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14 AUGUST 1996
A meeting of the Environmental Committee
was held on Wednesday 14 August 1996 at 4.00 pm
The Mayor, Ms Vicki Buck,
Councillors Oscar Alpers, Anna Crighton,
Newton Dodge, Pat Harrow, Lesley Keast,
Charles Manning and Barbara Stewart.
IN ATTENDANCE: Councillors David Close and Ron Wright.
Councillor Oscar Alpers arrived at 4.12 pm and was absent for part of clause 1.
The Committee reports that:
PART A - MATTERS REQUIRING A COUNCIL DECISION
1. RESOURCE CONSENT FOR EFFLUENT DISCHARGE FROM CHRISTCHURCH WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT RR 3426
The Committee received a report from the Waste Manager detailing the consent application for the Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The report which was also referred to the City Services Committee covered:
Background to report.
Present situation with existing consent.
Resource Management Act provisions.
The main component of consent process.
The present actions being taken.
Projected timetable.
Council and elected member involvement.
The Committee resolved to support the decisions reached at the proceeding City Services Committee meeting.
Recommendation: That the nomination of Councillor Carole Evans as a member of the Canterbury Regional Waste Working Party be replaced by a pool of three Councillors (Charles Manning, Newton Dodge and Carole Evans) to ensure representation from the Environmental Committee.
2. POSSIBLE ENVIRONMENT AWARDS RR 3416
Officer responsible
|
Author
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| Environmental
Policy and Planning Manager
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John
Dryden, Environmental Policy and Planning Manager
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| Corporate
Plan Output: Environmental Promotion
|
BACKGROUND
Since 1991, the Council has developed a Civic Awards programme and this has been recently reviewed. While contributions in the area of the environment can be included, this programme is targeted to individuals and societies who have made an outstanding contribution mainly on a community and voluntary basis. These awards therefore may not be able to be used to recognise particular projects or community groups or businesses which have made a significant contribution to the environment of the city.
The Canterbury Regional Council, since 1991, has had a Natural Resources Management Award aimed at promoting the sustainable management of the resources of the region. The emphasis of these awards is on matters of the natural environment, such as water, soil conservation, air quality, natural areas, pest management and regional transport.
The Christchurch Civic Trust has had a long standing practice of making annual awards which stimulate interest in the appearance of the city and create a greater awareness of the importance of environmental design, including architecture, planning, civic and landscape design.
There are a number of long established "garden" awards for individual private gardens and streetscapes.
A system of plaques for heritage buildings, places and objects is in place through the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (NZHPT) and the Engineers Institute (IPENZ). The NZHPT plaques are available for purchase by owners of buildings registered by the Trust. On occasions, the Canterbury Regional Committee of the Trust has also presented these plaques to building owners who have made outstanding contributions to heritage preservation (eg Riccarton House, the Christchurch Music Centre, P & D Duncan and `Inveresk'). These plaques do not identify the building with specific information but simply state: "NZ Historic Places Trust Registered Building, Pouhere Taonga". The plaques introduced by IPENZ for identification and recognition of buildings, places and objects of a heritage engineering nature contain information relating to the item. These plaques are limited to items of outstanding heritage engineering significance such as the Addington Water Tower. A number of professional bodies, eg NZIA, NZILA, NZPI, NZIS make annual awards to worthy architectural and planning and subdivision projects and a number of these have been located in the city.
The Hagley/Ferrymead Community Board is proposing to initiate Heritage Awards to recognise the efforts people make to retain/restore heritage properties. It was envisaged that these awards be similar to the Community Pride Garden Awards with the judging of properties or entries and certificates being awarded. It is intended that the awards would raise public awareness of heritage in general, provide a sense of pride within the community by recognising the efforts of residents to maintain the specific heritage character
> of their area, and act as civic recognition for individuals and groups who are dedicated to the preservation of the community's specific heritage character and fabric.
The "Keep Christchurch Beautiful" (KCB) has a number of awards, including Best Kept Mall Competition and School Environmental Awards.
The question arises as to whether the City Council should consider its own award system which recognises outstanding contributions to improving the environment of the city.
A POSSIBLE AWARD SYSTEM
Each year there are a number of developments that take place within the city which are worthy of some community recognition, possibly through a Council award system. These might include things such as:
* A new innovative suburban housing subdivision.
* An outstanding example of inner city apartment redevelopment project.
* A new or redeveloped park.
* A new road or cycle link.
* The conservation and reuse of a heritage building.
* A new initiative to reduce waste.
* An outstanding new building design.
* A new industrial development project.
Such awards would need to be available, not only to individuals, but to companies and organisations which undertake such projects, and would even include the City Council itself. Essentially it would provide a small way in which the community could thank outstanding contributors to the environment of the city.
As a suggestion, up to say 3 awards could be made each year, with the presentation at an appropriate occasion of a certificate and a plaque that could be attached to the project itself. The plaques for heritage projects, for example, could contain basic information about the building (eg date, architect, prominent business or person associated with the building).
CONCLUSION
There are already a number of community based awards available within the city which recognise outstanding contributions to the city's environment. The purpose of this report is to give the Committee the opportunity to discuss whether the Council itself wishes to establish a system which recognises such efforts.
Recommendation: 1. That an annual Christchurch City Council environment award be established.
2. That a Sub-Committee comprising Councillors Barbara Stewart, Anna Crighton, Pat Harrow and Committee Chairman, Councillor Carole Evans, be formed to develop the Award.
3. NORTHERN ACCESS RR 3415
Officer responsible
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Author
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| Environmental
Policy and Planning Manager
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Stuart
Woods, Senior Transportation Planner
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| Corporate
Plan Output: Transportation Policy Advice
|
The purpose of this report is to inform members of the present situation regarding road access to and from the north of Christchurch and the intended process to address this issue in the coming year.
The road access to and from the north of Christchurch last received significant attention by the Council approximately 18 months ago, when the suburban section of the northern arterial designation was uplifted by Transit New Zealand. There is no similar designation in place presently.
Cranford Street is still a State Highway, although Transit New Zealand indicated that it intends to remove this status when the Woolston Burwood Expressway is completed.
Previous progress on this issue was in part inhibited by the traffic model for the city not being complete. It is now complete and able to help assessments.
It is intended that the new study on this matter:
* be broad in the definition of the area of study.
* include consideration of all transport modes.
* consider a range of physical and management solutions.
* include wide community consultation.
There is a need to look at access across the whole northern part of the city, primarily between Papanui Road and Marshland Road, as well as being aware of the impacts on the wider area between Memorial Avenue in the west and Pages Road in the east.
It is intended to set up seminars (amongst both staff and Councillors) looking at the best process to put in place to address the issue. These meeting will need to address, for example, whether an independent expert or community/business leader should lead the study in the public arena. They should also involve establishing a draft order and timing of the study, a draft brief (including all the modes and technology to be considered), the interested parties to be included in the consultation process and the consultation process itself.
A possible study process could be:
* Establish objectives.
* Identify problems.
* List all options to address problems.
* Create packages/groups of options.
* Test and evaluate the packages.
* Identify and promote the preferred package.
* Implement the preferred package.
The process would be dependent upon wide consultation and input from the public and all affected parties to achieve the most acceptable answer for Christchurch. Hurrying and under resourcing the process would jeopardise its success. At the moment the Council has only 5 of 9 positions in the transportation planning sections filled. These staff are presently occupied with projects such as preparing for the upcoming City Plan hearing process, the Land Transport Pricing Study and other similar national policy submissions, the forward programme preparation, and Southern Arterial liaison/study. With the significant commitment to other projects of these staff means that major progress on this issue is unlikely until the staff positions are largely resolved.
This issue is sufficiently important that it should be carefully considered in its conduct and progress to ensure its best opportunity for meaningful outcomes. It needs to be realised that the do-nothing option is costing Christchurch more each year.
The Committee had before it the report of the Shirley/Papanui Community Board which considered the Northern access report at its meeting of 7 August 1996.
In the discussion that followed members recounted the history of the last attempt to establish a northern arterial route and the reasons for its failure to proceed.
The need for a a northern arterial route, be it a newly constructed road or the upgrading of the current five major northern radical arterials was acknowledged, as was the need to gain public support for any new initiative.
Recognition of the traffic problem in the northern area of the city and the need to enable heavy traffic to have direct access to the industrial zones of Christchurch and Lyttelton port, was also raised.
The Committee resolved to support the decisions reached by the Shirley/Papanui Community Board at its meeting of 25 August 1996.
Recommendation: That the study process identified in the report, proceed as soon as possible.
