Rebuilding: a blueprint for a resilient Tairāwhiti

Jack Marshall

Opinion

Roads torn apart, bridges washed out — whole communities questioning whether they have to up and move. It looks to me like we have an infrastructure crisis on our hands; it would be a shame to let it go to waste.

Although I studied history at university, I’ve always had my eyes fixed on the future. The past is there to teach us lessons for the present, and if anywhere in Aotearoa New Zealand has a lesson for Tairāwhiti, few know tragedy and recovery better than Christchurch. I ask that we take a lesson from their slow and wise planning after their earthquakes.

Moving forward, we all know we need to build back better. With the Government’s large chequebook coming to our aid and a community trust with hundreds of millions of dollars, we’d be foolish not to use this opportunity to future-proof our city. I propose we do this in three ways — building weather-resilient homes, filling our streets with cycleways, and reimagining our city centre.

First, we need to rebuild our city not only to survive the next weather event but thrive. What does this look like?

We need warm and dry houses in the winter and cool in the summer. Trust Tairāwhiti has a part to play here. Holding some $450 million in equity, they have an obligation to invest in property to house our people who desperately need it.

It must be acknowledged there are positive developments happening: Toitū Builtsmart, the Te Aitanga a Māhaki development and Oakview to name a few. But more needs to be done. As of March, there are 582 applicants on the Housing Register in Gisborne.

Trust Tairāwhiti should reach out and collaborate with Simplicity Living which is building high-quality, build-to-rent apartments in Auckland. The company is part of the Simplicity Kiwisaver, a not-for-profit with over $5 billion of funds under management.

Simplicity Living quickly builds modern Homestar 6 apartments that are rented cheaper than many of the abysmal rentals on offer in Gisborne. If Trust Tairāwhiti and the council offered them a plot of land and regulatory assistance, our housing crisis could disappear in a matter of years.

These homes don’t require a $100k deposit to move into. Professionals maintain them and we ensure our region has high-quality rentals available for perpetuity.

Second, we must prioritise our transportation infrastructure. This involves establishing an extensive network of cycleways and walkways. This is when we can look to Christchurch for answers.

“Build it and they will come” is a cycleways mantra, says Ministry of Transport chief science adviser Simon Kingham.

Christchurch has built 60km of its planned 101km cycleway network, and Cantabrians are strapping their helmets on. Over the past five years, the city has seen a 30 percent increase in cycling.

With a cost-of-living crisis, cycling is a no-brainer. Cycling is free. It provides exercise, and perhaps most importantly, commuting by cycling is “the happiest mode of transport”, according to a 2019 study.

The council is doing amazing work but we need results. If you look at the Long-Term Plan there are cycleways connecting the city’s schools and a cycle highway following the Taruheru River.

But these are unfunded ideas that could disappear at any time. Each time we rebuild or reseal a road, we need to think about the future we want.

Third, we must reimagine our city centre as a vibrant hub that draws people in. This will foster a connected community and a connected community is a resilient city. A busy and pedestrian-friendly CBD encourages social interactions, enabling residents to forge meaningful connections and build a strong support network.

Anyone who has visited Christchurch recently knows the city centre is thriving. We have a botanical garden like them. They have a tiny stream, which is beautiful, but we have three mighty awa, and yet we treat our greatest assets as periphery.

A strong city centre breeds a sense of belonging and unity. It bolsters community ties and fosters shared responsibility for the city’s wellbeing.

As a resilient and connected community, Gisborne will be better equipped to face and adapt to future challenges, whether they be social, economic, or environmental.

It’s time to take this disaster by the horns and rebuild our city to serve us better today and for future generations.

- Jack Marshall is a freelance writer from Tairāwhiti and a former Gisborne Herald reporter.