Notice of the Ordinary meeting of

Nelson City Council

Te Kaunihera o Whakatū

 

Date:                        Wednesday 17 November 2021

Time:                       9.30a.m.

Location:                  Council Chamber
Civic House
110 Trafalgar Street, Nelson

Agenda

Rārangi take

Chairperson                     Her Worship the Mayor Rachel Reese

Deputy Mayor                  Cr Judene Edgar

Members                         Cr Yvonne Bowater

        Cr Trudie Brand

        Cr Mel Courtney

        Cr Kate Fulton

        Cr Matt Lawrey

        Cr Rohan O'Neill-Stevens

        Cr Brian McGurk

        Cr Gaile Noonan

        Cr Pete Rainey

        Cr Rachel Sanson

        Cr Tim Skinner

Quorum:  7                                                                           Pat Dougherty

Chief Executive

Nelson City Council Disclaimer

Please note that the contents of these Council and Committee agendas have yet to be considered by Council and officer recommendations may be altered or changed by the Council in the process of making the formal Council decision. For enquiries call (03) 5460436.


Council Values

 

Following are the values agreed during the 2019 – 2022 term:

 

A. Whakautetanga: respect

B. Kōrero Pono: integrity

C. Māiatanga: courage

D. Whakamanatanga: effectiveness

E. Whakamōwaitanga: humility

F. Kaitiakitanga: stewardship

G. Manaakitanga: generosity of spirit

 

 


Nelson City Council

17 November 2021

 

 

Page No.

 

Karakia and Mihi Timatanga

1.       Apologies

Nil

2.       Confirmation of Order of Business

3.       Interests

3.1       Updates to the Interests Register

3.2       Identify any conflicts of interest in the agenda

4.       Public Forum

4.1       Dr. Murray McClintock, on behalf of Carbon Farm Ltd - Emissions Trading Scheme and Council’s Financial Obligations

5.       Mayor's Report

6.       Nelson Tasman Climate Forum - Charter  6 - 24

Document number R26192

Recommendation

That the Council

1.     Receives the report Nelson Tasman Climate Forum - Charter (R26192) and its attachments (A2560914, A2771786, A2771833); and

2.     Delegates authority to Her Worship the Mayor to sign the Nelson Tasman Climate Forum Charter on behalf of Council as a Partner Organisation.

 

 

Confidential Business

7.       Exclusion of the Public

Recommendation

That the Council

1.       Excludes the public from the following parts of the proceedings of this meeting.

2.       The general subject of each matter to be considered while the public is excluded, the reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter and the specific grounds under section 48(1) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 for the passing of this resolution are as follows: 

 

Item

General subject of each matter to be considered

Reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter

Particular interests protected (where applicable)

1

Code of Conduct - establishment of panel

 

Section 48(1)(a)

The public conduct of this matter would be likely to result in disclosure of information for which good reason exists under section 7

The withholding of the information is necessary:

·    Section 7(2)(a)

     To protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of a deceased person

 

8.       Carbon Credit Potential from Council Indigenous Forests                                 25 - 44

Document number R26311

Recommendation

That the Council

1.     Receives the report Carbon Credit Potential from Council Indigenous Forests (R26311) and its attachments (A2761326, A2737347); and

2.     Agrees that no further assessment of carbon credit registration for Council’s indigenous forests will be undertaken as it is unlikely to yield any financial benefits.

 

 

9.       Adoption of the Climate Action Plan       45 - 74

Document number R26187

Recommendation

That the Council

1.       Receives the report   (R26187) and its attachments (A2739648 and A2772355); and

2.       Adopts the Climate Action Plan (A2739648).

 

 

10.     Recommendation from 4 November 2021 Environment and Climate Committee - Whakamahere Whakatū Nelson Plan Programme Update                                 75 - 88

Document number R26391

Recommendation

That the Council

1.     Receives the report Whakamahere Whakatū Nelson Plan Programme Update (R26248) and its attachment (A2781941); and

2.     Approves the revised recommended programme, including:

a) pausing work on the Whakamahere Whakatū Nelson Plan, to progress a Housing Choice Plan Change to the Nelson Resource Management Plan; and

b) continuing with the freshwater planning framework development; and

c)  continuing with the Coastal Hazard Dynamic Adaptive Pathways planning programme; and

d) considering other priorities for plan changes following the enactment of the Natural and Built Environment Act.