PART B - ITEMS DEALT WITH BY THE COMMITTEE AND
REPORTED FOR INFORMATION ONLY
4. CANTERBURY REGIONAL WASTE WORKING PARTY RR 3428
Mike Stockwell, Waste Unit Manager advised the Committee of the highlights of the recent visit by Council representatives to Auckland regional waste disposal tips and the discussions with the commercial waste management company involved. He also reported on the options arising from the regional landfill options study.
Councillor Close advised that the new Local Government Amendment Act recently passed was the most significant in years for waste management. The main change being that it was no longer optional but obligatory. It set out a hierarchy for the reduction of waste, recycling, reuse and recovery and in addition, give Councils the authority to levy for such activity.
The Committee resolved to support the decisions reached at the preceeding City Services Committee meeting.
5. CHILDREN'S STRATEGY STUDY
The Committee had before it the recommendations of the Community Services Committee of 8 July 1996.
The Committee resolved that a Sub-Committee be formed comprising Councillors Lesley Keast, Barbara Stewart, Pat Harrow and Carole Evans to give effect to the Children's Strategy Study recommendations relating to the Environmental Committee.
6. NEXT MEETING
It was noted that the September meeting of the Committee was now being replaced by the Asset Management meeting on the same day.
7. POSTER PASTING SUBCOMMITTEE RR 3483
The Committee considered the need to re-establish a Poster Pasting Sub-Committee in order to deal with the siting and installation of poster pasting bollards and problems related to the indiscriminate pasting of posters around the city.
A request had been received from the Linwood Service Centre, Committee Secretary for a member of the Hagley/Ferrymead Community Board to be a member of the Sub-Committee.
The Committee resolved to re-establish the Poster Pasting Sub-Committee, comprising Councillors Anna Crighton, Newton Dodge, Lesley Keast and Carole Evans, for a period of 12 months.
8. MISCELLANEOUS
The opportunity was taken to raise matters of mutual interest including:
(i) 210 TUAM STREET BUILDING
A number of ideas for this building are being looked at, as well as its use for Council internal services.
(ii) MEMORIAL AVENUE LAND USE
A report on the zoning and uses for the land along Memorial Avenue adjacent to the Russley Golf Links was sought.
(iii) THE CALEDONIAN SOCIETY CAR PARK
A request for assistance to landscape this car park in Peterborough Street had been sought and information was requested on the current situation relating to the landscaping of inner city car parks.
Added to this was a request for information on illegal car parks, arising from old houses being pulled down.
(iv) ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES - PARKS RECREATION AREAS
While there was no desire to duplicate the work of other standing committees dealing with such matters as parks and recreation areas, members were reminded that there is often an environmental aspect to such matters. Where appropriate environmental impact reports should be prepared and referred to the Environmental Committee.
(v) TRAVIS WETLAND
Information was sought to enable a review of the Travis wetland area management plan to take place.
(vi) WATER CONSERVATION
A further report related to water conservation is to come to the October meeting of the Committee.
The meeting concluded at 5.10 pm.
CONSIDERED THIS 28TH DAY OF AUGUST 1996 MAYOR
SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT BY THE
CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE
9. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT DELEGATIONS
As a consequence of job title changes in the Environmental Services Unit it is necessary for the Council to alter resolutions passed at its meeting on 13 December 1995.
At that meeting the Council made delegations to the Resource Management Officer Committee and also to named positions individually.
It is now necessary for the Council to resolve, if it wishes to continue those delegations, to alter the job title positions.
Recommendation: 1. That the Council resolution dated 13 December 1995 appointing the Resource Management Officer Committee be amended by deleting the references to "Senior Planner Applications, Senior Planner City Plan, Senior Planner Subdivisions" and substituting the words "Team Leader Planning Administration, Team Leader City Plan, Team Leader Subdivisions."
2. That the Council resolution delegating powers to the Environmental Services Manager or the Senior Planner City Plan be amended by deleting the words "Senior Planner City Plan" and substituting the words "Team Leader City Plan."
3. That the Council resolution delegating powers to Environmental Services Manager or Senior Planner Applications or Senior Planner Subdivisions or Area Development Officers be amended by deleting the words "Senior Planner Applications or Senior Planner Subdivisions" and substituting the words "Team Leader Planning Administration or Team Leader Subdivisions."
Chairman's
Recommendation: That the above recommendation be adopted. CONSIDERED THIS 28TH DAY OF AUGUST 1996 MAYOR