Palmerston North city councillor Brent Barrett: The city is on the cusp of improving transport options

Brent Barrett says cities that build up offer real advantages over those that keep sprawling. Photo / Palmerston North City Council

OPINION

Working with the community to find better ways to look after people, nature and the planet is what drives me. It’s called sustainability, and there are lots of amazing people and opportunities on the journey here in Palmerston North. Allow me to touch on waste, transport and housing.

There are huge strides to make in waste minimisation. We can all help stop waste before it starts, buying less and finding new homes for stuff that has a bit of life left in it.

With the construction and demolition boom, it’s good to see progress from the likes of Reclaimed Timber Traders, along with Central Environmental’s recently awarded achievements.

Offering kerbside collection of food scraps is welcome, provided we reduce food waste in the first place, and do composting at home where possible.

The city is on the cusp of improving options for getting around. While change is challenging, it is needed. Our over-reliance on cars is costly and harms our health, environment and climate.

Our growing city’s transport system has become dominated by motor vehicles, causing peak-time congestion, slowing journeys and reducing choice for those wanting lower costs and healthier, more sustainable ways to move around.

One solution is the expansion of the city’s urban cycle network. We’re planning new bike lanes and pedestrian crossings in Featherston St and Summerhill Drive, working with the community on design options.

Rebalancing street space allocation for parked vehicles, moving vehicles, people on bikes and people on foot is generating strong community interest, as expected. The project will likely increase reliance on off-street and side-street parking. And it may marginally slow travel at peak times, depending on when and where we choose to travel.

In exchange, these streets will be safer for all users, and give people choice. People will be able to more safely go by bike, scooter or foot if they’d like to, while ensuring those who need to go by bus or car get where they’re going in a reasonable timeframe.

Finally, housing. We’re preparing to consult on medium-density housing provisions. Cities that build up offer real advantages over those that keep sprawling. Benefits include a lift in city vibrancy, apartments as a first step to home ownership, lower infrastructure costs, shorter commutes and improved sustainability.

While the proposal won’t completely cure the loss of prime farmland, it will give us options, and I’m looking forward to community input.

I’d love to touch on sponge cities, clean energy, bringing nature back to the city and the raft of other sustainability opportunities, but those will need to wait for another time. Thanks for reading through. And thank you for doing your bit to ensure we all enjoy a more sustainable future for people, nature and planet.

Brent Barrett is a Palmerston North city councillor.