Posts by Sacha
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Hard News: Christchurch: Is "quite good"…, in reply to Lilith __,
while I’m sure the short-term business subsidies were vital, it wasn’t exactly rocket-science to see that they were needed
snap
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Hard News: Christchurch: Is "quite good"…, in reply to Hebe,
the business subsidy was brave and bold
'Brave' suggests the (business) folk they listen to were opposing it. As if.
Intervening in the failed post-quake residential housing market against the urgings of neolib acolytes and foreign insurers and bankers - now that might deserve the term. These are timid boys not up to a huge responsibility, which is sad for all of us.
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Hard News: Christchurch: Is "quite good"…, in reply to Lilith __,
those are for sissies as well, not decisive chestpuffers like Cabinet's lads
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Hard News: Christchurch: Is "quite good"…, in reply to Hebe,
so people understand what they can influence
Interesting discussion to have.
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Hard News: Christchurch: Is "quite good"…, in reply to Rob Stowell,
Most of these may have been asked and answered. Possibly in this thread :) A quick list of 'what I'd like to know' before deciding on how good this plan is.
Many have. I'll pick a few of the simpler ones.
Why should we build a convention centre? Why should residents pay for it?
Corporate welfare.
Why is the convention centre fronting the square? Why not eg further north, along the avon?
I presume there are few stable blocks of the land of the decided size along the river frontage. No, I don't know why they needed to privatise the river view either.
Why can’t a convention centre share a space/building with eg a stadium or town hall?
Indeed.
What is the long-term future of the international convention business?
Poor - but lucrative for the developers, builders and financiers. Guess whose interests this govt is working in?
Stadium: ...Who decides how big, and on what basis?
From the Press article:
And then because - again exceptionally - the team was free to think building first, location second, it was able to whip up specifications based on simple principles, rather than the need to shoehorn an idea into an available site.
"So with the convention centre, we could say that for a city the size of Christchurch - and to be consistent with the New Zealand convention centre strategy - it's Auckland 3000 people, Christchurch 2000 and Queenstown 1000.
"Christchurch just fits in the middle.
"Same with the rugby stadium. Eden Park is 50,000 to 60,000 people, Wellington 34,000. It's 20,000 or so down in Dunedin. So OK, Christchurch is our second biggest city, let's make it 35,000."
Very quickly, the Blueprint members responsible for each anchor project could draft up a footprint, a building height and volume, a sketch of the necessary service and access details.
Yes, seriously. Provincial dickwaving as a way to size civic and commercial venues. Gerry knows business cases are for sissies.
Is there any scenario where [the stadium] would pay for itself?
No. That's for ratepayers and taxpayers to do, while the professional sport involved extracts an ongoing profit.
Where has our democracy gone!?! (And can we have it back, please)
ECan was a warning. Christchurch then proceeded to vote a National government back in (though they were let down by not having several compelling alternatives to vote for instead).
As signalled, further sweeping local government and RMA reforms are underway to further tip the balance from elected representatives to private developers and businesses.
Support opponents who seem organised and worthy of your trust. Spurn those unable to organise a piss-up in a brewery. Encourage your neighbours to pull their heads from the sand.
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Hard News: Christchurch: Is "quite good"…, in reply to Lilith __,
Oh I lamented all the lovely old Manchester St, etc, buildings. However I'm recalling the nasty boring commercial mosntrosities dominating the skyline around the cbd.
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Hard News: Christchurch: Is "quite good"…, in reply to Lilith __,
many other maddening things in that article
Her last sentence is a beauty:
What if other New Zealand cities - particularly Auckland - were given the tools so they too could follow Christchurch's example and wipe the barriers that stymie economic growth?
Let's knock it all down everywhere so unambitious business can make a buck. Testing the waters as Nick Smith returns to gut the RMA?
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Hard News: Christchurch: Is "quite good"…, in reply to Lilith __,
I’m sorry, heritage-laden??
As if. Mainly drab modern fare even before the quakes.
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Hard News: Christchurch: Is "quite good"…, in reply to Chris Waugh,
That's a very honest opening sentence.
I must have missed more about the last word here unless O'Sullivan knows more than Isaacs does:
It is a stunner. Compact. Cutting edge. Green. Sustainable.
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Chch Press survey about plan shows good support but some different priorities to the CCDU boss:
A Press poll asked 507 readers what they thought of the 100-day blueprint, their most and least favoured projects, what was missing, and when they envisaged the Christchurch rebuild would be complete.
More than 70 per cent said the blueprint met or exceeded their expectations, though few thought the Government's hope to have it all done by 2017 was realistic.
...The green frame around a smaller central business district (CBD) was the biggest winner, with 89 per cent of respondents saying they agreed with the idea.
In terms of importance, aspects ranked in most people's top three were the Avon River precinct (58 per cent), Cathedral Square (35 per cent) and the use of green technologies (31 per cent).
People were most divided over plans to build a covered stadium, with 44 per cent in favour, 42 per cent opposed and 14 per cent unsure.
Establishing a cricket oval in Hagley Park was also contentious, with 51 per cent against the idea and 33 per cent agreeing.
...Isaacs was surprised the use of "green technologies" was so popular, which was "good to know".