Sustainable Urban Communities

Just a quick reminder that the Department of Internal Affairs is seeking feedback on the Building Sustainable Urban Communities discussion document by 28 November 2008.

This document sets out ideas for new ways to deal with the increasing challenges and opportunities of urban development, to ensure our towns and cities thrive, prosper, and continue to provide a high quality of life. They want to hear what the public thinks about the ideas, tools, and approach described in the document.

The Second Schedule of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) originally included a provision to provide for “the community or any group within the community (including minorities, children, and disabled people)” in the local government policy statements and plans. This was repealed in the Resource Management Amendment Act 2005, and no legislation has been introduced since then to provide for access for people with disabilities in the built urban environment.

The Trust put forward a submission to the Ministry for the Environment on National Guidance on Urban Design – Scope of Proposed National Policy Statement. Click here for a copy. The proposed NPS considered that national guidance under the RMA 1991 could help to improve the quality of urban design in NZ, and would complement existing voluntary, non-statutory initiatives like the NZ Urban Design Protocol.

It is important that the processes of councils are influenced at the highest level through their objectives and policies, as these are an integral component of their statutory documents. With the development of an NPS on Urban Design, all activities of a territorial authority will be required to conform.

The Barrier Free NZ Trust encourages people in the access community to put forward submissions to encourage Universal Design in NZ