 

  

 

Karakia Whakamutunga  


 

Item 6: Nelson Tasman Climate Forum - Charter

 

Council

17 November 2021

 

 

REPORT R26192

Nelson Tasman Climate Forum - Charter

 

 

1.       Purpose of Report

1.1       To approve signing of the Nelson Tasman Climate Forum Charter by the Mayor on behalf of Council.

2.       Summary

2.1       The Charter previously went before Council on 13 February 2020 and was approved for signing by the Mayor.

2.2       The Charter signing did not take place at that time and the Charter text has since been amended. The latest version (Attachment 1) was endorsed by the Forum Coordination Group in late December 2020 and is now ready for consideration.

 

3.       Recommendation

 

That the Council

1.     Receives the report Nelson Tasman Climate Forum - Charter (R26192) and its attachments (A2560914, A2771786, A2771833); and

2.     Delegates authority to Her Worship the Mayor to sign the Nelson Tasman Climate Forum Charter on behalf of Council as a Partner Organisation.

 

 

4.       Background

            Nelson Tasman Climate Forum

4.1.      The Forum was established with the support of Council through the 2019/20 Annual Plan meeting of 4 June 2019, with the following resolution:

    Resolved CL/2019/089

    That the Council      

    Approves a total of $254,500 for climate change initiatives from general rates, comprised of: establishment of a climate forum…

4.2       Council has continued to support and participate in the Forum since its establishment with Councillor Fulton, as Chair of the Environment and Climate Committee, representing Council on the Forum Leadership Group. The Long Term Plan 2021-31 includes support for the Climate Forum of $100,000 per annum for the first three years. The Council grant will be used for a range of outcomes in the Nelson region (i.e., within the Nelson City Council boundaries), aligned with the Forum weaving plan (Attachment 2) and outlined in the grant agreement. 

The Charter

4.3       The Charter sets out a shared understanding of how the Nelson Tasman region will work together to achieve goals and commitments for addressing climate change. On 13 February 2020, Council received and approved the Charter text and, subject to some minor wording changes, authorised the Mayor to sign the Charter on behalf of Council.

4.4       However, in the lead up to the launch of the Forum on 29 February 2020, it was decided by the Forum Coordination Group that more time was needed to finalise the Charter, including gathering additional input from stakeholders and iwi.

4.5       Since then, the Charter has been redrafted and approved by the Kaitiaki o Te Taiao group of iwi representatives. A new element in the Charter now is the three levels of membership to choose between when signing: “Signatories”, “Partner Organisations”, and “Climate Allies”.

4.7       Signatories: Signatories to the Charter hold themselves accountable for actively leading implementation of the Weaving Plan to achieve the vision of the Nelson Tasman Strategic Climate Action Plan (now known as the Climate Action Book).  They collectively ensure that actions in the Nelson Tasman Strategic Climate Action Plan are undertaken in good faith and to the best of their abilities.  Signatories approve the Weaving Plan and Nelson Tasman Strategic Climate Action Plan including revisions to those Plans, and also the operating procedures (Attachment 3) of the Forum.

4.8       Partner Organisations: Partner organisations endorse the Charter and commit to act in good faith within their functions and capabilities to support the Nelson Tasman Climate Forum in achieving its goals.  Partner organisations undertake to respond supportively to the Nelson Tasman Strategic Climate Action Plan as the Forum implements its actions. Partner organisations can expect to be involved in forming revisions to the Nelson Tasman Strategic Climate Action Plan and other strategic documents, but do not have decision-making authority.  They are expected to work with the Forum in developing actions and projects but are not bound to anything that they do not choose to commit to.

4.9       Climate Allies: Climate allies are individual people or organisations that endorse the Charter and commit to personal action to support its goals. Climate allies can expect to be kept informed and offered opportunities to participate in the Forum’s activities.

4.10     Tasman District Council has approved signing the Charter as a Climate Ally. The chair of the Nelson Tasman Climate Forum is expecting to invite both mayors to sign the charter at an upcoming hui on 27 November.

