Whangārei has second climate change event in a week

Margaret Jefferies, chairwoman of Project Lyttelton, beamed in via Skype to talk about positive and sustainable community initiatives.

The effects of climate change hit Whangārei for the second time in a week when more than 50 people attended a Climate + Change symposium.

Monday's symposium coincidentally followed Whangārei District Council's acknowledgement last Thursday of the serious local and global issue by declaring a climate change emergency.

The event was organised and hosted by NorthTec's business department, and convened by Catherine Murupaenga-Ikenn.

Individuals, educators and representatives from various groups, including Tai Tokerau Climate Action, attended the afternoon Climate + Change event where discussions were held in workshop groups, lecture form and question and answer forums.

A major premise was that the time for debating climate change was over, and it was now time for urgent mitigation and adaptation action.

Among the speakers was Peter Bruce-Iri, a horticulturist and lecturer in NorthTec's business management programme, and one of the event's organisers.

Murupaenga-Ikenn (Ngāti Kuri and Te Rarawa) has helped her iwi negotiate and settle Waitangi Treaty claims. In 2005 she was awarded the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Indigenous Fellowship (Pacific region).

She has been an iwi adviser on climate change, constitutional transformation and indigenous rights and held trustee and board positions for her iwi. Murupaenga-Ikenn is a trustee of the Climate Change Taitokerau Northland Trust and a tutor at NorthTec.

Margaret Jefferies, chairwoman of Project Lyttelton which facilitates a range of sustainable community initiatives, engaged with the audience by video link. A graduate in geography, music, education and teaching, she is a public speaker, mentor, facilitator, networker and also a board member of Living Economies Educational Trust.

Dr Carol Peters spoke about the relationship between capitalism and climate change.
Peters has a PhD in community-led development and is well-known for her community work in Whangārei.

In 1992 she established Whangārei's One Double Five Community House offering legal, whānau and community development support. Other community initiatives she has helped establish include the Taitokerau Emergency Housing Charitable Trust, Food Rescue Northland/Whakaora Kai Taitokerau, and the Climate Change Taitokerau Northland Trust.