title: Heritage buildings and community sense of place

authors: Boston, Megan

abstract: New Zealand is a nation that has a significant amount of built heritage, of which there are several internationally recognised landmarks, including the Christchurch Cathedral, the Church of the Good Shepherd, and the Chateau Tongariro. These structures contribute to establishing a sense of place within a community as landmarks, gathering places, and keepers of memories and personal sentiments. Unfortunately, due to New Zealand’s recent and historic seismic activity, these landmarks, commonly constructed as unreinforced concrete or masonry, are susceptible to severe damage from earthquake-induced ground shaking. For this reason, the New Zealand government introduced the Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Act 2016, which presented stricter seismic strengthening regulations for vulnerable buildings (earthquake-prone buildings) to ensure better life safety outcomes for such structures. The associated costs and challenges of retrofitting heritage buildings have put many of these structures at risk of abandonment or demolition, taking their embodied heritage value with them. This research uses survey data to establish how heritage buildings develop a sense of place within a community and how the public’s perception can implicate preserving heritage buildings. Survey results indicated that people value these structures in their communities. Further, personal connections to heritage buildings or knowledge of the historical context improve the desire to preserve and restore these structures.

text: Heritage buildings and community sense of place New Zealand is a nation that has a significant amount of built heritage, of which there are several internationally recognised landmarks, including the Christchurch Cathedral, the Church of the Good Shepherd, and the Chateau Tongariro. These structures contribute to establishing a sense of place within a community as landmarks, gathering places, and keepers of memories and personal sentiments. Unfortunately, due to New Zealand’s recent and historic seismic activity, these landmarks, commonly constructed as unreinforced concrete or masonry, are susceptible to severe damage from earthquake-induced ground shaking. For this reason, the New Zealand government introduced the Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Act 2016, which presented stricter seismic strengthening regulations for vulnerable buildings (earthquake-prone buildings) to ensure better life safety outcomes for such structures. The associated costs and challenges of retrofitting heritage buildings have put many of these structures at risk of abandonment or demolition, taking their embodied heritage value with them. This research uses survey data to establish how heritage buildings develop a sense of place within a community and how the public’s perception can implicate preserving heritage buildings. Survey results indicated that people value these structures in their communities. Further, personal connections to heritage buildings or knowledge of the historical context improve the desire to preserve and restore these structures.

year: 2024

title: Equity: Tarasiewicz v Titford

authors: Chevalier-Watts, Juliet

abstract: The trustees sought an order under s 64(1) of the Trustee Act 1956 giving them the power to sell the property in question. 
Lang J confirmed that the Trust Deed would permit such a sale but the Court had to be satisfied that the sale would expedient for the trust as a whole, and not merely in the interests of one beneficiary. A key factor underpinning the Trust’s original decision to acquire property had been removed and significant capital expenditure was required to improve the property. The only realistic way of resolving the problems was to sell the property, thus it would be expedient in the management and administration of Trust to sell the property as well as being in the interests of all the beneficiaries.

text: Equity: Tarasiewicz v Titford The trustees sought an order under s 64(1) of the Trustee Act 1956 giving them the power to sell the property in question. 
Lang J confirmed that the Trust Deed would permit such a sale but the Court had to be satisfied that the sale would expedient for the trust as a whole, and not merely in the interests of one beneficiary. A key factor underpinning the Trust’s original decision to acquire property had been removed and significant capital expenditure was required to improve the property. The only realistic way of resolving the problems was to sell the property, thus it would be expedient in the management and administration of Trust to sell the property as well as being in the interests of all the beneficiaries.

year: 2014

title: New Zealand’s indigenous forests – their status and drivers of change

authors: Allen, Robert

abstract: New Zealand’s remaining indigenous forests and shrublands are of immense cultural, environmental, and economic significance. A representative plot-based sample of these forests and shrublands has recently allowed an unbiased depiction of their composition
and structure. This is necessary for international reporting, performance assessment and management prioritisation. Their composition, structure, and function are driven by a diverse array of factors, many of which are complexly interrelated. The imprint of disturbances is pervasive and it is necessary to understand disturbances to interpret human-related impacts. For example, understanding impacts of exotic browsing mammals is only possible within a context of forest ecosystem development and tree demographic processes. There are now extensive areas of shrublands successional to forest, often composed of mixtures of indigenous and exotic species. These shrublands expand the pportunities for ecosystem services from, for example, carbon sequestration to water quality. An increasing area of indigenous forests and shrublands are managed for distinctive Māori aspirations that include sustainable use.

text: New Zealand’s indigenous forests – their status and drivers of change New Zealand’s remaining indigenous forests and shrublands are of immense cultural, environmental, and economic significance. A representative plot-based sample of these forests and shrublands has recently allowed an unbiased depiction of their composition
and structure. This is necessary for international reporting, performance assessment and management prioritisation. Their composition, structure, and function are driven by a diverse array of factors, many of which are complexly interrelated. The imprint of disturbances is pervasive and it is necessary to understand disturbances to interpret human-related impacts. For example, understanding impacts of exotic browsing mammals is only possible within a context of forest ecosystem development and tree demographic processes. There are now extensive areas of shrublands successional to forest, often composed of mixtures of indigenous and exotic species. These shrublands expand the pportunities for ecosystem services from, for example, carbon sequestration to water quality. An increasing area of indigenous forests and shrublands are managed for distinctive Māori aspirations that include sustainable use.

year: 2015