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22. 10. 97
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE
9 OCTOBER 1997
A meeting of the Environmental Committee
was held on Thursday 9 October 1997 at 4.00 pm
| PRESENT: | Councillor Carole Evans (Chairman), Councillors Oscar Alpers, Anna Crighton, Newton Dodge, Pat Harrow and Charles Manning |
| APOLOGIES: | Apologies for absence were received and accepted from Councillors Lesley Keast and Barbara Stewart |
| Councillor Alpers arrived at 4.10 pm and was not present for part of clause 1 | |
| Councillor Dodge left at 5.35 pm and was not present for clauses 4 and 5 | |
| Councillor Manning left at 6.13 pm and was not present for part of clause 5 |
The Committee reports that:
PART A - MATTERS REQUIRING A COUNCIL DECISION
1. VARIATIONS TO THE PROPOSED CITY PLAN RR 6236
| Officer responsible | Author |
| Environmental Services Manager | Clare Wooding |
| Corporate Plan Output: City Plan | |
The purpose of this report is to propose seven variations to the Christchurch City Proposed District Plan. These variations cover a range of matters which are detailed below:
Variation Number 2 relates to the Special Purpose (Wigram) Zone. The variation represents a future pattern of land use development for the former RNZAF Base. A variation was signalled in the Proposed City Plan (Part 8). The variation involves the retention of civil aviation with accompanying industrial development and residential development in the Awatea/Springs Road area. The scale of the aviation at Wigram will not be in competition with the Christchurch International Airport.
Ownership of the land concerned is likely to transfer to Ngai Tahu in December. It is necessary to notify the Variation in November to enable submissions to be heard alongside those to the Proposed City Plan.
Variation Number 16 involves policies relating to rural allotments. The Variation strengthens the policies and the reasons for rules to allow potential cumulative effects associated with subdividing below the minimum area to be adequately addressed.
Variation Number 17 corrects the problem associated with staged residential developments where a developer can take advantage of the bonus available in Part 14, Clause 4.2.1 and then does not proceed to construct the building.
Variation Number 18 corrects three minor mapping errors.
Variation Number 19 is associated with parking standards. It proposes to add a note to clarify that where an activity does not fall into a category which is listed then the nearest definition shall apply.
Variation Number 20 corrects two omissions for Special Amenity Area 18.
Variation Number 21 amends the rules associated with setbacks from waterways to ensure the rules are able to be applied to all waterways; it also amends the associated Appendix and the `reasons for rules' to insert descriptions of each of the categories of waterways.
Variation Number 22 is concerned with family flats in the living zones and rural zones. The variation amends the definition of family flat, provides for them in rural zones and expands the requirement to lodge a bond with the Council to include other legal encumbrances.
| Recommendation: |
|
2. ENVIRONMENT CENTRE PROPOSALS RR 6304
| Officer responsible | Author |
| Environmental Policy & Planning Manager | Warren Brixton |
| Corporate Plan Output: Environmental Policy & Planning City Planning & Development | |
The Sub-committee met to consider proposals for the establishment of a Christchurch Environment Centre following an Environmental Seminar on the matter in April 1997 and the later appointment of a Sub-committee.
At the April 1997 seminar Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, consultants, reported on the results of a survey carried out and the critical success factors identified.
It was considered that it could be appropriate to follow the process used to establish the Christchurch Heritage Trust, whereby a meeting of interested groups and the public would be called to a meeting hosted by the Christchurch City Council. From this a steering group would be formed to determine the criteria applicable to the formation of an environmental trust including its membership.
| Recommendation: | That in order to progress the
establishment of an environment centre:
|
| 3. | GENERAL ENVIRONMENTAL, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT ISSUES | RR 6287 |
| Officer responsible | Author |
| Environmental Policy and Planning Manager | John Dryden, Environmental Policy and Planning Manager |
| Corporate Plan Output: Various | |
RESIDENTIAL AREAS EAST OF THE CENTRAL CITY
There are a number of small projects underway that relate to improving the residential potential of the areas immediately to the east of the Central City.
Work is underway to improve urban design practices in the inner city. This work is directed towards producing urban design guidelines promoting good practice for developers of inner city residential areas.
A project to explore the introduction of greater residential activity into parts of the central city, perhaps taking the form of mixed use development around open spaces is also being developed. Key objectives are the reuse of vacant or under-utilised commercial floor space, the retention of key heritage features and the enhancement of important public spaces and features of the underlying fabric of the area. The project is focused on the blocks within the area of Lichfield, Manchester and Madras Streets and will lead to an illustrative document which gives owners the impetus to rethink the use of their properties in line with these objectives.
A third area of work is investigation into housing preferences in the inner residential area, particularly assessing the satisfaction of residents of apartments east of Latimer Square. This work will also involve consideration of the social impacts of recent residential development in this locality.
