Not all ORC councillors behind city zero carbon advisory group

AN invitation for the Otago Regional Council to join a Dunedin zero carbon advisory group has divided councillors.

The Dunedin City Council asked the regional council to join, as a founding member, the DCC’s Dunedin City Zero Carbon 2030 Alliance — a concept approved late last year which looks to take a partnership approach to reducing the city’s emissions.

Organisations already involved in discussions include the Otago Polytechnic, the University of Otago, Dunedinbased runaka, and the Southern District Health Board.

It led to a debate between regional councillors during a full council meeting on Wednesday, as some councillors felt they should be focusing on all of Otago, not just Dunedin.

Cr Marian Hobbs said she supported joining the alliance, particularly given the regional council was responsible for public transport, which contributed to Dunedin’s emissions.

Cr Kate Wilson agreed and said the council had to start ‘‘facing reality’’.

‘‘Our weather is changing and our farmers are getting that the weather is changing.

‘‘If we don’t start doing mitigation — and this is all this is — we are going to have much bigger problems.’’

Cr Alexa Forbes added there was nothing to be lost through joining the alliance.

But not all councillors were convinced.

Cr Michael Laws called the alliance ‘‘virtue signalling’’ and said it was ‘‘premature’’.

Local government should wait until central government completes national consultation on the climate change commission’s draft emission reduction plan, he said.

Crs Laws and Hilary Calvert were concerned about the regional council focusing solely on Dunedin.

Cr Kevin Malcolm said he would have been motivated to vote yes if it was a regional alliance.

Some councillors argued a Dunedin alliance would set the framework for a regional alliance in the future.

The vote for the regional council to confirm its participation in developing the memorandum of understanding for the alliance was won.

Alliance members are not obliged to formally adopt the city council’s target of net zero carbon emissions by 2030, according to the draft memorandum of understanding.