Resource Consent for development on corner of Tinakori Rd / Park St - Declined

The Hearings Commissioner has DECLINED the application by CapitalSkinz Limited to Wellington City Council to construct a three storey commercial building at 92 Tinakori Road Thorndon. This was to  comprise medical facilities, retail and café activities including associated earthworks and signage.

Click here to view the Commissioner's report.

Resource Consent Application for non-residential land use cnr Tinakori Rd & Park St

WCC have publicly notified an application for resource consent to build a commercial building on the corner of Tinakori Road (92,& 96-98) and Park Street (3-5).

The proposal is to construct a three-story commercial building (up to 11.95m high) comprising office, retail and cafe activities (i.e. all non-residential), and includes associated earthworks, signage and parking.

Notification documents are accessible from these links: 

1. Public Notice and instructions to submitters

2. Section 95A-95F notification decision report

3. WCC Advisors Assessments:

    a. Earthworks

    b. Contaminatamination

    c. Transportation

    d. Noise

    e. Vehicle access

    f. Urban Design

4. Cardno’s response to Section 92 Letter (further information provided)

5. Further Information

6. Application document

7. Application drawings/plans

Thorndon Residents' Association AGM 2014

Tuesday 13 May, 7-9PM (refreshments from 6.30PM)

Kingsgate Hotel

Hawkestone St

Please RSVP to thorndonresidents@gmail.com

Notice of motions that the Thorndon Residents' Association modify the constitution by special resolution of the members as follows:

To amend Clause 5.7 to Read.

5.7  Quorum: The quorum for a Committee meeting is to be at least half of the elected or co-opted committee members

To amend Clause 7.4 to read.

7.4 Audit: The Association shall not be required to be audited. The committee shall be required to appoint a non-executive member, or failing that a non-member, to perform a review if requested in writing by any member. The Committee may require an audit if they vote to do so by ordinary resolution.


Explanations of the proposed changes

Clause 5.7 currently requires six members for a quorum. The new rule will allow a majority of the committee if present to act.  So for a committee of seven it would require four to be present.

Clause 7.4 currently requires a full audit. This amendment removes that requirement. There is an ability to request a review if a member asks to do so. Any such review will be by a non-committee member. This review is not a full audit.
The Committee can resolve to have a full audit if this makes sense to them. A possible reason for this is a requirement by a donor. 

Report: TRA Annual General Meeting

This evening the Annual General Meeting of the TRA was hosted by the  Kingsgate Hotel. Members, neighbours, friends and Councillors (City and Regional) enjoyed the opportunity to mix and mingle during a networking hour prior to the AGM. Everyone appreciated both the hospitality of the Kingsgate team and their support of the Association. The meeting venue was perfect and this considerably assisted a smooth navigation through the agenda prepared by Sadie Laurenson (Secretary), and led by William Neal (Chair). The meeting relaxed into productive discussion, focused on reports from Committee Portfolio leads. Matters arising were considered and helped identify priority issues for the Association to focus on during  2013-14.

Here are some of the resources from this evenings' meeting:

• Agenda and outline of the meeting
• Minutes from the AGM 2012  (adopted)
• Report from the Community Safety Portfolio
• Report from the Planning & Environment Portfolio
• Submission on Regional governance
• Officers and Committee of the TRA (confirmed)
• Draft Minutes of AGM 2013

Free online access to property valuation records

Here's an online resource that may interest Thorndon residents 
http://www.watchmystreet.co.nz/

An excerpt from the site ...

The vast majority of council rating valuation data in New Zealand is controlled by Quotable Value Limited (QV) - a New Zealand State owned enterprise who does most the the valuation work for councils in NZ and charges for that service.

Essentially they have the monopoly on council valuation work in NZ. QV and their Australian joint venture company PropertyIQ Limited (a company owned by QV and RP Data), obviously want to maximise profits and so they also license the use of council data and resell it to banks, real estate agents and the like - if you go to their website, they'll even resell your rating data back to you! (Remember you paid rates so that your council could pay for these valuations).

It does seem a bit bizarre that an Australian company to some degree controls access to New Zealand property data, but there you go.

The NZ Government has been promoting open access to government data, making it more available, allowing companies and individuals to add value and reinterpret the data - this is known as “Open Data”. Unfortunately to date it looks like the area of property data is outside this arrangement.

Some councils understand the value of providing their data in order to allow people like us to innovate, build cool tools, and provide useful or interesting information to ratepayers - including the Wellington City Council, who provided us with their District Valuation Record (all we had to do was pay for their time in extracting it). Big thumbs up to WCC!

What do we want?

The Rotary Club of Wellington is hosting this one day forum. A chance to hear a top line up of speakers and to make your own point. 

25 October 2012 at the VUW Pipitea Campus
The registration of $55 includes teas and lunch.

All details here:   rotaryforum.org.nz  
Wellington is what we make it and you can be part of shaping it. Now in its second successful year, this highly topical community forum asks; what kind of city and region do we want? How should community views be expressed in local government? What are the initiatives by business and communities that will help Wellington become the place we want to live and work in? What can you do to influence it? 

City Council needs to improve communication concerning planning information

When heritage proposals descended on Thorndon three years ago, the TRA members and Thorndon residents generally, unveiled numerous shortfalls in WCC's consultation and engagement approach especially from a residents' perspective.

The Citizens Engagement Directorate had existed for quite some time. Yet by 2012, apparently the Council continues to struggle to effectively communicate with impacted communities.
Refer: http://www.wellington.govt.nz/news/display-item.php?id=4928 
Could this be yet another recent example? The Mayor is moved to observe "... a significant Plan Change ... may not have been sufficiently clear." That's a scenario that will resonate with many TRA members! The Mayor also refers to an unsatisfactory situation which "... highlighted the importance of how the Council communicates planning information to potentially affected communities."

A number of years have passed since the Citizen Engagement directorate was established. Hasn't there been sufficient time to overhaul WCC's consultation/community engagement processes, especially when it comes to District Planning proposals?

Ideas on local government reform in Wellington

A paper has been brought to our attention by the Federation of Wellington Progressive and Residents Associations. It proposes ideas on local government reform in Wellington.

The paper is an initiative by a group of Wellington regional councillors to start a conversation in the Wellington region about our local government effectiveness and any potential changes that could be made to improve it.

click here ...

Some ideas on local government reform in Wellington - neighbourhood decisions with pan-regional strategy

No extra consent rules

As part of preparations to make changes to the District Plan, WCC's Strategic and Policy Committee has decided that inner residential Thorndon shall face no additional consent rules.

Following three years of conversation between residents (TRA) and Council there is now increased recognition of the diversity of Thorndon's neighbourhoods and our 'living' suburb. And at least some appreciation that we need to enhance our homes with modern innovations without undue additional constraints imposed by the Regulator.

Proposed changes to the District Plan will publicly consulted before Council adopt them.

(click on the article to enlarge it)

Keeping the rates increase to a reasonable level?

Given the tight fiscal realities, the Council has been scrutinising it's front-line and back office functions. "Keeping the rates increase to a reasonable level" is the title of the invitation to submit on the Annual Plan.

Have your say; tell the Council what you want ... WCC's online questionnaire is convenient.

http://www.wellington.govt.nz/news/display-item.php?id=4396

TRA and WCC at the Farmers Market

The Thorndon Residents' Association (TRA) and Wellington City Council were at the Hill Street Farmers' Market this morning.

The stall was a suggestion of the TRA to help citizens become aware of the Place-based Study of Thorndon and to be able to speak to knowledgeable WCC officers and collect more information about the project.

The stall was well patronised and many handouts were taken away. Fifty copies of the popular draft planning map had all been snapped-up by late morning.

This was the first of two opportunities to chat at the Market. The team will be back next Saturday 16th April.

Federation's deputation on WCC transparency

The Federation of Wellington Progressive and Residents’ Association has real concerns regarding WCC's commitment to community engagement.

The deputation's submission is here.

Also reported in Wellington.Scoop

Place-based planning - WCC Gears-up for Community Walks

WCC is proceeding with a proposal to hold two organised walks around Thorndon that will be especially designed to better engage residents in the place-based study which is currently underway.

It is also planned to book a stall at the Hill Street Farmers Market to help advertise what is going on.

The objective of both the stall and walks is to publicise background information which has been gathered (including through past community consultation) and which is now being used in a place-based study. Both officers and TRA sub-commmittee members intend to be available to answer questions and/or provide information about the processes to date. There will be opportunities for anyone to provide feedback.

WCC's urban planners are keen to move on this consultation proposal. They would also like to know who might be available to help prepare for (and guide) the walks and to provide local background information (in particular streets) and commentary. If you would like to participate in this way please let us know.

The timing so far would suggest that the stall would be set up on one or two Saturday mornings in April (not Easter); and the walks could then take place on the same weekends on either or both the Saturday afternoon, or Sunday morning or afternoon.

The suggested dates for these events are 9 and 16 April 2011. TRA members - please let the committee know whether you would like to help on either or both of these two weekends.

