1 February 2007

Council challenged to achieve international status as a sustainable city

A report to Auckland City Mayor Dick Hubbard challenges the council to be bold and imaginative in setting tough targets to achieve international status as a sustainable city. The Mayoral Task Force on Sustainable Development has also called on the council to lead by example.

The task force says Auckland City Council must "walk the talk" on topics such as waste reduction, climate change, biodiversity, sustainable buildings, low impact infrastructure, and community empowerment.

The mayor presented the report to the Urban Strategy and Governance Committee today and officers were asked to prioritise issues relating to global warming, climate change and carbon emissions for the committee's March meeting.

The task force, made up of experts from their chosen fields and including four councillors led by Deputy Mayor Dr Bruce Hucker, settled on seven key areas for their recommendations.

They are:

* a thriving economy * empowered local communities * world class low-impact infrastructure * enhanced landscape and biodiversity * zero waste to landfill * climate change mitigation and adaptation * sustainable buildings and urban design

It recommends focusing on over 43 actions in five leadership areas:

* walking the talk: the council as an exemplar * empowering the communities of Auckland * caring for the living environment * economic growth and opportunity * the council as a catalyst for change

The mayor said the report highlighted that although the city was doing some good work "we need to sharply intensify our efforts."

"Other cities such as Melbourne, Vancouver, Boston, Seattle and some English cities were well ahead of Auckland in providing for a sustainable future. We have to catch up. Sustainability is recognised as a real issue in communities overseas. It's winning the hearts and minds and people take pride in what can be achieved.

"Properly handled, the recommended actions in this report will ring true with our own residents and ratepayers," he added.

He said it was important the council took the task force's work seriously. It meant embarking on a major programme and "not just tinkering around the edges."

Dr Hucker, chair of the Urban Strategy and Governance Committee, said the priorities from the task force report should be focused on the urgent need to address the issues of global warming, climate change and carbon emissions.

"There's a growing international awareness of the significant threat to life on earth caused by the impact of industrial development and our life style. We have to address the impact on our city with a degree of urgency."

The cost of adopting the recommendations of the task force and the committee will be considered by the Combined Committees meeting in March.

Copies of the task force report will soon be made available to community boards and libraries and on the council's website, www.aucklandcity.govt.nz

ENDS

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