Greater Wellington pushes government on climate change

A Greater Wellington Regional Council submission on the Resource Management Amendment Bill 2019 Has urged the government to do more on climate change.

Greater Wellington Chair Daran Ponter says the Select Committee, as a matter of urgency, should also consider an amendment to the RMA to support the implementation of the Climate Change Response Amendment Bill, which would give local government more power to consent based on greenhouse gas emissions.  

"Greater Wellington recently announced a goal of being carbon neutral in its activity by 2030.

"But to achieve the broader reduction goals and targets in the Zero Carbon Bill, it is fundamental that the RMA provides a pathway for local government to assess activities that may have impacts on climate change.

"We have submitted consistently with the same message on the Zero Carbon Bill, the discussion document for a proposed National Policy Statement & Urban Development and the RMA Amendment Bill to highlight the need to address the current deficiency," Cr Ponter says.

The submission is also supportive of the government's efforts to speed up freshwater planning. However, concerns remain about the practical implementation of the suggested new process, Cr Ponter explains.

"As we have seen with recent climate marches on New Zealand's streets, there is an expectation that firm action is taken on climate change. We need to ensure all the immediate and obvious tools in front of us are equipped to help us effect change."