Regional Infrastructure « Caddie in Council 2010-2013

Gisborne-Napier Rail Fact Sheet

24 06 2010

A document I compiled with assistance from the Campaign for Better Transport and distributed at today’s public meeting including Hawkes Bay mayors, Regional Transport Committee and Chamber of Commerce.

SUBSIDIES

The cost of maintaining the rail line is $2 million per year.
Roading is far more heavily subsidised than rail.[1]
The Ministry of Transport did a study in 2005 (currently being updated), which concluded that trucks only meet 56% of their costs while motorists pay 64%, buses pay 68% and rail 77%.[2]
Roading is NOT self funding through user charges. The shortfall is $1.5 billion per year for state highways, plus ratepayers fund local roads. So any official that claims that is completely incorrect.[3] That shortfall, made up by taxpayers, is already several times what is proposed to be spent on the rail operation and is far from the only taxpayer subsidy given to roads.
The government is planning to spend $21 billion on roads, local road networks are also heavily subsidised through local authority rates (about another $1 billion a year).[4]
There are the greater “externalities” of road transport that should also be factored in: road trauma ($3.5 billion), health problems caused by air pollution, noise, loss of amenity, severance of communities and damage to the environment (including greenhouse gas emissions, which have increased by more than 70 per cent since 1990).[5]
The cost of maintaining roads (excluding state highways) in the Gisborne region alone is $19.15M (incl. ratepayers contribution of $7.85M).[6]
The government will happily sink millions into the Hawkes Bay airport run way lengthening even though there are no airlines guaranteeing to bring in larger planes… or even if there is a market for larger aircraft at the airport. So if the government will take a gamble with that, why not invest in setting up a successful tourist rail service in the region?[7]
The government is spending over $40million straightening a short piece of the Napier-Gisborne highway which will result in a net travelling time gain of less than 60 seconds over a 3 hour journey time.[8]
Investing $2-10 million on the line would provide the Gisborne region with a line with higher increased speeds for trains. That includes some work on two tunnels (KiwiRail mentioned cost of around $200,000) to allow Hi Cube containers to be moved on rail instead of road (the trucking lobby will be worried about this).

POLITICAL INTERESTS & THE TRUCK LOBBY

Anne Tolley received a personal campaign donation of $5,000 from the trucking lobby group Road Transport Forum.[9]
The National government is committed to support the trucking industry which is one of the Party’s biggest campaign donors.[10]

EMPLOYMENT

A number of local roading contractors will lose their jobs shortly[11]. Having the rail line functional again would mean immediate and long term maintenance and logistics jobs for the region.

RAIL FREIGHT

Until Tranzrail killed off wagon loads out of Gisborne (1999-2001) the line had two return freight trains a day and one a day in weekends.[12]
Hikurangi Forest Farms new mill may generate enough product to fill 200 wagons a week and other exporters are also interested in the option of rail if it is competitively priced so there could be more than one ‘anchor’ client and the line shouldn’t depend just on HFF.
The train speed between these two cities is the same as trucks (and often better due to poor weather, ice and washouts on the state highway).
KiwiRail could run the line to the local business conditions. KiwiRail should have a sales manager based in Gisborne and Napier. They should load single wagons if clients only require that. They should have some contracting trucks to pick up freight from clients premises.
One train can carry the equivalent of 280 trucks or more. While road vehicle efficiency stagnated over the past 30 years, trains fuel efficiency has increased 104%.[13]
Currently the line has one freight train a week, sometimes two.

PASSENGER RAIL

It is the most scenic route in the North Island as the line runs along the East Coast, high on cliffs for much of the trip.
There is current demand for Gisborne-Napier passenger services and a number of bus services run between Gisborne-Napier (with trains going onwards to Palmerston North and Wellington) there really is no reason why passenger services could not be re-started.
Passenger rail demand on some lines has increased over 50% in the past 12 months according to Kiwirail figures.
Next year Tranz Scenic will have a number of spare large window carriages as new rolling stock arrives for the South Island long distance services).
Passenger rail has many advantages over buses – the scenery is far better (that’s why the Tranz Alpine train contributed to the end of bus services between Christchurch & Greymouth); on-train buffet car, toilet facilities, larger seats and tables for working while travelling, larger windows and open air viewing platforms; rail line has been less susceptible to closures/washouts than the highway.
A daily passenger train could also be used to haul some freight wagons (as the Northerner did until the 1990’s, and many trains do overseas) – this would mean more freight options for Gisborne clients.
Gisborne can benefit in more ways by keeping the rail line open and running better freight services. The passenger services will be the cream on the top to bring the region forward to more tourists, both domestically and internationally. Perhaps even Hawkes Bay airport would benefit with future airlines connecting from Australia, then passengers taking the scenic train service to Gisborne? The Tranz Alpine service was once almost about to close until one entrepreneurial staff member at NZ Railways came up with a tourist train. 20 years later it carries the most passengers out of all long distance trains! The same could be done on the Gis-Napier line thanks to its scenic opportunities.
The Dunedin City Council owned Tairei Gorge Railway, based on a scenic branch line out of Dunedin which was threatened with closure in 1990. It is now a highly popular and successful operation.

