So, how does that little bit of fact-checking square with TEAP's plans for the future?
Well, surprise, surprise, from their comments to date, it appears that there are no plans to restructure our economy in the face of this huge threat to our current way of life.
If there were, they would already be in the council's long-term plans but, alas, the cupboard is bare. Nothing at all! And certainly not even a hint that they are aware of what needs to be done in order to save us from ourselves.
This is where l return to their self serving statement of intent.
From my experience of repeatedly making submissions to the LTP, l am left to conclude that they all (with perhaps the exception of Federated Farmers) actually quite like it the way it is — especially the special interest groups that are benefiting from the policy of doing nothing in mitigation against climate change.
I guess it is just too hard and would require two things that have been lacking for too long — Vision and Courage.
Unfortunately, our current leaders, with a few exceptions, have shown neither.
It is why we are facing the effects of climate change on our pastoral economy (scientists are telling us that these weather events, especially more frequent droughts, will mean the income from our hill country livestock production will have to be replaced with income from some other sector) with no plans in place for a transition of that type.
That is not only irresponsible management of our economy but it is a betrayal of every citizen that lives here with expectations that our bright boys and girls will help us to meet the challenge.
And it isn't as if there are no opportunities available to help us make the switch.
The solution to this problem lies with the 18,000 hectares of the best under-utilised arable flat land in the world — the Poverty Bay Flats.
We need to plan for the building of fresh water storage facilities that are capable of servicing the irrigated non polluting crops that could be grown and exported to countries prepared to pay record prices for our produce.
It is a no-brainer, but you could be forgiven for thinking that our leaders are — unlike the government who has poured hundreds of millions into other regions for this same purpose and would no doubt do the same here — either incapable of recognising the possibilities or too dim witted to understand the ramifications of not doing it.
It is possible for TEAP to recover its standing within the community but it will need to promise, not only to accept submissions on this issue from us ordinary folk who work at the coalface but also to include those ideas that have merit in their long-term plans.
The time for “feel good” and “culturally sensitive” favourites is long gone.
We simply can't afford them — at least not at the moment when we have other much higher priorities.
