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 | Aug 9, 2020 | Housing, Infrastructure, Local Government, Natural Hazards, Planning, Sustainability
The first national climate change risk assessment for Aotearoa NZ has been released. It identifies 43 priority risks with the following 10 most significant risks that require urgent action: Natural Environment: Risks to coastal ecosystems, including the intertidal...
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 2, 2020 | Laws and Regulations, Local Government, Planning, Sustainability, Waste
I’ve been really interested in recent work around waste minimisation and in particular The Truth About Plastics Recycling report by WasteMINZ. It highlights the three principles of the circular economy: Design out waste and pollution Keep products and materials...
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...
