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Category: Portobello

Community Groups & Representation

Community Groups & Representation

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I’ve been actively involved with community groups for nearly 25 years. I’ve worked with them professionally in a range of roles and issues as well as stepping up in my own community and actively taking part in many of them. They’re an interesting dynamic, some are enthusiastic,  positive and embrace new challenges. Others, have very set goals and  objectives and seldom deviate from that path. Perhaps the biggest challenge is a community’s ability to develop effective co-ordination and communication between various agencies and local government….

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Making Plans and Planning

Making Plans and Planning

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The District Plan is an extremely important document for Dunedin. It outlines the future direction of the city in regards to development, business, housing and the environment. The Resource Management Act 1991 requires a district plan to have; Objectives for the district Policies to implement the objectives Rules to implement the policies. It’s a crucial document to the city, but it’s also one that people need to take notice of and understand how its rules, policies and objectives might affect…

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Some Roading History

Some Roading History

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Roading issues occupy a significant part of your time when living on the Otago Peninsula. The slip at Turnbull’s Bay has been a long period of inconvenience that the community have been very patient with as the repairs near their end. This photograph from the Peninsula Museum illustrates just how much has changed over 100 years since it was taken.        

Environment Strategy Submission

Environment Strategy Submission

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Our first experiences of the environment and biodiversity usually come from our early explorations as children in our backyard and local community. It’s the beginning of our awareness of the natural world and an important step into our understanding of the world around us.  The Dunedin City Council has recently presented Te Ao Turoa – The Natural World as a draft environmental strategy for the City. The proposed strategy lo sets out themes, objectives and priorities for the management of the Dunedin Environment. I was asked…

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Broadband on the Peninsula

Broadband on the Peninsula

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Many households and businesses have frustrations over the availability and quality of broadband in New Zealand. It seems to be taking forever for the fibre network and rural broadband initiatives to become available for many. The Otago Peninsula is no different and given its importance to the local economy as a tourism destination the need for better broadband coverage is becoming more apparent. At a broader level, business, education and community opportunities are being impeded by not having a reliable and accessible…

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Democracy Divided?

Democracy Divided?

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The recent Representation Review undertaken by the Dunedin City Council will see major changes to Community Boards across the city. For the Otago Peninsula that means we have lost the Tomahawk area from the Otago Peninsula and next year may lose two of the Board’s members. This appears to be part of a longer term plan by the City Council to abolish Community Boards all together. For me its deeply disappointing to lose part of our community from what has been…

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The Passionfruit on the Peninsula

The Passionfruit on the Peninsula

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The Banana passion-fruit vine (Passiflora mollissima) has become a problem plant for the Otago Peninsula over recent years and has continued to occupy significant areas of roadside in Portobello and Harington Point Roads. Given its highly invasive nature and need for high light levels passion-fruit has begun to choke the life out of many  areas around the Peninsula. Its prolific fruit production has also been shown to be a suitable source of food for possums and birds distributing viable seed from…

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Accepting the Challenge

Accepting the Challenge

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On a rather gloomy damp day that was thick with mist staying in bed seemed like a very good option, but the Pope whanau from Portobello had other ideas. My wife Lyn and I have always encouraged our kids to be good citizens and do things for their community selflessly. We want them to take an interest in their community and care for their region like we do. Keep New Zealand Beautiful Week is always an opportunity to do something positive…

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