Hawke's Bay set to declare a climate emergency

Helen Howard is pleased a climate emergency is set to be declared. Photo / Paul Taylor

Hawke's Bay is preparing to declare a climate change emergencyto signal that real action needs to start, regional council chairman Rex Graham says.

The declaration is expected to come after the Environment and Services Committee meeting next Wednesday, following Auckland Council's announcement on Tuesday.

"Everyone's been pretty quick to jump on the bandwagon of this. The word is all of a sudden a bit trendy," Graham said.

"The reality is though, we've been out there doing this stuff for a few years now.

"It requires a little bit of effort from everyone," he said.

Graham cited the region's water management and metering programme, as part of the Hawke's Bay Regional Council's Long Term Plan, as an example of the work already being done to mitigate climate change.

He said the region's coastal strategy was "probably the best in New Zealand" and the council continued to work to ensure the province was ready for climate change.

"Given where we lie, we need to be prepared."

Graham said Napier City Council and Hastings District Council were equally as concerned about the effects of climate change on their areas and he expected they would follow suit.

Environment Canterbury and Nelson City Council declared emergencies last month.

Helen Howard, organiser of the group Fridays For Future Hawke's Bay, protests at the Napier Soundshell from 4-5pm every Friday to"pressure the government into declaring a climate emergency" and says the announcement would be a "great thing - as long as it's actually backed up by policy".

Howard established the group in May, borrowing the Friday's For Future slogan from young activist Greta Thunberg's global movement.

"We got about 20 people along in the first week, and about a dozen last week," she said.

She said the group would continue to protest until the Napier City Council, Hastings District Council, and Central Government also made the climate change emergency declaration.