tactical
Timaru

About

As part of the design process to scale from possibilities back to priorities, the Framework sets forth the range of Trials that may be undertaken. The purpose of the Trials is to test and refine concepts for change with the community before committing large amounts of funding to irreversible physical works or making significant changes to regulation or policy. To provide an early indication of our overall direction of travel, and to encourage conversations about synergies or conflicts with other community events and plans, this provisional schedule of Trials also includes an indicative timeline for each.

Considering first a large suite of possible Trials and refining down to a smaller suite of priority Trials allows us to select and implement only those which offer the best value to ratepayers in terms of both immediate outcomes and insights available to the master planning process. This protects against ad hoc decision making/spending and also offers stakeholders an early opportunity to make their own recommendations.

In the case of spatial trials we understand that the present uncertainty may be unsettling for building and business owners in the relevant areas. We need to find the right balance between being bold, creating the right investment direction, and being responsible and respectful of any concerns that may be raised around future or interim impacts. We recognise that it is a difficult operating context for many right now facing the unprecedented social and financial challenges presented by the pandemic.

Decisions to progress any particular Trial will be made on a case by case basis through the preparation of individual Trial Concepts which outline not only the specifics of what is proposed and why, but also relevant details around success criteria, evaluation and monitoring, impacts & mitigation, timing & costs.

Feedback from directly affected stakeholders (e.g. neighbouring businesses, building owners) will be sought and these ideas fed back into the design process. This input from those immediately on the spot on both the practical and perceived implications of each Trial is critical for us to make well informed decisions about which should progress (and when, where, how). For each Trial we will publish an evaluation report summarising the feedback received, any other data points collected, analysis, key insights and any interim conclusions or next steps.

Through evaluation and monitoring of trials, community engagement, technical data and modelling, we will then produce two fully realised Master Plan options, listing recommended priority projects for community consultation through the Long Term Plan 2024.

Explore the Trials here