[1] NZTA report, Oct 2009

[2] www.transport.govt.nz/research/understandingtransportcostsandchargesuttc/

[3] NZ Herald, 22 June 2010

[4] ibid

[5] ibid

[6] GDC Annual Plan 2010-2011

[7] http://alturl.com/e2cf

[8] www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0902/S00145.htm

[9] www4.thestandard.org.nz/nats-still-involved-in-dodgy-donations/

[10] http://alturl.com/ys3z

[11] The Gisborne Herald, 21 June 2010

[12] The business case of using KiwiRail only for bulk freight came about during the failed “Beard Era” of chairmanship of Tranzrail (1999-2001). Beard, at great cost of traffic and revenues to Tranzrail, closed down freight terminals and sidings to factories throughout NZ. Just a few years earlier under chairmanship of Ed Burkhardt Tranzrail built the Gisborne line up to 20+ trains per week.

[13] http://alturl.com/j52k

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Categories : Connected Tairāwhiti, Local Governance, Prosperous Tairāwhiti, Regional Economy, Regional Infrastructure, Sustainable Tairāwhiti

Keep ECT under community control

23 05 2010

The Council meeting on Thursday this week should be of interest to every resident of the region. At stake is over $200million in assets held by Eastland Community Trust on behalf of all Gisborne residents.

ECT Trustees want to change the rules that govern how they are appointed, they want to take the decision making away from Council as the sole decider of who should govern the Trust on behalf of the community.

The Trustees also want to limit the capital due back to GDC to the amount originally provided when ECT was established rather than the capital base that will have been grown by the time the Trust winds up.

And they want to make these big changes, at least one of which appears contrary to the rules under which the Trust was established, very quickly.

The report that Council CEO Lindsay McKenzie has put to Thursday’s meeting suggests Councillors don’t have to ask the community what our preferences are on these matters. He also expects to put new information before Councillors at the meeting on Thursday which the public will not have access to prior to the meeting. Mr McKenzie suggests Councillors take into consideration the views of their constituents, but given the rushed nature of this process, I wonder how those Councillors, who want to consult, could canvas a representative sample of residents in such a short time.

ECT say they want GDC out of the full control of Trustee appointment because it prevents ECT from being exempt from income tax on the profit made by the Trust’s investments. My first problem with this suggestion is that the only evidence presented on this being an accurate assessment of the situation has come from a lawyer acting on behalf of the Trustees. What GDC need to know is whether or not IRD and the Charities Commission will grant the Trust charitable status. The next problem with the proposal, if IRD say ECT can’t be income tax exempt, is whether the less than $1million the Trust would save in tax payments is worth losing democratic control of the Trust for. In a worst case future scenario we could see the Trust assets captured by a small group of ideologically motivated individuals who look after their mates at the expense of the region’s economic and social wellbeing.

ECT are proposing an electoral college structure with two appointments being made by the Trust and two coming from GDC with the fifth coming from the Law Society. They are justifying the need for more ECT membership of the electoral college on the grounds that ‘Trustee skills, acumen and contribution’ are conveyed and considered in the appointment process. I’m not sure why the Chairperson needs to be on the decision-making body, he or she is already able to convey their preferences and needs to the appointment panel under the current structure. Given the demographic imbalance of the Trustees to date, it is hard to see under-represented sectors of our community having a greater chance of being appointed as a Trustee under the proposed regime.

If the Trust did need to change the appointment process to become charitable, and if the benefits outweighed the costs of changing the process, a more effective way to choose Trustees could be through tri-annual elections that could be held at the same time as local authority elections. This would ensure we retain the principle of community control over the Trust.

ECT is the economic nest egg for future generations established with community resources and it needs to remain under community control for community benefit as long as it is in existence.

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Categories : Local Governance, Local Issues, Prosperous Tairāwhiti, Regional Economy, Regional Infrastructure

Critical Mass Cycling Group Submission on Draft Annual Plan

1 05 2010

The Gisborne Herald reported on 18 May 1952 that Gisborne had 13,000 cyclists out of a population of 20,000!

