Whanganui District Council receives 55 submissions on draft climate change strategy

Whanganui District Council voted last year to declare a climate emergency. Photo / File

Whanganui District Council has set a date to hear submissions on its draft climate change strategy.

The council received 55 submissions on the document, which lays out the district's plan to both mitigate and adapt to the effects of a changing climate, with around 90 per cent of respondents either supporting or strongly supporting the "general direction" of the strategy.

"We are very pleased to have had solid engagement from the community on this critical issue and we'd like to thank people for taking the time to make these detailed submissions," policy team leader Jasmine Hessell said.

"Numerous practical suggestions for addressing climate change were put forward. These included promoting alternative transport options, encouraging energy efficiency in buildings and urban development and supporting agriculture to become more sustainable, to name a few."

In February 2020 the council voted to declare a climate emergency.

Submission hearings will be held in the council chamber starting from 10am on April 20.

Following the hearing, councillors will make their deliberations and decide whether to adopt the draft climate change strategy.

The public can attend the hearings in person or watch the livestream via the council's Facebook page.