Bay of Plenty Regional Council cuts meat from catering to fight climate change

Bay of Plenty Regional Council chief executive Fiona McTavish. Photo / File

Sausage rolls, ham sammies and mini meat pies. Once, these were the staple savouries of the snackable spreads offered at council meetings to sustain elected members through long meetings. But the meaty treats are a thing of the past at one regional council - and some people are hangry.

Meat is off the menu at Bay of Plenty Regional Council, and the switch has some seeing red.

In an email obtained by the Bay of Plenty Times, council chief executive Fiona McTavish told staff the council was moving to "completely vegetarian menus" for all catered food, as part of a wider action plan to reduce its carbon footprint.

That means no more ham sandwiches or sausage rolls in council meetings, but staff could still bring in leftover meatballs for lunch or have a barbeque at work.

The decision - which insiders say came without consultation - has caused some grumblings among workers and elected members.

Some were unhappy the council, which declared a climate emergency earlier this year, was catering to some dietary preferences but not others, and some did not think the council should be deciding what people eat.

Most councillors the Bay of Plenty Times spoke to yesterday said they were not bothered by the new menus.

New Tauranga councillor Stacey Rose admitted he was "missing the sausage rolls" but thought overall it was a good move for the council and would make its operations more sustainable.

Bay of Plenty Regional Councillor Stacey Rose. Photo / File

Stuart Crosby, also of Tauranga, said his first reaction to the change had been an incredulous "really?" But he had come around and was now "actually quite enjoying" the healthier options.

"As long as they don't mess with the coffee I'll be happy."

Rotorua councillor Kevin Winters said the council had "bigger fish to fry" to be "worrying about the state of the sandwiches".

Bay of Plenty Regional Councillor Kevin Winters. Photo / Supplied

Councillor Andrew von Dadelszen was not happy with the change, but also thought it was not a substantive issue.

"I don't think it's a sensible move. I happen to be on a keto diet which is a high protein diet, no carbs, and they can't cater for that. It certainly doesn't suit me, the dietary change based on climate change. I find that a real nonsense."

He said he was all for other council climate actions, including electric buses and sustainability features on its redeveloped Tauranga office building.

Federated Farmers Rotorua-Taupō chairman Colin Guyon said the council's change was "disappointing".

"It should be a person's choice rather than an organisation's choice. If you choose to be a vegetarian, that's fine, but a lot of people choose to have meat in their diet."

The message it sent was not very sensitive to farmers, he said.

Beef and Lamb New Zealand chief insight officer Jeremy Baker said the organisation supported efforts to reduce carbon emissions but the council was "barking up the wrong tree" with its menu change.

He said there was more work to be done to properly compare the carbon footprint of New Zealand grown meat to plants.

The council would be better off using its position to support sustainable farmers in its region, for example by sourcing local beef and lamb, he said.

Luke McCarten, owner of George Cafe in Omanu, said news of the council's shift to vegetarian menus was "really good".

His cafe served meat when it opened seven years ago, but has since transitioned to a vegetarian menu where all but a few dishes were also vegan.

He had also turned from "meat-eating bloke" to vegan, as a personal action to reduce his impact on the environment.

He said the change would raise awareness of more sustainable eating. He was keen to see the council also cut out dairy, citing the industry's environmental impact.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council chief executive Fiona McTavish. Photo / File

McTavish said the move to "low carbon catering" was one of many initiatives, big and small, in the council's Climate Change Action Plan, approved in July.

"As part of this change, our caterers have committed to transitioning to a vegetarian menu, using paper to wrap food rather than cling film, and supporting local, seasonal and organic or spray-free food where possible.

"These small changes will all help to reduce our carbon footprint," McTavish said.

"We will continue to cater for allergy requirements and our people are still welcome to bring their own meals, have barbecues at work or contribute to shared lunches. This change is simply for catering paid for by the council."

Last financial year, most of the council's catering budget was spent on meetings, including council and community meetings.

"We have received some extremely positive feedback from many of our people, but I accept that this might be an adjustment for others."

Asked if the council Christmas party would be impacted, she said the council did not have a Christmas party.