Nelson 2060 - The Vision

The Nelson 2060 Vision was adopted by Council on 24 November 2011 for inclusion in the Long Term Plan 2012-2022. The vision was created from the huge amount of feedback gathered at a range of workshops held throughout 2011.

The vision is about where we want to be in the future.  When reading it, it is important to keep your mind firmly planted in 2060 – either on behalf of yourself or future generations.

Nelson 2060 – The Vision

Nelson 2060 is an inclusive city, with a diverse range of residents who can connect easily to each other and to the beautiful place we call home. Our inclusive leadership style supports our unique approach to living, which is boldly creative, ecologically exemplary, socially balanced and economically prosperous.

Theme 1. A sustainable city of beauty and connectivity

Naku te rourou, nau te rourou, ka ora nga tangata katoa
With your basket and my basket, the people will be well

Nelson in 2060 has purposefully implemented sustainable development principles and technologies to create a beautiful city that is designed to provide social equity, liveability, ecological health and economic prosperity, and which also recognises and reflects our cultural heritage.

People-centred urban development is thoughtfully managed to realise a compact, mixed use city that has strong local centres, with development along the main public transport arteries. Preference is given to development of existing urban areas over further growth on the city’s outskirts. Thriving local community centres are empowered by their strong sense of interconnectedness, and by Nelson’s commitment to localised renewable energy technologies, underpinned by our solar opportunity.

An affordable range of well designed housing is built around community gardens; primary food production for and by local communities is a part of life, as is respectful resource use focused on reduced consumption and a culture which chooses not to create waste.
The central city is a vibrant, attractive place in which people live, work and play. Quality open spaces are important factors in the cultural, historical and aesthetic identity of Nelson. Community hubs across the district are lively gathering places that hum with pride in “our place” and a sense of belonging.

We have vastly reduced our reliance on fossil fuels. Commercial, public and private vehicles are now powered by sustainable fuel sources. Our approach to planning actively promotes and supports environmentally light travel (on foot, by bicycle and local public transport). Nelson’s energy-efficient land, sea and air transport networks are well connected regionally and nationally. Locally, green corridors connect the inner city to the city fringes. Safe cycling routes run between schools and homes. Goods and services are within walking distance, and housing centres are further linked by public transit to local jobs.

Our city’s core services are delivered efficiently and effectively: sustainable local energy, water, food, transit options, waste and comprehensive risk management drive our smart, adaptive planning. Our infrastructure is appropriately scaled: regional and neighbourhood-based power, water and waste systems are integrated with household systems to ensure maximum energy and water efficiency.

We are resilient and self-sustaining, as are the natural ecosystems that we are intrinsically woven to. Understanding the interdependence of all the ecosphere systems, and having confidence in our ability to create and manage adequate, affordable and adaptive built systems, has secured Nelson 2060 as a liveable, complete community, supporting social and built networks that enhance quality of life for all.

We rely firstly on our own unique strengths and capabilities and we continue to plan effectively to secure our desired future. Our resilience brings us tangible benefits: preferences of cycling and walking enhance and enable the people-connections we highly value; consuming healthy, locally grown produce, and our active lifestyle, has contributed to the vast reduction in lifestyle related diseases; our choice to move to renewable fuels has helped to ensure that we are living well within our environmental limits.

We recognize that there is uncertainty around, and risk from, natural hazards and we work as a community to better understand and minimise the impacts these may have on the things we value. 

Theme 2. Outstanding lifestyles, immersed in nature and strong communities

He aha nga mea o te ao, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata
What is important, the people, the people, the people

Nelson 2060 is indisputably a beautiful place to live; a place where simple pleasures are as easy to access as reaching out a hand to touch the beauty of our environment. Nelson is celebrated as the gateway to a wider region richly endowed with an abundance of vibrant natural environments. These places teem with native plants and animals, and anywhere we are, there is easy access to active lifestyle choices and recreation opportunities that ground us in ourselves, each other and our place.