4.11     Council’s level of involvement in establishing the Forum and its role in the Leadership Group indicates that membership as either a “Partner Organisation” or “Signatory” would most appropriate. If Council was a Signatory, it would have decision-making rights within the Forum and thus more ability to influence direction and the content of future strategic documents. However, there is a significantly higher legal risk to Council associated with the Signatory tier because this category of member undertakes to comply with decisions of the Forum.  This gives rise to the potential for a clear conflict between the terms of the Charter and Council’s broader obligations, and also a risk of predetermination if Council participates in decision-making at the Forum without first going through its normal decision-making processes.

5.       Discussion

5.1       Council has been directly engaged with the Forum since it was formed. Signing the Charter as a “Partner Organisation” is a signal that Council is committed to long term and meaningful contributions to climate action, alongside the community.

5.2       Approving signature of the Charter will demonstrate that Council’s actions are aligned with its intentions and position it well for continued engagement on climate action.

6.       Options

6.1       Four options are presented to Council for consideration. Option 2 is the recommended option.

 

Option 1: Approve signing of Charter (as a “Signatory”)

Advantages

·   Is consistent with Council’s previous decision to sign the Charter

·   Gives Council decision-making rights within the Forum

·   Demonstrates Council’s strong commitment to work with community partners to take action on climate change

·   Recognises Council’s role in establishing the Forum and providing ongoing financial support

Risks and Disadvantages

·   There is some tension between the commitment by Signatories to certain goals contained in the Charter and Council’s wider responsibilities under the Local Government Act 2002

Option 2: Approve signing of Charter (as a “Partner Organisation”) – Recommended option

Advantages

·   Is consistent with Council’s previous decision to sign the Charter

·   Commits to a role that is more clearly aligned with Council’s wider responsibilities under the Local Government Act 2002.

·   Recognises Council’s role in establishing the Forum and providing ongoing financial support

Risks and Disadvantages

·    Council would not have a decision-making role in the Forum

·    May signal a lower level of commitment to the work of the Climate Forum

Option 3: Approve signing of Charter (as “Climate Allies)

Advantages

·    Is consistent with Council’s previous decision to sign the Charter

·    Consistent with Tasman District Council decision

·    Commits to a role that is more clearly aligned with Council’s wider responsibilities under the Local Government Act 2002.

 

Disadvantages

·    Likely to be seen as a lower level of commitment to the work of the Climate Forum

·    May be seen as inconsistent with the level of support and funding Council has provided for the Climate Forum

Option 4: Do not approve signing of Charter

Advantages

·    None identified

Risks and Disadvantages

·    Could be perceived as a signal that Council does not support the work of the Nelson Tasman Climate Forum

 

 

7.       Conclusion

7.1       This approval process serves as a continuation and reaffirmation of Council’s desire to work with community partners in tackling climate change. Agreement to signing the Charter will demonstrate that Council is committed to the work the Forum is doing as an advocate for positive climate action and enable Council to continue to collaborate with and influence the work of the Forum as an active participant.

8.       Next Steps

8.1       If signing the Charter is approved, officers will liaise with the Forum to finalise arrangements.

           

 

Author:           Daniela Ramirez, Climate Change Adaptation Adviser

Attachments

Attachment 1:    A2560914 - Nelson Tasman Climate Forum Charter

Attachment 2:    A2771786 - Nelson Tasman Climate Forum Weaving Plan

Attachment 3:    A2771833 - Nelson Tasman Climate Forum Operating Procedures  

 

Important considerations for decision making

1.   Fit with Purpose of Local Government

This recommendation supports the future environmental, social and economic wellbeing of Nelson by encouraging community collaboration to tackle the impacts of climate change. The recommendation also supports the development of a consistent regional approach to taking urgent action on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

2.   Consistency with Community Outcomes and Council Policy

The recommendation supports many of the community outcomes but in particular

·    Our communities are healthy, safe, inclusive and resilient

·    Our unique natural environment is healthy and protected

·    Our region is supported by an innovative and sustainable economy

·    Our Council provides leadership and fosters partnerships, a regional perspective, and community engagement.

3.    Risk

 There is reputational risk if Council chooses not to sign the Charter given Council’s role in establishing the Forum and its ongoing funding, participation and other support. To not sign could be seen as inconsistent with Council’s decision to declare a Climate Emergency.

There is some level of risk that membership as a Signatory creates a tension with Council’s wider responsibilities under the Local Government Act 2002. The wording in the Charter about decisions not being binding on members and acknowledging members’ legal obligations provides some mitigation of this tension.  Membership as a Partner Organisation, rather than a Signatory, also mitigates this risk.  

