<strong>The</strong> <strong>Star</strong> Thursday <strong>December</strong> <strong>16</strong> <strong>2021</strong> 18 OPINION Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz ince Environment Canterbury climate-change emergency Summer is time to explore the outdoors 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, SUMMER That work IS included officially setting upon <strong>The</strong>y by 2022. are yours Carbon to enjoy, emissions so why from will remain in the vanguard of cleanse freshwater and mitigate us and with the festive season not make the most of them? up a climate-change integration air travel across the organisation these climate change efforts. flooding, as well as impacting on just around the corner, it’s time Of course, it’s important to One example is the $40 million biodiversity and mahinga kai. to programme start thinking in the about Long-term holiday Plan be are mindful offset via of other our own animal biodiversity and Waimakariri River flood With biosecurity, we are plans. 2018-28, ensuring climate change plant programmes. life too. protection project, completed putting greater emphasis on the was Of actively course, considered summer is a across great Our According team work to a hard Madworld to protect report late last year. <strong>The</strong> network of risks of new pests establishing time workstreams, to get away increasing from the visibility the in natural 2019, our environment gross emissions of our were floodgates and stopbanks will in Canterbury. Warming screens of the science and out and under what the we Canterbury about the sky. impact of climate we (CO2) can all equivalent, enjoy. So, please compared take with Enjoy know parks 2253 while tonnes still of creating carbon dioxide PRISTINE: a place protect half a million people and temperatures, changing soils and $8 billion of community and new land uses mean new weeds change Our parks on Canterbury, are a great option and liaising your removals rubbish of with 7883 you tonnes when of you CO2- Canterbury’s business assets from a possible especially, will be able to gain a parks and to on unwind the issue and with recalibrate iwi and regional after leave, equivalent don’t light through fires and our keep efficiency “super flood”. better foothold across the region. waterways what partners, has been other a local tough authorities year for your efforts dogs and under from control. forestry planting <strong>The</strong> last major flood was in More broadly, we have to this summer many. and central <strong>The</strong>y’re government. a great place to across Also, please 2700 hectares. respect the vegetation <strong>The</strong> and changing wildlife. This climate includes will pose of Coutts Island in Belfast and find environmentally suitable wildlife and <strong>December</strong> 1957, when parts curb reliance on fossil fuels and but show just As relax an organisation, take part in we recreational also made pursuits significant while enjoying progress in not many getting risks too close life and to bird livelihood nests Kainga were swamped by river alternatives, such as electricity and vegetation have Canterbury’s addressing our diverse own greenhousegas emissions, with our dive-bombed we have seen by how angry occasional, adult natural or in chicks. Canterbury. It may result In recent in being years flow peaking at 3990 cubic hydrogen, to power our public some landscapes. metres per second (cumecs). transport. respect. Christchurch Environment building Canterbury receiving a birds. but extreme, weather events have <strong>The</strong> protection scheme has been When my predecessor Steve (Canterbury “market-leading” Regional energy Council) efficiency had You huge can learn effects more on residents about what and We designed monitor to more defend than Christchurch 100 Aotearoa Lowndes website retired before as heading chair of which can look cloudy, discoloured, or have small globules. manages rating of 5.0 three out parks of 6 in across the year the our infrastructure parks have to around offer by the going South popular recreational swimming out (www.lawa.org.nz). from a flood of as much as 6500 this council late last year, he region to February – one on on the National shores of to Island. the ‘Regional Parks’ page sites during the summer season This is especially important You can also find more cumecs. highlighted some of the big Lake Australian Tekapo, Built and Environment the other two under <strong>The</strong> the driest ‘Living parts in Canterbury’ of our region, for things such as E. coli and toxic cyanobacteria, given the status of a swimming information on what to look on Rating the banks System of New the Waimakariri Zealand. section along at the www.ecan.govt.nz, Marlborough coast and Environment both Canterbury’s of which spot can changes change on quickly. the way. He was out for by searching ‘health and <strong>The</strong> Ashley building’s Rakahuri features Rivers. include where across you much will of also the find Canterbury up-todate public notices with useful <strong>The</strong>re can leadership make people of biodiversity very sick. and It’s also optimistic good to we understand would be able to warnings’ on our website www. <strong>The</strong>y’ve