Hard News: Hip in the Square
51 Responses
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I haven't read this thread yet and this is already page two.
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Steve Barnes, in reply to
One thing that's probably safe to say is that it will eventually be seen that not everyone involved did the same things or had the same motivations and interests.
Like I said at the time, they were practising their powers. If there were a real threat we would, mostly, all be grateful that they had a response in place I suspect but I think the powers that be should back off and admit that were the truth, it would do no harm to admit it was a show of strength and that they have "the power".
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Biobbs, in reply to
What about this then? Take some Nico, add a dash of Marianne Faithful, a good dollop of PJ Harvey, and make something wonderful:
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Craig Ranapia, in reply to
No Craig, I wasn't shrugging my shoulders.
Fuckity fuck, Christopher, of course you weren't. My apologies for not making it clear I was making a general comment not a personal slam on you or the Auckland Council or the Laneway Festival organisers. Even if events like this aren't my cup of tea, they're still part of a city worth living in -- and I just hope that, this time, it will be a learning experience for everyone concerned.
(As a sidebar: My partner works for Veolia, so I've been told in great detail how infuriating it is when you get no credit for the 99.99% of the time planning for special events/disruptions caused by essential works goes smooth as butter. Sorry for sounding like an old bastard.)
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Christopher Dempsey, in reply to
Both hat-states agree Sacha :)
My problem is that the shoeboxes on Nelson/Hobson Sts a) were the product of a multi-factorial system that enabled such buildings to be built b) because of that - the causes require more explanation than can be safely done here in terms of length and most worryingly, c) those shoeboxes you see there, and elsewhere around town, will, at some point, slide down the scale and become slums. At which point it is a Council problem.
Much like Council was not particularly responsible for development of building standards that lead to leaky homes that became Council's problem, in this case, Council had some control over the development of shoeboxes, and consequently, will reap the outcomes of that. What I'm really saying here is that problems in the urban environment tend to wind up in Council's lap. No-one else's.
And because it's a hot day here in Opotiki, I'm keeping my straw hats on... :)
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Christopher Dempsey, in reply to
ahhh - thanks Craig (I'm wearing my Council hat here - most fetching - it has a pohutukawa like thingy that jingle jangles from the crown). Indeed the Laneway festivals and such like add much to the city, and I support them.
I also support inner-city residents, so my main concern is to see that they know about what is happening. Excitingly, research is actually being done at the moment to investigate inner-city residents (not the students, but the people who actually live and work downtown). Some early indications is that some kind of community notice-boards might be helpful for residents, much like other communities have them. But it's early days in the research, and when complete, I'll make sure it's available on the Council website.
BTW - if anyone is having problems with Council, or have some observations to make - please email me and I'll find out for you. Part of my role in these early days is to get the systems running as best as possible - and from what I've heard and seen, they seem to be.
Doffing said hat cause really, jingle jangle thingys don't suit me.
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Sacha, in reply to
Much like Council was not particularly responsible for development of building standards that lead to leaky homes that became Council's problem
I'm very unimpressed how Clark's government restructured the liable central entities out of existence. Along with the developers carefully closing down their project-specific companies right away and many of the builders going bust, Council ends up being last man standing for a problem that could not have happened without a 1990s Nat government relaxing the rules for the sake of private profit and 'small government' ideology.
Clearly unfair, but no one seems to have done a good enough job connecting the dots for ratepayers or voters since.
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Feel free to contact me about the city, Christopher - I've been here 8 years now. Us long term residents sometimes feel a bit forgotten about, so it's grand you're looking into it. If we want the 'world class vibrant city' people are always banging on about, we need to have people living long term in the city. Very excited about the new supermarket on its way.
I guess one of the things that really irritates me is people saying "If you don't like the noise you shouldn't live in the city". Like it was a suburban idyll up until the Laneways festival, and now we're just wanting to ruin your fun.
I regularly deal with noise of a level that would have suburban residents running for the phone. In 8 years I've only once called noise control. The movement for Father's Rights had the Crazy Frog CD on repeat outside my window. Loudly. Very loudly for two hours. And they wouldn't turn it down when I asked them nicely. Generally you accept a bit of noise from time to time and you deal with it or move to the suburbs.
Having said that, we have bylaws that govern noise just like everyone else. Higher than the suburbs, and allowing for six events a year that blow them out the window. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect these to be adhered to.
I also think it's reasonable that we're freaked out that the council now wants 52 of these events a year rather than 6. Especially as these noise events are located right next door to a district plan identified 'residential precinct' in the city.
"Noise levels in the Central Area are not always compatible with residential activity. One of the purposes of the Residential Precincts therefore is to provide a choice of location for those people seeking a quieter residential environment".
Monday's event broke the council bylaws in duration and no one seems to want to acknowledge this. I want Laneway in the city, but I don't want its equivalent every weekend.
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@Melanie. A convincing argument. As far as the Fathers Rights thing, you would have been entitled to drop a brick on their CD player from some height. Arrogant bastards!
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Sacha, in reply to
the Crazy Frog CD on repeat
brick-worthy, agreed
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Jacqui Dunn, in reply to
The movement for Father's Rights had the Crazy Frog CD on repeat outside my window. Loudly. Very loudly for two hours.
