Joseph Burston

2011 Green Party Campaign- Port Hills

2011-11-04T18:15:00.003+13:00

For all updated information, please visit, like and share Joseph Burston's facebook page
 
or to donate funds please visit www.greens.org.nz/candidates/joseph-burston

115 people attend Green Party Lyttelton Forum

2011-06-20T22:14:00.005+12:00

The third of a series of Green Party Public Forums on the rebuilding of a sustainable and resilient Christchurch took place last Sunday and this one focused on the future of Lyttelton.

Green MP Kennedy Graham hosted the meeting and despite a rainy afternoon, over 115 people attended at the recreation centre. It was great to see a good representation of younger residents.

Six speakers living mainly in Lyttelton and the harbour basin spoke about local geology and landscape, iwi resilience, urban redesign, the arts community and heritage. Several exciting new ideas were put forward including the development of a town square, a wetlands area below Norwich quay to process storm-water run-off, access to the waterfront and the re-establishment of a public rail link to Christchurch.

The audience was keen to put questions to the panel of speakers and the meeting continued until well past 6 pm.

One attendee commented; I felt encouraged by the thoughtful and positive community response evident at the ReVision Lyttelton Forum.

Another said, ‘I too was uplifted (in a nice non-seismic way) by the Lyttelton forum.”

A third said, “I had been feeling pretty down until attending the Lyttelton forum yesterday and reconnecting with the huge groundswell of support for rebuilding along sustainable and green principles.

“I left with a feeling of being part if something which, if properly nurtured, can grow to become a way of living better than we had before the first quake.

“It is our dreams that keep us moving on through the darkness.”

2011-06-10T23:41:00.003+12:00

After several weeks of planning the details are finalised for the ReVision Lyttelton Forum ...

Green MP, Kennedy Graham writes ...

"Come and have your say about the future of Lyttelton.

When: Sunday 19th June 2011, 3.30pm
Where: Lyttelton Recreation Centre, Winchester Street ,Lyttelton

This meeting is the third of a series of Public Forums on the rebuilding of Christchurch and this one focuses on the future of Lyttelton.

Various local experts will assist including Ian McCahon (Geotech), Paula Smith (Chair, Lyttelton Mt Herbert Community Board), Tony Milne (Rough & Milne Landscape Architects), Robert Finch (Structural Timber Solutions), Peter Evans (The Volcano Restaurant), Stewart Ross (Fulton Ross Team Architecture) and Tutehounuku Korako (Rapaki Marae)

Within the forum, we will address issues of land, landscape, the arts, architecture, use of wood in building, community planning, Iwi resilience and respect for heritage in the rebuild.

Please join me and have your say on the future of Lyttelton."

Looking forward to joining Kennedy at the forum next weekend.

See more details and "Like" on our Facebook event page.

Small local steps forward....

2011-04-28T13:35:00.000+12:00

It seems like small steps are the safest ones to make when you're unsure how solid the ground is under your feet. And little more needs to be said about the solidity of Canterbury ground at present!
So we decided to take some locally driven small steps in Lyttelton and collect people's opinions about the future and form of Lyttelton.
Firstly, with the help of other local Greens I set up a small stall at the Farmers' market and over a couple of weekends invited shoppers to post up contributions and suggestions. Some can be seen behind me here. These have been collated and if there is interest I will post them here. The ideas have also been fed into the Community Board consultation that took place in Lyttelton on 11th April and a parallel consultation process being run by the Green Party with an emphasis on community resilience and ecological integrity. Which brings me to ...

Secondly I've been helping to plan the second Green Party public forum entitled "Vision Lyttelton", which is scheduled to take place in June. This follows on from a very well attended initial public forum in mid-April which focused mainly on the city and issues of land, buildings, architecture and transport.
Finally I was pleased to get some comments (albeit curtailed) on a TVNZ item last week. What they didn't broadcast were my comments about how we need to make sure the rebuild prioritises sustainability and community involvement.
Watch this space for the confirmed date of the Lyttelton forum and the next small steps.

Posts below are from 2008

2011-04-28T12:00:00.001+12:00

There's never been a better time to invest in alternatives to oil….

2008-11-03T19:46:00.007+13:00

With the leaked results by the Financial Times last week from the International Energy Agency that the output of the world’s 400 largest oil fields will decline by 9.1% every year (barring extra investment to boost production) the urgency to invest in alternative energy sources has been firmly underlined.

To put this in perspective this means that the oil industry would need to bring online new production capacity equivalent to that of Saudi Arabia every 18 months in order to maintain current supply.

Frame this against the recent WWF report which ranks NZ as having the 6^th largest per capita global footprint size, based on CO₂ emissions largely derived from oil via imported goods, use of natural resources and transport and it’s pretty clear that our position is anything but tenable.

