Latest news with #Dobbie
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Canterbury councils list roading ambitions - if they can find the money
While pleased to see the Woodend Bypass going ahead, Canterbury council leaders say they will keep lobbying for other roading projects. Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has been pressing ahead with geotech testing with its contract partners, ahead of work starting on the Woodend Bypass next year. The project is expected to cost close to $1 billion, around half of Canterbury's $1.8 billion roading budget in the 2024/27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP). It means other North Canterbury roading projects are having to wait. Top of the list for the Waimakariri District Council is the proposed Rangiora eastern link road, Skew bridge at west Kaiapoi, and the Tuahiwi crossroads intersection on Rangiora-Woodend Road. ''They are all in our budgets for the outer years (in the 2024/34 Long Term Plan), but if we need to bring them forward, we will be only too happy to,'' Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon said. The council has prepared a business case for the proposed $35m Rangiora eastern link road to present to NZTA. The road will help reduce congestion through Southbrook by diverting traffic at the 'S-bend' on Lineside Road, passing to the west of the council's waste treatment ponds and cutting through council-owned land and the Spark family farm, before connecting with Spark Lane. From Spark Lane, the arterial route will continue up McPhail Road and Bellgrove Boulevard to Coldstream Road. Should the council be successful in obtaining a 51 percent NZTA subsidy, ratepayers will stump up 25%, with the balance coming from development contributions. The Hurunui District Council has estimated it needs about $3 million a year to maintain and upgrade its ageing network of 286 bridges. But it has received funding for just one bridge replacement in the 2024/27 NLTP. The council's chief executive Hamish Dobbie said if the Canterbury region received its fair share of funding, it would reduce the delays for local roading projects. The Canterbury region has around 13% of the population and accounted for around 15% of vehicle kilometres travelled, but received just five percent of national road funding, Mr Dobbie said. ''If Canterbury got its fair share of land transport funding, then we would get a better deal out of it.'' Mr Dobbie said one of challenges was NZTA funded bridges out of operational funding, when they were expected to last 80 years. ''Funding it through operational funding is not sustainable. We should be looking at intergenerational (or loan) funding, where we spread the cost out over time.'' Four bridge replacements were included in the 2024/34 Long Term Plan, but the council received just $600,000 towards bridge replacement in the 2024/27 NLTP. It is planning to replace a bridge at River Road, Waiau, in this year's annual plan at a cost of around $1m. By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter ■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
Courier-Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Courier-Mail
Parents on property ladder worry kids won't make it
Kate and Simon Dobbie are counting their blessings they were able to get into the Brisbane property market in the early 2000s, but worry how their children will ever afford a home. The couple bought their first home in Mitchelton 18 years ago and have just listed their current home in Grange for sale. 'It was daunting at the time (being first homebuyers), but it wasn't necessarily hard,' Mrs Dobbie said. 'I was a flight attendant and my husband was a public servant. 'We managed to buy a house and still live our lives and travel. 'I don't know how first homebuyers are doing it today.' New Canstar analysis showed an income of $171,862 was needed to buy a median-priced house in Greater Brisbane in May 2025, compared to $72,628 in March 2020 — a $99,234 increase. For units, $120,490 was required today, up from $52,164 pre-pandemic. RELATED: Shark mansion devours Brisbane record 'Best house in Townsville' snapped up in a week Motocross mansion named Australia's hottest property The Dobbies sold their first home to build a house in Gaythorne and went on to sell that one to buy 145 Gracemere St, Grange, where they have lived with their two sons for the past 11 years. 'We bought a 100-year-old Queenslander that we added an extension to,' Mrs Dobbie said. 'It's got lots of character and memories, but we're never at home to make use of the big block. 'Our kids have grown up here, the neighbourhood is really good and we will be super sad to leave, but we are ready. 'There has been a lot of growth in the inner north and we want to capitalise on that growth from the last 11 years.' Mrs Dobbie said with one son likely to move out within the next couple of years, they were selling now to buy in their chosen area of Kedron and Wooloowin ahead of further price surges. 'We love the inner north and we're keen to get closer to Kedron Brooke, to my son's school, my husband's work and to Lutwyche Rd so I can commute into the city for my work,' she said. 'The prices will only go up with the Olympics coming and the predicted increases in the north (of Brisbane) are crazy.' While the hot Brisbane market should allow Mr and Mrs Dobbie to achieve a price needed to buy their next property, they were worried what their sons would face when it was their turn to buy a home. 'When I think of our children or any of our friend's children, I don't know how they will get into the market without family help,' Mrs Dobbie said. 'Brisbane is supposed to be a more affordable option than Sydney or Melbourne but prices have increased so much and with the Olympics coming up it's only going to keep increasing. 'We are just so lucky we got into the market 18 years ago.'
