$100,000 climate change initiatives in Nelson city plan
A $100,000 package of climate change initiatives is proposed in the Nelson City Council's to-do list for the year ahead. The initiatives are in the Annual Plan for 2019/2020, which goes out for public consultation on Friday. In the 2018-2028 Long Term Plan, $58,000 had been budgeted for resilience and sustainability initiatives for 2019/2020. However, council are seeking a further $42,000 for a range of new plans to begin this year. READ MORE: * Sale of Nelson community housing could fuel further investment * Natureland Zoo appoints new director * Council's transport plan light on environment, climate change Mayor Rachel Reese said the new initiatives included work to better identify both council and community emissions, and to build resilience to climate-related hazards in Nelson's coastal margins. In total, nine areas are being targeted this year: Councillor Kate Fulton said she welcomed the council's climate change focus. "The fact we have five pages in our annual plan, looking at the issues around climate change and how we are going to mitigate it in the next year, is incredibly exciting. "I'm really looking forward to the submissions on climate change from our community." Councillor Matt Lawrey voiced his opposition to the annual plan, saying the lack of mention of the ongoing Southern Link roading project investigation was "greenwashing". "Four thousand young people marched less than two weeks ago calling for action on climate change, not just nice words, actual action ... that's what they're calling on us to do. "Fast forward to today, there's no mention of this thing council wants to do, that experts round the world will tell you will increase emissions, the fact that it's not in here when a third of the document is about climate looks like climate change hypocrisy and greenwashing." Mayor Rachel Reese said climate change was a complex issue, and making a lineal connection between a particular project and an outcome was not the way to solve it. Reese said both the current and previous governments had agreed doing nothing on Nelson's transport corridors was not an option. "The Nelson Southern Link investigation is continuing with NZTA, it is an important project for this region and is funded by government. "In provincial New Zealand we have a paucity of funding for transport, particularly in the South Island ... when the opportunity to secure money for transport infrastructure investment comes up, we need to welcome that because there is very little going around for provincial New Zealand." She said with the establishment of a smoother transport network in Nelson, emissions could be reduced including the possibility of establishing infrastructure for electric buses and other electric vehicles. "These are the sorts of things being investigated ... I think we've got a good plan and am looking forward to community submissions." Other major issues up for public submission in the Annual Plan include council's proposal to sell its community housing portfolio to another community housing organisation, and the level of funding available to Natureland Wildlife Sanctuary. Submissions on the consultation plan will open to the public on March 29, with all submissions to be received by council by 5pm on May 2.