2008 NZILA National Conference shift
Thursday 3 - Saturday 5 April 2008 Auckland New Zealand
Mark Fuller, AILA Vice President
Historically the railway network in Australia is a joke. The greatest testimony to the petty mindedness than can accompany inter-state rivalries is not the fact that you need first aid bandages of different width in each state to comply with legislation, but surely the different railway gauges selected by those true men of vision who federated our country. In the face of this embarrassment my only reminder that we weren’t alone in our neglect of rail was always the New Zealand railways, with a bright shiny new station in Auckland but never a train in sight. Build it and they will come? How we laughed.
But, regrettably for me and my Aussie ego, at the NZILA conference in Auckland in a chilly April, I learnt quite a lot about what our cousins are doing without quite so many layers of government and a bit more of the urgency that comes from being geographically at the end of the line. For instance, rail trips in the Auckland region are now going to rocket from 2 million to a whopping 6 million trips per year in 5 years; electrification is being rolled out, and rail corridors are set to become native plant corridors in a concerted and integrated plan. It all sounds good, and I hope it works.
Over the next couple of days of the conference our kiwi colleagues rolled out other ideas and initiatives to put us to shame: A coordinated sustainability framework for Auckland, where 1/3rd of the population of the country takes up a mere 2% of the land mass (pretty good considering); an economy which is thriving on selling dairy products to China ( and I was told they didn’t drink milk..?); a treaty with the Maori peoples and a thriving multi cultural environment with a rapidly growing Asian contingent.
We were told that climate change may increase the desirability of New Zealand, but whatever this really means, there is a clear effort to build sustainable practices as a point of difference for the nation and for Auckland, to think in generations rather than years, and to build an active and engaged community. And it was clear from many of the points of view expressed and presentations that in New Zealand landscape architects want to be and are making strong moves to be part of the national leadership in this.
It was all good thought provoking stuff, and from the fascinating traditional welcome to the final night, great fun.
Mark's paper delivered at the NZILA conference
Neil Hobbs, AILA National President
I would like to thank the NZILA for hosting a joint executive meeting in Auckland just prior to the national conference in April this year.
It was invaluable to have the face-to-face discussion with the NZILA Executive, covering membership, registration, accreditation, education, and of course the Landscape Charter.
Further collaboration and cooperation with our near-neighbours will enhance existing relationships.
I for one was struck by how many Australian-trained landscape architects work in New Zealand, and vice-versa.
And the rack of lamb at the awards dinner was easily the best ‘conference’ food I have eaten.
Paul Costigan, AILA Executive Director
About 40 AILA members attended the April NZILA Conference in Auckland. Several were presenters, several were there in their capacity as AILA National Councillors to meet with the NZILA Executives and maybe one or two were there to keep away from their office for a couple of days and to then travel on to other NZ destinations.
The program of the conference was jammed packed and provided an extensive range of speakers, with a healthy contingent of international speakers, including several from that international land mass, called Australia.
One of the highlights for me was Jacqueline Osty's presentation and her work in the Clichy-Batignolles area in Paris’ 17th district where the urban development and new park is happening on last large available sites remaining in Paris. The next stages will see the re-use of the remaining rail-yards as new urban spaces.
Another was Brian McGrath who spoke of the emergent ecological, social and environmental systems in cities and finished with the wonderful positive statement: “The work presented here therefore shares an interest and optimism in the innate human ability to adjust to complex change, given the right access to both pleasure and information.”
There may many more highlights. The New Zealand presentations in particular highlighted strengths in their practice and the approaches to the complex environmental issues did them proud. Things are really happening in New Zealand!
We have published edited version of Mark Fuller’s presentation in LANDMARK as well as a Roaming Report from the AILA member, Debbie Saegenschnitter, who was part of the NZILA award jury.
As for me I was also able to do what I see many AILA members doing during our own conferences. Yes I managed to sneak out occasionally to fit in some therapeutic wanderings through the city streets, parks and lanes, do some gallery visits and to partake in some of that very important specialist shopping (artist jewellery in this case).
Congratulations to our NZILA colleagues. The conference was a success. The food was definitely well above standard (for a conference) and the venue was pretty good as well.
The NZILA know how to throw on a good conference and develop a welcoming and friendly atmosphere.
POSTCARD
SHIFT AKL 08
Niall Simpson FAILA
I was reminded of Neil Hobbs recent piece on ‘spot the LA’ when you are out and about when I was thinking about this postcard. Well for me I have probably more chance of finding a bottomless water source. Until recently the nearest living LA was 200 k’s south or 600 k’s north. This is not a particularly unique phenomenon its par for the course for most regional LA’s in Australia. So it is arguably easier for me to catch up with LA’s in New Zealand, drastic no not really, I need a passport to get to Hobart and I have to fly overseas to get to Melbourne or the mainland.
So on reflection what was Akl 08 like.
New Design Practice in the Urban Realm,
Landscape Primary means for answering….
…..Landscape potential of Our Cities.
s h i f t
There where many presentations from an impressive array of speakers, Oz, Kiwi, Frog and more. I am sure others will comment on these motivating presentations. In that lovely site office space QF39 I pondered and reabsorbed many points, it still impresses how the Kiwis just get on and do it. There where many examples of professional and international leadership.
The presentation on cracks closing on relictual play, I thought at the time interesting presentation but what was the relevance to the theme, we are suppose to be talking about climate change, global warming, carbon neutral recycling. How so.
It occurred to me the other day when I was wandering from A- to B+ the presentation was in fact very relevant, one of the side effects of the impending ‘change’ is the increase in the importance and relevance of the recreational space. With some of the theories on the demise of the private car and the impact this will have on the current freedom of mobility and the ability to be able to recreate wherever we like, so the opportunities for play in all its form will be of paramount importance in an increasingly over urbanized society. Especially those opportunities that are impulsive or discovered or not the result of an orchestrated journey to specifically enjoy. Not mainstream topic but none the less important, perhaps more so because of the lack of attention given to such forgotten peripheral issues.
As a non-urbanite I take for granted the recreational and therapeutic opportunities that are on my doorstep, so I need to tune in a bit better to decipher the message that such talks present.
In a similar vein was ‘wastelands ’ itsacceptance was aided by being presented by an over seas speaker however its topic could be construed as not being mainstream like the above, However as our urban sprawls invade the hinterlands and create a very leggy city plant the need to create more than inner urban pocket parks is getting greater and greater. How this can and has been done was well illustrated by Jacqueline with two large parks in Amiens and Clichy-Batignolles and as she said
“the concept of sustainability has brought in a new form of landscape work, more technical and more natural”
I would disagree I think we are just rediscovering a forgotten language of landscape architecture, the blend of art and science.
If I had to be critical it was the feeling that most of the speakers had many presentations to give but only one opportunity and so where trying to squeeze so much into the allotted time slot. It will always be a challenge to provide a conference that is everything to everyone, academics, new and emerging practitioners, established practitioners, public servants, researchers, students and an array of speakers that is equally challenging to our academics and practitioners alike. The onus is not alone on the organizers but equally on the attendees, to participate, to enjoy, to bring their brain and engage.
But I enjoyed, I learnt, immediately and by slow release, the networking was good and the fellowship priceless. It was a good conference, good food, good place, good people.
It is now TIME for LA’s to shape the 21st century as the Engineers shaped the 19th. The challenge for MEL09 is on.
Now wheres that cpd log.
Niall Simpson FAILA AILA National Secretary