Of course one alternative which is gathering momentum is wind power. Wind has an excellent energy return on energy invested and can be used very effectively in NZ in tandem with hydro. The Green Party Energy Policy reads “ New Zealand has an excellent wind resource that can be used for pumping or electricity generation. Wind farms are quick to be commissioned, easily extended, and can be sited close to demand. The combination of wind and hydro is particularly beneficial as water can be stored in the lakes when the wind is blowing and used to generate power when it is not. Care is needed in choosing sites for wind farms, in order to respect cultural values such as iconic views. We want to see communities and energy companies agreeing about possible wind farm sites before specific proposals are developed.”

By the way; thanks to all of you who joined us to harness some wind energy at the weekend!

Safe cycle-lane petition on a roll.

2008-10-29T23:16:00.002+13:00

Green Party Port Hills candidate Joseph Burston is backing the submission of a petition to CCC which calls for more funding for cycle paths in Christchurch to help improve safety and encourage people out of their cars and on to bikes.

“I look forward to joining the group of concerned cyclists and delivering the petition by pedal power to CCC this Thursday,” says Joseph.

More than 3000 signatures have been collected for the University of Canterbury Environment group petition which urges CCC to prioritise cycling and live up to the goals of its own cycling strategy. Petition organiser, Ants Field was injured when his bike was hit by a car in June and he decided to make the best of a bad situation by trying to initiate change.

“We need to invest more money in a dedicated network of cycle lanes and driver education programs.” Joseph Burston says. “Simply spraying lines on the road doesn’t go far enough to ensuring people’s safety. The number of commuter cyclists in Christchurch has declined since 1996 and we need to reverse this trend.”

He comments, “Other solutions include equipping more buses with bike racks so that people who would normally take the car are encouraged to use public transport and the bicycle. People generally don’t want to cycle more than 4 km to work and this is one way to provide them with alternative options if the bus service doesn’t quite meet their needs.”

The Christchurch Cycling strategy 2004 ^[1] states “Achieving the full potential of cycling cannot be expected to occur until the network is complete, safety issues are addressed and positive messages about cycling are promoted. Resolving these issues should be top priorities for the short term and might require increasing the construction of cycle lanes and facilities.”

Green Party Transport policy ^[2] includes developing a national network of safe cycleways and ensuring that cyclists are better protected by legislation if involved in an accident with a motor vehicle.

**************

The petition will be delivered to CCC on Thursday 30^th October. A group will ride from the university (meeting at the library steps at 8.30am), and make their way to CCC, arriving at 9.00am (163-173 Tuam Street).

Release Ends www.greens.org.nz

Background notes

[1] Christchurch cycling strategy http://www.ccc.govt.nz/Cycling/Future/CyclingStrategy.pdf

[2] Green Party transport policy http://www.greens.org.nz/policy/summary/transport

Christchurch restoration projects can benefit from Community Conservation Fund

2008-09-28T13:28:00.002+13:00

Christchurch groups can benefit from the new Community Conservation Fund, which provides $4 million dollars over the next two years for ecological restoration projects on public land.

“Volunteer groups such as the Summit Road Society, Quail Island/Otamahua Restoration Trust, Coast Care and Weedbusters groups, and hapu at Rapaki are doing a tremendous job giving nature a helping hand,” Green Party Port Hills candidate, Joseph Burston said.

“People contribute a huge amount of their time and energy. The fund is a practical way of supporting these efforts. It will enable groups to access funding for tools, fencing, seedlings and specialist expert advice for planting or management plans,” he said.

The contestable fund secured by the Green Party in this year’s budget was launched on 24^th September. Green Party conservation spokesperson, Metiria Turei says projects occurring on Council land, Crown land including conservation land, and Maori reserve land are eligible.

“These small and often under-resourced projects are vital, especially as the natural environment comes under increasing pressures from agribusiness, climate change and urbanisation. The projects also engage and educate the community on the value and enjoyment of conservation activities,” Mrs Turei said.

Metiria Turei is speaking at a public meeting and film screening in South Christchurch on Monday 29 September.

“Streamside planting to restore waterways, and removing invasive boneseed and other weeds on the Port Hills are practical ways people can take to respond to the loss of indigenous biodiversity. The fund should enable existing projects to expand and stimulate new ones,” Mr Burston said.

Metiria Turei said the fund is also available to assist projects on Maori reserve land that enhance biodiversity around marae, recreation grounds, waterways and reserves.

“In a time of increasing concern for food affordability, freshwater biodiversity restoration projects can help the ecosystems in which freshwater kaimoana like whitebait and eels also depend,” she said

She said the fund can help strengthen the partnership between community organisations, Maori land owners, local councils, the Department of Conservation.

