaced by more intensive housing. Unfortunately, it is… Continue reading Planning is not Predicting
Trees are the Enemy of Growth
Consultation on the proposed National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity closes soon and some of the submissions by local government are fascinating. The ones I have seen (through Council Committee agendas) almost all reference a perceived tension between biodiversity protection and urban development. It’s unfortunate that such a false dichotomy exists in planning because we… Continue reading Trees are the Enemy of Growth
Subdivision Infrastructure Basics
In most cities and districts the infrastructure requirements for subdivision are usually different from the NZ Building Code. This is because subdivision infrastructure is often shared and must last longer than the buildings it serves. It serves the land, which will be around a very long time indeed. There are some helpful rules of thumb… Continue reading Subdivision Infrastructure Basics