News

ViaStrada is pleased to announce that Esther Sassenburg has joined the Nelson office as senior Transport Planner in a part-time role. Esther recently moved to Nelson, and joins ViaStrada with a strong transport planning background in private consultancies and local government. Her work experience includes land use planning, urban planning and transport planning, and she has various projects, from the small up to a large and complex. Esther also has a certificate in Architecture and Urban Design. Her multiple skills will be a valuable addition to the Nelson office, and we welcome her to "team ViaStrada".

Inaugurated during the depths of winter 2009, the ViaStrada Bake-off made a return visit to the morning tea table in 2010. The much anticipated 2010 competition saw some serious thought go into choosing (and in some cases practising) recipes. Even staunch non-bakers entered the arena and surprised themselves with the results.

Once a week two staff members tried their hand at baking; and to keep it interesting and add a little healthy competition, a vote determined the favourite of the day.

If you too would like to share our recipes, they are attached to this page for you to enjoy.

With the Canterbury region's focus shifting from the earthquake aftermath to recovery, ViaStrada is looking at how it can assist with expediting the building and resource consent processes for those wanting to rebuild their premises.

Information on different resource consent options that are open to quake-affected building owners and updates on legislative and procedural changes of relevance can be found on the following page:

http://viastrada.nz/news/2010/resource-consents-earthquake-affected-buildings

ViaStrada Christchurch will close on Friday 24 December and reopen on Monday 10 January.

ViaStrada Nelson will close on Thursday 23 December and reopen on Monday 10 January.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our clients and to wish you a happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

ViaStrada has competed in the McLeans Forest Park "6 hour blast" mountain bike event for four consecutive years, winning podium places in each of the last three years.

This year's event was held on 16 October 2010, with ViaStrada's team completing 15 laps to finish third out of 56 in the Corporate category.

An independent report on the recently notified suite of plan changes proposed by Nelson City Council has revealed a number of potentially significant impacts across the whole of Nelson.

Former Council manager responsible for administering the Nelson Resource Management Plan and director of ViaStrada, Tony Quickfall, says that the ten separate plan changes announced in September 2010 introduce some significant and wide-ranging amendments. ViaStrada has prepared a summary report, which gives a general overview and analysis, but anyone requiring a more detailed analysis or advice on the effects of the plan changes can contact Tony Quickfall at the Nelson office.

Prime Minister John Key announced on World Tourism Day, 23 September 2010, that funding of $13.9 million has been approved for five more cycle trails forming part of the New Zealand Cycle Trail project.

ViaStrada, which continues to have significant involvement with the project, welcomes this news which means that all of the planned eighteen Great Rides have now had their funding confirmed.

In response to a number of enquiries from architectural firms, housing companies, and residential, commercial and industrial developers seeking further clarification of the process, the costs and benefits and some concrete examples of streamline applications lodged, we've put together a guide on the process and provided some examples of our streamline reports.

To find out more, view our streamline consent page.

With the Canterbury region's focus shifting from the earthquake aftermath to recovery, ViaStrada is looking at how it can assist with expediting the building and resource consent processes for those wanting to rebuild their premises. 

This article looks at some of the options available and provides updates on any changes to these processes they come to hand.

Read more here.

Thanks for all your support! We are still experiencing mostly-minor aftershocks, but (as of Monday 13 September) are back in the office. Business is slowly returning to normal!