Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Protesters call for Northland Regional Council to declare climate change emergency

By Mikaela Collins
Reporter·Northern Advocate·
19 Nov, 2019 06:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Climate change emergency strike outside Northland Regional Council Whangarei

A small group picketed outside Northland Regional Council yesterday to encourage the council to declare a climate change emergency.

And while NRC chairwoman Penny Smart said the council has not actively considered making such a declaration, at yesterday'sfull council meeting in Whangārei councillors agreed to form a new Climate Change Working Party to provide oversight on its climate change activities and make recommendations on climate change matters.

A group of about seven people had gathered outside the council's Water St office yesterday morning prior to NRC's meeting at 10.30am.

Catherine Murupaenga-Ikenn, from Extinction Rebellion Whangārei, said they were "encouraging" NRC to follow in the footsteps of Whangārei District Council and declare a climate emergency.

"It's high time we stop talking about 'we're starting to take notice' we've got to move beyond the starting, we've had 30 years of starting and we have to now take meaningful steps to protect the future of our younger generations," she said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

READ MORE:
• Climate change: Striking for a better future in Northland
• Northland students march for climate change action
• Climate change march: Thousands of schoolkids' action inspired by Greta Thunberg
• One billion at risk: How climate change is transforming our oceans and mountains

Penny Smart, chairwoman of NRC, said the council's primary role in the climate change arena was focussing on preparing for and helping communities adapt to the effects of climate change.

"For the record, the council accepts the scientific consensus that climate change is occurring and human activity influences this but notes central – not local - government has the primary legal responsibility for managing/mitigating New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions," she said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Catherine Murupaenga-Ikenn from Extinction Rebellion Whangārei and a group picketing outside Northland Regional Council. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Catherine Murupaenga-Ikenn from Extinction Rebellion Whangārei and a group picketing outside Northland Regional Council. Photo / Michael Cunningham

The previous term of council was a signatory to the New Zealand Local Government Leaders' Climate Change Declaration in 2017 and Smart said the newly elected council continued to support that.

At yesterday's meeting a Climate Change Working Party was set up. Members include Smart, Amy Macdonald (chair), Justin Blaikie, Jack Craw, Joce Yeoman.

Four members of the council's yet-to-be determined Te Tai Tokerau Maori and Council Working Party will make up the rest of the membership.

Discover more

New Zealand|education

'Beautiful girl with bubbly personality': Tributes for 13yo who died at school

19 Nov 10:42 PM

Participation the key for beach volleyball

19 Nov 11:00 PM

Luxurious yachts anchor in Whangārei boosting local economy

19 Nov 04:00 PM

Dates set for Kerikeri by-election

19 Nov 08:00 PM
Save
    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

The inspiring lives behind this year's Civic Honours recipients

Northern Advocate

'My children were washed away, one by one': Captain of the Capitaine Bougainville recalls the tragedy 50 years on

Opinion

Opinion: Gambling with the future of sport and recreation clubs


Sponsored

NZ’s convenience icon turns 35

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

The inspiring lives behind this year's Civic Honours recipients
Northern Advocate

The inspiring lives behind this year's Civic Honours recipients

Alan Bayly, Harry Carter, Bett Harvey and Darrell Trigg are this year's recipients.

05 Sep 11:00 PM
'My children were washed away, one by one': Captain of the Capitaine Bougainville recalls the tragedy 50 years on
Northern Advocate

'My children were washed away, one by one': Captain of the Capitaine Bougainville recalls the tragedy 50 years on

05 Sep 05:00 PM
Opinion: Gambling with the future of sport and recreation clubs
Opinion

Opinion: Gambling with the future of sport and recreation clubs

05 Sep 04:50 PM


NZ’s convenience icon turns 35
Sponsored

NZ’s convenience icon turns 35

02 Sep 09:23 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP