Flaxmere church solar power project to be debated at international climate change event

Experts from India, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji will discuss how the St Andrew's Presbyterian Church solar power project is working to transform local communities and help climate change. Photo / Warren Buckland

A Flaxmere church solar power project is set to be debated at an international climate-change event.

The St Andrew's Presbyterian Church project aims to reduce energy poverty in a sustainable way for low-income families around Hawke's Bay through the installation of solar panels.

Project manager Chris Lambourne has been invited to speak at an online international climate-change event, hosted by the World Council for Churches.

The project initially aimed to install a 1MW solar farm to supply 400 low-income households in the Hastings community.

But after engagement with local iwi and hapu, the project plans expanded beyond Flaxmere to include low-income communities in Rotorua.

Lambourne said the goal is to have 10,000 solar panels providing power to 2500 local homes.

"Unfortunately, the impact of climate change is felt first and hardest by disadvantaged people, which is part of the reason we started this project," he said.

The event, due to take place on Tuesday , will bring together experts from India, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji to discuss concrete examples of how the church is working to transform local communities and help climate change.

More than 8500 people accessed the first two online webinars in the climate-change series.

"People are blown away by the church's involvement," Lambourne said. "Often times there is a desire to help, but this project gives us a chance to walk the talk and practise what we preach by doing something concrete.

"There is a long way to go, but it has been inspirational to see the local community gathering around and offering practical support to get the project up and running."

Other speakers at the climate-change event include Matthew Koshy (India), Jessica Morthorpe (Australia) and France Namoumou (Fiji).

St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, based on Market St South, Hastings, first announced the project in November 2018.