A Notice of Motion put forward by Deputy Mayor Jonathan Larsen to discontinue Kaipara District Council’s climate policy and cancel its emission accounting contract was approved at the September Council meeting.

The climate policy and emission accounting work streams were budgeted though Council’s 2021-31 Long Term Plan. During the debate, it was confirmed that there is no statutory requirement to carry out either of these activities and the decision will reduce costs to Council of around $33,000.

The decision also has no impact on the Ruawai Adaptive Pathways pilot programme currently underway or the work of the Raupō Drainage Committee.

Kaipara District Council Mayor Craig Jepson says the decision to approve the Notice of Motion will save ratepayers and residents money and stop any doubling up with central government obligations.

“We must continually look for savings and efficiencies in our budgets wherever we can. I would rather give funding to activities that are real, actions such as supporting the Raupō Drainage Scheme, which has shown tangible benefits as evidenced in Cyclone Gabrielle earlier this year and responds directly to the effects of weather events,” says Mayor Jepson.

“It’s obvious that central government covers all these issues and we are repeating a process that we don’t need to.”

View the Council discussion and decision on the Kaipara District Council YouTube channel (35:03 minutes in).

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