Tag: environment

Fire Restrictions to Start

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Vigilance Called with Outdoor Fires

 

From Auckland Council:

Extra vigilance for outdoor fires required

 

A restricted fire season for rural areas in the Auckland region will be implemented from 15 December. Lighting an outdoor fire on rural land is still possible but a permit is required for fires in the open air.

A total fire ban is now in place for all Hauraki Gulf Islands.

With summer on its way the days are growing longer and warmer which means fire risk increases. All outdoor fires need to be carefully managed to prevent the spread of fire.

“Conditions are very windy for this time of year and last week there were a number of fire incidents around the region due to controlled burns getting out of control,” says Auckland Council Principal Rural Fire Officer Bryan Cartelle.

Council will be issuing fire permits in Auckland’s rural zones which include farms, forestry areas and large blocks of land. Permits are free of charge.

Auckland Council is introducing an Outdoor Fire Safety Bylaw to manage the risk of all outdoor fires in both rural and urban areas. The bylaw will continue with seasonal restrictions but also gives guidance on the types of fire and fuel allowed with an aim to protect people, property and the environment from the risk of fire. The bylaw is due to come into effect on 20 December.

For information on fire safety and tips for the safe lighting of open air fires call Auckland Council on 09 301 0101 or visit aucklandcouncil/ruralfire.govt.nz

Anyone who sees a suspicious fire should call the fire service immediately on 111.

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It is a reminder if you cause a fire that results in the fire service attending the Fire Service can ping you for “costs”

 

Environment Funding Dished

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Funding or Grants allocated for Environment Projects

 

From Auckland Council:

$634,000 for Auckland’s environmental projects

 

Auckland Council has awarded $634,000 in grants through its Environmental Initiatives Fund (EIF) to 133 community projects which enhance Auckland’s natural habitat and historic heritage.

The fund supports local residents’ initiatives from the enhancement and conservation of important environmental and heritage sites to community-led projects.

The recommendations were approved by the Environment, Climate Change and Natural Heritage Committee today.

Councillor Wayne Walker, chair of the committee, says it is important that the council helps the community to care for Auckland’s natural environment and heritage resources.

“The Environmental Initiatives Fund is a really good way to help the community play an active role in looking after our environment,” he says.

“The way it is set up means we can fund a number of different projects that make a real difference to preserving our wonderful natural environment.

“From water storage tanks to coastal restoration programmes, there are a wide range of projects the council is supporting through this fund.

“We are passionate about ensuring our natural habitats are well-maintained and cared for. It’s fantastic to know that we have an active community who want to look after it and I am delighted that we have been able to support that work through this fund.”

Some of the 133 funded projects include:

  • $15,000 to Stephen Thomas to support the set up costs for the Rakino Community Nursery project, providing an on-island source of native plants for local restoration projects
  • $12,000 to Glenfield Community Centre towards painting the exterior of the Glenfield Mission Hall and installing sub-floor ventilation in time for the building’s centenary in September 2015
  • $1,300 for Bucklands Beach Intermediate for a coastal restoration project to provide a healthy habitat for threatened species
  • $3,000 for The Chapel Community Garden to establish a healthy garden to grow fruit and vegetables for the community, and teach people about gardening and composting
  • $5,500 to Michael Penn for native plants, site preparation and weed control to support re-vegetation in Warkworth.

Recommended grants range from $200 to $15,000. The average grant is $4,729.

 

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And The Winners for the Environment Are…..

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Awards for sustainability

 

From Auckland Council:

The colour of sustainability is Bronze, Silver and Green-Gold

 

A number of kindergartens and schools across Auckland will be recognised at the annual Enviroschools celebration this Friday for their outstanding commitment to sustainability.

The event takes place at Royal Road School in Massey on Friday 5 December, where 26 Enviroschools will receive Bronze, Silver or Green-Gold certificates of achievement.

Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse will present the Enviroschools certificates at the ceremony along with Councillors Wayne Walker and Linda Cooper as well as representatives from local boards.

Ms Hulse says: “Enviroschools teaches such important life skills – it shows our children they can become the environmental leaders of the future by taking action and making a real difference in their community.”

