3 June 2004
Levy not the only way to make CBD more sustainable

Auckland-based Green MP Nandor Tanczos says the Auckland City Council has missed an opportunity to make the central business district more environmentally sustainable.

The Auckland City Council has been criticised for setting the public space levy on new development in the central city at only one per cent.

"Property magnates can certainly afford to pay more towards the cost of public space, but equally importantly, the council should have used this review to look at a few simple, smart measures to reduce the ecological footprint of new developments, " said Nandor, the Green Party's Urban Issues Spokesperson.

"If you look at Landcare Research's new building in Tamaki, there are numerous techniques that don't increase construction costs but do substantially reduce buildings' running costs and environmental impact.

"Just two measures on every new building in the central city would make a significant difference - solar panels to provide hot water and rainwater collectors to provide water for flushing toilets.

"These two mechanisms should be compulsory on new buildings. Failing that, discounts off a higher development levy than is currently being proposed could provide an incentive.

"An advantage of solar panels and rainwater collectors is that they can also be added to existing buildings, unlike some other smart eco-tech which need to be included in the design from the outset,"

"The council could also provide incentives to retrofit existing buildings to make them more environmentally sustainable," said Nandor.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>