Critical Mass members delivering our Annual Plan submission to GDC, March 2010

We are a group of commuter cyclists interested in making it easier and safer for Gisborne residents to choose cycling for most of our trips within the city.

We commend the Council for undertaking the development of a number of cycle-lanes on roads through the city.

Experts predict that the price for a barrel of oil may be at US$100 per barrel by June of this year, with further rises up to $150 a barrel in the next five years and possibly up to $350/barrel by 2020.

These changes will mean that even one car is considered a luxury. While cars are, and will be, important to the regional transport strategy (whatever they run on), Council should be considering public transport and alternative transport possibilities, and acting now to ensure they can be implemented when required in the future.

We support the vision of a city linked by green corridors which connect the neighbourhoods of the city, and heritage/leisure destinations. Gisborne is ideally suited for bicycles and walking and this should be encouraged as it is sustainable, good for health, and attractive for tourists and future residents. We support current efforts to educate and encourage all road users to share the road and to think of others safety at all times.

The great cycling-centric cities of Europe have only been designed this way through the concerted and sustained efforts of the public, politicians, planners and engineers.

We encourage Council to continue working with the Cycling Advisory Group to identify priority activities that contribute to the group’s vision of “Tairawhiti leading the way: where people choose to cycle, where people come to cycle.” We note the progress made on priority issues as a result of CAG working collaboratively with stakeholders on:

roundabouts
identification of new cycleway options and promoting key urban and rural cycling routes
vehicle driver education and safety for school and commuter cyclists

With estimates of over 3,000 bicycle trips in Gisborne per day and roughly half of these are school students, we recommend Council monitor the number of cycles in school bike racks over a three year period and work with CAG to identify barriers to cycling and implement with community leadership, actions likely to increase the number, frequency and duration of student cycle trips.

We draw attention to proposals for cycleway options on the Gladstone Road bridge and the possibility of a boardwalk cycle/walkway along the Taruheru River from Lytton Road to the CBD and request staff be directed to establish a cost estimate for both projects. We also ask for GDC to work with the Gisborne Cycling & Walkways Trust to make an approach to Eastland Community Trust and Eastern & Central Community Trust for funding to complete the Wainui-Sponge Bay cycleway.

Given recent changes in central government policy on transport subsidies, it seems timely to undertake a review of the priorities of the Walking & Cycling Strategy and new sources of funding for major projects, we suggest this be included in the Annual work plan for GDC.

Manu Caddie; Michelle Hight & Bradley O’Donnel; Gillian Ward; Richard Coates; Ross Revington; Sarah Cleave; Bob Hughes; Norman Weiss & Diana Whakapapa.

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Categories : Healthy Tairāwhiti, Local Issues, Regional Infrastructure, Safe Tairāwhiti, Sustainable Tairāwhiti

My Priorities

3 12 2009

These are the things I think are important and would strive to promote if I was elected to Council next year…

A region that values the rich traditions and diversity of all its residents.
A region of safe communities based on caring relationships between families.
A region that fosters innovation, enterprise, the creative sectors and scientific discovery.
A region that nurtures well-educated young people and leaves no one behind.
A region that is a magnet for young families and values the contributions of older people.
A region that will leave the natural environment better than we found it.
A region that is committed to ensuring housing, energy and healthy food are affordable and that supports families to manage their finances wisely.
A region that understands the importance of increasing the economic productivity and sustainability of agriculture, horticulture and forestry.
A region that promotes the use of cycling and walking for most people making short journeys.
A region that is well connected with the rest of the planet through low-cost, high-speed, internet access.
A Council that encourages public participation in decision-making.
A Council that is able to keep any rates increases at (or below) the rate of inflation while still providing quality services and infrastructure.

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Categories : Community Outcomes, Connected Tairāwhiti, Cultural Capital, Educated Tairāwhiti, Employment, Empowered Tairāwhiti, Healthy Tairāwhiti, Local Governance, Local Issues, Other Information, Our Children & Youth, Our Elders, Our Families, Positive Leadership, Prosperous Tairāwhiti, Regional Economy, Regional Infrastructure, Relationships, Safe Tairāwhiti, Social Development, Sustainable Tairāwhiti, Tangata Whenua, Vibrant Tairāwhiti

Council & Housing

17 11 2009

Residents group rejects claim Council being asked to subsidise housing

A spokesperson for Kaiti Residents Association Ka Pai Kaiti, is rejecting claims by Councillors that the Gisborne District Council are being asked to subsidise housing costs for low income families.