been developed to biosecurity are usually programmes signs indicating underpinned if a place is unsuitable by climate-change for In rivers, climate toxic change cyanobacteria and sustainability. is also 184 solar panels which can Plains, are expected to get even what to deal look with out the for. “pressing issues” of ecan.govt.nz. cater to many outdoor pursuits, information. such generate as walking, more than swimming, 55,000 drier. North-westerly storms are Speaking of notices, summer swimming; concerns. however, there may appears I as share thick his dark confidence. brown As a boating, kilowatt fishing, hours of gamebird electricity per also predicted means swimming, to become more so I recommend with torrential checking alpine the location rainstorms Canterbury’s distinct braided community, and as a council, intense, not be signs at all the access or black mats that have a slimy hunting, year. motocross, mountain It’s a year since Environment points, rivers so and I strongly unique recommend wetlands face Canterbury or velvety we are texture taking and some musty bold steps to biking, <strong>The</strong>re and has horse been riding. a 26% reduction of turning the safe our spots braided before rivers heading into you many check challenges. the ‘Can I swim <strong>The</strong> rivers here?’ form smell. ensure In lakes, we ponds are in and a better lagoons, cope it is with suspended the changing water climate place to per Your staff rates member pay for in these emissions declared parks. out a roaring for a climate-change dip. rapids, fuelling landslides page a on vital the ecological Land Air link Water emergency and provide since 30 June 2010. We now have and causing widespread erosion. an abundant food supply and and the tests it will set us. But access to JENNY electric HUGHEY and hybrid explains what Canterbury’s coastal nesting grounds for 26 species of by sea-level there will rise always this century be a need and to do threatened and facing increased vehicles the and council hope has to have been half doing. our communities will be threatened native birds – most classified as our more. productive and protected land <strong>The</strong> 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. <strong>The</strong> 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. <strong>The</strong> building’s features include 184 solar panels which can generate more than 55,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year. <strong>The</strong>re 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 Up planting to across 2700 50 hectares. <strong>The</strong> 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. <strong>The</strong> driest parts of our region, along the Marlborough coast and across much of the Canterbury 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. <strong>The</strong> network of floodgates and stopbanks will protect half a million people and $8 billion of community and business assets from a possible “super flood”. <strong>The</strong> last major flood was in 50 <strong>December</strong> 1957, when parts of % Coutts Island in Belfast and Kainga were swamped by river flow peaking at 3990 cubic metres per second (cumecs). <strong>The</strong> protection scheme has been designed to defend Christchurch from a flood of as much as 6500 cumecs. Off * Environment Canterbury’s leadership of biodiversity and *Call for Terms biosecurity programmes is also Plains, are expected to & get Conditions even underpinned by climate-change drier. North-westerly storms are concerns. predicted to become more intense, Canterbury’s distinct braided with torrential alpine rainstorms rivers and unique wetlands face turning our braided rivers into many challenges. <strong>The</strong> rivers form roaring rapids, fuelling landslides a vital ecological link and provide and causing widespread erosion. an abundant food supply and Canterbury’s coastal nesting grounds for 26 species of communities will be threatened native birds – most classified as 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.
Thursday <strong>December</strong> <strong>16</strong> <strong>2021</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Star</strong> 19 Furniture available ex store or Delivered (conditions apply) white 2 Door wardrobe Black 3 Drawer Bedside white 10 Drawer Chest Soft-close doors Monaco Queen Bed & Pillowtop Mattress $329 Metal runners $139 Panamera Mattresses Euro-top: 3D netting Non-woven fabric Top panel quilting Tencel fabric Fiber PU Foam Convoluted foam Non-woven fabric Gel Memory Foam 20mm Latex 20mm PU Foam 40mm Non-woven fabric striped Queen Pillowtop Mattress Metal runners $439 $560 Border quilting: Knitted fabric PU foam Non-woven fabric 3-zones pocket coil spring Pocket spring euro top mattresses Bottom panel: Anti-slip non-woven fabric PU foam Felt pad PU foam box, T:75mm from $649 $450 nZ Pine Double Base & Mattress nZ Pine legacy 6 Drawer tallboy nZ Pine Queen Bed & Pillowtop Mattress Extension metal runners from $570 $499 $829 BirMinghaM DriVe Leading the way in furniture Visit our showroom: 12 Vulcan Place Middleton, Christchurch Phone 03 338 6021 dealking.co.nz for more deals annex roaD VulCan PlaCe ChristChurCh southern Motorway Conditions apply
Change language