Dunedin City Long Term Council Community Plan

A few of us have collected some ideas to submit to the Dunedin City Council Long Term Plan:

For each idea, we have made a list of some of the positive and negative social, cultural, economic, and environmental effects, as requested in the submission guide.  Please feel free to comment and/or add to this list!

Feel free to use the text and ideas on this page to create your own submissions.  The best submissions are short and practical, we believe.  Asking the council to "investigate" or "report on" ideas is more likely to be successful, we think.

And of course, don't forget to mention whether you do or do not support the stadium! It's the closest thing to a referendum we'll get.

 

 

Submissions can be made at http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/council-online/online-forms/annual-plan-submi...

 

 

 

RENEWABLE ENERGY:

 

1. Council is asked to INVESTIGATE the viability of installing wind turbines in South Dunedin to power Council-owned infrastructure, in particular the Musselburgh pump station and Tahuna wastewater treatment plant. Excess power generation could be fed into the grid. Investment would be paid off by lower operating costs over time. Local company Powerhouse Wind could be considered to provide the turbines. These turbines could also be set up to provide the dual purpose of community and school education on renewable energy.

Positive impacts:

social: increase community cohesion and connection to energy production.  Skills and training opportunities and confidence developing technology area.

cultural: civic pride in "our wind turbines" - how many cities have them?

economic: develop local wind turbine suppliers and associated engineering firms. Reduce council electricity expenditure. Increase council productive infrastructure.

environmental: reduce dependence on fossil resources

Negative:

social: Increased industrialisation of low decile suburb.
cultural:
economic: 
environmental: possible noise pollution

 

2. Council is asked to INVESTIGATE the viability of micro-hydro power generation from water moving from one catchment or storage area to another. As for the wind turbine idea (above), this could be used to power pumping stations and the like, and the scheme could have dual education possibilities.

(Positive and negative impacts similar to the wind turbine idea)

 

 

 

 

 

PUBLIC TRANSPORT:

 

1.   Issue a report on an express bus run with limited stops to connect North and South Dunedin.  Similar to the Normanby to St Clair route, but it would run on the one-way system and be nearly as fast on that route as a car.  Could be painted as a Tiger Tea bus as a reminder of Dunedin's heritage.

Positive:

Social: Greater satisfaction with public transport system.
Cultural:
Economic: Potential to increase profits for bus companies. Shorter travel times for commuters.  Develop capacity of local coach-building engineering firm. Tourism drawcard.
Environmental: Greater use of public transport, less cars on the road.

Negative:

Social:
Cultural:
Economic: Initial cost to subsidize route until it become established over multiple years.
Environmental:

 

 

2. The Council is asked to issue a report on the viability of a free (rates funded) electric bus on the Normanby to St Clair route, similar to the one that operates in Christchurch. This could be painted as a Tiger Tea bus as a nod to Dunedin's heritage, and to make it stand out. This would be a highly practical step to encourage the use of public transport. People from South Dunedin to North East Valley would benefit from free commutes to and from town, making the trip more appealing. The service could be extended if successful.

Positive impacts:

social: Increased interest and pride in public transport system. Public transport facilitates social interactions. Mitigate against complaints over noisy and dirty buses.

cultural:

economic: Help out residents in low decile areas, namely in South Dunedin, with transport costs. Would make trips to town more appealing and may increase patronage. Tourist attraction. Could help shops on outskirts of town area receive more customers.

environmental: Would hopefully reduce fuel consumption and hence CO2 emissions.

Negative:

social:

cultural:

economic: Running costs offset by ratepayer. Reduced profits on normal Normanby-St Clair service. Potential for reduced DCC profits from parking if number of car commuters is reduced.

environmental:

 

 

3. Council to investigate locations where 'Copenhagen bike lanes' can be introduced. The footpath is divided into a pedestrian lane and a cycle lane, with the cycle lane in between the pedestrians and the parked cars (like the section of Cumberland St near the Botanical Gardens). There should be sufficient clearance (~ 1m) between cyclists and parked cars for safety.

Positive impacts:

social: Greater feeling of safety and acceptance for cyclists. Reduced chance of road accidents involving cyclists. Increase in number of people commuting by bike means healthier more active population. Parents would feel safer about their children cycling to and from school, saving them time and money compared with driving them there.

cultural:

economic: Very economical way of creating new cycle lanes. Less road congestion if more people choose to cycle, so faster travel times. Residents choosing to cycle rather than drive have more disposable income. Increased business for local cycle stores.

environmental: Decrease in car traffic means reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, and better air quality

Negative:

social: May take time for pedestrians to adjust to shared footpaths.

cultural:

economic: Large-scale shifts to cycling over driving will affect local garages and petrol stations (but this is inevitable!)

environmental:

 

 

4. Council to investigate the possibility of installing a public bicycle sharing system. Such schemes are in place in many cities such as Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, Stockhol, Vancouver and Washington DC. This could be publicly owned or a public-private partnership, and could provide cheap and convenient bike access for all. Some type of identification scheme is used to prevent theft and vandalism. Stations could be placed throughout the town and University area and extending out to the city's beaches and to the north end, and further.

Positive impacts:

social: Another cheap transport option. Exercise benefits to users.

cultural:

economic: Less road congestion if more people choose to cycle, so faster travel times. Residents choosing to cycle rather than drive have more disposable income. Potential for local business creation and collaboration through the maintenance and running of the system.

environmental: Decrease in car traffic means reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, and better air quality

Negative:

social:

cultural:

economic: Other transport options may be adversely affected.

environmental:

5. Council to investigate the possibility of investing in cable cars running up main Dunedin routes

6. Council to investigate the possibility of regular commuter train services from Waitati and Mosgiel to the centre city.