Email: thorndonresidents@gmail.com or contact a committee member

Once the dates are confirmed the two opportunities for the community to engage, will be notified by way of a letter sent to all residents and ratepayers in Thorndon and also through the 'Our Wellington Page' in the Dominion-Post.

Thorndon Place-based study update

Council officers are gathering research to prepare a place-based study for Thorndon. A Thorndon Advisory Group was established in November 2010 and the TRA has representation.

Much more information is accessible from this link

http://www.wellington.govt.nz/projects/new/thorndon/thorndonheritage.html

Navigate to the Advisory Group Meetings page for minutes, milestones and information shared at the meetings.

New Futures - rethinking heritage in New Zealand's urban places

http://www.historicplaces.org.nz/events/RypkemaWLN-17Nov.aspx

A seminar on 17 November 2010 will cover the following topics:

• Measuring the economic impact of heritage in urban revitalisation
• Adaptive reuse opportunities
• Planning and urban design tools to reduce barriers to investment in older buildings
• Public private partnerships in heritage conservation
• Case studies: myths and realities in the comparison of adaptive reuse and new construction

Citizens' forum launched

A resolution at the conference of residents' associations held at Parliament in April 2010 spawned the idea. In August 2010 the Citizens' Forum on Wellington Regional Governance Issues was launched.

More information:

• About the Citizens' Forum on Wellington Regional Governance Issues
• Hon John Carter, Associate Minister of Local Government speech
• Presentation by the Thorndon Residents' Association

The Wellingtonian - "Thorndon residents revolt"

Letter to the editor:

Thanks for your great front page story on Thorndon (August, 12). Good to see The Wellingtonian focused on such an important Wellington issue.

Just a small point, the letterbox drop late February 2009 was a council letter to residents, not from the Thorndon Residents’ Association (TRA).

Vivien Rickard’s comment “We are looking at preparing a district plan change and that’s not something that a Council can do in partnership” is at odds with an earlier undertaking from council officer Teena Pennington for TRA to be involved in shaping the content of any District Plan rules. While residents would expect council planning officers to draft the words, TRA has already accepted council’s offer.

TRA’s motto is “Nothing about us, without us” in Thorndon as Council moves forward with their work.

Finally a note of thanks for Councils fresh‐thinking in Thorndon - long may participatory democracy continue. And thank you to your reporter for his extensive interview.

Lance Gunderson

Melissa Ludlow

Co-Chairs Heritage Sub-committee

Thorndon Residents' Association

Proudly supporting the Thorndon Community

Deputation attends WCC's Strategy & Policy Committee meeting

The Association has reviewed the WCC report "Approach To Heritage Management In Residential Areas of Thorndon", publicly released on 29 July 2010.

A TRA deputation will represent this feedback to the Strategy & Policy Committee at its meeting on Thursday 5 August 2010.

Invitation: Managing Residential Heritage

Agenda

(i) welcome

(ii) brief outline of the steps to date by a member of the TRA sub-committee

(iii) discussion with the Director for urban planning

Background

Consideration of the district plan and options for managing 'heritage' values in Thorndon continue to percolate. The TRA has been aware of proposals since March 2009. Now, following considerable feedback from the community, WCC planners are preparing a new report to present to Council. This will be discussed by a Council sub-committee on 5 August 2010.

Teena Pennington, Director - Strategy, Planning & Urban Design at Wellington City Council, offered to meet with the TRA to provide her insights and answer your questions first hand. This is consistent with WCC's public commitment to being guided and informed by what the community wants.

This is an important opportunity to re-engage if you have an interest in this matter; particularly everyone who participated in the TRA online survey on heritage (March 2010), or provided other feedback.

To accept this invitation please RSVP to thorndonresidents@gmail.com

Tuesday 29th June 2010.

7PM - 8:30PM ( network from 6.30PM )

at the Thorndon Tennis and Squash Club, 4 Katherine Avenue

Proceedings of the Residents2010 Conference available

The proceedings from the Residents2010 Conference are now online. The TRA had representation at this event and was also used as a case study in one of the workshops.

This conference was hosted at Parliament in April of this year and attended by delegates who were mostly representatives of residents associations.

The proceedings contain two significant speeches:

- Beverley Wakem, Chief Ombudsman

- Pat Hanley, Chair of the Social and Civic Policy Institute.

It also includes:

- reports from six workshops;

- a summary of research undertaken during the conference;

- seven recommendations made by the delegates;

- follow-up action on these taken to date.

This conference highlights a growing awareness in the ways residents can organise and empower themselves to help address the paucity of active public participation in local level decision making. There are many concerns about relationships with local governments, and how to remove roadblocks to democracy at the local level.