Council Document Summaries Archives - IAmListening.co.nz: Sheldon Nesdale

Fires On The Beach And 17 More Surprises In the Tauranga City Council Bylaws

I thought it might be interesting to familiarise myself with Tauranga City Councils bylaws.

But first, what is a Bylaw?

“The Council’s Bylaws are special laws that apply in the Tauranga area only. The bylaws help the Council make sure the city runs smoothly. Examples of activities controlled under existing bylaws include dog ownership and liquor free zones in public places.”

Second, what is their purpose?

Bylaws exist:

to protect the public from nuisance
to protect, promote and maintain public health and safety
to minimise the potential for offensive behaviour in public places
if specifically required by legislation

Continue reading “Fires On The Beach And 17 More Surprises In the Tauranga City Council Bylaws”

The 17 Most Interesting Bits Of The Local Government Act 2012

A friend of mine suggested that I should read the Local Government Act 2012, so I did.

This document is 442 pages (although 39 of those pages is a list of repealed Local Acts and Enactments).

It has 12 parts and 22 “Schedules”.

The 12 Parts Of The Local Government Act 2012

Preliminary provisions
Purpose of local government, and role and powers of local authorities
Structure and reorganisation of local government
Governance and management of local authorities and community boards
Council-controlled organisations and council organisations
Planning, decision-making, and accountability
Specific obligations and restrictions on local authorities and other persons
Regulatory, enforcement, and coercive powers of local authorities
Offences, penalties, infringement offences, and legal proceedings
Powers of Minister to act in relation to local authorities
Regulations, other Orders in Council, and rules
Consequential amendments, repeals, revocations, transitional provisions, and savings

Continue reading “The 17 Most Interesting Bits Of The Local Government Act 2012”

My Summary of SmartGrowth 2013

Here is my summary of SmartGrowth 2013 (184 pages. 20Mb .pdf).

What is SmartGrowth?

SmartGrowth is the “spatial plan for the western Bay of Plenty sub-region”, what this means is that it looks 50 years into the future and identifies the impact that our growing population will have on our city.
Particularly, the stress on infrastructure that will result from an increase in urban density, and what farm land we will need for new suburbs, industrial areas and commerce, and what investment will be required to supply those new suburbs with essential services (water, waste water, storm water and more).

Continue reading “My Summary of SmartGrowth 2013”

Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America One Step At A Time – Jeff Speck

walkable-city-jeff-spec Here are my notes on the book “Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America One Step At A Time” by Jeff Speck.

On the surface this book is about urban planning, but really, it’s about marketing the downtown area of the city in which you live.

Don’t let the word “America” put you off. These principals apply to every city in the world.

So how do you make inner-cities more desirable for people? How do you encourage shoppers, visitors, tourists, residents, cyclists? Continue reading “Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America One Step At A Time – Jeff Speck”

For the Love of Cities by Peter Kageyama

for-the-love-of-cities Here are my notes on the book “For the Love of Cities” by Peter Kageyama

Chapter One: Why Lovable Cities Matter

“Arts and culture are what make a city fall in love with itself,”

I believe that if you examined who really builds, contributes to and essentially “makes” a city, you would find that those citizens who have an emotional connection with their city make the difference.

The city, as a whole, is made by a relatively small number of “co-creators” who – in their roles as entrepreneurs, activists, artists, performers, students, organizers and otherwise “concerned citizens” – create the experiences that most of us consume. Continue reading “For the Love of Cities by Peter Kageyama”

My Summary of the TCC Vegetation Strategy 2006

This is article #16 in my 16 part series summarising Tauranga City Council strategy documents.

Here is my summary of the Tauranga City Council Vegetation Strategy 2006 (70 pages. 5.4Mb .pdf).

“Growing Tauranga Green: Vegetation Management Strategy for Tauranga City”

“Vegetation is an important contribution to the look and feel of the city’s character and identity and the wellbeing of its residents.”

Growing Tauranga Green focuses on: Continue reading “My Summary of the TCC Vegetation Strategy 2006”

My Summary of the TCC Urban Design Strategy 2006

This is article #15 in my 16 part series summarising Tauranga City Council strategy documents.

Here is my summary of the Tauranga City Council Urban Design Strategy 2006 (88 pages. 11Mb .pdf).

“Urban design is concerned with the design of buildings, places, spaces and networks that make up towns and cities, and how people use them.”

An example would be placing adding trees in car parks provide shade, reduce the amount of heat reﬂected from the paved areas and give a more pleasant environment for people and birdlife.

“The Tauranga Post Ofﬁce is a local example of many of the qualities which illustrate good design. Constructed for government purposes the building has been built to last and is highly visible, giving legibility to the centre of the city. The building has also been able to be adapted to changing uses. It is a piece of the Tauranga’s valued heritage that we as a community can learn from in development of our heritage of the future.” Continue reading “My Summary of the TCC Urban Design Strategy 2006”

My Summary of the TCC Open Space Strategy 2006

This is article #14 in my 16 part series summarising Tauranga City Council strategy documents.

Here is my summary of the Tauranga City Council Open Space Strategy 2006 (12 pages. 3.3Mb .pdf).

The key part of this strategy is the council’s minimum level of service of 3.45 hectares of reserve per thousand people, which is:

1.7ha/1000 active
1.7ha/1000 neighbourhood
and 0.05ha/1000 community building reserve

And this target of “95% of urban residences in comprehensive development areas and residential intensiﬁcation areas are required to be within 400 metres of open space and neighbourhood playgrounds.”

There are 5 key themes in this strategy: Continue reading “My Summary of the TCC Open Space Strategy 2006”

My Summary of the TCC Elders Strategy 2008

This is article #13 in my 16 part series summarising Tauranga City Council strategy documents.

Here is my summary of the Tauranga City Council Elders Strategy 2008 (12 pages. 3.3Mb .pdf).

Another short document. Just 13 pages.

The goals:

Elders participate in decisions that affect them and contribute to the community
Elders actively participate in recreation and leisure activities
There is affordable and appropriate housing for elders
There are accessible transport options for elders
Support is provided to enable elders to access the Council servies they may require
People of all ages have positive attitudes to ageing and elders

Did you know that 28% of us are 55+? That’s 34,000 adults. (23% in NZ). Continue reading “My Summary of the TCC Elders Strategy 2008”

My Summary of the TCC Historic Village Strategy 2012 – 2022

This is article #12 in my 16 part series summarising Tauranga City Council strategy documents.

Here is my summary of the Tauranga City Council Historic Village Strategy 2012 – 2022 (28 pages. 158Kb .pdf).

Here are 4 key dates:

1977: The Historic Village opens (as a working museum).
2005: Tauranga City Council took over ownership (under the Community Property Services Portfolio)
2008: Major infrastructure upgrades (flood protection, electrical, cabling, internal drainage, asset management program)
2011: Formation of the Project Steering Group. Made up of 3 Councillors and 6 representatives from the village

Key challenges were identified: Continue reading “My Summary of the TCC Historic Village Strategy 2012 – 2022”