Today Environment Canterbury’s Council approved consultation on their draft Annual Plan for 2022/23. Submissions will be invited during the consultation period from 2 March – 3 April 2022.

Chair Jenny Hughey said, "In developing this draft plan the Council have kept to the commitments we made with the community in the Long-Term Plan, and carefully considered how we - as an organisation but also as a community - might accelerate action in response to climate change.

“I’m excited about the options we're proposing to encourage people to use public buses rather than private cars, given the urgent need to reduce emissions due to planetary overshoot. We must also respond to the major floods from last year, and ensure we are well placed to face more severe and frequent weather events.”

The Long-Term Plan 2021-31 indicated an 18.8% increase in total rates required for the planned activities in the 2022/23 year. A 24.1% increase is now being proposed. The actual rates increase for ratepayers will depend on the location and value of the property being rated.

From next week, Council will be seeking submissions in particular on three topics, all of which are related to climate change:

1. Trial of reduced or free bus fares in Greater Christchurch - with a corresponding increase in rates to urban residents in Greater Christchurch.
2. Recovery from the regional impact of the May 2021 floods, and how we pay for that, as well as the distribution of costs for flood protection in the Ashburton River/ Hakatere rating district.
3. Future funding for action in response to climate change, and ensuring the costs are fairly distributed.

Note, the future funding topic is not proposed to impact rates for the coming year but is to start to gather the community’s thoughts on how current actions and new activities could be funded in the future. This is recognising that we can expect more frequent and more significant impacts from climate change, and we need to be ready and resilient to these.

“We know we need to respond with urgency to the climate and ecological emergency. And we know that this comes at a cost. What we want to know from the community is ‘what do you think of the options we are proposing?’. If you agree, tell us. If you have a different or better idea, we need to hear it.

“This isn’t the time to sit back and not share your views – we are all in this together as a community and the Council needs to hear from the people of Canterbury as we face the climate and ecological emergency together, while also delivering our other functions to support a sustainable urban and rural environment now and for future generations.”

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