The Enviroschools programme allows children to apply their ideas and energy to real-life situations. They, as well as their schools and families, are encouraged to think and act sustainably by participating in a range of fun and useful projects, including community gardens, native tree planting and stream clean-ups.

The programme lets children introduce initiatives to improve their own kindergartens and schools, while also helping their wider community. Initiatives include recycling to reduce waste going to landfill, saving water by installing water tanks, and increasing biodiversity by planting native gardens.

There are currently 966 Enviroschools in New Zealand, which includes early childhood centres, primary, intermediate and secondary schools. In Auckland there are 181 Enviroschools, with more starting their sustainability journey every year.

The celebration will be attended by the students, teacher and parent representatives from each school, and representatives from Auckland Council. The Enviroschools programme is facilitated in the Auckland region by Auckland Council in conjunction with the national Enviroschools Foundation.

To find out more visit aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/educationforsustainability or enviroschools.org.nz

 

Further Information:

Green-Gold

Elm Park School, Forrest Hill School, Western Springs College

Silver

Avondale Kindergarten, Chelsea Kindergarten, Colwill Kindergarten, Early Discoveries Centre, Freemans Bay Kindergarten, Glenfield Kindergarten

Milford Kindergarten, Pt Chevalier Kindergarten, Takapuna Kindergarten

Waiheke Kindergarten, Dawson Primary, Pakuranga Heights School, St Leo’s Catholic School, St Thomas’s School, Taupaki School

Bronze

Ararimu School, Arohanui Special School, Howick Intermediate School, Milford School, St Francis Catholic School, Vauxhall School, Waiheke Primary School 

Green-Gold review

Grey Lynn Kindergarten

 

Award Definitions

Bronze Enviroschools have been on the Enviroschools journey for up to two years. Students have started work on getting to know their environment and are exploring options and finding ways to take action for a sustainable future.  There are some students and staff actively involved, and everyone else in the Enviroschool is aware.

 

Silver Enviroschools have been on the Enviroschools journey for at least four years and involves students, teachers, boards of trustees, parents and community members. In a Silver Enviroschool you can expect to see sustainable practices and projects that have grown in strength, variety, depth and number since formally becoming part of the programme. Students are fully involved in making decisions about sustainable actions and can show what change has happened because of their learning and action.

 

Green-Gold is the highest level of achievement in the Enviroschools journey and takes at least five years.  Environmental sustainability is part of decision-making within the community and Maori perspectives are embraced to enrich the journey of the Enviroschool. Students have a strong sense of connection to the environment and lead much of the on-going action. They understand how they can effect change for a sustainable world and can measure the difference made by previous initiatives. Green-Gold Enviroschools are involved with their community and honour the diversity of the people within it.

 

Green Gold Review – Enviroschools will continue to holistically reflect on their journey at least every three years using the Green-Gold descriptive paragraph and will decide if there is still a comfortable fit with that paragraph. During this review they will explore how understanding and practices have deepened and broadened.

 

 

—–ends—-

 

Well done to those recognised

 

What Do We Want at Waterfront Auckland

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What we want

 

From Auckland Council

Fun, sun and a run – what Aucklanders want from their waterfront

 

Fun and quirky spaces, sunshine, sea views, places to eat, public gatherings and events, areas to swim, walk and run, and children’s play space.

These are some of the recurring themes on the list of what Aucklanders want from new downtown spaces.

Auckland Council’s City Centre Integration team is seeking feedback on what people want to see in the downtown spaces, from outside Britomart train station to the waterfront areas between Princes Wharf and Captain Cook Wharf. The survey runs until 12 December 2014 and has elicited a variety of responses since it began earlier in the month.

Waitemata Local Board Chair Shale Chambers says: “We’re seeing a range of requests coming through; basically we are finding that Aucklanders want a lot of different things.

“There are some trends emerging from public feedback, for example, we can see that people want views of the water rather than the city, they want sun rather than shade options, they want to be able to run and walk, to attend events and gatherings and free play space for their kids.”

The survey asks people to rank a variety of options under different headings. It also asks what else they would like to see, with ideas put forward so far including bike parking, family sporting events, places to swim, improving transport connections and an outdoor cinema.