Manu Caddie has pointed out that the proposal he put to the Community Development Committee last month specifically said that no new money needed to be spent by Council on the issue.

“We had three simple suggestions – the first was that accurate information on housing in the region be monitored by the Council; second, that an Affordable Housing Strategy be developed; and third, that an advisory group be established to provide input to Council and other organisations like Housing New Zealand on local housing issues.”

“All of these activities can be done within existing staffing and are squarely within the responsibilities of Council as defined by the Local Government Act” said Mr Caddie. “A number of Councillors view the GDC public housing portfolio like an albatross around their neck and these recommendations would actually provide some clarity in terms of the role of Council in relation to housing. Some decent deliberation on the issue might provide opportunities for alternative arrangements including a local housing cooperative or housing trust that could own and manage social housing instead of GDC or Housing NZ. Some estimates suggest this could realise up to $10 million in addition to ongoing savings if Council was no longer a direct provider of social housing.”

Mr Caddie believes it is a waste of time waiting for central government to come up with a solution for affordable housing.

“The skills, resources and commitment exist within our region to develop housing options that fit our people – what we need is political support, particularly from local authorities to coordinate a regional approach.”

Mr Caddie said he spoke briefly to Phil Heatley, Minister of Housing, last week about local housing issues. “The Minister seemed genuinely interested in supporting communities who know their needs, identify sustainable solutions and are clear about the respective roles that both central government and local authorities can play in facilitating positive change.”

Last week Housing New Zealand started advertising a number of local properties for sale and Ka Pai Kaiti are afraid the houses will be snapped up by absentee landlords.

“I hope these properties are purchased by people who will actually live in them and contribute to making our neighbourhoods places we can take pride in” said Mr Caddie. “If we had a regional housing strategy in place, residents may have been better prepared by putting structures in place to take advantage of the opportunity for the public good rather than just private gain.”

Mr Caddie also took issue with claims that the issue of affordability had yet to be clearly defined and referred to a 2004 report by the Centre for Housing Research Aotearoa New Zealand entitled ‘Housing Costs and Affordability’ that provides a comprehensive discussion on ways to assess housing affordability and a clear definition from the New Zealand Housing Strategy Affordability Report published in 2003.

“We agree with Councillor Cranston that lifestyle priorities and financial management skills can have a big impact on whether housing costs are met – Ka Pai Kaiti has supported a range of projects in these areas over the past ten years. But we also know that hundreds of families in our community are not wasting money and are still struggling to keep the roof over their head, food on the table, clothes on the kids and turn up to work every day.”

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Categories : Empowered Tairāwhiti, Local Governance, Our Families, Prosperous Tairāwhiti, Regional Infrastructure

Transition Tairawhiti?

25 08 2009

About 15 people in Gisborne met on 24 August 2009 and agreed that it would be good to see Gisborne/Tairawhiti become a ‘Transition Town’.

Most of the group have read the book and are committed to forming a steering group that plans it’s own demise, sees the community run their ideas, etc.

We are keen to build on the success of the World Environment Day event in Gisborne this year and build a wide support base across the community to promote the Transition Towns principles and inclusive action for positive change.

- – - -

POSTSCRIPT: Check out the TT website with resources and events at: www.transitiontowns.org.nz/gisborne

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Categories : Healthy Tairāwhiti, Local Issues, Prosperous Tairāwhiti, Regional Economy, Regional Infrastructure, Sustainable Tairāwhiti

Council Draft 10 Year Plan Submissions

4 05 2009

Here are some of the submissions I helped prepare on the Council’s Draft 10 Year Plan – opportunities to speak to the submissions come up in early June:

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Categories : Community Outcomes, Connected Tairāwhiti, Cultural Capital, Employment, Empowered Tairāwhiti, Healthy Tairāwhiti, Local Governance, Local Issues, Other Information, Our Children & Youth, Our Elders, Our Families, Positive Leadership, Prosperous Tairāwhiti, Regional Economy, Regional Infrastructure, Relationships, Social Development, Sustainable Tairāwhiti, Tangata Whenua, Vibrant Tairāwhiti

Council keen to make cycling safer in Gisborne

17 03 2009

A Cycling Advisory Group is being established by the Gisborne District Council to work together with the community on cycling issues in the city.

The idea for the group followed a request by the Critical Mass cycling group for the council to improve safety and grow the numbers of cyclists in Gisborne.

The terms of reference for the group will be established at its first meeting. This will be held on 25 March at 12 noon at the Gisborne District Council offices in Fitzherbert Street.

Organisers hope it will include representatives from a range of cycling interests including schools and the police.

The overall purpose of the group will be to provide advice on how to make cycling safer and encourage more people to use the facilities of the walking and cycling network being created by council. They will also have input into the Walking and Cycling Strategy. The group will work closely with the Road Safety Officer from council and the Traffic and Education Officers from the police.

One of the first tasks will be to look at cyclist safety at roundabouts. Council’s Engineering Manager Peter Higgs says “this is a great opportunity to work together with the community. As with many issues, the solutions are likely to be a combination of actions including the three “Es” – engineering, education and enforcement.

The safety of cyclists is a matter for which all road users have a responsibility” Manu Caddie, one of the Critical Mass organisers, says he is pleased to see council willing to establish a mechanism for ongoing dialogue with the cycling community.

“Beyond making the streets safer for cycling we are keen to see proactive measures in place to encourage more people to move around by bicycle.” “One of our older members only had to fill up his car twice last year because he cycles most places.

Cycling has environmental, health and economic benefits that council and other organisations need to promote.” “We encourage all cyclists to come along to this meeting.” says Mr Caddie.

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Categories : Connected Tairāwhiti, Healthy Tairāwhiti, Local Issues, Our Children & Youth, Regional Infrastructure, Sustainable Tairāwhiti

Meng’s New Year Vision

25 01 2009

225px-mengfoon

It was pleasing to read the new year vision outlined by Mayor Meng Foon in the Gisborne Herald on 6 January. One of Meng’s greatest strengths is that he knows the diverse communities of our region better than just about anyone. Two or three of his points I would take issue with however.

In terms of retail development, if Gisborne is to have a competitive edge over similar-sized centres it will be because we have boutique stores not found elsewhere in New Zealand or overseas. Developments based on locally-owned retailers rather than national/multi-national chain stores should be prioritised. The reality is that retail creates a few low/semi-skilled jobs and ultimately only creates wealth for the owners who often live out of the region – which is where the money spent by locals ends up.

Mills, while adding some value to the product before it is sent overseas, also export their profits out of the region and create low-skilled, high risk jobs that are no good for healthy families. Rather than encouraging more large retail developments or more mills, GDC needs to work much harder to attract high value business to the region.

As a region we need to get high tech and high culture enterprise based here. The most creative minds in the region should be supported to design strategies that attract this kind of investment to the region. Our existing strengths are things like relatively low land values, lower than average cost of living, our cultural wealth and great lifestyle for young families.

When it comes to community consultation – while I agree with Meng that there may be little gained from engaging external experts to tell us what we already know – it is sometimes important to have a skilled and independent facilitator ensure that everyone who wants to is able to have a say on issues that affect them.

Central government have recently released a discussion paper on improving government-community consultation that includes a section on building community capacity to engage with government agencies. I hope Meng encourages GDC staff and councilors take time to read this paper and consider their commitment to these issues.

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Categories : Empowered Tairāwhiti, Local Issues, Prosperous Tairāwhiti, Regional Economy, Regional Infrastructure

Congestion

25 11 2008

“Well done to the logging truck drivers who raised the port congestion issue.Even achieving “break even” is difficult with an East Coast forest-harvesting operation. We are competing with other log producers who are far closer to our markets so the last thing we need is an inefficient and dangerous entry to our shipping facility. Instead of avoiding the management issue, insulting the Resource Management Act, questioning the common sense of our council planners and the majority of the community Matt Todd should be telling us what he is going to do now. Continued “pie in the sky” management of Eastland Infrastructure is unacceptable. Take responsibility, get the thing flowing, eliminate the traffic hazard, and always have sound contingency plans.”

Local Forester, Mon 24 November 2008 (Gisborne Herald)

I liked this letter in response to comments made by Matt Todd of EIL in a recent GH story that suggested some contempt for the RMA and the ability of citizens affected by proposed developments to have some influence on what is going on in their street. I think an important extension of private property rights and living in a democratic society means we shoudl all be able to have a say on what is happening in our neighbourhood – particularly when it involves significant environmental impacts and the commercial interests of corporations.

The sooner GDC and EIL secure a space out of town to process and store the ‘wall of wood’ coming into town every day the better.

I just got a copy of the Draft Urban Development Strategy approved by GDC – doesn’t seem to be making any significant commitment to getting the logs off arguably the most important historical site in the country – a site that also has some of the highest environmental and social ammenity values in the region. Hmmm, should we expect anything else?!