4.   Financial impact

There is no immediate financial impact of this decision.

 

5.   Degree of significance and level of engagement

This matter is of low significance given it is consistent with previous Council decisions and with consultation through the Long Term Plan 2021-31 on Council’s commitment to action on climate change. Therefore, no engagement with the wider community is planned.

 

6.   Climate Impact

The decision to sign the Climate Charter signals Council’s commitment to work with partners to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the resilience of the Nelson region. 

7.   Inclusion of Māori in the decision making process

No engagement with Māori has been undertaken in preparing this report.

8.   Delegations

The Environment and Climate Change Committee has the appropriate delegations in consideration of this report.

Areas of Responsibility:

Climate change impact and strategy overview - mitigation, adaptation and resiliency

Powers to Recommend to Council:

•      Approval of final versions of strategies, policies and plans

On the recommendation of the Chief Executive, and with the agreement of the Chair of the relevant committee, subcommittee or subordinate decision-making body and Mayor, matters within the area of responsibility of a particular committee, subcommittee or subordinate decision-making body may be considered directly by Council instead. 

 

 


Item 6: Nelson Tasman Climate Forum - Charter: Attachment 1

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Item 6: Nelson Tasman Climate Forum - Charter: Attachment 2

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Item 6: Nelson Tasman Climate Forum - Charter: Attachment 3

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Item 7: Carbon Credit Potential from Council Indigenous Forests

 

Council

17 November 2021

 

 

REPORT R26311

Carbon Credit Potential from Council Indigenous Forests

 

 

1.       Purpose of Report

1.1       To provide the results from an assessment of Council owned or managed land that may be eligible for carbon credits under the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZETS) from regenerating indigenous forests.

2.       Recommendation

 

That the Council

1.     Receives the report Carbon Credit Potential from Council Indigenous Forests (R26311) and its attachments (A2761326, A2737347); and

2.     Agrees that no further assessment of carbon credit registration for Council’s indigenous forests will be undertaken as it is unlikely to yield any financial benefits.

 

 

3.       Background

3.1       Council's 2020/2021 Annual Plan noted that Council had initiated "a review of opportunities for offsetting Emissions Trading Scheme liabilities through earning carbon credits from our own forestry and reserves".

3.2       To examine the potential for earning carbon credits from Council's indigenous forests, an analysis was commissioned in April 2021 from Carbon Forest Services (CFS), a well-established and recognised consultancy in the New Zealand forestry and carbon market. It has undertaken similar assessments for other councils, as well as assisted with their carbon credit application processes, and advises on management of forest carbon credits. That report is appended (see Attachments 1 and 2).

3.3       The CFS report included the potential of existing and potential new indigenous forests on Council land to earn carbon credits and informs the analysis and recommendations in this report. 

4.       Discussion

4.1       To qualify for registration under the NZETS the land must:

4.1.1    have been non-forest (i.e., scrub, pasture, or some other non-forest land-use) on 31 December 1989;

4.1.2    have not been forested for at least four years prior to establishment; and

4.1.3    be indigenous forest species today.

4.2       To be considered as 'forest' it must also be capable of meeting several criteria, such as height (trees with potential to reach at least 5m in height at maturity), canopy coverage (30% at maturity) and minimum area/width (1 ha and 30 m respectively).

4.3       The mapping process used in the assessment was a desktop exercise (see Figure 1), using geo-referenced information held in government databases and on Council files, such as the LUCAS (Land Use and Carbon Analysis System) database, the LCDB (Landcover Database), the LINZ aerial photography database, other aerial photography, satellite imagery, property ownership and boundary data.

4.4       The analysis shows two areas with potential for ETS credits if registered:

4.4.1    ~2,220 ha of grassland and scrubland (shown in yellow or pale green in Figure 1).

4.4.2    27 ha of indigenous forests (dark blue areas in Figure 1). This includes some retired plantation forest areas.

