Whanganui climate change strategy passes committee approval

In February last year Whanganui District Council voted in favour of declaring a climate emergency. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui District Council's policy and bylaw committee has unanimously voted to adopt its draft climate change strategy.

Committee chairman, mayor Hamish McDouall, said amendments were made to the draft policy after hearing public submissions last week and all committee members voted to recommend its adoption by the council.

A total of 22 amendments were proposed at the meeting.

McDouall said it was heartening to see that level of accord around the table.

"Not everyone agrees on everything and there were a variety of views in the submissions but we have reached agreement on a policy that takes everyone's views into account as much as possible," he said.

"There were no dissenting voices at the meeting."

Work on the strategy began in 2018 and McDouall said responding to climate change was one of the main reasons he stood for council.

In 2017, he signed the local government leaders' climate change declaration to acknowledge the need for urgent action and he supports the Government's aspirational goal to reduce net carbon emissions to zero by 2050.

In February 2020 the council voted in favour of declaring a climate emergency.

"The economy is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the environment and not the other way around," McDouall said.

He said there had been good input from Whanganui iwi, farmers, the youth committee and the rural community board.

The council's iwi partners asked for some amendments to the draft documents, including a paragraph to explain the iwi Māori perspective and an explanation on the relationship agreements council has with iwi.

The council received a total of 57 submissions and 13 submitters presented their views in person.

While the majority of submitters were supportive of the strategy, some disagreed, the council should focus on essential services; it was a waste of time and money; the rest of the world should fall in line first; this was a national issue; agriculture was not in the council's brief; and the council should not be taking a lead.

The policy and bylaw committee's recommendation will be presented to the next council meeting on May 4.