Scoop
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Canterbury Councils Await More Detail On RMA Changes
Article – David Hill – Local Democracy Reporter North Canterbury's councils say more detail is needed to understand how the proposed RMA reforms will impact on them. North Canterbury's councils say they are keen to see more detail of the Government's resource management reforms. The Government announced in March it will introduce two new pieces of legislation to replace the Resource Management Act (RMA) later this year, promising to grow the economy, raise living standards, protect private property rights and cut compliance costs by 45 percent. Planning staff at the Waimakariri and Hurunui district councils have been sifting through information to get a sense of what changes might be in store Waimakariri District Council planning, regulation and environment general manager Kelly LaValley said reducing costs is a positive move, but it remains unclear how savings will be achieved. The Government is also proposing to include more ''permitted activities'', where a consent is not required, and relaxing rules to free up land for housing. The National Policy Statement (NPS) on highly productive land has three classes based on soil types, but the Government is considering whether the criteria should be based on land use rather than soil type. ''We haven't seen the level of detail to enable us to understand how council's role may change, in particular how the national compliance and enforcement regulator will work within our local context,'' Ms LaValley said. ''Simplistically, having more permitted activities means less approvals are needed. There will likely be a range of views expressed on this.'' Ms LaValley said there is a balancing act between how land is used and ''the trade-offs that might eventuate''. The proposed legislation includes one focused on housing and the other on environmental protection and managing environmental effects, similar to Labour's Spatial Planning Act and Natural and Built Environments Act. Similarities included placing more emphasis on national direction and providing more guidance on resolving resource management conflicts. Hurunui District Council chief executive Hamish Dobbie said he was not surprised to see similarities with Labour's legislation. ''There is only so much you can change, but it is really about the layers of complexity, so it will be interesting once we get some more detail.'' Mr Dobbie said the Government has proposed relaxing rules to allow for housing on class three soils, but this would be of little use to Amberley, the district's fastest growing town. He said protecting land to produce food is essential, but Amberley is surrounded by lifestyle blocks even though the land has class one and two soils. ''The NPS classifies soil type rather than land use, but if you are just running ponies then it is not highly productive,'' Mr Dobbie said. ''They need to look at actual productivity rather than soil type.'' The Government is proposing to introduce the new legislation later this year. It will be open to submissions and appear before the Select Committee next year, with the intention to have the new legislation in place in time for councils starting work on their next Long Term Plans in 2027. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
01-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Canterbury Councils Await More Detail On RMA Changes
North Canterbury's councils say they are keen to see more detail of the Government's resource management reforms. The Government announced in March it will introduce two new pieces of legislation to replace the Resource Management Act (RMA) later this year, promising to grow the economy, raise living standards, protect private property rights and cut compliance costs by 45 percent. Planning staff at the Waimakariri and Hurunui district councils have been sifting through information to get a sense of what changes might be in store Waimakariri District Council planning, regulation and environment general manager Kelly LaValley said reducing costs is a positive move, but it remains unclear how savings will be achieved. The Government is also proposing to include more ''permitted activities'', where a consent is not required, and relaxing rules to free up land for housing. The National Policy Statement (NPS) on highly productive land has three classes based on soil types, but the Government is considering whether the criteria should be based on land use rather than soil type. ''We haven't seen the level of detail to enable us to understand how council's role may change, in particular how the national compliance and enforcement regulator will work within our local context,'' Ms LaValley said. ''Simplistically, having more permitted activities means less approvals are needed. There will likely be a range of views expressed on this.'' Ms LaValley said there is a balancing act between how land is used and ''the trade-offs that might eventuate''. The proposed legislation includes one focused on housing and the other on environmental protection and managing environmental effects, similar to Labour's Spatial Planning Act and Natural and Built Environments Act. Similarities included placing more emphasis on national direction and providing more guidance on resolving resource management conflicts. Hurunui District Council chief executive Hamish Dobbie said he was not surprised to see similarities with Labour's legislation. ''There is only so much you can change, but it is really about the layers of complexity, so it will be interesting once we get some more detail.'' Mr Dobbie said the Government has proposed relaxing rules to allow for housing on class three soils, but this would be of little use to Amberley, the district's fastest growing town. He said protecting land to produce food is essential, but Amberley is surrounded by lifestyle blocks even though the land has class one and two soils. ''The NPS classifies soil type rather than land use, but if you are just running ponies then it is not highly productive,'' Mr Dobbie said. ''They need to look at actual productivity rather than soil type.'' The Government is proposing to introduce the new legislation later this year. It will be open to submissions and appear before the Select Committee next year, with the intention to have the new legislation in place in time for councils starting work on their next Long Term Plans in 2027. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Euronews
