Category: Environment
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Will Auckland become like Tokyo, and would that be a bad thing?
For the Easter Holidays I decided to visit Tokyo. This is the first time that I have been to Japan and while some of my preconceptions have been confirmed I have been pleasantly surprised by how well the city works. And as Auckland faces the problem of predicted significant growth rates for the next few decades…
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Government plans RMA power grab
The Government is proposing sweeping changes to the Resource Management Act. They had planned for even more radical change but the support parties refused to commit so the proposal to weaken the goal of environmental protection by merging sections 5 and 6 of the RMA was removed. The currently proposed changes include one which would give the relevant Minister…
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The Unitary Plan problem
Auckland Council’s Unitary Plan has been in the news lately. Although I have some sympathy for Council’s position announced in December 2015 I think the process could and should have been handled better. Some historical context is important. As part of the amalgamation process the Government decided that the new Council should have a super duper new plan…
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The plight of urban trees
Two recent news stories highlight the threats being faced by our urban forest. The world famous Paturoa Kauri has a new resident. Johno Smith decided to set up home in its branches after the chainsaws made an unexpected reappearance at the site. And in Margan Ave in New Lynn concerned members of the community chose…
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Future Auckland is not Future West
There has been some recent speculation on the formation of a new organisation to contest next year’s local body elections under the name of “Future Auckland” or “Auckland Future”. It looks like the latter combination is more likely as Auckland Future has been incorporated as an society and has adopted a constitution in that name. The…