Kāpiti Coast poised to become third council to declare a climate change emergency
The Kapiti Coast looks set to become the country's third district to declare a climate change emergency, appealing to the Government for help. Although the declaration carries no statutory or legal weight, it was a symbolic move highlighting the looming crisis facing the councils throughout the country, Kapiti Mayor K Gurunathan said. In Kapiti, the rationale behind the decision included the cost of a handful of multi-million-dollar seawalls to protect the coastline. "It recognises our communities are facing an iceberg of significant costs now, and increasingly over the coming decades, from coastal erosion and floods." READ MORE: * Nelson declares climate change emergency * Costs rise for crumbling coastlines * Regional council retreating from coastline The council's decision follows on from both Nelson City Council and the Environment Canterbury (Ecan) who recently joined a growing global movement of climate emergency declarations . Wellington City Council mayor Justin Lester said it would also declare a climate change emergency once the council received the report following feedback from the Zero Carbon Capital Te Atakura First to Zero plan which closed on May 10. He expected the council to come to a decision in coming months but said Wellingtonians placed importance on climate change. Gurunathan had tabled the motion for councillors to vote on and hoped it would prompt the regional council and central government to put money and expertise toward the problem. Costs for the $17m Paekakariki Seawall, the $1.2m Wharemaku seawall and another, four-kilometre seawall expected to cost about $38m, all loomed for the community. About 1800 properties along the district's 42km coastline also faced erosion issues. "These properties, with an estimated value of $1.6 billion, are also some of the district's highest ratepayers," Gurunathan said. Greater Wellington Regional Council announced in April that it had planned a staged retreat from the Paekakariki coastline and, on Tuesday, said it would consider a declaration of its own at a future council meeting. In the meantime, the council would call on the Government to set up a long term fund to help communities adjust to climate change. Spearheaded by Local Government NZ, vice-president Stuart Crosby said it was a fair way of doing things. "New Zealand has a good track record of putting funds aside to pay for a future liability. Just look at the Super Fund. We're advocating for the same approach to be taken with climate change, with central and local government each carrying a share of the costs." Climate Change Minister James Shaw said some MPs were discussing the possibility of asking Parliament to declare a climate emergency but he wasn't involved in the talks and didn't know if, or when, they might make the request. He supported the idea of Parliament, rather than the Government, making a statement on a climate emergency which meant it couldn't be ignored or abandoned by subsequent governments "The way a declaration was conducted in the UK Parliament is a good example NZ could follow."