The whole Donovan Park land sale debate is so full of holes and has been from day one. The most annoying bit is the constant reference to what money it will raise. I have seen figures from 8 Million to 30 Million dollars coming back to the council and these figures are being pushed out to try and influence the public submission process. That is so wrong in so many ways. Transparency has never been great around the table at the ICC nor has business acumen and the onus should be on getting some reliable indications on actual returns to the ratepayers. There is no need to hide behind the much-used public excluded sessions as it should be a process to deliver the best possible return if sold and that should be by public auction. Any other deal entered into will see ratepayers fronting for millions of dollars of roading and infrastructure costs.
And the biggest point is we are seeing how the council fails to understand town planning issues as they have for the last 40 years by working hard to develop the city fringes as the inner city ages and housing stocks deteriorate.
Donovan Park is part of the city's family silver and Mr Pagan points out very correctly the once gone we will never get it back. Those who set Invercargill out in the first surveys looked to the future and we have a city that has remarkable green spaces. For a city of around 50,000 residents we have spread out to a far greater degree than most cities with the same population but seriously do we need to keep swallowing up more green spaces or do we need some much smarter thinking about rejuvenating the areas where out housing stocks are old and damp.
What we are likely to see is either a handful of gigantic rich person houses or as many small townhouses as they can cram in like sardines.
the only way I could see it being a long term postive for the city is if they ban cars from the land they sell & work or a deal with the pub to have the bus stop there so the residents can wait for the bus in comfort.
There is no basis to their being a shortage of available land within Invercargill: there is ample : The priority is to facilitate infill of existing residential land and renewal of our aged housing stock. There are ample new housing developments proposed. Remove or ease obstacles to builders and developers from council processes. High value sections in Windsor are subdivided. Encourage this occurring throughout our city . Close to services and using existing infrastructure and revitalising our current city suburbia which is full of substandard housing stock . THIS is the priority isn’t it ?
So.. public community reserve land would be sold to raise $30 million which … reality check .. will likely enable the the $10-14.5 million expenditure included in Councils LTP for a single-sport rugby stadium at Rugby Park, which motivated parties progress on behalf of ratepayers . An orchard of community choices becomes the one bad apple . Sorry but let’s put these two figures side by side. If $30 million incoming is largesse, then $14.5 million expenditure is rash . The community need ask hard questions about priorities .
The whole Donovan Park land sale debate is so full of holes and has been from day one. The most annoying bit is the constant reference to what money it will raise. I have seen figures from 8 Million to 30 Million dollars coming back to the council and these figures are being pushed out to try and influence the public submission process. That is so wrong in so many ways. Transparency has never been great around the table at the ICC nor has business acumen and the onus should be on getting some reliable indications on actual returns to the ratepayers. There is no need to hide behind the much-used public excluded sessions as it should be a process to deliver the best possible return if sold and that should be by public auction. Any other deal entered into will see ratepayers fronting for millions of dollars of roading and infrastructure costs.
And the biggest point is we are seeing how the council fails to understand town planning issues as they have for the last 40 years by working hard to develop the city fringes as the inner city ages and housing stocks deteriorate.
Donovan Park is part of the city's family silver and Mr Pagan points out very correctly the once gone we will never get it back. Those who set Invercargill out in the first surveys looked to the future and we have a city that has remarkable green spaces. For a city of around 50,000 residents we have spread out to a far greater degree than most cities with the same population but seriously do we need to keep swallowing up more green spaces or do we need some much smarter thinking about rejuvenating the areas where out housing stocks are old and damp.
What we are likely to see is either a handful of gigantic rich person houses or as many small townhouses as they can cram in like sardines.
the only way I could see it being a long term postive for the city is if they ban cars from the land they sell & work or a deal with the pub to have the bus stop there so the residents can wait for the bus in comfort.
The museums gone
H and Js has gone
And Marist High school too
The Savoys no more
Todds auctioned off
So what’s left for me and you
Well we’ve got Splash Palace
A brand new mall
And the Transport World and so on
But keep your paws off Donavon Park
Because once it’s old it’s gone
The Bard
There is no basis to their being a shortage of available land within Invercargill: there is ample : The priority is to facilitate infill of existing residential land and renewal of our aged housing stock. There are ample new housing developments proposed. Remove or ease obstacles to builders and developers from council processes. High value sections in Windsor are subdivided. Encourage this occurring throughout our city . Close to services and using existing infrastructure and revitalising our current city suburbia which is full of substandard housing stock . THIS is the priority isn’t it ?
Got my support Robin
that read NODDY when I wrote it
Nodded is retiring shortly perhaps we could sell his little red car.
So.. public community reserve land would be sold to raise $30 million which … reality check .. will likely enable the the $10-14.5 million expenditure included in Councils LTP for a single-sport rugby stadium at Rugby Park, which motivated parties progress on behalf of ratepayers . An orchard of community choices becomes the one bad apple . Sorry but let’s put these two figures side by side. If $30 million incoming is largesse, then $14.5 million expenditure is rash . The community need ask hard questions about priorities .