Climate Change Working Party Wednesday 16 June 2021 at 9.30am

 

16 June 2021

Climate Change Working Party Agenda

 

 

Please note: working parties and working groups carry NO formal decision-making delegations from council. The purpose of the working party/group is to carry out preparatory work and discussions prior to taking matters to the full council for formal consideration and decision-making. Working party/group meetings are open to the public to attend (unless there are specific grounds under LGOIMA for the public to be excluded).

 

MEMBERSHIP OF THE Climate Change Working Party

Chairperson, Councillor Amy Macdonald

Councillor Joce Yeoman	Councillor Jack Craw	Councillor Marty Robinson
Ex Officio Penny Smart	TTMAC representative Rowan Tautari	TTMAC representative Thomas Hohaia
TTMAC representative TBC	TTMAC representative TBC

 

 

KARAKIA

 

RĪMITI (ITEM)                                                                                                                                                                Page

1.0       Ngā Mahi Whakapai/Housekeeping

2.0       Ngā Whakapahā/apologies   

3.0       Ngā Whakapuakanga/declarations of conflicts of interest

4.0       Reports

4.1       Record of Actions – 10 March 2021                                                                                                      3

4.2       Receipt of Action Sheet                                                                                                                             7

4.3       Climate Change Strategy and Implementation Plan                                                                       9

4.4       LTP Project Update                                                                                                                                   28

16 June 2021

 

TITLE:	Record of Actions – 10 March 2021
ID:	A1446135
From:	Leah Porter, PA/Administrator Environmental Services
Authorised by Group Manager:	Jonathan Gibbard, Group Manager - Environmental Services, on 08 June 2021

 

The purpose of this report is to present the Record of Actions of the last meeting (attached) held on 10 March 2021 for review by the meeting.

 

Attachment 1: Climate Change Working Party Record of Actions – 10 March 2021 ⇩   

16 June 2021Attachment 1

16 June 2021

 

TITLE:	Receipt of Action Sheet
ID:	A1446316
From:	Leah Porter, PA/Administrator Environmental Services
Authorised by Group Manager:	Jonathan Gibbard, Group Manager - Environmental Services, on 09 June 2021

 

The purpose of this report is to enable the meeting to receive the current action sheet.  While the action sheet currently only has actions from the last Working Party meeting, this will slowly grow as actions are identified by the Working Party and progress tracked through this Action Sheet.

 

That the action sheet be received.

 

Attachment 1: Climate Change Working Party Action Tracker ⇩   

16 June 2021Attachment 1

16 June 2021

 

TITLE:	Climate Change Strategy and Implementation Plan
ID:	A1447024
From:	Matt De Boer, Climate Change Resilience Coordinator and Justin Murfitt, Strategic Policy Specialist
Authorised by Group Manager:	Jonathan Gibbard, Group Manager - Environmental Services, on 09 June 2021

 

This report presents the draft Climate Change Strategy and Implementation Plan for council and seeks feedback and endorsement from the Climate Change Working Party prior to council adoption in July. 

The Strategy presents a high-level vision, goals, responsibilities and prioritised action areas.  The Implementation Plan documents projects, both planned and underway, that represent actions that will help council reach the goals of the Strategy.

The Strategy will be reviewed periodically, and the Implementation Plan projects reported on regularly.

While a broader Communications Plan is being developed, the adoption and release of the Strategy and Implementation Plan represents a key milestone and presents an important opportunity to make a public statement about council’s position and commitments regarding action on climate change.

 

1.         That the report “Climate Change Strategy and Implementation Plan”, by Matt De Boer, Climate Change Resilience Coordinator and Justin Murfitt, Strategic Policy Specialist, and dated 8 June 2021, be received.

2.         Subject to any final amendments, that the Climate Change Working Party recommend to council to adopt the draft Climate Change Strategy and Implementation Plan at the July 2021 council meeting.

3.         That council seek informal feedback from district councils in Northland prior to July adoption.

4.         The Climate Change Working Party supports council making a public statement about council’s position and commitments regarding action on climate change following council’s adoption of the Climate Change Strategy and Implementation Plan in July.

 

Rationale for the Strategy

Climate change is one of the most significant challenges of our generation, and has been acknowledged by the current council as being a key focus area for NRC.  

The ongoing effects of climate change pose significant challenges to the people and natural environment in Northland. The region is likely to experience significant impacts of climate change, including increases in coastal and river flooding and erosion, drought, wildfire, pest incursions and ecosystem stresses. Māori are likely to be disproportionately affected by climate change impacts, due to both the geographic location of many Māori communities and cultural assets, and the interaction of climate impacts with existing inequities. 

