The Star: November 19, 2020

The Star Thursday November 19 2020
38
OPINION
and enhance that work.
IF YOU’RE That work one included of the setting thousands
of up Cantabrians a climate-change who head integration to the
lakes programme over summer in the Long-term to enjoy a Plan
classic 2018-28, Kiwi ensuring camping climate experience change
you was might actively notice considered posters across and
advertising workstreams, reminding increasing people visibility of
the of harmful the science impact and what of poo we on know
water about quality the impact – and of to climate always use
a change loo. on Canterbury, and liaising
on While the issue it may with be iwi taboo and to regional
discuss partners, at other dinner local authorities table,
pollution and central from government. human and dog
poo As is an organisation, issue that we we need have to
talk also about. made This significant is because progress just in a
small addressing amount our of own E.coli greenhousegas
emissions, in poo can with have our a massive
bacteria
found
impact Christchurch on a waterway building – receiving it can a
make “market-leading” swimmers very energy sick efficiency and
affect rating mahinga of 5.0 out kai of food 6 in the gathering
to and February the māuri on the (life National force) of
year
the Australian water. Built Environment
Rating
Unfortunately,
System New
we
Zealand.
had an
example
The building’s
of such E.coli
features
pollution
include
184 solar panels which can
event at peak summer last
generate more than 55,000
year at Lake Ruataniwha.
kilowatt hours of electricity per
This resulted in health alert
year.
measures
There has
that
been
closed
a 26%
the
reduction
main
swimming
per staff member
area for
in
several
emissions
days,
impacting since 30 June thousands 2010. We of now people’s have
long-anticipated access to electric summer and hybrid
holiday. vehicles and hope to have half our
fleet hybrid or long-range electric
by The 2022. Twizel Carbon community emissions was, from
understandably, air travel across the very organisation concerned
about are offset the via health our own of their biodiversity lake –
none programmes. more so than members of
the According Upper Waitaki to a Madworld Water Zone report
Committee, in 2019, our gross including emissions local were residents,
2253 tonnes councillors of carbon and dioxide runanaga
representatives.
(CO2) equivalent, compared with
removals The committee of 7883 tonnes requested of CO2- a
briefing equivalent on through the incident our efficiency and
Environment efforts and from Canterbury forestry planting shared
the across results 2700 of hectares. our science and
compliance The changing investigation. climate will This pose
systematically many risks to life addressed and livelihood the
most in Canterbury. likely pollution In recent contributors
we have and seen found how that occasional, human poo
years
was but extreme, a likely source. weather events have
had A dedicated huge effects community on residents and
working infrastructure group around was set the up, South
including Island. the local council, Ruataniwha
The driest Rowing parts Club, of our runanga region,
and
along
tourism
the Marlborough
representatives,
coast and
to
make
across
a
much
plan to
of the
prevent
Canterbury
a poorelated
health alert happening
Plains, are expected to get even
drier. North-westerly storms are
again.
predicted to become more intense,
with
This
torrential
plan includes
alpine
more
rainstorms
water
monitoring,
turning our braided
extra toilets
rivers
for
into
the
impending influx of visitors
these roaring summer rapids, holidays fuelling landslides
and causing widespread and erosion.
a targeted Canterbury’s awareness-raising
coastal
campaign communities to remind will be threatened people that
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
since Environment Canterbury
climate-change emergency
Taking the taboo out of talking poo
Environment
Canterbury Chair
Jenny Hughey
by sea-level rise this century and
our productive and protected land
jeopardised by the arrival and
spread of new, exotic weeds and
pests from warmer climates.
All these eventualities have
to be planned and prepared for,
and Environment Canterbury
will remain in the vanguard of
these climate change efforts.
One example is the $40 million
Waimakariri River flood
protection project, completed
late last year. The network of
floodgates and stopbanks will
protect half a million people and
$8 billion of community and
business assets from a possible
“super flood”.
The last major flood was in
December 1957, when parts
of Coutts Island in Belfast and
Kainga were swamped by river
flow peaking at 3990 cubic
metres per second (cumecs).
The protection scheme has been
designed to defend Christchurch
from a flood of as much as 6500
cumecs.
Environment Canterbury’s
leadership of biodiversity and
the only place they should poo is
biosecurity programmes is also
underpinned
in a loo. The
by
committee
climate-change
will be
concerns.
launching this campaign soon,
as Canterbury’s part of its yearly distinct Love braided Our
rivers Lakes and promotion, unique wetlands if you face have
many the chance challenges. to share The the rivers message, form
a please vital do.
Meanwhile, ecological we link continue and provide
an abundant food supply and to
nesting prevent grounds other pollution for 26 species to water, of
native including birds farming – most classified run-off and as
threatened and facing increased
pressures due to river system
change.
Wetlands are also ecosystems
at-risk nationally and regionally,
degraded by draining, damming
and diversion affecting their
ability to sequester carbon,
cleanse freshwater and mitigate
flooding, as well as impacting on
biodiversity and mahinga kai.
With biosecurity, we are
putting greater emphasis on the
risks of new pests establishing
in Canterbury. Warming
temperatures, changing soils and
new land uses mean new weeds
especially, will be able to gain a
better foothold across the region.
More broadly, we have to
curb reliance on fossil fuels and
find environmentally suitable
alternatives, such as electricity and
hydrogen, to power our public
transport.
When my predecessor Steve
Lowndes retired as chair of
this council late last year, he
highlighted some of the big
changes on the way. He was
optimistic we would be able to
urban stormwater, through our
deal with the “pressing issues” of
climate
rules,
change
regulations
and sustainability.
and encouragement
I share his of confidence. good management As a
community, practices. and as a council,
we are While taking human some poo bold might steps to
ensure only make we are a in up a better a very place small to
cope per cent of the overall water
quality with problem, the changing it can climate
and the tests it will set us. But have a
there proportionally will always be big a impact need to on do our
more. summer holidays.
It’s a year since Environment Canterbury
declared a climate-change emergency
JENNY HUGHEY explains what
the council has been doing.
The formal declaration of a
state of climate emergency across
Canterbury was one of the most
serious, and colourful, moments
in the regional council’s more than
30-year history.
A year ago this Saturday,
at 11.49am, Environment
Canterbury became New Zealand’s
first council to proclaim such an
emergency, formally dedicating
itself to consideration of climate
change at the heart of all it does.
The declaration highlighted
that all the work Environment
Canterbury does – from
freshwater management to
biodiversity and biosecurity,
transport and urban development
to air quality, and also regional
leadership – has a climate change
focus.
Currently, under the Resource
Management Act, regional
councils are required only to adapt
to climate change, not mitigate
it – that responsibility is the
Government’s, but could change.
Even in ‘adapt mode’ many
of Environment Canterbury’s
existing policies and plans already
contribute to reduced emissions.
In declaring the climate
emergency, the Council noted it
would continue to show leadership
on climate-change and do so
without adding new programmes
at ratepayers’ expense. It also gave
staff a clear mandate to continue
and enhance that work.
That work included setting
up a climate-change integration
programme in the Long-term Plan
2018-28, ensuring climate change
was actively considered across
workstreams, increasing visibility
of the science and what we know
about the impact of climate
change on Canterbury, and liaising
on the issue with iwi and regional
partners, other local authorities
and central government.
As an organisation, we have
also made significant progress in
addressing our own greenhousegas
emissions, with our
Christchurch building receiving a
“market-leading” energy efficiency
rating of 5.0 out of 6 in the year
to February on the National
Australian Built Environment
Rating System New Zealand.
The building’s features include
184 solar panels which can
generate more than 55,000
kilowatt hours of electricity per
year.
There has been a 26% reduction
per staff member in emissions
since 30 June 2010. We now have
access to electric and hybrid
vehicles and hope to have half our
Environment
Canterbury Chair
Jenny Hughey
fleet hybrid or long-range electric
by 2022. Carbon emissions from
air travel across the organisation
are offset via our own biodiversity
programmes.
According to a Madworld report
in 2019, our gross emissions were
2253 tonnes of carbon dioxide
(CO2) equivalent, compared with
removals of 7883 tonnes of CO2-
equivalent through our efficiency
efforts and from forestry planting
across 2700 hectares.
The changing climate will pose
many risks to life and livelihood
in Canterbury. In recent years
we have seen how occasional,
but extreme, weather events have
had huge effects on residents and
infrastructure around the South
Island.
The driest parts of our region,
along the Marlborough coast and
across much of the Canterbury
Plains, are expected to get even
drier. North-westerly storms are
predicted to become more intense,
with torrential alpine rainstorms
turning our braided rivers into
roaring rapids, fuelling landslides
and causing widespread erosion.
Canterbury’s coastal
communities will be threatened
by sea-level rise this century and
our productive and protected land
jeopardised by the arrival and
spread of new, exotic weeds and
pests from warmer climates.
All these eventualities have
to be planned and prepared for,
and Environment Canterbury
will remain in the vanguard of
these climate change efforts.
One example is the $40 million
Waimakariri River flood
protection project, completed
late last year. The network of
floodgates and stopbanks will
protect half a million people and
$8 billion of community and
business assets from a possible
“super flood”.
The last major flood was in
December 1957, when parts
of Coutts Island in Belfast and
Kainga were swamped by river
flow peaking at 3990 cubic
metres per second (cumecs).
The protection scheme has been
designed to defend Christchurch
from a flood of as much as 6500
cumecs.
Environment Canterbury’s
leadership of biodiversity and
biosecurity programmes is also
underpinned by climate-change
concerns.
Canterbury’s distinct braided
rivers and unique wetlands face
many challenges. The rivers form
a vital ecological link and provide
an abundant food supply and
nesting grounds for 26 species of
native birds – most classified as
• Cr Jenny Hughey is chair
of the Canterbury Regional
Council (Environment
Canterbury)
threatened and facing increased
pressures due to river system
change.
Wetlands are also ecosystems
at-risk nationally and regionally,
degraded by draining, damming
and diversion affecting their
ability to sequester carbon,
cleanse freshwater and mitigate
flooding, as well as impacting on
biodiversity and mahinga kai.
With biosecurity, we are
putting greater emphasis on the
risks of new pests establishing
in Canterbury. Warming
temperatures, changing soils and
new land uses mean new weeds
especially, will be able to gain a
better foothold across the region.
More broadly, we have to
curb reliance on fossil fuels and
find environmentally suitable
alternatives, such as electricity and
hydrogen, to power our public
transport.
When my predecessor Steve
Lowndes retired as chair of
this council late last year, he
highlighted some of the big
changes on the way. He was
optimistic we would be able to
deal with the “pressing issues” of
climate change and sustainability.
I share his confidence. As a
community, and as a council,
we are taking some bold steps to
ensure we are in a better place to
cope with the changing climate
and the tests it will set us. But
there will always be a need to do
more.