The Star: September 30, 2021

OPINION 21
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ince Environment Canterbury
Protection climate-change needed emergency to stop our lakes from ‘flipping’
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,
That work included setting by 2022. Carbon emissions from
will remain in the vanguard of cleanse freshwater and mitigate
I’M SURE that for many of plants become shaded out and
up a climate-change integration air travel across the organisation
these climate change efforts. flooding, as well as impacting on
you the Ashburton Lakes/Ō increasingly struggle to compete
programme Tū Wharekai in are the a Long-term favourite Plan with are a offset growing via our algae own population.
One example is the $40 million biodiversity and mahinga kai.
biodiversity
2018-28, destination ensuring to spend climate a day or change programmes.
The problem is exacerbated
Waimakariri River flood
With biosecurity, we are
was two actively out of the considered city and reconnect across by the According plants being to a less Madworld able to
protection project, completed putting greater emphasis on the
report
workstreams, with nature. increasing visibility dampen in 2019, down our gross the waves emissions the late last year. The network of risks of new pests establishing
were
of It’s the a science wonderful and part what of we the know lake 2253 shore. tonnes This of increases carbon dioxide shoreline
(CO2) erosion equivalent, and sediment compared going protect half a million people and temperatures, changing soils and
floodgates and stopbanks will in Canterbury. Warming
about country, the with impact the of big climate Canterbury
with
change sky stretching on Canterbury, over the hills and liaising and into removals the lake.
$8 billion of community and new land uses mean new weeds
of 7883 tonnes of CO2-
on the the iconic issue lakes with themselves. iwi and regional equivalent All this can through set a lake our on efficiency its business assets from a possible especially, will be able to gain a
partners,
Sadly, however,
other local
the
authorities
natural way
efforts
to flipping.
“super flood”.
better foothold across the region.
and from forestry planting The last major flood was in
and
beauty
central
of these
government.
lakes belies a
across
Our research
2700 hectares.
shows that this
More broadly, we have to
serious environmental issue that is the very process that is under December 1957, when parts curb reliance on fossil fuels and
As an organisation, we have The changing climate will pose
must be urgently addressed. way with the Ashburton Lakes/Ō of Coutts Island in Belfast and find environmentally suitable
also made significant progress in many risks to life and livelihood CONCERNS: Testing for toxic blue-green algae (planktonic cyanobacteria) in Lake
A recent report commissioned Tū Wharekai. The water quality Kainga were swamped by river alternatives, such as electricity and
addressing our own greenhousegas
the emissions, Department with of Conservation
our
cases, we have with seen Lake how Clearwater occasional, a member metres of per a working second group (cumecs). set nutrient transport. reductions required. rūnanga.
in Canterbury. In recent years Clearwater.
PHOTO: ASHBURTON DISTRICT COUNCIL
by Environment Canterbury and is deteriorating rapidly in some flow peaking at 3990 cubic hydrogen, to power our public
Christchurch found that these building lakes face receiving a a particularly but extreme, serious weather case. events have up by The papatipu protection rūnanga scheme to urgently
designed find a way to defend to protect Christchurch these partners Lowndes to work retired out what as chair tools of terbury lakes that are enjoyed by
has been We’re When currently my speaking predecessor with Steve Letting these wonderful Can-
“market-leading” very real and immediate energy risk efficiency of had It can huge be extraordinarily
effects on residents and
rating ‘flipping’. of 5.0 out of 6 in the year difficult infrastructure to bring around a flipped the lake South precious from lakes. a flood of as much as 6500 can be this developed council to late support last year, he so many degrade beyond repair
to Flipping February is on when the a National healthy lake back Island. to a natural state, even if We cumecs. know that it will take a those highlighted whose activities some may of the be big would be an unacceptable legacy
Australian with clear water Built Environment
and an abundance
of System waterborne New Zealand. plants be-
reduced, along the so Marlborough we need to take coast steps and iwi, leadership the local council, of biodiversity statutory and levels optimistic in the lakes. we would be able to • Cr Jenny Hughey is chair
the nutrients The driest and parts sediment of our region, are collective Environment effort between Canterbury’s farmers, contributing changes to on the the nutrient way. He was to leave to the next generation.
Rating
comes The building’s murky and features dominated include by now across to prevent much of this the from Canterbury happening.
Plains, are expected to get even users underpinned to get the required by climate-change results. it’s vital climate that we change act swiftly. and sustainability.
No Council (Environment
agencies, biosecurity and recreational programmes lake is also There deal is with much the to “pressing be done and issues” of the Canterbury Regional
184 algae. solar It’s panels caused which by an increase can
generate in the level more of nutrients than 55,000 such as drier. The research North-westerly reveals that storms it is are We concerns. also know that we can’t one wants I share to see his these confidence. iconic As a Canterbury)
kilowatt nitrogen hours and phosphorus of electricity in per the a combination predicted to become of agriculture, more intense, take a
year.
with torrential alpine rainstorms
Canterbury’s one-size-fits-all distinct approach. braided lakes community, become so degraded. and as a council, They
water. These nutrients promote
There has been a 26% reduction turning our braided rivers into
rivers and unique wetlands face we are taking some bold steps to
the growth It’s of algae. a year human since activity, and, to a Environment lesser The circumstances for each lake are for all Cantabrians to enjoy.
extent, birdlife that is affecting many challenges. The rivers form
Canterbury
are different.
As well
ensure
as their
we
recreational
are in a better place to
per The staff algae member affect in the emissions level of the roaring nutrient rapids, levels. fuelling landslides
We’ll
a vital
need
ecological
to study
link
each
and
one
provide
value,
cope
many
with
are
the
culturally
changing climate
since light reaching 30 declared June 2010. the lakebed. We now The have a climate-change emergency
and Environment causing widespread Canterbury erosion. is a individually an abundant and food work supply out the and significant
and the
taonga
tests
to
it will
Canterbury
set us. But
access to electric and hybrid
Canterbury’s coastal
nesting grounds for 26 species of there will always be a need to do
vehicles JENNY and hope HUGHEY to have explains half our what communities will be threatened native birds – most classified as by sea-level more. rise this century and
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
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
Thursday September 30 2021 The Star
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.