design daily: preserving our heritage buildings

Why it’s imperative central government is involved in preserving our heritage buildings

Very interesting article by Dierdre Robert over at www.designdaily.co.nz which has quickly become one of my fav sites in NZ. There is always a great article to read there relevant to New Zealand, which lets face it has been difficult to come across in the past. Design Daily is an off shoot of Idealog magazine – which if you aren’t a subscriber to you should be.

“With the Government’s announcement that it will contribute $10 million in addition to local funding to assist with the repair, restoration and strengthening of heritage and character buildings in the Canterbury region, comes news that three buildings on Wellington’s Willis street—all over 100 years old—are being demolished, without any public notification.”

Full article here…

Post by Paul Le Comte

ORC : DCC …. Is there any hope?

Tahuna Wastewater Treatment Plant

### ODT Online Thu, 23 Sep 2010
Deadline may be missed in upgrade
By Chris Morris
Concerns the stage two upgrade of Dunedin’s Tahuna wastewater treatment plant – being built at a cost of $75.8 million – could miss a crucial deadline have prompted a warning from the Otago Regional Council.

Delays could be “managed”, but regional council staff needed to be alerted “much earlier in the process, rather than closer to the slippage…The moment there is a time slippage identified, then immediately it becomes a potential consent condition breach.”
-Dr Selva Selvarajah, ORC

Read more

Post by Elizabeth Kerr

Stadium: “Grass grows better inside than outside”

### ODT Online Thu, 23 Sep 2010
Work to start on stadium pitch
By David Loughrey
Work on the Forsyth Barr Stadium pitch is set to start in the next few weeks, and while funding has yet to be confirmed, the pitch design includes a turf reinforcing system developers expect will allow it to be used three times as often as natural turf.
Read more

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Elections: A quandary for DCC

An advertisement in this week’s D Scene has Lee Vandervis – contender for the Dunedin mayoralty – backing the following people for election to [his] council. He says:

CENTRAL WARD (after voting Lee VANDERVIS of course!)
Bev BUTLER – mathematician, gets the right answers
Dave CULL – good presenter, understands issues
Lindsay SMITH – deep understanding of people/administration
Jinty MacTAVISH – enthusiasm, energy, political awareness
Richard THOMSON – experienced dealing with bureaucracy
Olive McRAE – forthright idealist, good speaker
Aaron HAWKINS – sharp wit, fearless incisive speaker
Teresa STEVENSON – individual with heart, long Council experience
Andrew WHILEY – a good grasp of issues, realises what needs to change

MOSGIEL – TAIERI WARD
Brian MILLER – sharp courageous idealist, does what he believes
Maurice PRENDERGAST – experienced insightful individualist, great sense of humour

WAIKOUAITI COAST – CHALMERS WARD
Geraldine TAIT – stroppy experienced activist, knows what has been going on

****

[The Central Ward requires 11 councillors to be elected.]

People might not have given permission for their names to be used in the advertisement.

An awkward association for some?

We invited a ‘politico’ friend to have a bit of a play with the list, to see if he could come up with a possible estimate on council committee chairships (assuming the current committees remain). We don’t mind living in the realm of fantasy, on and off – it’s a “What if?”

His offering, with either/or options:

Lee = Mayor
> Chair of Planning & Environment = Brian Miller / Teresa Stevenson
> Chair of Finance & Strategy = Bev Butler
> Chair of Infrastructure Services = Olive McRae to fix the water
> Chair of Community Development = Geraldine Tait
> Chair of Economic Development = Richard Thomson?
> Chair of Hearings = Teresa Stevenson / Brian Miller
> Deputy Mayor = Maurice Prendergast

The end of civilisation as we know it.

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Post by Elizabeth Kerr