3 Results: Organisations Conducting Research

Motu Economic and Public Policy Research

Arthur Grimes (Senior Research Associate)

Phone: (04) 472 1049
Cellphone: (027) 2489 389
Email: arthur.grimes@motu.org.nz
Website: www.motu.org.nz

In planning:

Nil.

In progress:

Title:

'Nelson-Marlborough-Tasman (NMT) Housing Affordability'

Purpose:

To examine reasons behind NMT house price and rent increases, and examine ways of restoring affordability of housing in the regions.

Co-researchers:

To be confirmed.

Completed:

Title:

Scoping bi-directional impacts of economic, social and environmental changes and the New Zealand housing market (2005)

Purpose:

To examine the interactions of houses and the housing market with a broad range of other developments to pinpoint future research areas for CHRANZ.

Co-researchers:

Andrew Aitken, Suzi Kerr.

Title:

What's the beef with house prices: economic shocks and local housing markets (2004)

Purpose:

To examine the effect of exogenous (external) shocks on house prices at TLA level.

Co-researchers:

Andrew Aitken, Suzi Kerr.

Title:

House Price Efficiency: Expectations, sales, symmetry (2004)

Purpose:

To examine dynamic and long-run reaction of housing market at regional council level to economic developments.

Co-researchers:

Andrew Aitken, Suzi Kerr.

Title:

Land Taxes and Revenue Needs as Communities Grow and Decline: Evidence from New Zealand (2004)

Purpose:

To examine interactions of TLA rates income and expenditures with housing market and economic developments.

Co-researchers:

Andrew Aitken, Suzi Kerr.

Title:

Housing and Economic Adjustment (2004)

Purpose:

A preliminary examination of house market trends at TLA and regional council levels.

Co-researchers:

Suzi Kerr, Andrew Aitken.

New Zealand Historic Places Trust

Paul Leslie (Marketing and Communications Manager)

Antrim House
PO Box 2629
Wellington

Phone: (04) 478 8051
Fax: (04) 499 0669
Email: pleslie@historic.org.nz
Website: www.historic.org.nz

In planning:

Nil.

In progress:

Nil.

Completed:

Title:

Heritage Management Guidelines for Resource Management Practitioners (July 2004)

Purpose:

To help local authorities, owners and developers identify and manage historic heritage in light of the Resource Management Act and its 2003 amendment.

Title:

Guidelines for Altering Heritage Buildings (Heritage Guidelines No. 5), Chris Cochran, 2000

Purpose:

To provide practical advice on altering, adapting and adding to heritage buildings.

Title:

Guidelines for Earthquake Strengthening (Heritage Guidelines No. 6), Lou Robinson and Ian Bowman, 2000

Purpose:

To set out the key issues for the structural evaluation of heritage buildings, and to provide information about strengthening buildings while respecting their heritage fabric.

Title:

Guidelines for Making Heritage Buildings Accessible (Heritage Guidelines No. 8), Julia Gatley, 2000

Purpose:

To provide practical suggestions for making buildings accessible in ways that respect their heritage values.

Title:

Guidelines for Developing Heritage Buildings (Heritage Guidelines No. 10), Sarah Holman, 2000

Purpose:

To identify the issues and recommend procedures for undertaking development projects.

Title:

Heritage Landscapes Think Tank: Report on Proceedings (NZHPT, 2003)

Purpose:

A summary of the April 2003 Think Tank examining the recognition, protection and interpretation of New Zealand's heritage landscapes.

New Zealand Utilities Advisory Group

Tim Davin (Chair)

c/o Local Government New Zealand
PO Box 1214
Wellington

Phone: (04) 924 1200
Fax: (04) 924 1230
Email: info@nzuag.org.nz

In planning:

Nil.

In progress:

Nil.

Completed:

Title:

Network Utilities, the Road Corridor and the Resource Management Act: A guide to best practice

Purpose:

To assist local authorities in the development of district plan policies and provisions for the management of the effects of network utilities within the road corridor. Specifically, the best practice guide:

• outlines reasons for and the benefits of locating network utilities within the road corridor
• clarifies the statutory framework governing relative roles, responsibilities and powers for controlling network utilities within the road
• provides a toolbox of approaches that may be used to address the issues through the district plans, including both regulatory and non-regulatory approaches
• makes recommendations about best practice, particularly in formulating rules and standards.

