Submitter
Submission id number: 964572
Submitter name:
Ben McKenzie
Organisation
The Greater Green Island Community Network
Do you want to speak to Councillors at the hearings?
Yes
Supporting information
Submission
How are we doing? Is there anything you would like to tell us?
Things going well:
Green Spaces –
• Our community group welcomes the Dunedin City Council's move to support green spaces and the development of playgrounds around the city.
• We believe that these initiatives will provide numerous benefits to the community, such as promoting physical activity, mental health, and social connections.
• The recent upgrades to Bathgate Park's playground and landscaping are a great example of how the council can enhance these spaces to create a welcoming environment.
• We would like to see more areas across the city receive similar upgrades, as well as the creation of new green spaces and playgrounds in areas where they are currently lacking.
• We appreciate and support the council's efforts to support green spaces and playgrounds, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact that these initiatives will have on our community.
Place-based funding –
• The allocation of place-based funding to the Greater Green Island Community Network (GGICN) in 2023 is significant for our community.
• Place-based funding provides stability and capacity for GGICN to address the unique needs of our community.
• Place-based groups like GGICN can play a valuable role in helping the council reach out to the community for consultation and communication purposes.
• Place-based groups have a deep understanding of their community's needs and concerns, and can help ensure that the council's efforts are targeted and effective.
• We encourage the council to work closely with place-based groups and leverage their expertise and networks to strengthen community engagement and decision-making.
• By supporting place-based groups, the council can foster a more collaborative and inclusive approach to local governance.
• We are grateful for the council's support of place-based funding and look forward to working together to build a stronger and more resilient community.
Community development support –
• We are grateful for the council's support of place-based community groups through the Community Development Team, which has improved collaboration and connections within our community. This initiative will have far-reaching positive impacts and help realize the council's social wellbeing strategy. We encourage continued investment and prioritization of community development to empower communities and build a more inclusive Dunedin.
Areas for improvement:
Civil defence / Emergency preparedness –
• We are concerned about the messaging and strategies being presented regarding emergency preparedness and civil defence. The messaging has changed three times in the past two years and the current approach is not congruent with what we have observed to work in other centers.
• Having emergency response centrally controlled and limiting community involvement in response is particularly concerning. As we have mentioned before, in the event of a major emergency, communities may be cut off from help for up to a week. We believe that it is important to equip and enhance communities to respond in helpful ways, rather than relying solely on centralized emergency response.
• We would like to see well coordinated and equiped communities ready to respond to emergency situations with high levels of preparedness and autonomy. Effective in connecting with a central response. We would like to see a way to gather and access vulnerable people's information that is not connected to a spreadsheet in someone's locked cabinet so communities and emergency services have the information they need to help out most vulnerable.
Main street Green Island Beautification
• Green Island's main street has benefited from the implementation of traffic calming measures, but we believe that there is more that can be done to make the area an even more attractive and pedestrian-friendly space.
• We would like to see the council prioritize the completion of the plan to enhance the street's aesthetic appeal, including improvements to landscaping and public art. This will not only make the street more pleasant for those who live and work in the area, but also for visitors who pass through on their way to the nearby Dunedin Tunnels Trail.
• As more people begin to use the bike trail and connect with Green Island via the Burnside underpass, it will be important to provide ample bike parking in the area to support active modes of transportation.
• By completing the plan to enhance the main street of Green Island, the council can demonstrate its commitment to building more livable, vibrant, and connected communities in Dunedin.
Dunedin Tunnels Trail Project –
• We fully support the development of the Chain Hill and Caversham rail tunnels cycleway linking central Dunedin and Mosgiel.
• The cycleway should prioritize good infrastructure that connects the cycleway with Concord, Green Island directly.
• The infrastructure should be safe, logical, and easily accessible for users across the Greater Green Island community.
• Ensuring as many communities as possible easily access the cycleway safely and effectively will help bolster business through Green Island, Abbotsford, the Coastal areas, and Concord.
• Linking areas like Concord and the coastal areas as well as good access to Green Island businesses should be a priority as part of this trail.
What other ideas should we be thinking about to include in future plans for our city?
Burnside Underpass – See Appendix 1
• We are advocating for safety improvements on the Burnside underpass, specifically for residents of the Concord area who use this route to access Kaikorai Valley Road via foot or bike.
• We have expressed our concern about this issue in previous annual plan submissions and letters to the Mayor and Councillors on March 15, 2021.
• The safety issues for those using active modes of transport in the section of Kaikorai Valley Road and Main South Road connecting under the Concord Underpass need to be addressed.
• This section of road is not included in the Dunedin Tunnels Trail project, so we are urging the DCC to urgently resolve this issue.
• We understand that the Concord/Green Island/Kaikorai Valley motorway on ramps, off ramps, and pedestrian access will be redesigned in about five years, but we are requesting that pedestrian safety at this intersection be prioritized now.
Mulford Park Upgrades –
• Mulford Park Development - We urge the Dunedin City Council to prioritize the completion of the Mulford Park development plans, which have already been drafted. This development will greatly enhance the Mulford area, particularly in light of the significant development happening nearby. It is important that the new development has access to the bike trail and Kaikorai Valley via the Burnside underpass. This will also help alleviate concerns about increased traffic and pedestrian safety in the area due to new housing developments.