We wholeheartedly embrace those opportunities and encourage our surroundings to spill into our built areas: we exercise and rest alongside river corridors rich in biodiversity. We delight in sharing our city with birdsong and green spaces. The coast and the mauri (spirit) of our marine waters wrap around our built and natural edges.

We are proud of Nelson’s reputation as a champion of natural advantages and environmental worthiness. Our stewardship of, and engagement with, this beautiful and unique regional environment has ensured that the range and diversity of naturally functioning ecosystems and indigenous biodiversity is enhanced, safeguarded and valued as natural taonga.

This is a place where people connect to and value each other and the fabric of the place we call home. A deep sense of integrity bonds and engages the old and young, Maori and global cultures, diverse interests and eclectic backgrounds into one community. Nelson’s warmth and care invites all to participate; religion and spiritual diversity are celebrated for their contribution to our community’s social wellbeing.

The creative heart of the city is sustained by nurturing its arts and artisans, valuing its heritage and supporting community cultural aspirations. This wide ranging diversity contributes to a full portfolio of opportunities in the fields of art, music, literature, active recreation and sport, heritage and learning. Accessible and adaptable social and recreational facilities and services abound; Nelson creates memorable and enjoyable local festivals and celebrations.

Nelson continues to be a safe place to live and work. Vibrant cooperative networks have secured social equity and resilience. People commit to this community, assured that all have access to adequate income, healthy affordable housing and safe, vibrant lifestyles of distinction.

Theme 3. A strong economy built on knowledge and understanding

Te wahie ka whāia mō takurua, te kai ka mahia mōtau
Employ one’s time and energies most effectively as the firewood is sought in winter and food is worked for all year round

The importance we place on interaction and participation, and an appreciation for the role culture and creativity play in defining our community, provide the perfect conditions for entrepreneurial and learning excellence. Nelson’s deliberate policy of embracing sustainable environmental and natural technologies is a constant stimulus for  the local economy.

The environment and the economy are not antagonists here. For Nelson, sustainability is not simply a matter of ambitious environment and social protection concepts. Instead, it is seen as the springboard for positive developments in the areas of economy, education and science.

Nelson 2060 has developed strengths in the fields of research into, and the marketing of, renewable energy technologies. Private and state research excel; a centre for sustainable technologies has been established and acts as a centre of gravity, informing and supporting hundreds of spin-off companies, service providers, organisations and individuals.

Nelson’s businesses understand and actively pursue business models built on sustainable development. New food production technologies have enhanced and extended our food security. Industry sectors such as agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture and technology are benefiting from the continued upsurge in the solar economy. Aquaculture within a clean, healthy and resilient coastal ecosystem is a key industry. Cultural tourism and local retail are flourishing. Knowledge based businesses with extremely light ecological footprints thrive alongside our traditional strengths.  

Nelson’s approach to life, its lifestyle, culture and creativity attracts entrepreneurs, stretch thinkers and investors from across the globe. Education, training and employment options attract young people to Nelson, and they stay. Nelson’s businesses attract and keep talent. Local schools and tertiary providers partner with businesses to prepare students for work – to become people who can add value to our economy, ensuring that our population continues to develop, creating ideal conditions for the city’s social balance and economic success.

Theme 4. Successful partnerships providing good leadership

Ko koe ki tēnā, ko ahau ki tēnei kīwai o te kete
You at that and I at this handle of the basket

Nelson’s local leadership approach is founded on the principles of kaitiakitanga, partnership and intergenerational responsibility. This city plans ahead in a cooperative, participatory manner - Nelson 2060 is a living example of sustainable practice in action.

Our commitment to inclusive governance has seen it stand out as an enabling, learning leader across economic, environmental, cultural and social domains. We use and strengthen this advantage and build expertise in our partnerships under the Treaty of Waitangi principles and responsibilities. Our community understands and embraces these principles.

Nelson is known as a centre of community innovation; together we tackle increasingly interconnected social, environmental and economic issues in thoroughly engaging ways. The imagination and inventiveness of citizens, experts and activists is embraced in collaborative efforts that make us increasingly more inclusive, innovative and interactive with the world and each other.

All the feedback gathered during 2011 to form the vision is listed below.