The best practice guide is one of a number of initiatives being undertaken by the New Zealand Utilities Advisory Group (NZUAG) to address the many issues facing the management and development of network utilities within the road corridor. The document is downloadable from www.nzuag.org.nz.

Co-researchers:

Robert Scholfield (Boffa Miskell Ltd), James Winchester (Simpson Grierson). Commissioned by the New Zealand Utilities Advisory Group.

New Zealand Water Environment Research Foundation

Michael Hughes (Project Co-ordinator)

Level 8
Duxton Chambers
170 Wakefield Street
Wellington

Phone: (04) 802 5242
Email: michael.hughes@nzwerf.org
Website: www.nzwerf.org.nz

In planning:

Confidential.

In progress:

Title:

'Guidelines for onsite stormwater management'

Purpose:

Stormwater design methodologies and best management practice for source controls and on-site management of stormwater.

Co-researchers:

Environment and Business Group, Landcare Research.

Title:

'Small wastewater package systems'

Purpose:

To ascertain wastewater treatment systems that are not meeting their operating and/or environmental parameters.

Title:

'Hydraulic modelling'

Purpose:

To evaluate computer-driven hydraulic modelling packages available in New Zealand, including the pros and cons of each package and how they could be enhanced to make them more suitable in the New Zealand context.

Co-researchers:

Opus International Consultants.

Title:

'Sustainable drains and drainage'

Purpose:

To develop a best practice manual for managing open and closed drainage systems throughout New Zealand.

Co-researchers:

Environmental Management Associates, University of Canterbury Advanced School of Engineering, Landcare Research.

Completed:

Title:

Stormwater Directory of New Zealand (2004)

Purpose:

To provide a comprehensive directory of stormwater publications and resources for stormwater management (online database).

Co-researchers:

Landcare Research.

Title:

New Zealand Municipal Wastewater Monitoring Guidelines (2002)

Purpose:

To develop monitoring programmers for municipal and urban wastewater discharges.

Co-researchers:

NIWA.

Nick Aiken

Nick Aiken

Antrim House
PO Box 2629
Wellington

Phone: (04) 478 8051
Email: NickA@tauranga.govt.nz

In planning:

Nil.

In progress:

Title:

'Master's degree study'

Purpose:

A study looking at the quality of the public realm in regional New Zealand centres, using Tauranga and Hamilton as case studies. The study focuses on the attention to quality in town centre public spaces. It is centred around seven urban design principles, fairly closely based on Ministry for the Environment and UK documentation in particular, but also drawing on Australian and US studies. The study includes physical surveys, historical analysis and district plan analysis. Later this year/early next year the study will be looking at reducing crime through environmental design, and how this can be achieved through the RMA planning framework, drawing on experience from the UK on Secure by Design and crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED).

Completed:

Nil.

National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd (NIWA)

Gavin Fisher (NCCES Director)

Phone: (09) 375 2052
Email: g.fisher@niwa.co.nz
Website: www.niwa.cri.nz

In planning:

Title (provisional):

'Transport effects on the environment'

Purpose:

Data, models and tools to allow assessments of the effects of transport on the urban environment - air, water and coastal.

Co-researchers:

Gavin Fisher, Jeff Bluett, Neil Gimson, Shanju Xie, Mike Timperley, Jacquie Reid, Kerry Webster.

Title (provisional):

'On-road emissions sensing'

Purpose:

Using a new sensing system to provide detailed data of emission from vehicles and to influence driver behaviour to reduce emissions and effects.

Co-researchers:

Gavin Fisher, Jeff Bluett, Shanju Xie.

In progress:

Title:

'Health effects of air pollution'

Purpose:

To assess the effects and costs of air pollution in cities throughout New Zealand. Jointly undertaken by the Health Research Council, Ministry of Transport and Ministry for the Environment.

Co-researchers:

Gavin Fisher, Tord Kjellstrom, Alistair Woodward, Simon Hales, Amanda Scoggins, Neil Gimson, Simon Kingham, Andrew Sturman, Ian Town, Michael Epton, Des O'Dea, Emily Wilton, Carolyn O'Fallon and others.

Title:

'Contamination of urban aquatic system'

Purpose:

To assess the extent and contribution of roadway sources of contaminants in the waterways, through various routes.