Climate change is largely driven by carbon emissions from fossil fuels, and these are increasing to dangerous levels globally. This locks in future climate change that will affect generations to come. Despite investment in electric vehicles and solar panels, NRC’s carbon footprint has been increasing year on year, largely due to councils increasing level of delivery and resourcing required to achieve this. 

Although council currently undertakes a range of activities related to climate change, there has been to date no NRC policy or strategic direction to enable a coordinated and comprehensive response to adapt to the effects of climate change or to enable a consistent reduction in carbon emissions. 

Process for developing the Strategy

In mid-2020, council commenced the development of a climate change strategy for council.  The attached draft climate change strategy was developed and presented for discussion at the following staff and governance meetings:

·    Climate change steering group - staff (2020, 2021)

·    Climate Change Working Party (June 2020)

·    Te Taitokerau Maori and Council Working Party (July 2020)

·    Maori Technical Advisory Group (September 2020; March, June 2021)

·    Executive Leadership team (June 2021)

·    Te Taitokerau Māori and Council Working Party (July 2021)

The scope of the draft Strategy presented is aligned with the goals, responsibilites, and actions available to the Northland Regional Council. It provides a high-level vision and strategic framework to underpin future investments in organisational capacity, recognising that a response to climate change from the Northland Regional Council must be cross-organisational. It considers the need to reduce carbon emissions and to promote the storage of carbon in our natural environment, as well as the need to enhance resilience to the impacts of climate hazards and stressors. 

An Implementation Plan for the Strategy has also been developed. Alongside the Strategy, the implementation plan aims to coordinate climate change related activities and projects across council and to ensure that council’s response is comprehensive, consistent, transparent, accountable and uses appropriate standards.

The Implementation Plan documents a total of 43 existing and planned NRC projects relating specifically to climate change across 14 NRC teams, and includes recently approved 2021-24 LTP projects. Key staff and managers were engaged during the development of LTP projects in late 2020, and to corroborate details in the Implementation Plan in early 2021. Group Managers confirmed project resourcing and timeframes, and ELT provided feedback on the documents on 3^rd June 2021.

The Strategy and Implementation Plan will be reviewed regularly, and formally updated following the next LTP funding round. Reporting of Implementation Plan project progress will be provided to the Climate Change Working Party, council and ELT at regular intervals.

It is intended that the Strategy and Implementation Plan will be adopted by council at the July 2021 council meeting.

The Strategy presented here should not be confused with the Te Taitokerau Joint Adaptation Strategy being developed by the collaborative joint staff group Climate Adaptation Te Taitokerau, which brings together the views of all 4 councils in Northland and is focussed on climate change adaptation. 

Considerations

Staff seek feedback on the content and layout of the draft Strategy and Implementation Plan.

Feedback is sought on the name of the Strategy. It has been suggested that a title in Te Reo that has a visionary quality to it may be more appropriate than the word ‘strategy’ with its bureaucratic connotations (this will be a matter of discussion at the June 10 TTMAC meeting).

Staff have considered the need for public consultation on the Strategy and Implementation Plan, and consider the feedback received in the LTP consultation as being sufficiently supportive of council’s direction on climate change. However, staff recommend requesting informal feedback from district councils in Northland to encourage collaboration and consistency between councils, but do not consider a broad community consultation process necessary.

It is also recommended that the release of the Strategy and Implementation Plan provides an appropriate opportunity for council to make a public statement about council’s position and commitments regarding action on climate change. Staff are developing a communications plan to help start conversations with the community about climate change, and the adoption and public release of the Strategy will be a key milestone in this process.

Staff seek final feedback and comments on the draft Climate Change Strategy and Implementation Plan, in particular:

1.         Content and layout of the Strategy and Implementation Plan.

2.         Name of the Strategy: whether it should be in Te Reo; and guidance on an appropriate process for choosing the name.

3.         The proposed limited consultation process.

4.         Any specific guidance on key messaging for councils future public statement on climate change as part of the public release of the Climate Change Strategy and Implementation Plan.

 

Attachment 1: NRC Climate Change Strategy DRAFT ⇩

Attachment 2: NRC Climate Change Strategy Implementation Plan DRAFT ⇩  

 

16 June 2021Attachment 1

 

TITLE:	LTP Project Update
ID:	A1449390
From:	Matt De Boer, Climate Change Resilience Coordinator and Justin Murfitt, Strategic Policy Specialist
Authorised by Group Manager:	Jonathan Gibbard, Group Manager - Environmental Services, on 10 June 2021

 

Councils across Northland have committed significant resources in the 2021-2024 Long-Term Plan to climate change activities.

