by Ben Addington | Aug 15, 2020 | Climate Change, Infrastructure, Land Development, Sustainability
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...
by Ben Addington | May 9, 2020 | Architecture, Building, Construction, Engineering, Housing, Infrastructure, Land Development, Landscape Architecture, Local Government, Other, Planning, Surveying, Sustainability, Urban Growth
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):...
by Ben Addington | Apr 22, 2020 | Land Development, Planning, Sustainability
Four issues have been identified: Our native freshwater species and ecosystems are under threatWater is polluted in urban, farming, and forestry areasChanging water flows affect our freshwaterClimate change is affecting freshwater in Aotearoa New Zealand A must read...
by Ben Addington | Mar 10, 2020 | Housing, Land Development, Planning, Subdivision
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...
by Ben Addington | Feb 15, 2020 | Land Development, Landscape Architecture, Laws and Regulations, Local Government, Planning, Sustainability
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...
by Ben Addington | Feb 5, 2020 | Construction, Engineering, Infrastructure, Land Development, Laws and Regulations, Subdivision
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...