Framing our Future - Background

In July 2010 Council resolved to develop a community sustainability strategy. This was in response to an increased understanding of the challenges we face as a community due to the ‘limits’ of the earth’s resources and our increasing demand for those resources. We need to decide as a community what we want Nelson to be like in the future, being aware that we need to operate within the ‘limits’ of what the earth can provide. We can then determine what we need to do to move us in the right direction, towards a sustainable Nelson in 2060.

We’re calling this process ‘Framing our Future’ and everyone in Nelson has the opportunity to be involved.

How are we defining sustainability?

Council has chosen to adopt “the Natural Step” planning framework to help develop the Framing our Future Strategy.  It sees sustainability as “a state which does not systematically undermine natural or social systems”. 

Four basic principles act as care instructions for our planet and there is also a four part approach to planning.

 The care instructions for our planet

To become a sustainable society we must:
Paraphrased In full

1) What we take - use less stuff

Use less substances extracted from the earth’s crust (e.g. heavy metals and fossil fuels)

2) What we make – use products and materials which nature can process

 Reduce man made substances that persist in the environment rather than biodegrading

3) What we destroy  - stop doing it

 Less degradation by physical means (e.g. over harvesting forests and fisheries)

4) How we share – treating people fairly

 Ensure people are able to meet their needs (e.g. enough money to live on, sufficient resources for future generations)

The approach to planning

1. Awareness - Aligning the community around a common understanding of the key issues facing our region.

2. Baseline analysis - Using the four Natural Step principles listed above to identify critical sustainability issues, their business implications and opportunities for change.

3. Compelling vision - Developing a vision for a sustainable Nelson, beginning with the big picture of what a sustainable community would look like, and working towards it.

4. Down to action - Brainstorming actions that move the community towards their sustainability vision.

How are we developing the strategy?

Based on what has worked well for other communities and what we’ve learnt from other community-led projects, the approach to the development of the strategy includes:

  • A Mayoral Taskforce - 24 leaders from businesses, community organisations and Councillors have been brought together to think about how a sustainable future will look and how we can get there. They bring together the work from the community and advise the Council on ways forward
  • Everyone has their say – We’ll be collaborating with the wider community through a series of workshops (some open to the public and some for smaller groups) asking the same question - how a sustainable future will look and how we can get there?

What is the timeframe?

Here is a guide to how long Council expects the process to take. 

Look out for regular updates in Live Nelson and through the Framing our Future newsletters as we hit milestones and ask for your feedback and involvement.

Time line for the development of the strategy
Date Action

March 2011

Mayoral Taskforce meetings underway

May - June 2011

Developing a community vision for Nelson in 2060

November 2011

We expect to have a vision ready

Feb-May 2012

We’ll be brainstorming actions on how to move Nelson towards the vision, working with the Mayoral Taskforce and the community

May-June 2012

We’ll have a draft strategy ready

July-Sept 2012

We’ll take the draft strategy to the community for feedback