Northland Regional Council has approved five dedicated climate change LTP projects:

·        Hapu engagement facilitator

·        Zero-carbon transition

·        Adaptive pathways program

·        Freshwater resilience project

·        Water tank project

Across these projects, NRC has allocated a total of $2,675,000 in operating expenditure and $155,000 in capital expenditure, as well as 3 additional full time staff (with two additional staff beginning year 3) over three years.

District councils have also allocated significant resources to climate change adaptation and emissions reduction programmes:

·        KDC - $550,000 over three years, no additional staff

·        FNDC - $972,000 over three years, plus one FTE position

·        WDC - $722,332 over three years, plus two FTE positions (includes waste minimisation) 

1.         That the report titled ‘LTP Project Update’ by Matt de Boer, Climate Change Resilience Coordinator and dated 1 June 2021, be received

 

Five major programs with a climate change focus were approved in the 2021-2024 LTP:

 

1.         Hapū engagement facilitator:

Aim: Development of the Hapū-led adaptation planning facilitation program. Will likely include identification of community needs, partnership with hapū, development of engagement methodology, facilitation of adaptation/resilience plans, identification of potential funding opportunities.

Staff: 1xFTE ongoing

Opex: $100,000 p.a

 

2.         Zero Carbon Transition

Aim: Development and implementation of council’s climate positive transition plan including: emissions accounting; optimised emissions reduction plan; setting net-zero targets; carbon offset and removal strategy; supporting business cases; providing assistance with regional emissions reductions and carbon removal options.

Staff: 1xFTE/3yrs

Opex: $75,000 p.a.

 

3.         Adaptive pathways program

Aim: Support and coordination of region-wide adaptation planning program with district councils; also internal coordination and support for investigations and implementation of NRC climate change adaptation responsibilities (e.g. biosecurity, biodiversity, water resilience, natural hazards)

Staff: 1xFTE yr1-6; 2xFTE yr3-6

Opex: $200,000 p.a.

 

4.         Freshwater resilience project

Aim: Maintaining/improving resilience of freshwater environments; meeting NPS-FM and NES-FW objectives regarding climate change; development of guidance/monitoring strategy considering the risks associated with climate change on Northland’s freshwater environments; continuous long-term water quality monitoring undertaken at 2 reference river sites and one outstanding dune lake.

Opex: $50,000 (10-year total) Consultant (one-off)

Capex: $225,000 (10-year total) (telemetered continuous water quality sensors at the reference monitoring streams and high value water bodies)

5.         Water tank project

Aim: Water tank assistance programme delivered to support communities to catch, store and treat water for domestic use, in order to improve water resilience during drought. Align with other water resilience programs and work with new hapū-focussed climate change program.

Staff: nil

Capex/opex: $500,000 p.a.

 

Total expenditure across the first three years of the LTP is summarised below: 

NRC Climate change LTP 2021-2024 budgets yr 1-3 ($'000)
Opex	Yr 1	Yr 2	Yr 3	Total
Hapu engagement facilitator	100	100	100	300
Zero-carbon transition	75	75	75	225
Adaptive pathways program	200	200	200	600
Freshwater resilience project		50		50
Water tank project	500	500	500	1500
Total yr 1-3 Opex				2675
Capex	Yr 1	Yr 2	Yr 3	Total
Freshwater resilience project			155	155
Total Yr 1-3 Capex				155

 

The NRC Climate Change Strategy and Implementation Plan documents all of council’s projects relating to climate change, both planned and underway, and includes projects funded by existing budgets.

 

Kaipara District Council:

Option 1 – Baseline Programme approved by Council at May LTP Deliberations. 

·    $1.5m over 10 yrs opex

·    Yr 1 - 175k

·    Yr 2 - $200k 

·    Yr 3 - $175k

·    Yrs 4-10 - $680k

Covers the development of climate change policy, development and engagement on climate action plan, development, and engagement on 2 full adaptive pathways projects.

No additional FTEs (one existing dedicated climate change policy analyst position)

 

Far North District Council:

$972k excluding salaries approved for 2021 to 2024 within the draft LTP.

Covers both adaptation and mitigation work.

One additional adaptation engagement position in year 2 (plus one existing sustainability officer position).

 

Whangarei District Council:

$722,332 over three years, with a total of $3.7million over 10 years has been confirmed following deliberations but has yet to be formally adopted by council. (An additional $20 million has been allocated for the Blue Green Network over 10 years covering 2 programmes - stormwater and parks).  

Two additional positions for Climate change adaptation project manager / programme lead; and Corporate Sustainability coordinator (no existing dedicated climate change role – workload is currently shared by planning staff). Potential for an additional position with a climate change focus in the Infrastructure Department as part of restructure (unconfirmed).

 

Nil