May one ask why your window? Was that "collateral damage"?
By the way, I sympathise, having been forced to call Noise Control a couple of times when neighbours at least 3 properties and a whole street-width away had hip-hop going non-stop from 6pm until NC stopped them at around 3am. It wasn't the full-on loud that got to us, it was the bass and regular (and tedious as a result) low-level drum volume when all else was quiet. After each track there would be a silence, but filling that silence was me going "Please don't put another one on, please." But after that pause: click, boom, click, boom, click, boom.
Like Chinese water-torture for the ears.
I should add though, that Avondale is definitely not central city.
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They were having a picnic. Myers Park makes a pretty good sound bowl - I reckon there would have been a minimum of 200 apartment dwellers sharing in the joy.
All credit to the council, after some sympathetic giggling (they could hear it over the phone), noise control was there in 10 minutes.
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Wearing some pohutukawa council issued hat - Thanks Melanie - if you can please send me an email to christopherDOTdempsey@@@aucklandcouncil.GOVT.nz (I've munged it) and I'll pass you onto the people doing the research.
As far as noise goes - I suppose now is a good time to ask, given our computing whizz bang technology, can I create a soundscape of the CBD i.e. something that tells me the noise will be X here if band/music/whatever plays at Y spot.
The blindspot of Council in general is the assumption that everything is a flat plain, as in Saskatchewan flat. With no defining features, geological or otherwise. So our system of District Planning / rules / bylaws / regulations etc generally assumes this, which clearly it's not. Myer's Park is a bowl so naturally noise will be louder there to some degree.
I'm looking for a 3D model of the city that can cope with complexity. And not for a Room that Echoes...
Doffing Madam, said hat.
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Sacha, in reply to
I'm looking for a 3D model of the city that can cope with complexity
Sounds like a working spatial plan :)
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Jacqui Dunn, in reply to
I reckon there would have been a minimum of 200 apartment dwellers sharing in the joy.
And no-one thought to lend them another CD?
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We supposedly have a map on noise, but I don't think it works. Marshall Day has put one together for the square to project the noise impact from the proposed Big Screen.
I've been told Laneways was managed so that it was 85db at the perimeter of the square. According to Marshall Day mapping, it should have been between 56 and 66 when it reached my building.
According to my reasonably accurate iPhone app it was 83db outside the building.
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Jarno van der Linden, in reply to
I'm looking for a 3D model of the city that can cope with complexity.
You could give these guys a call. There is a lot in common between how sound bounces around and how light bounces around.
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Melanie, in reply to
And no-one thought to lend them another CD?
I popped down and asked politely if they'd mind changing the music, but they must have identified me as the female enemy and refused.
Generally people are pretty good if you ask nicely.
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Sacha, in reply to
You could give these guys a call
Richard Simpson in particular has been talking about the potential of such modelling for some time.
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Jacqui Dunn, in reply to
I popped down and asked politely if they'd mind changing the music, but they must have identified me as the female enemy and refused.
Generally people are pretty good if you ask nicely.
Heh. That's right, but I suppose if a) they were having a woman = bad night, and b) they didn't have any other CDs, you were dead out of luck.
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Sacha, in reply to
perfect soundtrack for an angry get-together, I guess
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Matthew Poole, in reply to
can I create a soundscape of the CBD i.e. something that tells me the noise will be X here if band/music/whatever plays at Y spot.
In theory, yes. If they can model hurricanes, they can definitely model sound behaviour in an urban environment.
The "theory" bit comes from environmental factors such as wind. I got treated to a fair whack of the BDO (to the point of needing to put in ear plugs to get to sleep) courtesy of gusty winds, despite living over 2km from the nearest boundary of the stadium complex. Wind drops, or changes direction, and the sound stops carrying to me.So your model could absolutely be done, but its accuracy would be very much a sometimes thing because weather impacts sound's behaviour to a significant extent. A sound that might ordinarily be inaudible could suddenly become highly intrusive based on a wind shift.
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slightly late and the thread's possibly gone, but hell, Laneways was a delight, and far better for me in both comfort and noise quality than the BDO......I think I've definitely gone to my last one of those.
It had the quality and relaxedness of a summer series, only on a much bigger scale. I pretty much enjoyed all the acts, especially The Children's Hour (always good to see Chris Matthews playing!), Holy Fuck and Warpaint. Ariel Pink was just sh*te in my opinion though......
It's a lovely way to spend a day, and I really hope Auckland doesn't lose sight of this, or the festival - and what a great location. Very well run, and very adult too.
Now back in grey old London (a very nice two weeks back) - Russell I must apologise for the slightly drunken introduction on the aotea centre steps too.......... -
Kumara Republic, in reply to
I'm looking for a 3D model of the city that can cope with complexity. And not for a Room that Echoes...
According to NZOnScreen, the video was directed by John Day. My inner geek wagers that the graphics were done on an Amiga 1000 or Atari ST.
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As my partner and I bought Splore tickets in the beginning we're kind of disappointed at the changes. We were really keen on bringing our children for the afternoon sessions and now we can't. Splore have been kind enough to refund us for Saturday night's tickets cause we just can't do two late nights in a row and look after energetic littlies both days afterwards. And I suppose if it rains tomorrow night there's no problem cause now we're indoors!
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