Oct
30

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Our environment- what do you love, and what do you worry about?

Category: Hutt City Tags: ,

Hutt City Council wants your input into the draft Environmental Sustainability Strategy for 2015-2045.

The strategy outlines a direction for Council to ensure our natural environment is protected, enhanced or repaired, ensuring the city is in a sound state for current and future generations.

The Council sees leadership, protection and enhancement as key components to achieve the vision of a thriving environment, now and in the future.

Mayor Ray Wallace says, “This is a significant strategy, our vision is for Hutt City to be a great place to live, work and play and a healthy environment is key to this.”

Chris Cameron, Principal Policy Advisor for Council, explains that part of being strategic is prioritising.  “We’ve identified seven areas to focus on, and identified the key issues in each of those areas.”

Those areas of focus are;

  1. Water and the issues of quality and usage.
  2. Waste, with a focus on waste production, disposal, emissions and pollution and contamination.
  3. Transport, with major issues identified as emissions and network optimisation.
  4. Land-use, in which the major issues are accessibility, and efficient use of space, importance of green space and food supply.
  5. Biodiversity with identified major issues of the protection of species and habitat, invasive species and coherence and connectivity.
  6. Energy, with major issues of efficiency, emissions, changing demand and air pollution.
  7. Risks and resilience takes in all the other areas of focus and includes the natural hazards, climate change, resource shortages, and economic shocks

Chris Cameron says, “We had great public consultation once before on this, and now we are keen to go back and have more discussion to ensure we have this strategy right; we also see this as an opportunity to create great networks of  people  who feel responsibility for our environment.”

Have your say

Submissions opened on Wednesday 22 October 2014 and close at 4.00pm on Tuesday 11 November 2014.

We would like to hear what you think.

Download the draft Environmental Sustainability Strategy and make a submission online

The draft Environmental Sustainability Strategy is also available at the Hutt City Council Building, 531 High Street Lower Hutt, and all Hutt City Libraries.

Please send written submissions to:
Chris Cameron
Hutt City Council
Private Bag 31 912
LOWER HUTT 5040

Or email: chris.cameron@huttcity.govt.nz

Oct
1

By

Calling for entries to ReTree Festival

Category: Hutt City Tags: , ,

ReTree Festival, a Recycled and Crafted Christmas Tree Exhibition

Hutt City Council has teamed up with Te Omanga Hospice to bring the first Recycled Christmas Tree exhibition to the region.

Entries are now open for the exhibition, which invites people to make a Christmas tree from recycled materials. It will raise money for charity through a display of the trees in Lower Hutt’s CBD.

“We’re calling for local artists, children, outside-the-box thinkers and everyone with a passion for recycling, Christmas, or both to bring this year’s most extraordinary tree competition alive, says Natalie Hormann, Project Coordinator.

“The Re-Tree exhibition celebrates recycling and creativity in our city and aims to bring some peace, enjoyment and fun into the busy pre-Christmas period.”

As well as raising money through donations at the exhibition, ReTree Festival raises awareness about environmental issues and things we can do to help, in particular re-purposing objects that would otherwise end up in the landfill.

“Artificial trees are usually made of petrochemicals, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), metals, and sometimes even lead. They are not fire-resistant; they can’t be recycled and are used for a short period before ending up in the landfill. By making one from recycled or natural materials you are helping to protect and promote a sustainable city,” says Natalie.

There are two categories for the event: Recycled, Natural/Crafters and a separate schools section.

The full criteria for the event and online registration is available athuttcity.govt.nz/ReTree

The Christmas trees will be exhibited through December starting with a special launch being planned for 30 November in the Lower Hutt CBD.

For further information contact Natalie Hormann, Environmental Sustainability Advisor on 04 570 6666 or email Natalie.Hormann@huttcity.govt.nz

 

Source: Hutt City Council