Palmerston North's Zulfiqar Butt: Council listening to climate change views

Palmerston North City Council wants to work with residents and other city partners to implement the low carbon roadmap and reduce citywide emissions. Photo / Unsplash

OPINION:

On Wednesday, the Palmerston North City Council adopted its 10-Year Plan.

It has been a challenging year, but as members of your city council and ratepayers ourselves, the accompanying 8 per cent rates increase was not the size we wanted.

But given our obligations under the Local Government Act and the need to play catch-up after Covid while addressing the future of our wastewater treatment processes, there was no other way around this.

However, we are committed to investing in our city, its people and the environment.

A first-term councillor, I am lead spokesperson for the climate change portfolio and deputy chair of the environmental sustainability committee.

One of our goals is to adjust city emissions so they are comparable to those of other councils and territorial authorities.

Our strategy operates on a local as well as at a national level.

In April, members of the climate change portfolio organised the first of what is hoped will be regular public forums on climate action.

This was so we could listen to groups and individuals, discuss their views on climate change and talk about steps the council is taking to meet their expectations.

During our 10-Year Plan deliberations, I am pleased the council voted to increase funding for the low carbon fund to $1 million, boost the tree maintenance budget by $100,000 and raise the amount for Green Corridors to $90,000.

We also voted to establish a $100,000 operating budget for a staff position to provide additional support in the climate action space to contribute to our strategic goals.

The council will also support and encourage Palmy schools to develop their own emissions tracking programmes.

It is worth mentioning that Ross Intermediate is the first school in New Zealand to have achieved carbon zero status.

If all Palmy schools followed this example, Palmy could be the first city in Aotearoa/New Zealand where all schools are carbon zero.

This in turn will help Palmy attain carbon zero status and perhaps be the first city in the country to do so.

Nationally, we have prepared a remit to be presented at this month's Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) conference in Blenheim.

Backed by PNCC, the remit was endorsed in April by all LGNZ Zone Three councils and territorial authorities.

The remit asks that LGNZ work with central Government to develop consistent emissions inventory standards for use by local and regional authorities; establish science-based reduction targets as per the Paris Agreement; and set Climate Change Commission-advised national emissions budgets.

We have reasonable hopes this will be adopted by LGNZ delegates.

• Zulfiqar Butt is a Palmerston North city councillor.