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Categories : Local Issues, Regional Economy, Regional Infrastructure

Cycle-Centric City?

28 09 2007

In response to a request from the 900 members of the cycling-stakeholder mailing list held by GDC, I made these comments:

- – - – - -

In my submission to the GDC Annual Plan earlier this year (before I had decided to stand for Council) I included the following recommendations:

Bi-cycling, Public Transport & Carbon Neutrality

Recommendation:

That GDC increase the number of cycle lanes and include space for bi-cycles on all road bridges in the city.
That GDC provide more incentives for people to use public transport and reduce reliance on private motor-vehicles within the city areas.
That GDC provide more incentives for people to use bi-cycles and horses for transport in rural townships.
That GDC adopt a goal of being a ‘Carbon Neutral’ region and develop an action plan to achieve this by 2012.
That GDC adopt a goal of being a ‘Carbon Neutral’ organisation and develop an action plan to achieve this by 2010.

Rationale:

The future of humanity and a number of other species is threatened with extinction if we do not change our behaviour and it is the responsibility of community leaders to demonstrate through their influence and decisions a commitment to a sustainable future for present and future generations.

- – - – - -

Thinking about it a bit more, I should have added other rationale including:

the health benefits of cycling over car use from more physical and less sedentary activity;
the social benefits of cycling as an opportunity to meet neighbours and other commuters;
the economic benefits of being less dependent on oil, reduced road maintenance costs and reduced vehicle fuel/maintenance costs – and the increased ability of people to maintain their own transportation;
the environmental benefits of improved air quality, less noise pollution and a greener city overall.
the safety benefits of fewer accidents as cyclists have to contend with fewer ‘motorised missiles on wheels’.

I spoke to my submission in front of the full Council and when asked about these recommendations I talked about the danger I have experienced trying to negotiate Wainui Road and the Gladstone Road Bridge on bicycle – also some of the country roads could be made much safer for cyclists with a few simple measures like the “One metre bubble” warning signs that we see around Whakatane and other places that value the safety of cyclists.

- – - – - -

Q. Would you actively pursue policies that would enable utility cycling to develop along the lines that have made it the transportation mode of choice for so many in Copenhagen?

As shown above I have been advocating for these already and would be VERY interested in working with the ‘cycle lobby’ to access good quality research and case studies that make strong economic, environmental, social and health arguments for improving the region for cyclists.

Q. Would you lobby to rescind the law that compels cyclists to wear helmets in order to make it discretionary on the rider (as it is wherever utility cycling is well-established ) ?

I would like to read the research on how much protection helmets actually afford cyclists. I know for me, the incoinvenience of wearing a helmet is a significant disincentive to ride. On the other hand until we force cars to slow down or set and reach a goal of having at least 30% of traffic in the city by bicycle, it may be that helmets continue to protect cyclists from the dangers of inconsiderate, dangerous or absent-minded motorists.

Q. Would you give preference to a comprehensive network of cycle lanes over retaining the right to curbside parking?

Definitely.

Q. Would you lobby to rescind the law which prohibits cyclists from using pavements (at least as an interim measure for the years it will otherwise take to establish real separation from motorized vehicles)to enable ‘slow cyclists’(e.g.the elderly)to take up utility cycling?
-Before you answer this question, next time you’re out driving, take note of how few pedestrians are actually using our pavements and keep in mind that there are places in the world where cyclists and pedestrians co-exist harmoniously in significantly greater numbers.

There are many opportunities for providing cycle ways on footpaths as they have in places like Tauranga and Wellington. I would be interested in learning more about the specific safety risks associated with this practice before saying yes I would lobby for to rescind the law. My only concern is the danger of vehicles reversing at speed from driveways, but the same danger is present whether the cyclist is on the road or footpath – just sometimes hedges and fences block drivers vision to the footpath and it is clearer by the time they get to the road.

Q. ‘Leaving it to the market to decide’ is not working as virtually none of New Zealand’s bicycle importers or retailers are taking the initiative to either promote or make available the types of bicycles and technologies which would make utility cycling practicable by a much broader range of people(e.g. the elderly ) or practical (e.g. for carrying children or shopping).

To ensure that fleets of utility bicycles become established throughout New Zealand’s urban areas, would you promote or support a campaign that will create awareness of utility cycling technologies among the public to help to stimulate consumer demand ?
e.g. actively lobby for the acquisition of a fleet of utility bicycles for council staff to get around town on.

Definitely. I would also support the establishment of neighbourhood bicycle workshops similar to the one my friends at 128 Abel Smith Street in Wellington provide. That way people can access specialised tools and replace parts from bicycles that are broken – it’s also a community-building opportunity in all sorts of ways .