Co-researchers:

Mike Timperley, Jacquie Reid, Kerry Webster.

Title:

'Business/environment relationships'

Purpose:

To provide tools for businesses to (a) reduce greenhouse gas emissions; (b) understand climate change; (c) assess economic incentives for air and water; (d) improve the application of the RMA; and (e) develop financial tools for energy efficiency. With the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development and others.

Co-researchers:

Gavin Fisher and various contractors.

Title:

'Environmental monitoring'

Purpose:

Extensive ongoing data collection programmes for air, water and marine monitoring in the urban environments, used by numerous agencies for environmental management.

Co-researchers:

Mike Timperley (Manager).

Completed:

Title:

Costs of Public vs Private Transport in Auckland (2003)

Purpose:

To determine the total external costs of various modes of transport in Auckland.

Co-researchers:

Astrid Jakob, Gavin Fisher, John Craig.

Title:

Transport Emissions, Effects and Indicators (2000-2003)

Purpose:

Various studies to measure and model the emissions from the transport fleet to quantitatively assess environmental effects (includes projects for FRST, Ministry for the Environment, Auckland Regional Council, Auckland City, Manukau City, Christchurch City, Transit NZ and Ministry of Transport).

Co-researchers:

Gavin Fisher, Neil Gimson, Jeff Bluett, Shanju Xie, Guy Penny.

Title:

Urban Air Quality Processes (2003)

Purpose:

A large multi-disciplinary programme researching all aspects of air quality management in the urban setting, and providing better tools and information.

Co-researchers:

Gavin Fisher, Neil Gimson, Jeff Bluett, Andrew Sturman, David Shooter, Darren King.

Title:

Health Effects of Transport (2002)

Purpose:

An assessment of the costs of air pollution due to transport emissions in cities throughout New Zealand. Published by the Ministry of Transport.

Co-researchers:

Gavin Fisher, Tord Kjellstrom, Alistair Woodward, Simon Hales, Andrew Sturman, and others.

Title:

Greenhouse Inventories (2004)

Purpose:

To provide detailed analysis and information on the total emissions of greenhouse gases from activities in urban areas.

Co-researchers:

Darren King, Guy Penny, Gavin Fisher and others.

North Shore City Council

Chris Harris (Passenger Transport Services Co-ordinator)

1 The Strand
Takapuna

Phone: (09) 486 8400
Fax: (09) 486 8510
Email: chris.harris@northshorecity.govt.nz
Website: www.nscc.govt.nz

In planning:

Title:

'Refinement of patronage measurement'

Purpose:

Correlation of patronage at individual bus stops with drivers of patronage including service level and local population.

In progress:

Nil.

Completed:

Title:

The Shelter Business (2004)

Purpose:

A description of the North Shore City Council bus shelter programme, including the development of improved rationales for bus shelter investment. Absence of investment rationales and standards has led to varying degrees of neglect of the 'shop window' of Auckland's bus system (including feeder buses to rail and ferry), except at a minority of stops where attractive-looking shelters have lately been provided by advertisers. This work is intended to address the current absence of a formal rationale for bus shelter investment in the public sector, and to address the parallel absence of design standards.

The first major class of shelter investment rationales developed in the paper is health benefits, and these include winter health savings from the prevention of wind chill effect on old people experiencing off-peak waits for buses. There is awareness in New Zealand of the health impacts of low indoor temperatures, but outdoor exposure is apparently also significant. Only at bus stops do old people wait for long periods outdoors without doing anything to keep warm, so bus stops may be key to many winter ailments.

The second major class of rationales is patronage benefits, both in the peak and off-peak. Off-peak patronage is likely to be most sensitive to the waiting environment, and may determine system capacity available for congestion relief in the peak, as this total capacity tends to be an accounting multiple of the capital used off-peak. Funding has not yet been sought to test or quantify the various shelter benefits beyond a preliminary level. However, the evidence so far available suggests that such benefits may be large enough to render the lifetime cost of shelters a minor consideration. Details of shelter design for storm-proofing, personal safety and attractiveness are also addressed with a view to the eventual establishment of regional or national standards.

Comments:

Private research by Chris Harris.

Title:

Slow Train Coming: Central origins of transit investment failure in Auckland, New Zealand (2004)

Purpose:

For publication in Urban Policy and Research (RMIT, Melbourne).