Background

Metiria Turei, MP talks “Rivers, Recreation and Conservation”

Monday 29 September 7.30 pm -9.30 pm

Public meeting and showing of film “Longfin” a story about New Zealand rivers and eels.

Hohepa Canterbury, 23 Barrington St, Somerfield, South Christchurch

Study highlights areas of car dependence in Christchurch

2008-09-24T22:47:00.006+12:00

The day of a record US$25 spike in the price of a barrel of oil, Green Party Co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons has released a series of city maps which show how well, or badly, New Zealand's suburban populations are prepared for rising oil prices.

"Today's massive US$25 increase in the cost of a barrel of oil, shows how urgent it is for New Zealand cities and town planners to get serious about the end of cheap oil. We are fast approaching a time when large proportions of the population will not be able to afford to commute by car.” Ms Fitzsimons says.

For Christchurch the map reveals that the proportion of people who travel to work by car varies from 53% to 77% within the city and its suburbs.

Residents in Christchurch’s northern and south western suburbs are particularly dependent on their cars and can produce up to three times as much vehicle CO2 emissions every day as the average inner Christchurch city inhabitant[1]. Areas that are closer to the city centre or serviced by frequent public transport such as Lyttelton, New Brighton and Sumner show lower car dependence but even at best more than one in two people travel to work by car.

“A major change in thinking and investment is needed to meet the New Zealand Transport Strategy targets of improving access and mobility and halving greenhouse gas emissions from domestic transport by 2040,” said Joseph Burston, Green candidate for the Port Hills.

“ In Christchurch this means greater investment in bus priority lanes and improved bus services, especially to outer city suburbs and a more integrated network,” he said. “In outer suburbs people have little choice but to take the car, especially if they are not travelling to the city centre.”

“Yet regional transport planning continues to promote private car use. Instead of investigating a regional petrol tax to help fund two new motorways as part of a $1.1 billion Canterbury road-building programme, local government should be investing in reducing our car dependency.”

“Car-pooling schemes and high occupancy lanes, on the northern motorway for example, can help reduce congestion, make the roads safer for other users and future-proof our transport networks against fluctuating fuel prices and the end of cheap oil.”

RELEASE ENDS

Background notes
Eight city maps here: http://www.greens.org.nz/node/19894
Green Party transport policy here: http://www.greens.org.nz/transport/package

[1] The thesis is “The effect of urban growth on travel patterns in Christchurch, New Zealand”. Nick Buchanan Dept. of Geography, University of Canterbury, 2006.

The NZ Transport Strategy and Government Policy Statement on Land Transport Funding 2009/10 targets include:
• Reduce kilometres travelled by single occupancy vehicles , in major urban areas on weekdays by 10% per capita by 2015 compared to 2007.
• Increase the use of public transport to 7% of all trips by 2040 (i.e. from 111 million boardings in 2006/07 to more than 525 million in 2040).
• Increase the mode share of cycling, walking, and other active modes from around 18 % to 30 % of total trips by 2040

World Car-free day highlights transport solutions.

2008-09-21T13:12:00.005+12:00

Along with thousands of people around the globe, the Green Party will be celebrating the annual World Car-free Day this Monday 22nd September in Christchurch.

Centred around the city Bus Exchange and City Mall, Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons plus candidates and local Party members will reward those who have left the car at home and chosen to bus, walk or bike to work and school.

Ms Fitzsimons will be launching the Green Party Transport policy today which will detail solutions to rising congestion, transport costs and pollution.

“If many more Christchurch residents join us in taking the bus or bike this Monday, we will just see what a difference it makes”, says Joseph Burston, Green Party candidate for the Port Hills.

“I’ll be putting my bike on the No. 35 bus from Lyttelton then cycling on to work as normal this Monday.

“If infrastructure existed to allow people to safely and confidently make this kind of action a part of their daily lives, we’d see a huge reduction in congestion and CO2 emissions, not to mention plenty of personal cost savings and health benefits.”

“A recent Sydney University report [1] shows that patronage on some Sydney bus routes could increase by up to 1600%, driven by rising petrol costs.”

“We can expect to see similar dramatic demands on our own public transport and should significantly increase funding to develop the necessary capacity.”

World Car Free Day
Jeanette Fitzsimons and candidates
22nd September
7.30am – 8.15am, Colombo St outside bus exchange.

