MEDIA RELEASE

4 March, 2008

It’s Lights Out And On For Waitakere

Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey is urging local businesses and residents to turn off their lights on March 29 as part of Earth Hour.

Earth Hour is observed by people all around the world as a collective effort to highlight the need for action on climate change.

“Waitakere was New Zealand’s first Eco City and we are the leading ‘green’ city so it is the perfect opportunity for us to prove our commitment to sustainability in our city and on the planet,” says Mayor Harvey.

“The Waitakere City Council will turn off the lights at all its buildings and I would like to think every person in Waitakere will do the same because by doing so they can be part of a powerful message on global warming.”

Mayor Harvey says the global gesture is a symbolic one to raise public awareness and while that’s commendable much more needs to be done.

“These are serious times and we’ve now got to look seriously at new ideas and technology. In Waitakere’s sister city Huntington Beach in California they are turning sewer water into drinking water,” he says.

“In Sydney there’s an ambitious plan to lift pedestrians and cyclists above the urban jungle onto an elevated path or air-bridge six metres off the ground, held up by columns at intervals to span the road corridors.

“This is big thinking and that’s what we are doing in Waitakere. Thinking big - very big. We are going to up the ante in terms of solar and wind energy and we are going to be very creative in our solutions to climate change. Indeed, Waitakere will lead the way on the environmental stage, as it always has, and to do that we must be innovative and inspirational.”

Mayor Bob says achieving those goals will be a top priority over the next three years.

“So come on westies. Let’s start this exciting journey by turning off the lights on Saturday March 29 from 8pm to 9pm and see the difference that can be made if we work together.

***ENDS***

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