Climate activists focus on transport

Taranaki Regional councillors sat through a day of brickbats and bouquets as public submissions on the council’s 2021-2031 long-term plan were presented in full.

The 22 oral presentations, from a total of 91 submitted, came from a mix of climate activists, hydrogen producers, native bird sanctuary trusts, search and rescue coordinators, iwi and biking and walking trail promoters.

Most were supportive of the council’s long-term vision while some found faults.

Taranaki Regional Council (TRC) has been tasked to budget $423.7 million over the next decade on improving public transport and freshwater management of waterways, as well as upgrading their own office building and investing in a post-Covid-19 regional recovery.

Climate activists centred their concerns towards poor public transport services in Taranaki.

Swiss-born Urs Signer, now living in Parihaka, said he was disappointed with the council not including climate change at the forefront of the plan.

Signer supported every diesel bus in the council’s fleet being replaced by electric buses, but couldn’t understand why electric buses cost $680,000 each.

‘‘It sounds quite high,’’ he told councillors through a Zoom broadcast to the council chambers from his coastal Taranaki house.

Signer said he was pleased that when he used the bus to get home from New Plymouth on Friday afternoon it was full of passengers – but he wanted extended services to Okato and Urenui.

‘‘What is missing is decent funding. It’s completely underfunded,’’ he said.

He urged council to subsidise bus passes for all TRC staff.

Climate Justice Taranaki (CJT), in a 63-page submission, supported more rural bus services, suggesting adults should be allowed on school buses – not only to lessen the need for daytime services but help curb students’ disruptive behaviour.

Smaller electric or biofuelpowered buses, and more frequent services, would require less energy to run, cost less, and be ultimately easier to fill with passengers, the group’s submission said.

CJT proposed gifting Port Taranaki back to mana whenua, either Te A¯ tiawa or Nga¯ ti Te Whiti iwi, and ratepayers to take responsibility to clean up the port area and transition it for new uses such as servicing sailing ships, and hapu housing.

Dion Cowley, spokesman for hydrogen fuel promoter Hiringa

Energy, wanted the TRC to be a ‘‘consumer’’ of hydrogen gas for public transport.

Taranaki can produce green hydrogen while the council can consume it, he said. The company was already working with other councils to use compressed hydrogen for public transport, with Auckland City spending $1m to trial hydrogen-powered buses.

Okato residents Mike and Lynn Spencer asked the council to spend less money on shifting rocks from the Stony River to prevent flooding, arguing that it was not working.

The council spent the latter part of the day in deliberations of the plan.