Whanganui District Council agrees to relaunch Climate Action Joint Committee

Mayor Andrew Tripe will be the council's representative on the committee.

Whanganui District Council has unanimously voted to re-establish a regional group focussed on climate issues.

The council’s democracy support officer Shaona Raj said the Climate Action Joint Committee was formed in 2020 to address those issues across the Manawatū-Whanganui region, but because no one had resolved to continue it past the current triennium, a new vote was needed.

“Its existence has effectively lapsed,” Raj said.

Mayor Andrew Tripe will be the council’s representative.

Raj’s report to the council said there were multiple strands of climate change-related work underway regionally through Horizons Regional Council and locally for the Whanganui District Council, and as those work strands were frequently connected it was useful to minimise duplication across agencies where possible.

“This joint committee will provide an umbrella for a suite of climate change work underway and will support the sharing of resources, knowledge and activities.

“A working party, consisting of representatives from the joint committee, was established in late 2021 to develop the draft Regional Climate Action Plan.

“The council climate change officer has been supporting the working party and will share the draft plan with council in early 2023.”

The committee will meet at least twice a year.

If the Council did not vote for the reestablishment, it would risk missing out on valuable opportunities to collaborate on tackling climate change, Raj said.

Other members are Horizons Regional Council, district councils in Horowhenua, Manawatū, Rangitīkei, Ruapehu, and Tararua, and Palmerston North City Council.

Locally, the council’s infrastructure, climate change and emergency management committee won’t continue under its new committee structure.