 

 

 

HOUSING AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION:

 

1. Council to take steps to encourage home owners to preserve and improve the Dunedin housing stock. For example

• Increasing the insulation fund
  

• Report on the possibility of subsidies for energy-efficiency measures such as hot water cylinder insulation, and heat-pump or solar hot water systems (in addition to the waived resource consent for solar hot water)

• Report on the viability of a compulsory energy rating system for rental properties, using calculation software currently used by EECA, for example. This would encourage landlords to improve their properties' insulation etc.

Positive impacts:

social: Improve housing conditions, associated health benefits

cultural:

economic: Support local builders and building suppliers. Help reduce residents' power bills. Improved rental housing stock may enhance Dunedin's appeal to students and tourists. Retro-fitting of houses is known to deliver economic benefits many times the installation cost.

environmental: Reduce energy use

Negative:

social:

cultural:

economic:

environmental:

 

 

URBAN FOOD GROWING/ LOCAL ECONOMY:

 

1. Council to investigate funding research into the possibilities for urban food growing in Dunedin. Topics could include: identification of unused spaces suitable for food production and community gardens; investigation of what can be grown on these and other residential sections; examination of the potential for residential neighbourhood clubs and food growing cooperatives; and investigation into what rural land in Dunedin can grow and potential production (manufacturing) of these agricultural products.

Positive impacts:

social: visible urban food growing enhances people's connection to the land, and encourages healthy eating. Neighbourhood food production and sharing enhances feeling of community
cultural:
economic: potential for productive output from currently unused spaces
environmental: increased local food production means decreased oil use and carbon footprint, especially if grown organically

Negative:

social:
cultural:
economic:
environmental:

 

2. Council to investigate the possibility of a 'Made in Dunedin' or 'Made in Otago' sticker and registration system that could be used by local producers and manufacturers. This would help consumers make informed, positive choices about which products they choose. It would promote self-sufficiency in the light of climate change and Peak Oil, and thus propel Dunedin towards a secure post-carbon economy.

 

 

 

WASTE AND RECYCLING:

1. Council is asked to continue with user-pays bags for residual waste, as opposed to the possibility of introducing a wheelie bin system. Making it slightly harder for residents to throw out rubbish and slightly easier to recycle will disourage the former and encourage the latter.  User-pays rubbish collection naturally discourages waste.  A wheelie bin system for recycling would be an improvement on the current blue bins. These are too small for many households, and the separating procedure discourages many from recycling as much as they could. This may discourage bottle breakage in North Dunedin when overflowing recycling bins are put out overnight.

Positive impacts:

social:
cultural:
economic: reduce landfill costs
environmental: improve efficiency of natural resource use

Negative:

social:
cultural:
economic: increase volume of materials handled by rates-funded recycling system, increasing costs
environmental: increase belief that recycling is the best possible system

 

2. Council to investigate installation of recycling bins for glass, plastic and aluminium alongside public rubbish bins in Dunedin. This is already done in many other places, e.g. Queenstown.

Positive:

social: enhanced perception of recycling as normal, enhanced civic pride
cultural:
economic:
environmental: refuse diverted from landfill to be recycled

Negative:

social:
cultural:
economic:
environmental:

 

3. Council to investigate a reward system for glass bottle re-use through the SmartBottles initiative (www.smartbottles.com). This could be, for example, a 10c refund on all applicable bottles. At this stage the scheme only applies to the 500 mL bottles used by Emerson's and Green Man breweries.

Positive:

social: increased recognition of benefits of material re-use
cultural:
economic: support for developing local businesses (SmartBottles and the breweries)
environmental: re-use is the environmentally optimal outcome for waste

Negative:

social:
cultural:
economic:
environmental:

 

 

SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION:

 

1. Council to continue to invest in, and increase investment in, education for sustainability in schools, through the Enviroschools programme.

 

 

 

CLIMATE CHANGE:

 

1. Council to investigate the impacts of sea level rise on Dunedin's low lying areas, and investigate how the impacts can be minimised through changes to the District and/or Regional Plan, and thorugh infrastructure investment.

 

 

 

LOCAL MUSIC AND CULTURE:

1. Council to investigate the introduction of a free public power terminal somewhere in the city centre for use by buskers. This could be timer-controlled if there were concerns about noise at certain times. A booking system could ensure misuse does not occur. Consultation with local businesses and residents would be vital.

Positive:

social: added vibrancy and entertainment in the town area
cultural: increased community exposure to local music
economic: increased promotion for local musicians
environmental:

Negative:

social: disputes over volume
cultural:
economic: power costs
environmental:

2. Council to investigate the establishment of high-profile public poster walls or spaces which are protected from commercial postering. This could be reserved for local events and initiatives, with the number of posters allowed for any one capped to ensure fairness.

Positive:

social: increased promotion for community groups
cultural: increased awareness of local arts and music events
economic: better attendance of events through enhanced advertising
environmental:

Negative:

social: some may find poster spaces unappealing
cultural:
economic:
environmental:

3. Council to investigate the value and potential of developing alleyways in the inner city area. These could be transformed into vibrant, people-friendly spaces as a step towards making the inner city more pedestrian friendly. They could include craft or retail spaces, children's play areas, green spaces, and more. The council could consider buying and developing sites in alleyways if required.

Positive:

social: more sociable and inclusive spaces
cultural: more opportunity for arts, crafts and music in the town area
economic: town more appealing to shoppers so they will come more frequently and stay longer
environmental: potential for green spaces

Negative:

social:
cultural:
economic:
environmental: