The Star: September 02, 2021

The Star Thursday September 2 2021
22
OPINION
ince Environment Canterbury
climate-change emergency
Residents’ associations build communities
by sea-level rise this century and threatened and facing increased
our productive and protected land pressures due to river system
Environment
jeopardised by the arrival and change.
spread of new, exotic weeds and Wetlands are also ecosystems
Canterbury Chair
pests from warmer climates. at-risk nationally and regionally,
Jenny Hughey
All these eventualities have degraded by draining, damming
to be planned and prepared for, and diversion affecting their
and enhance that work.
fleet hybrid or long-range electric
and Environment Canterbury ability to sequester carbon,
HOW That EXCITING work included is this? setting I went protect by 2022. our Carbon environment. emissions from
will remain in the vanguard of cleanse freshwater and mitigate
up to a meeting climate-change and came integration away with air At this travel meeting across the local organisation
these climate change efforts. flooding, as well as impacting on
a great sense of optimism about playcentre women talked about
One example is the $40 million biodiversity and mahinga kai.
programme in the Long-term Plan are offset via our own biodiversity
our local well-being.
taking the young children
Waimakariri River flood
With biosecurity, we are
2018-28, ensuring climate change programmes.
We hear so much about walking locally so they can
protection project, completed putting greater emphasis on the
was actively considered across According to a Madworld report
people being disconnected in explore nature. They stop and late last year. The network of risks of new pests establishing
workstreams, increasing visibility in 2019, our gross emissions were
our communities, but it seems talk about insects they see on the floodgates and stopbanks will in Canterbury. Warming
of the science and what we know 2253 tonnes of carbon dioxide
to me that all you need to do in way and talk to people they know. protect half a million people and temperatures, changing soils and
about the impact of climate (CO2) equivalent, compared with
Christchurch is attend your local This is all about instilling a love of $8 billion of community and new land uses mean new weeds
change on Canterbury, and liaising removals of 7883 tonnes of CO2-
residents’ association meeting and nature in small children.
business assets from a possible especially, will be able to gain a
on the issue with iwi and regional equivalent through our efficiency
you will see the opposite.
Some parents with children “super flood”.
better foothold across the region.
partners, other local authorities efforts and from forestry planting
Last month I engaged with at the local school shared the
The last major flood was in More broadly, we have to
and central government.
across 2700 hectares.
residents at my local residents’ experience of their older children December 1957, when parts curb reliance on fossil fuels and
As an organisation, we have The changing climate will pose
association meeting in
learning science skills through of Coutts Island in Belfast and find environmentally suitable
also
Spencerville.
made significant
For 62 years,
progress
locals
in
working
many risks
with
to
volunteers
life and livelihood
of the Kainga were swamped by river alternatives, such as electricity and
addressing have been coming our own together greenhousegas
and emissions, share ideas with with our the aim of regenerating we have seen native how bush occasional, CELEBRATIONS:
to talk Styx
in Canterbury.
Living Laboratory
In recent
Trust
years flow peaking at 3990
The Spencerville
cubic
Volunteer
hydrogen,
Fire
to power
Brigade
our public
is now operating from a new
along
Christchurch improving the building liveability receiving of our a the but Styx extreme, River. The weather value events that have
building. metres It per was second recently (cumecs). awarded a community transport. service medal.
The protection scheme has been When my predecessor Steve
“market-leading” local community – energy and it’s efficiency still this had volunteer huge effects work on brings residents is and
Locals designed talked to about defend a wide Christchurch wrote Lowndes about recently retired will as provide chair of make a contribution to your area.
rating going strong. of 5.0 out of 6 in the year enhancing infrastructure the learning around of the local South range from of issues a flood including of as much the as 6500 useful this information council late on how last year, the he Getting involved will boost
to As February we all know, on the good National social children Island. to care for our local continual cumecs. dumping of rubbish traps can highlighted be used in some an urban of the big your well-being and provide
Australian relationships Built and Environment
connections environment. The driest parts of our region, in the Environment local environment Canterbury’s and environment. changes on the way. He was a sense of achievement and
Rating with people System around New us Zealand. are vitally along Members the Marlborough of the local toy coast and what leadership can be done of biodiversity about it. and This, optimistic along with we the would be able to meaning as you help to build
important The building’s to individual features wellbeing.
solar This panels is really which important can to their Plains, lending are expected practices to reflect get even shared underpinned information by and climate-change
reminded groups, climate will ensure change support and sustainability. environment for us all.
include library across talked much about of the changing Canterbury Community biosecurity board programmes members is also involvement deal with of community the “pressing issues” a of better community and
184
generate our local more neighbourhoods, than 55,000 as the changes drier. North-westerly in our communities, storms are residents concerns. of the upcoming byelection
Canterbury’s in the Coastal distinct Ward. braided Canterbury. community, and as a council, • Cr Jenny Hughey is chair
for the goal I share of a his predator-free confidence. As a
kilowatt strength of hours these of relationships electricity per such predicted as helping to become grandparents more intense,
year. helps us all.
and with others torrential with children alpine rainstorms when Residents rivers and are unique also helping wetlands with face By the we way, are taking for more some bold steps of to the Canterbury Regional
Residents’ There has associations been a 26% reduction are visiting turning to our borrow braided toys. rivers into a predator many challenges. trapping programme The rivers form information ensure on we predator are in a better control, place
Council
to
(Environment
per examples staff member of a joint in approach emissions to roaring Meanwhile, rapids, the fuelling local fire landslides along a vital the lagoon ecological at Brooklands link provide including cope trapping, with the poisons, changing and climate
Canterbury)
since building 30 June thriving 2010. communities. We now have brigade and causing is celebrating widespread operating erosion. with an the abundant park rangers food – supply just and legislation, and the go to tests www.bionet.nz.
it will set us. But
access Community to electric groups and create hybrid places
It’s a year
from
since
a new building after
Environment
being another initiative of the residents’ Canterbury
The upshot is that residents’
vehicles
to connect
and
around
hope to
activities
have half our
awarded Canterbury’s a community coastal
communities will be
service
threatened association.
nesting grounds for 26 species of there will always be a need to do
native birds – most classified as associations more. or similar groups
with like-minded people who medal on the recommendation of
can support each other and help the residents’ association.
Looking to the future, the (such as river care groups) are a
virtual fence on Banks Peninsula I great way to stay connected and
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
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.
Entries must be received by September 9, 2021