Q. Would you lobby for the installation of bicycle racks on ALL public transport vehicles ?

Yes, I’m not sure why they don’t have them already!

Q. Do you cycle yourself? – And if not at this stage in your life, what would it take to get you to take up ‘utility’ cycling in the future ?

I own two bicycles, a Repco Victory Tri-A road bike that I bought off TradeMe. And a Healing Road/Mountain Bike that I got free with a video camera from Chris Fenn Appliances. I did a lot of riding a couple of years ago around the Poverty bay flats with my friend Dave Tims, and went on a few of the twilight bike rides with the club. Recently I haven’t been riding so much but having just got rid of one of our cars I am using the bike more. I also take my 5 year old daughter riding over on the courts/carpark at Te Poho o Rawiri Marae – she’s almost ready to loose the training wheels!

Q. Would you recommend that other people (children/ the elderly) cycle?

Definitely. I do have safety concerns for children – our neighbours kids wear fluoro jackets just to bike to school – they have to cross Wainui Rd. And my wife’s Uncle Dave is 80 years old and still rides his ten speed with turned up handle bars into town from Kaiti.

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Categories : Connected Tairāwhiti, Healthy Tairāwhiti, Our Children & Youth, Regional Infrastructure, Sustainable Tairāwhiti

Top of my Wish List

17 09 2007

Top of my wish-list for what I would like to see happen with Council support:

COMMUNITY PLANS developed with residents for every settlement and suburb that wants one (e.g. Te Araroa, Tokomaru Bay, Wainui/Okitu, Kaiti, Whataupoko, Mangapapa, Matawai, etc.). These would be facilitated by a steering group of local residents with support from Council staff and other stakeholders (e.g. runanga, government agencies, business owners, etc.).

Each plan would include:

a Community Profile including a history of the community, an overview of the local demographics (age, ethnicity, gender, income levels, etc.) of residents, economic, environmental, cultural and social profiles.
Special Features of the particular community (physical features, demographic trends, etc.)
Heritage Register summarising assets of historical significance within the community that should be protected, cared for and/or promoted.
Critical Issues for the community under headings such as: local economy; community development; public services, recreation and facilities; and infrastructure.
Community Goals documenting the aspirations of community members for their suburb/settlement.
an Action Plan identifying priority activities that will assist residents to realise the stated goals and aspirations, who will take leadership and supporting roles, what resources are required and timeframes for completion of each task.

Council planning staff should have a key role in facilitating this process but it may be more appropriate for local residents to lead or to engage an independent facilitator from another community to coordinate.

These plans would provide clear messages to Council about local priorities and aspirations so that Council plans support the opportunities identified in the specific community plans.

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Categories : Community Outcomes, Connected Tairāwhiti, Empowered Tairāwhiti, Local Governance, Positive Leadership, Regional Infrastructure, Relationships, Social Development, Vibrant Tairāwhiti

Infrastructure Priorities

5 09 2007

- renewable and secure energy generation (electricity and fuel)

- safe, secure and affordable drinking water

- safe, healthy and affordable housing

- decent public transport, cycle-ways and pedestrian-friendly corridors

- robust flood and erosion protection

- well maintained roads

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Categories : Connected Tairāwhiti, Healthy Tairāwhiti, Prosperous Tairāwhiti, Regional Economy, Regional Infrastructure, Sustainable Tairāwhiti

EIL & ECT

5 09 2007

I generally support the direction of the Trust. It has recently made a commitment to being more transparent in terms of priorities and various business interests, this should increase the level of confidence the community can have in the governance group and activities.

I support EIL’s investment in local infrastructure as this protects essential services from being controlled by overseas interests and ensures any profits at the end of the day are retained locally. The local ownership of essential infrastructure, the ongoing dividends reinvested in the community by the Trust and the capital asset finally paid to GDC are all critical to the future of the region and should not be divested to Council .

I would like to see greater investment in wind, tridal, micro-hydro and solar energy generation as well as commitments to bio-fuels and waste elimination opportunities.

