KEY POINTS:
A commitment to combat climate change has gone the same way as social housing and lost favour with the new Citizens & Ratepayers council.
City Vision leader Richard Northey says C&R leader David Hay has his head in the sand on climate change after deleting the climate change action goals from the objectives for chief executive David Rankin.
C&R has already signalled it will not fill a climate change position at a cost of $100,000 and put on hold the appointment of an eco adviser to ensure sustainability and energy efficiency within the organisation.
Former Mayor Dick Hubbard's Mayoral Taskforce on Sustainability is also likely to sink into oblivion after he failed to inspire voters on "taking Auckland down the sustainability path".
Mr Northey said it was shameful that C&R councillors had voted to do nothing to combat climate change, rejecting a call by the United Nations for local authorities to join central government, communities and families to do their bit combating the major global challenge.
He said Mr Hay and C&R councillor Doug Armstrong had expressed scepticism that climate change caused by human actions was occurring at all.
Mr Hay said he fully supported council initiatives to reduce waste going to landfills. Improving water quality and cleaning up waterways were other legitimate roles for the council.
