Three Waters - opportunity for landscape architects
The controversial Three Waters reform could be an opportunity for landscape architects to take the lead in designing a new green stormwater infrastructure.
NZILA climate change spokesperson Matthew Bradbury says politics aside, the country’s stormwater infrastructure needs upgrading and landscape architects should be proactive in demonstrating why they’re the best profession to do it.
“The actual structure of Three Waters, how it will work, the whole politics of it, is all going to be vigorously debated,” Bradbury told LAA.
“However there’s no doubt that (water infrastructure) has been woefully inadequate, underfunded for decades, so there has to be some kind of mechanism to fund the upgrade. It’s an enormous job, beyond most local councils.
Kopupaka Park by Isthmus represents a design-led approach that integrates community amenities with engineering and ecology.
“And on top of that you’ve got climate change, so building resilience to increase rainfall and flooding is going to blow out costs further. It’s a big problem but there’s an opportunity for landscape architects to step forward with realistic and practical solutions to help with improving our infrastructure.”
Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta has confirmed the creation of four publicly owned water entities to take control of water services and assets from councils, a move that’s met with considerable opposition from many councils.
“The case for change is too compelling to ignore. It is clear that without the establishment of these publicly-owned entities we will continue to see a frail network and contaminated water in many communities. To delay will only push the problem on, increase future household costs and put livelihoods at risk,” says Nanaia Mahuta.
Vaughan’s Stream Reserve by LandLAB is another example of a successful stormwater project which provides a civic green space as well.
It’s estimated it’ll cost $185 billion to fix, upgrade and maintain New Zealand’s water services over the next 30 years.
“Currently 43 of the 67 councils do not have the revenue to cover their water services operating expenditures at the moment, let alone once the infrastructure starts failing,” Mahuta says.
“For decades, councils have had to make difficult trade-offs between investing in these critical services or other services central to the wellbeing of their communities. These entities will have the sole focus of providing drinking, waste and stormwater infrastructure to the communities they serve.”
Bradbury says Aotearoa has already got some great examples of green stormwater infrastructure designed by landscape architects, citing Kopupaka Reserve by Isthmus in West Auckland, and Vaughan’s Stream Reserve by LandLAB in Long Bay.
An image trom the Three Waters Facebook page.
“The additional benefits for local bodies, for citizens, is when you do design these systems it’s not just stormwater treatment it’s also a park, so you’re also getting a civic space,” says Bradbury. “And in addition to that you’re also helping to climate change-proof the adjacent city, you’re making places that are going to absorb water and that can help in slowing down or preventing flooding. So by using techniques that landscape architects have already developed, the new bodies can actually be improving stormwater infrastructure, creating public space while at the same time building resistance to climate change.
“Landscape architects can show the potential a new stormwater infrastructure can have on our cities and communities by joining the Three Waters conversation with practical solutions.”
A working group of local government, iwi and water industry experts is being formed to work through elements of entity design. It’ll look at the governance and accountability arrangements of the entities, as well as provide an opportunity for public participation and consultation.
Cabinet has also tasked the Department of International Affairs with establishing a unit to focus on the successful implementation of the reforms.
