KEY POINTS:
Western Bay of Plenty Council staff and councillors are being given the chance to "get up to speed" on global warming by going to the movies this week.
An estimated 130 employees of the rural council will spend two hours at the screening - partly paid for by ratepayers - watching Al Gore's controversial documentary An Inconvenient Truth.
Western Bay of Plenty District Council chief executive Glenn Snelgrove said the initiative, which was introduced after he saw the movie, was aimed at raising awareness of global warming.
"With all the issues we have had recently, seeing the movie is all about creating awareness for issues outside of council, and the affect it has on our community ... It's about people understanding what global warming is about and acknowledging that it's occurring.
"We also need people to face up to what's happening and realise there's a problem that we all have to deal with."
It's because of this Mr Snelgrove said all council employees and councillors would be given the chance this week to see the movie at Rialto Cinema.
The council has run two screenings this week, with the final one scheduled for 4pm today.
Tauranga City Council strategic planner Adele Hadfield said the opportunity to see the movie had also been extended to city council staff and its councillors. They have the option of viewing the film on November 29 or December 12.
The city council is paying but could not say how much it was costing.
Mr Snelgrove said while some of the cost was funded by ratepayers, he was also chipping in.
"I have an innovation fund of $20,000, so we will be using some of that and I will be paying for some of it myself - I'm subsidising that out of my own pocket."
A deal struck with the cinema meant the council was paying an average of $5 per head - a total of $650 if all 130 people attend.
The screening begins one hour before the staff's usual knock-off time.
