Swiggs's Corner

Three weeks ago North & South Magazine named New Plymouth the best city in New Zealand and last night at 3am 11 November 2008 NZ time New Plymouth was voted best city in the world in both of the competitions it was in the running for in the LivCom awards held in Dongguan City China. Coming first in Category Two with a gold medal for the best city in the world and also coming First with a gold medal in the Natural Project Award (our coastal wlakway). We also got a special awad fro sustanability within our community. New Plymouth was a clear stand out. This is a great honor for New Plymouth and also the entire New Zealand. This is a great job done by all including our representatives in China, our mayor and two councilors.

The LivCom Awards is the world’s only Competition for local communities that focuses on environmental management and the creation of livable communities. The objective of The LivCom Awards is to encourage best practice, innovation and leadership in providing a vibrant, environmentally sustainable community that improves the quality of life.

Involvement in The LivCom Awards will result in increased international profile for our community and will have communities from around the world International looking at us in regards to Best Practice in environmental and landscape management, heritage management, community empowerment and forward planning. We are now world leaders at this.

The Awards covered five population categories. And New Plymouth come out on Top in our category. Communities are not compared against others within their population category but are judged as to how they are performing in respect of the judging criteria within the cultural, political, economic, geographic and climatic environment in which they are situated.

THE JUDGING CRITERIA
Enhancement of the Landscape: Landscaping, in the context of the Awards, is the aspect of the City and Townscape, which creates an environment enhanced through horticultural and infrastructure designs. It must be demonstrated how landscaping in a community has brought together all of the distinct elements, both built and natural, so as to establish a sympathetic relationship between the built and natural landscape. The Judges will seek evidence of the protection of the natural heritage and of ecologically important sites, biodiversity and introduction of vegetation in more difficult environments. This section should demonstrate how the landscape in your community has been enhanced to create an environment that generates civic pride, facilitates enjoyable recreational experiences and improves the quality of life within your community.

Heritage Management: Heritage, in the context of the Awards, is defined as the bringing together of historic property, green and natural heritage, industrial heritage, language and cultural practices, designed to ensure that the legacy of the past is protected. This section should demonstrate how your community values, preserves and manages its built and natural heritage and, where relevant, the multi-cultural nature of this heritage, so as to contribute positively
to the quality of life of current and future generations.

Environmentally Sensitive Practices: This section should demonstrate how your community has adopted innovative environmentally sensitive practices and pursues initiatives that result in sustainable management of the environment. The Judges will seek evidence that your community is involved in efforts to apply sustainable development and to promote best practices that lead to the development, conservation and preservation of the environment. This would include the enhancement of the quality of air, water and land, biodiversity and the reduction in the consumption of natural resources through use of alternative materials and sources of energy and recycling.

Community Sustainability: This section should demonstrate the method and style of ongoing involvement of individuals, groups and Organisations in the planning, development and management of the local community, and how the local community is empowered and react to the opportunity of being involved in its development. Components of this section will include
integration, development, satisfaction, resources and involvement.

Healthy Lifestyles: This section should demonstrate the community’s record of healthy lifestyles, both through the provision of appropriate facilities, and the promotion of active participation. The healthy lifestyle context should include evidence of the development of wellbeing, community cohesion, active participation in play, recreation, sport, cultural activity (especially festivals, carnivals etc.), and by further examples of dynamic social integration.

Planning for the Future: This section should demonstrate the use of sensitive and creative planning techniques for the creation of a sustainable, liveable community. Your Presentation should demonstrate how higher levels of strategic plans integrate with more specific plans. It
should demonstrate how plans reflect the needs of the community and how they are being, or are to be, implemented in a practical context linked to available resources, so as to address all the aspects that make up a truly liveable community.

LIVCOM 2008 RESULTS

WHOLE CITIES

Category A

1.                   Greystones, Ireland                                             Gold

2.                   Guanda Community, China                      Silver

3.                   Nieuwpoort, Belgium                             Silver

Ogema, Canada                                                  Silver

Linlithgow, Scotland                                           Bronze

Trafalgar,          Australia                                               Bronze

Category B

1.                   New Plymouth, New Zealand                  Gold

2.                   Chrudim, Czech Republic                        Gold

3.                   Kladno, Czeck Republic                          Silver

Montreux          , Switzerland                                         Silver

Zhujiajiao, China                                                            Silver

Newark on Trent, England                                  Bronze

Eger, Hungary                                                               Bronze

Category C

1.                   Broadland, England                                            Gold

2.                   Pecs, Hungary                                                    Bronze

3.                   Mikolow, Poland                                                Bronze

Category D

1.                   Changxing, China                                               Gold

Category E

1.         Municipality of York, Canada                              Gold

2.         JiangYin, China                                                 Silver

3.         City of Johannesburg, South Africa          Bronze

Project Awards

Built

1.                   The World is Mine                                                                                  China                            Gold

2.                   Dongli, Vanke City                                                                                 China                            Gold

3.                   UniverCity, A model sustainable community                      Burnaby, Canada            Gold

Qinglingjing Community                        Silver

Johannesburg Cosmo City                       Silver

Poly – Spa Island                                                Silver

Chinese Overseas Community      Silver

Yokohama, Tamadaira no Mori Housing Complex              Silver

Enjoy Happiness Community                   Silver

Chinese Eminent Garden             Bronze

Cosmos Eastown                                                Bronze

Hidden Valley                                                    Bronze

The Blue Peninsula                                             Bronze

Green Wild Villa                                                Bronze

Dragon Mountain Community     Bronze

Natural

1.                   New Plymouth District, New Zealand                   Gold

2.                   Johannesburg Xtreme Park Makeover                   Gold

3.                   Pilsen, Czeck Republic, Improvement of

Water quality in Velky Bolevecky Pond                     Silver

Johannesburg, South Africa:        Klipriver Greening & Rehabilitation Project                      Silver

Broadland: Stairway                                                                   Silver

So well done New Plymouth. This is a great place to live and a great place to be a great place to live and a great place to grow up. A place all people of New Plymouth should be proud to call home.

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