The Council's Housing Review Working Party has been actively pursuing the provision of affordable accommodation in the inner city, particularly directed at meeting the needs of elderly single persons resident in the inner city. The Council has recently purchase a motel in the inner city and lease negotiations have been completed with the YWCA to provide low cost accommodation using this facility. Other initiatives are proposals for a medium density housing development on Council owned land in Cecil Place and the possibility of a joint housing development with land owned by the City Mission. These initiatives are in accordance with the Council's approved goal of providing inner city accommodation for mature single men and mature single women displaced from boarding house accommodation.
Finally, under the Urban Renewal Programme, progress is being made with removing non-conforming uses and their replacement by new residential developments. Four sites within the block bounded by Madras, Barbadoes, Worcester, Armagh Streets and previously used as car parks, are now under development for housing , and on a fifth site, negotiations to remove an old industrial building is continuing. Tree planting has recently been completed in Barbadoes, Salisbury and Kilmore Streets.
It was indicated that the Central City Committee had proposed to utilise the funding available for the extension of Worcester Street Boulevard to Latimer Square for other purposes this year, due to road stopping processes etc not having been completed.
| Recommendation: | That the Central City Committee proposal for the utilisation of Latimer Square funding for this year be only agreed to on the basis that relevant funding is reinstated for such work in the 1998/99 year. |
4. HEATHCOTE RIVER TIDAL INTRUSION TRIALS - UPDATE RR 6314
| Officer responsible | Author |
| Environmental Policy and Planning Manager | Jenny Ridgen, Environmental Resources Officer |
| Corporate Plan Output: Waterway Environment Maintenance | |
The purpose of this report is to provide the Environment Committee with an update on what is happening with the tidal intrusion trials for the control of aquatic vegetation in the lower Heathcote River.
Following a request by the Spreydon/Heathcote Community Board for further information on the trials the previous report was prepared by Chris Rance. This report (attached) has since been referred to the Environment Committee at the request of the Community Board.
Initial trials have shown that the method is an effective means of controlling the growth of aquatic vegetation however more trials are needed to determine the effects of salt water intrusion on the environment and in particular the effects on ecology and the effects on soil and bank stability.
A technical group has met to discuss the trials and in particular the process needed for monitoring environmental effects and involving the local community. One of the tasks of the technical group is to make recommendations on the cost of monitoring the trials and of on-going monitoring of environmental effects, compared to the cost of mechanical harvesting.
Dr Judith Roper-Lindsay, Boffa Miskell, who co-ordinates the technical group advises that a report will be prepared by the end of October to advise on whether or not trials should continue. Should this report recommend that trials proceed, this timing would allow for further trials during January, prior to whitebait species coming up river to spawn.
Further information will be provided following receipt of the technical group's report.
| Recommendation: |
|
PART B - REPORTS FOR INFORMATION
| 5. | SUBMISSIONS FROM TIM BARNETT MP ON 1997 DRAFT PLAN | RR 6125 |
The Committee considered a report from the Principal Policy Analyst on the comprehensive submission made by Mr Tim Barnett MP to the 1997 Draft Plan which sought changes to the Council's strategic and other objectives. The Council meeting on 30 July 1997 had resolved that the suggested changes from Mr Barnett be referred to the relevant Standing Committees for reporting on to the Council.
The Committee considered the submissions made in respect to the environmental issues contained within the report.
Mr Barnett's Secretary, Mr Geoff Keey was granted speaking rights in respect of this item.
Mr Keey tabled Mr Barnett's response which suggested several changes to the proposed wording in the recommendation.
The Committee decided to allow its recommendations on Mr Barnett's submission to be considered in total by the matter being reported back to Council via the report of the Strategy and Resources Committee.
6. ITEMS RECEIVED
The Committee received the following reports:
6.1 RESOURCE CONSENT SURVEY RR 6265
This report gave the results of a survey undertaken as to experiences and understanding of the Resource Consent process.
6.2 GENERAL ENVIRONMENTAL, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT ISSUES RR 6287
The report from the Environmental Policy and Planning Manager updated the Committee on the following issues:
(a) Seminars on City Plan Hearings
(b) Hoyts Heritage Week 1997
(c) Business Construction Activity in the City
6.3 KEY LEARNING POINTS FROM SEATTLE FOR SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT RR 6261
The report from the Waste Manager provided an overview of key learning points from the Sister City Seattle visit covering:
New technology
Recycling
Collection
Fees and charges for refuse and recycling collection, transfer and disposal system
Transfer stations
Burwood Landfill
Incineration
Recovered Materials Foundation
Compost
National waste reduction legislation
The meeting was adjourned at 6.25 pm to reconvene at 4.00 pm on Monday 20 October 1997.
CONSIDERED THIS 22ND DAY OF OCTOBER 1997
MAYOR