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
'It's a sacred space': Inside the new sound exhibition from immersive theatre legends
ADVERTISEMENT A short drive away from Manchester is Dunham Massey, a 17th century National Trust property where a new soundscape installation will give audiences a unique experience of the cycle of life, nature and grief. 'ORIGIN' is the latest art installation from A Right / Left Project, Stephen Dobbie and Colin Nightingale's soundscape collective. The pair met through Punchdrunk – where they are Creative Director and Associate Creative Producer, respectively – the innovative stage company that changed people's perceptions of what was possible in immersive theatre through shows like 'Sleep No More' and 'The Burnt City'. With A Right / Left Project, Dobbie and Nightingale have expanded from working within the structures of immersive theatre to creating their own experiences from the ground up. Related Why are we still being scammed by immersive art exhibitions? Immersive exhibition celebrates the colourful 'queen of fado' singer Amália Rodrigues Together they've created bold works that break apart – sometimes literally – audience conceptions of what a sound installation can be . 'Beyond the Road' at London's Saatchi Gallery in 2019 took the work of electronic musician UNKLE and created the first 'walkthrough album'. Their next project, 2023's 'The Retiring Room' was a sonic expedition in a hotel room that could only be experienced one person at a time. Whether it's in one of Punchdrunk's expansive settings or their more intimate installations, both agree that sound is beyond essential in the experience. 'An image can be as grainy or as distorted as you want, but people will not forgive bad sound,' Dobbie says, noting how films like The Blair Witch Project could get away with shaky cam footage because they'd pushed the budget on telling the story through audio. Stephen Dobbie and Colin Nightingale A Right / Left Project 'We used to joke that, essentially, as long as we had a building and we could get sound through it, we could literally switch the lights out and give someone a torch, and they'd have an experience,' Nightingale adds. 'All the rest of it was actually just an additional bonus. Without the sound there's nothing.' For 'ORIGIN', Dobbie and Nightingale are back with one space. It's a far cry from the elaborate Punchdrunk production of 'Sleep No More', which loosely followed the plot of 'Macbeth' as audience members independently traversed the many rooms of a hotel. 'We've been a part of some massive scale projects,' Nightingale says, 'getting the right circumstances to allow those projects to happen is really tough.' From the pair's interest in spatialized sound, ''ORIGIN' came out of us trying to scale down a little bit and explore what you could do in one room where there's minimal intervention, but there would still be emotional impact.' After people spend some time enjoying the 300-acre parkland around Dunham Mass where fallow deer run free, they'll be able to enter the opulent house at the heart of the estate where 'ORIGIN' will be set up. In the room, audience members will lie down around a structure designed around the Himalayan Lily to experience the soundscape. ORIGIN at Dunham Massey Stephen Dobbie 'We wanted to take an approach of cinematic sound and reimagine it in an environment where an audience is more static,' Dobbie says. Although everyone is in the same room hearing the same soundtrack, through the way they've spatialized the music, each experience will be unique. 'You might get slightly more flute or slightly more violin. I think in animating the space like that, and animating the composition, it shifts the way you experience music.' 'It's almost as though you're experiencing music as you experience sound in quite a naturalistic way,' Dobbie adds. A Right / Left Project first created 'ORIGIN' with the composer Toby Young and lighting design by Ben Donoghue. It was first unveiled last year at World Heart Beat in London's Embassy Gardens before a stint at London Design Festival. As it returns, now in Dunham Mass, the pair are still reticent about what 'ORIGIN' is actually about. 'We all have our own relationships with births and deaths over the last couple of years and a lot of that thinking has gone into the work,' Nightingale will admit. 'But that's all we really want to say to people.' The only true way to experience something is, after all, for oneself. It's on the audience to find their own experiential narrative. While the music might occasionally play into 'familiar tropes', Dobbie says of its 'dramatic swells', there are also 'breaks of sparse atmospheric sections'. All of these give the audience room to feel it as they wish. 'We're trying to create a piece of music as an invitation to explore within yourself. To explore what might be going on in your head,' Dobbie suggests. ADVERTISEMENT 'ORIGIN' at Dunham Massey Stephen Dobbie Anyone who's seen Punchdrunk's work such as the 2022 London show 'The Burnt City' will be familiar with the production company's abrasive and in-your-face approach to immersion. They've never shied away from violence, nudity or gore. Yet, 'ORIGIN' represents a quieter and calmer side to the sound engineers' artistic impulses. 'A lot of that work is coming from a place of taking people out of their comfort zone as a way to then engage them in an avant garde approach to theatre,' Nightingale says. Punchdrunk began at the cusp of the millennia, 'where people were starting to get fractured information, but you were still kind of in control of how you received information.' 'Now we live in a world that's just madness out there with so many truths,' Nightingale continues. 'So we were interested in creating a sanctuary. It's a sacred space where people actually listen to music and disconnect from the madness out there and maybe regulate their nervous systems a little bit.' 'ORIGIN' will be at Dunham Massey, Cheshire from 3 May to 2 November. ADVERTISEMENT