Background:

More information on World Car-free Day at www.worldcarfree.net
“The World Car-free Day, promoted by the World Car-free Network, is intended to advance the economic, social and environmental benefits of self-propelled or mass transportation. It also aims to show how liveable modern cities can be when free from the noise, stress and pollution caused by cars.
Highlights for this year include the closing down of Brussels’ Capital Region to all motorized transport from 9.00 a.m. until 7.00 p.m. and the plans by Washington’s citizens to surpass last year’s 10,000 "car-free pledges".
With crude oil prices remaining over US$100 per barrel for most of 2008, people around the world are re-evaluating their relationship with the car. Evidence can be seen by the rapid increase in the United States’ transit systems usage to levels unseen since the 1950's, by the success of Paris' Velib bike-sharing program that was ridden 27 million times in the past year, and by the 16% fall in car sales this year in the USA.”

Information on bus transport is at www.metroinfo.org.nz
Green Party transport news at www.greens.org.nz/transport
[1] Report by David Hensher and Zheng Li at the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, University of Sydney

2008-09-14T16:29:00.007+12:00

Public film screening to address food cost and safety issues

A free public film screening and discussion on the safety of food and costs of industrialised food processes will be held on Tuesday 16th September, in South Christchurch.

“People have a right to know where our food is coming from, what is in it and how it is manufactured,” says Joseph Burston, Port Hills candidate for the Green Party.

“With no mandatory labelling for country of origin or method of production it is difficult for consumers to make informed choices about what they put in their shopping baskets and what they and their families eat.

“The contamination of infant milk formula in China with melamine is just one of several recent food scares.

“People need adequate information to be confident that their food is free of harmful pesticides, fertilisers, heavy metals and additives that may cause adverse health affects,” Joseph Burston says.

“Tuesday’s public meeting with Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons will focus on food safety and affordability, and the true cost of highly industrialised food.”

Tuesday 16 September at 7.30 pm “Talking Food with Jeanette Fitzsimons”
St Marks Methodist Church Hall, Corner of Barrington St and Somerfield Streets

Background
According to a Chinese news agency 432 infants are ill and one has died after being fed formula milk contaminated with melamine.

Melamine is an organic compound used in plastic resins, glues, fertilisers and flame retardants. Ingestion can cause reproductive damage, bladder or kidney stones which can lead to bladder cancer. [1]

RELEASE ENDS WWW.GREENS.ORG.NZ

Contact: Joseph Burston, Port Hills Green Party Candidate, 021 1165 863, joseph dot burston at greens.org.nz

[1] http://msds.chem.ox.ac.uk/ME/melamine.html

2008-08-25T23:49:00.009+12:00

GREEN PARTY CANDIDATE FOR PORT HILLS SELECTED

Lyttelton community activist and teacher Joseph Burston has been selected as the Green Party candidate for the Port Hills electorate.

Joseph Burston worked as an English as a second language teacher for more than 8 years before training to become a secondary school teacher. He has a chemistry degree from Exeter University and has also worked as marketer and manager in the export education industry.

Joseph is active in organising community projects such as the “Let’s make Lyttelton plastic bag free” initiative with Project Port Lyttelton. The campaign aims to replace plastic bags with locally made ones and has produced a range of attractive cloth bags.

“Plastic bag usage and pollution is symbolic of a throwaway society. Tackling it is a practical contribution to responsible resource use and minimising waste,” he said.

“Cleaning up the Heathcote/Opawaho River and estuary/Te Ihutai is another key issue for the electorate.

“The river is a dirty drain after every rainstorm, emptying sediment and pollutants into the estuary/Te Ihutai. We need a river that is not a health hazard for kakayers and recreational users and is livable for fish.

“Stronger regional and city council control of subdivision and earthworks on the Port Hills, in Cashmere Stream and other tributary catchments would be a useful first step,” he said.

Ends

Photograph – A photograph of Joseph and Green Party co-leader Russel Norman is available. Please download from http://www.4shared.com/dir/8921705/bfa4e323/Candidate_selection.html

More information

Contact: Joseph Burston: joseph dot burston at greens.org.nz

“Let’s make Lyttelton plastic bag free” see http://www.lyttelton.net.nz/

New Zealanders still use 1 billion plastic bags per year and 35% of them end up in landfills. The Irish have reduced plastic bag usage by 94%, China and Australia are introducing measures to minimise use. Some 21 countries have either banned plastic supermarket bags or introduced some type of levy.

A recent Environment Canterbury report which analysed 15 years of City Council water quality monitoring data (1992-2006) in the Avon/Otakaro and Heathcote/ Opawaho rivers noted that:

· E. coli concentrations remain high in both rivers. Exceedances of the “action mode” guideline for contact recreation are “widespread and frequent”.

· suspended solid concentrations at a large number of monitoring sites especially in the Heathcote catchment, exceeded the 25 mg/l guideline for behavioural impairment in fish. The overall invertebrate health of the rivers has declined.

Authorised by Jon Field, 73 Eden St, Wellington
Authorised by David Roper, 4 The Kilns, Hillsborough, Christchurch