http://www.ktbplanning.co.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.ktbplanning.co.nz en-us Wed, 18 Dec 2019 03:06:20 +1300 Rocketspark http://www.ktbplanning.co.nz/blog/post/14176/Proud-of-our-Heritage/ If our buildings could talk… They would definitely have more than their fair share of stories to tell. Etched in brick, concrete or wood are the stories of their residents and surrounding neighbourhood. Take for instance, the Central Court building on the corner of Empire and Duke Street in Cambridge. The building was first built in 1877 by Mr J. Hally and was christened the "Criterion Hotel". Further down the track, the name would be changed to the "Central Hotel" in January 1908. There was... Wed, 07 Dec 2016 15:08:16 +1300 http://www.ktbplanning.co.nz/blog/#post14176 http://www.ktbplanning.co.nz/blog/post/8256/Climate-change-and-sea-level-rise/ According to new research, major sea-level rises, catalysed by climate change, will last much longer than the entire history of human civilisation (unless in the next few decades radical global action is undertaken to cut carbon emissions). "A rise in global mean sea level (GMSL) is projected to occur due to a global decrease in land-water storage, an increase in ocean heat uptake causing thermal expansion (change in shape, volume and area), and an increase in mass loss from land ice (glaciers... Fri, 06 May 2016 13:49:59 +1200 http://www.ktbplanning.co.nz/blog/#post8256 http://www.ktbplanning.co.nz/blog/post/2031/Managing-weeds-in-the-Gully/ With the success of the planting of the northern side of the gully came the increased need for weed control. Once the plantings are established they will shade many of the weeds, which will die out. Until then, weeds have to be manually controlled. Weeds in the gully include exotic grasses, blackberry and nightshade. These unwanted plants can all grow rapidly and smother the native plantings, therefore they have to be controlled. Large weeds, such as the blackberry patches, are sprayed... Fri, 22 Aug 2014 12:14:49 +1200 http://www.ktbplanning.co.nz/blog/#post2031 http://www.ktbplanning.co.nz/blog/post/1770/Planting-of-the-Northern-Gully-Slopes/ Planting of the northern bank began in winter 2010. The plants were probably a bit small but Karl thought that they were better off in the ground rather than trying to keep them alive in the shade house through another drought. The dominant plant in the replanting project was Coprosma robusta (pictured).The subsequent summer growth of grass and weeds could smother the young native plants if not controlled. Old carpet was placed around the base of trees to prevent the plants g... Fri, 08 Aug 2014 15:32:41 +1200 http://www.ktbplanning.co.nz/blog/#post1770 http://www.ktbplanning.co.nz/blog/post/1769/Plant-selection/ Native plant species vary from region to region. They also differ in where they are most happy growing, from hills to gullys to peat lakes. When planning a restoration project, it is best to plant species which have been sourced from naturally occurring vegetation close to where they will be replanted. This practice is called ecosourcing and is important as it means plants will be suited to local conditions, more likely to survive and less likely to become invasive. For the Kaipaki Gully proj... Fri, 25 Jul 2014 14:22:59 +1200 http://www.ktbplanning.co.nz/blog/#post1769 http://www.ktbplanning.co.nz/blog/post/1768/Propogating-Natives-for-Gully-Restration/ Karl established a small native plant nursery to propagate plants for the gully restoration project. Propagating your own plants helps to keeps costs down, as many species can be grown by way of cuttings, germination or division. Pots can be reused from old store brought plants, or you can use old newspaper or plastic bottles, as long as good drainage is provided. Snail and slug control was vital and a lot of seedlings were lost by these munching critters. Trays of seedlings (x100's) were also... Fri, 18 Jul 2014 11:53:05 +1200 http://www.ktbplanning.co.nz/blog/#post1768 http://www.ktbplanning.co.nz/blog/post/1767/Felling-the-Pines-_2010_/ By 2010 and after attempts by Karl at DIY removal of the pine trees, a 20 tonne excavator was brought in. The excavator made quick work of removing the pine trees and around 350 pine trees were removed from the gully and taken to the Kinleith Pulp and Paper Mill in Tokoroa. At the Kinleith Mill pulp is used to make printing & writing paper, tissue and corrugated cases. Kinleith is Carter Holt Harveys largest mill, producing over 600,000 tonnes per year of packaging papers and bleached softwood p... Thu, 26 Jun 2014 15:16:42 +1200 http://www.ktbplanning.co.nz/blog/#post1767 http://www.ktbplanning.co.nz/blog/post/1755/Kaipaki-Gully-Restoration/ For the past 7 years, KTB Planning has been involved in a gully restoration project. This project has sought to enhance the habitat for native flora and fauna, as well as educate landowners of the benefits of retirement and active management of our waterways.The gully, a tributary of the Te Maire Stream, was planted in pines (Pinus radiata) and various exotic trees and showing the effects of erosion when KTB’s Director, Karl Baldwin, first brought the property in 2007. The appr... Fri, 13 Jun 2014 09:08:12 +1200 http://www.ktbplanning.co.nz/blog/#post1755