Here is a summary of my position on ECT at present:

I am in favour of local ownership of essential infrastructure (electricity generation and distribution, drinking water, roads, sewage systems, airport, port, etc.). I don’t like the idea of it being privatised, particularly if that meant interests outside of the region controlled it.
I am also in favour of user pays above a basic level for residents (and possibly not-for-profits).
I support the Trust’s moves to make their processes much more transparent and to communicate more openly and regularly with the community.
I understand the purpose of the Trust is to retain and grow the asset base of the Trust to make money that is subsequently invested in the region (in both commercial and non-commercial projects).
I have reservations about the Trust investing in businesses that compete with other local businesses
I think the Trust should help GDC pay off public debt but do not think it should contribute any more than 25% of existing cash reserves – the Trust should continue to build reserves through investments both within and outside of the region.
They need at least one Trustee who is a demonstrated advocate for community development, whether or not they have as much financial management experience as the rest of the Trustees, they should take responsibility for ensuring the Trustees make decisions based on good information about priority local needs.

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Categories : Local Governance, Prosperous Tairāwhiti, Regional Economy, Regional Infrastructure

Sewage Solution 2

9 08 2007

It was disappointing to hear today that a GDC committee voted only non-Maori Councillors on to the Working Group for the Waste Water Project. Such a move demonstrates very little commitment from the majority of Councillors to meaningful Tangata Whenua involvement in decision-making and community leadership.

Real progress and agreement on the issue made this year was the result of true partnership and effective negotiation – rather than the bullying and exclusion which led to protracted litigation against GDC over the past 15 years.

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Categories : Local Governance, Regional Infrastructure, Sustainable Tairāwhiti, Tangata Whenua

Tauwhareparae Farms Ltd

7 08 2007

The debate on whether GDC should retain or sell TFL seems to go something like this:

FOR selling:

Council should not be in the business of running farms.
The dividend expected for 2007 is only 50% of the $1.5m projected in the LTCCP.
Freeing up the capital tied up in the farms could pay off Council debt which costs millions each year – and fund priority infrastructure developments (such as the waste-water upgrade).
GDC debt levels are very close to the maximum allowed and should be brought down by sale of public assets.
The farms may be worth over $40m and the level of return on the investment value are not commercially prudent.
If the original $25 million, which was the valuation at the time the council last considered selling the farm, had been invested in secured interest-bearing deposits earning 7.5 percent, the compound effect of this investment would have generated a fund today of $36 million, with interest earnings this year of $2.7 million.
Any funds realised could be placed in an investment account or community trust to avoid being ‘frittered away’.
TFL was ‘independently’ valued at $45.6m in 2006.

AGAINST selling:

The $750,000 dividend paid this year is in line with what was predicted in 2003 when the Farms were restrucutred.
The farms cannot be sold until the Jodi F Millenium outcome is finalised.
If they could be sold now the banks would demand the first cut so the actual amount available for investing in priority infrastructure developments would be a fraction of the gross amount realised from the sale.
The farms only attracted bids of around $20m when tendered previously so the returns as a proportion of investment are actually not as bad as detractors claim.
Any money raised from the sales could be ‘frittered away’ by undisciplined Council decisions.

Another proposal is to sell a part of the farm asset – or break it up into smaller, but still viable farms.

Here’s an article from 2003 detailing Bill Busby’s plans for Tauwhareparae Farms: www.country-wide.co.nz/article/748.html

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Categories : Local Governance, Positive Leadership, Prosperous Tairāwhiti, Regional Economy, Regional Infrastructure

Bi-cycling, Public Transport & Carbon Neutrality

7 08 2007

From my submission on the 2007 Draft Annual Plan & LTCCP Review…

Recommendations:

- That GDC increase the number of cycle lanes and include space for bi-cycles on all road bridges in the city.

- That GDC provide more incentives for people to use public transport and reduce reliance on private motor-vehicles within the city areas.

- That GDC provide more incentives for people to use bi-cycles and horses for transport in rural townships.

- That GDC adopt a goal of being a ‘Carbon Neutral’ region and develop an action plan to achieve this by 2012.

- That GDC adopt a goal of being a ‘Carbon Neutral’ organisation and develop an action plan to achieve this by 2010.

Rationale:

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Categories : Regional Infrastructure, Sustainable Tairāwhiti

Sustainability

6 08 2007

Mokopunatanga is the practice of considering the impacts of our lifestyles and everyday decisions on future generations. We haven’t been very good at this over the past few generations. We must plan now to ensure our grandchildren and great-great-great grandchildren inherit a planet that is in better condition than what we have now. These are conversations we must have today – we cannot afford to wait any longer as evidence builds of pending environmental collapse and communities are already being affected in adverse ways.

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Categories : Employment, Healthy Tairāwhiti, Prosperous Tairāwhiti, Regional Economy, Regional Infrastructure, Sustainable Tairāwhiti

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Tauwhareparae Farms Ltd

Bi-cycling, Public Transport & Carbon Neutrality

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