Local efforts to reduce climate change or carbon emissions are a “crock”, says a Tauranga mayoral candidate given the lowest ranking in an election environmental survey.
The survey revealed most mayoral candidates who responded would prioritise environmental factors in their decision-making.
But Chudleigh Haggett said people would have to have “rocks” in their heads to think humans could change the climate.
Haggett was among 35 candidates who responded to a survey, sent out in June by Sustainable Tauranga. The election ends this weekend.
Each candidate was given a week to respond to questions about prioritising environmental protection, climate mitigation and climate adaptation. Their answers resulted in overall ratings between 1 and 5, with 5 being, in Sustainable Tauranga’s view, the highest alignment to prioritising environment protection and climate change.
Of mayoral hopefuls who responded, Andrew Caie, Tina Salisbury, John Robson, and Ria Hall rated 5. Anthony Goddard rated 4.5 and Donna Hannah, Mahé Drysdale, and Tanya Bramford-King rated 4.
Hori BOP rated 3 and Haggett rated 1.
Unlike all others, Haggett rated environmental protection, climate change mitigation, and climate change adaption in relation to council priorities as “not important at all”.
In his view: “If you closed NZ down tomorrow. And everybody left. It would make Zero (0) difference to the worlds [sic] climate. Nada, Nother, Zilch. So why should it be of such importance?”
Asked how he would support environmental policy if elected, Haggett said he would call for the elimination of plastic - “start with identifying the worst packaging and work up to ban plastics” – but he would not support climate action.
“You have got to have rocks in your head if you think humans can change the climate, they cannot. What you have to do is recognise the fact and make plans to deal with the consequences,” Haggett said.
Haggett, a city councillor from 1986 to 1989, told the Bay of Plenty Times his focus was the election and not “these kind of individual issues”.
“The reality is there has to be a reconstruction of the council, it has to work together and function properly. Right now it’s a basket case, it needs to be sorted and I’m not going to be drawn into whether the environment is anything, or fluoride, or whatever. They are important to the people who feel that way but this is my priority.”
Haggett described local efforts to reduce climate change or carbon emissions as “a crock” and “nothing to do with us”.
He felt the city could make a difference in reducing waste.
He said his comments reflected his honest opinion.
‘‘I’m sorry if it offended or had upset people but there’s a much bigger job at hand.”
Vicktoria Blake, a Tauranga resident who heads Sustainable Tauranga, said she surveyed candidates because she felt environmental matters were too important to be overlooked in the election.
Blake, who had over 15 years of experience in the environment, conservation and sustainability sector, said Sustainable Tauranga was a collective of residents concerned with environmental protection and climate change. She said it was formed to help fill a void created by the hiatus of Tauranga Carbon Reduction Group and the apolitical pre-election stance of Sustainable Bay of Plenty, whose leader Glen Crowther was a candidate.
She said all candidates were emailed and most mayoral respondents rated environmental matters as “important” or “significantly important”.
Blake said seeing so much buy-in from candidates was positive, “especially for those running for mayor”. However, what the candidates did about it, if elected, “remains to be seen”.
Salisbury said the city’s environmental well-being depended on the council’s ability to protect natural resources and promote sustainable practices and she was committed to “taking bold climate actions”.
Salisbury was keen to investigate de-carbonisation and foster a culture that attracted sustainable and smart innovators in green technologies.
“Prioritising climate change adaptation is important to ensure Tauranga is prepared for the challenges ahead. By investing in resilient infrastructure, protecting our natural ecosystems, and enhancing community preparedness, we can safeguard our homes, economy, and wellbeing.”
Candidate Donna Hannah said it was crucial to prioritise minimised environmental impact, even when certain projects needed to move forward. She used Turret Rd as an example, saying widening it to ease congestion should not lead to pohutukawa trees being removed.
“Likewise, efforts to improve air quality at the Mount might involve relocating sources of pollution, but this could simply shift the problem elsewhere... It is essential to find balanced solutions that reduce environmental harm while effectively addressing urgent needs.”
Andrew Caie said he wanted to live in a city that could sustain its people “now and into the future”.
“Presently, it cannot.”
He would ensure environmental concern was a “primary consideration in all of our planning”, he said.
Anthony Goddard listed sustainable development as one of his key drivers for the council to ensure it met needs “without compromising future generations”.
This included supporting green spaces, renewable energy, and eco-friendly urban planning to reduce Tauranga’s carbon footprint, he said.
John Robson, who bought the council its first electric car, said he would like to see Tauranga become environmentally and economically sustainable, “and you can’t have one without the other”.
“Degradation of the environment has a cost that will ultimately burden the ratepayers (both owners and renters)... and impact economic sustainability.”
Ria Hall said she wanted to create a city that was intergenerational in its focus.
“This includes all aspects of infrastructure, enabling housing, building connected, cohesive communities and ensuring our environment is handed down in a state we can be proud of.”
Tanya Bramford-King said protection of the environment was a minimum baseline and increasing green space, waste reduction and “more creative and ambitious transport options” were ways she planned to support environmental policy.
Mahé Drysdale said the council was about “balancing many different priorities and it can’t be one over the other”.
“So while I think environmental protection is incredibly important, it needs to be delivered as part of a holistic solution, taking into account all priorities together.”
Hori BOP said a “stadium for Tauranga” was his key driver but environmental matters were “significantly important”, “so our children and grandchildren have something to inherit”.
Blake said mayoral candidates Aureliu Braguta, Doug Owens, Greg Brownless, Jos Nagels, and Tim Maltby did not respond by the survey’s deadline.
Kiri Gillespie is an assistant news director and a senior journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post, specialising in local politics and city issues. She was a finalist for the Voyager Media Awards Regional Journalist of the Year in 2021.
Two Tauranga house fires on June 14 were put out by Fire and Emergency NZ firefighters.