17. 12. 97

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE

4 DECEMBER 1997

A meeting of the Environmental Committee
was held on Thursday 4 December 1997 at 4 pm

PRESENT:	Councillor Carole Evans (Chairman), Councillors Oscar Alpers, Anna Crighton, Newton Dodge, Pat Harrow, Charles Manning and Barbara Stewart.
APOLOGIES:	An apology for absence were received and accepted from Councillor Lesley Keast.
	Councillor Alpers arrived at 4.17 pm and was not present for part of clause 1.

The Committee reports that:

PART B - REPORTS FOR INFORMATION

1. DEPUTATIONS BY APPOINTMENT

MERIVALE PRECINCT SOCIETY - TREE PROTECTION

Gina Williamson representing the Merivale Precinct Society Inc advised that the Society was concerned at the level of tree felling that had occurred in recent times in both the Merivale and Fendalton areas. She stated that stocks of substantial and significant trees in this area had been reduced by some 25%, as a result of the Council's encouragement of infill housing.

The Society was seeking a more radical, but self policing tree protection scheme, in an endeavour to try and arrest the present ongoing tree destruction.

Attention was drawn to the provisions of the Resource Management Act, the Council's City Plan and the benefits of trees in general.

In conclusion the Society submitted that the Auckland model, which provided for the general protection of all trees which met certain criteria, should be adopted as a matter of urgency.

 

2. OPTIONS FOR PROTECTING ADDITIONAL TREES IN THE CITY RR 6653

The Committee received a report by Irene Clarke, Planner, as a follow-on to the Committee's recent seminar on the protection of trees and options for the future protection of the city's trees.

The Committee discussed the various issues including:

Hamburg City's total restriction on cutting down any tree, unless it is replaced.

The vandalism to recent tree plantings.
The need for the Council itself to set a good example in the maintenance of city trees.
The need to endorse the Garden City image.
The need to encourage people to register trees for protection.

The Committee decided that detailed investigations and costings be carried out on the following options for which there was general agreement by the members present:

(a) Non-Regulatory

1. Heighten public awareness of the value of trees through education to obtain community support for the methods of implementation.
2. Encourage tree planting on private property with one such project per community board per year.
3. Increase planting by Council on Council owned land and street trees.
4. Ensure the availability of subsidies for pruning of protected trees and other works associated with protected trees.
5. That the Parks Unit be asked to give the irrigation, care and maintenance of trees on reserves a high priority in the 1998/99 financial year.
6. That the Parks Unit be asked to increase its stock of large trees for public planting.

(b) Regulatory

1. Increase number of protected trees on the heritage and notable tree lists, through encouragement for the public and community boards to identify trees worthy of protection, and through surveys in identified areas of the city.
2. Provide incentives for developers to retain trees by specifying this as an assessment matter for resource consent applications.
3. Encourage subdivision and land use/building consent applications to be made at the same time. Ensure consistency between the subdivision and land use provisions in the City Plan ie ensure the discretion is retained for the protection of significant trees as a condition of land use consent. (Note: There are significant practical difficulties in implementing this option, and it will require further thought and development).

(c) General

1. Further consideration be given in March 1998 to the Auckland City and Hamburg City policies for tree protection measures.

 

3. THE YEAR 2000 RR 6658

A report from the Environmental Policy and Planning Manager set out the projects which the Environmental Committee could consider as part of the Council's contribution to the city's and Canterbury celebrations of the year 2000.

The Committee decided

1. To endorse the two major projects identified by the Turning Point Committee being
   
   Port Hills Park
   Canterbury Highway
   and assist in the seeking of appropriate funding.
   
   
2. To endorse the updating of the existing booklet 'Christchurch Chronology'.
   
   
3. To support the following projects for consideration for funding by the Community Trust.

A Christchurch Environment Centre which would include displays/information on projects such as recycling developments, landfill engineering, roading and alternatives to roading strategies, drainage, wastewater and water supply developments

Restoration of the Old Girls' High School (as a major heritage project)

Travis Wetland development, and visitor centre including the green corridor to be developed for wildlife as part of the Stage 1 Burwood/Woolston Expressway project

Urban design and renewal, land and building development, trees, new parks, heritage buildings, commemorative oaks and other environmental projects.

 

4. MONCKS CAVE RESERVE PROGRESS RR 6673

The Committee received a report by the Parks Planner (Design) on progress at Moncks Cave Reserve and on the need for funding to carry out an archaeological investigation of the site.

The Committee agreed

1. To support the Moncks Cave archaeological investigation.
2. That $4,000 be allocated from the Heritage Fund for reserve on site investigations only.

 

5. ITEMS RECEIVED

The Committee received the following report:

5.1 The Population Conference Held in Wellington - November 1997 RR 6690

 

6. ITEMS OF GENERAL INTEREST

The Committee considered additional items covering:

6.1 Phantom Postering
6.2 Verandahs on Heritage Buildings
6.3 Wigram Zoning
6.4 Environmental Committee - terms of reference re policy issues.

The meeting concluded at 5.55 pm .

 

CONSIDERED THIS 17TH DAY OF DECEMBER 1997

 

MAYOR

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