From feedback received to date the top two options under each heading are:

Environment and setting:

–       Looking at harbour views

–       Relaxing in sunny, open spaces

Community, Arts, Culture and Heritage:

–       Spaces that are fun and quirky

–       Attend public gatherings, demonstrations, events, performances and celebrations

Hospitality and retail:

–       Eat or drink at café and restaurant tables

–       Picnic at freely available eating spaces

Recreation activities:

–       Walk and/or run

–       Playspace for children in a natural area (trees, rocks, grass, sand etc)

 

Findings from this public consultation will help to inform the design and planning processes. The survey is open until 12 December 2014 and can be accessed through shapeauckland.co.nz.

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I have done the survey have you?

 

Plans Plans Plans

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The Next Round of Consultation with Two Plans

 

All these plans and all the consultation that goes with it (although some would do Death by Consultation in the name sake “The People…”) would make most people go nuts. In saying that from September 30 we enter the three-year process of formal notification and hearing with The Unitary Plan.

If you want to get changes put into the Unitary Plan then be prepared to write and send in your formal submission between September 30 and February 24th, 2014. After that we have independent commissioners appointed by the Government who will conduct Hearings through to and inclusive of 2016. Again this is how you get your changes that you would like to see in the Unitary Plan, NOT by giving it back to Councillors to go waste time and money re-litigating until the cows come home before they finally send it back out to notification.

 

In the meantime this from Auckland Council:

Unitary Plan approved for notification

Thank you to those who provided feedback on the draft Unitary Plan. Auckland Council’s Governing Body has approved the proposed Auckland Unitary Plan for notification and a formal submissions phase, which starts on the date of notification, 30 September. The proposed plan will then be available online at www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/unitaryplan as well as in hard copy format in libraries for those who don’t have access to the internet.

The plan includes amendments to the maps, policies and rules based on the feedback of over 21,000 Aucklanders and the decisions made by Auckland Councillors on what changes would be included.

The formal submissions phase, which includes further submissions and a hearings process will take place over approximately three years.

For more information on the unitary plan email unitaryplan@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz with any questions.

 

Sea Change – Hauraki Gulf Marine Spatial Plan

The Hauraki Gulf, known by many as Tikapa Moana and by others as Te Moananui ā Toi, is a national taonga (treasure). Over the next two years we’ll be creating a marine spatial plan, called Sea Change, to safeguard this treasure.

Ultimately, it’s about securing a healthy, productive and sustainable resource shared by all. The project is led by a partnership between mana whenua (local Māori who have customary authority over the area), and central and local government. Interest groups and users of the gulf, including recreational fishing and boating, environmental and community, aquaculture, fishing, shipping and tourism will have an opportunity to participate.

Sea Change will follow world best practice. This includes using an online decision support tool called SeaSketch. It will give everyone with an interest in this national taonga the opportunity to contribute towards creating a desired vision for it, including recommending:

  • which activities should take place and where
  • what areas and values are important and how to safeguard them
  • options to meet future needs.

A Stakeholder Working Group will take a lead role in developing the marine spatial plan and commence its selection process in October 2013. The group will consider all points of view by compiling and providing information, reviewing evidence, and analysing reports. The public will be able to have their say during 2014.

The non-statutory plan developed through this process will be used to modify district, regional and coastal plans and any relevant policies, rules and regulations.

Find out more at www.seachange.org.nz

How to stay informed and involved

Please pass this on to other people you think will be interested in council issues. Find out more on how you can have your say at www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/haveyoursay
In the meantime, if you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by emailing us at consultation@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

 

That last bit being rather relevant especially after somewhat of a mixed bag for me over the last three years in advocating for a #BetterAuckland.

 

October 4 I will have the blog reformatted and set up for the formal notification phase of the Unitary Plan as Talking Auckland will once again run its leading independent commentary on Auckland issues.

TALKING AUCKLAND

Talking Auckland: Blog of TotaRim Consultancy Limited

TotaRim Consultancy
Bringing Well Managed Progress to Auckland and The Unitary Plan

Auckland: 2013 – YOUR CITY, YOUR CALL