Figure 1: Land classes based on CFS desktop assessment for land owned or managed by Nelson City Council

4.5       The larger portion of the land identified is in the ‘mineral belt’ which is not suited to tree growth. The Dun Mountain mineral belt is a unique geological area, highly significant for its biodiversity value where plants and animal communities have adapted to survive in the toxic, low fertility soils and harsh climate of this unique place. These communities can’t be found anywhere else in the world. Nelson Nature’s habitat restoration and pest control programmes are working to protect the native (indigenous) plants and animals of the mineral belt.

4.6       For the smaller land area, if Council wished to investigate this further, site inspections would need to be undertaken with a high chance that the site assessment would reduce the eligible land area even further, because some of the existing vegetation may not qualify.

4.7       Assuming carbon sequestration of 6 tonnes/ha/annum, and a carbon price of $64/hectare, the estimated income from credits earned per annum, if those areas were included in the NZETS, is $10,368. At that level of carbon sequestration and assuming all 27 hectares are eligible for the ETS, the number of carbon credits generated through the ETS would be 162 tonnes. This would be equivalent to 0.25% of the total emissions generated by the landfill, based on an estimated figure for carbon credits paid in 2020.

4.8       The costs of site assessment are estimated at between $5,000 to $10,000 and would involve visiting each site to collect evidence to determine stocking and tree species type and shrub type, as well as destructive sampling to determine vegetation age.  Applying for and administering the credits (including regular audits and site verification) is estimated at around $600. Adding in staff time to submit carbon emissions return reports and manage the account, total costs could be between $6-11,000.

4.9       The overall cost to register eligible indigenous forest would most likely absorb most or all of the earnings from the credits themselves at current carbon prices. It is noted that as the carbon price increases, the return would increase. However, the final eligible approved area could be less than this initial estimate as indigenous forest regeneration is extremely difficult to assess for carbon eligibility

Commercial forestry commentary

4.10     The CFS report also made recommendations with respect to commercial forestry. Although outside the scope of this report, comments on these recommendations are provided below for information. Any discussion would need to take place in the Forestry Subcommittee which holds the delegation for these issues and has the appropriate expertise available to answer any questions.

4.11     Recommendation 4.1 (independent author’s report page 9) – 45 hectares and 8.4 hectares (cutover) pre-1990 exotic forestry

4.11.1  The 45 hectares consists of several areas where the post-harvest management is conversion to indigenous forest by a mix of planting and natural regeneration that was not clearly visible from imagery used by the author. The ETS timeframe for re-establishment in indigenous forest species is longer than for exotic forests. Advice is that these areas comply with the ETS pre-1990 rules and so would not incur ETS deforestation penalties.

4.11.2  The 8.4 hectares, observed to be in a cutover state, will either be replanted in pine, or planted/regenerated in indigenous forest species within the required timeframe and will also be comply with pre-1990 rules and not face ETS deforestation penalties. A small area adjacent to the York valley landfill has not been replanted but is likely to be covered by an ETS exemption and this will be investigated.   

4.12     Recommendation 4.2 (independent author’s report page 9) – 267 hectares of post 1989 exotic forestry. The author recommends that Council may wish to consider re-registering this back into the ETS before 31 December 2022 as if not registered then it is unlikely to earn units in the future.

4.12.1  These stands could be registered under the new ‘averaging’ accounting option. But as they have already grown past their average ages, there is no benefit in doing this. If they are registered before 2023, the ‘stock change’ accounting option can be used where units are issued for growth but must be repaid when the forest is harvested.

4.12.2  The Council had registered 118 hectares of its post-1989 exotic forest in the ETS in 2012 (that was all that was eligible), but this was withdrawn in 2016 following the analysis and recommendation in the 2016 Catalyst report which was accepted by Council. This approach was confirmed by a separate analysis by PF Olsen Ltd in 2020. In short, the reason for not re-registering this into the ETS is that Council would have to surrender nearly all the NZU’s issued to it as the forest is harvested, as the area was planted over a compressed timeframe (84% was planted between 1994 and 1997). That means that there is no benefit to Council in re-registering these back into the ETS.        

5.       Options

 4.1        Two options are presented to the Committee for consideration. Officers support option 1.

 

Option 1: Do not undertake future assessment in the 27 hectares of land identified. Recommended option.

Advantages

·   Saving of cost and staff time

Risks and Disadvantages

·   None identified

Option 2: Request future assessment to be undertaken in the 27 hectares of land to identified

Advantages

·    Further assessment might find opportunities to register carbon credits for Council

Risks and Disadvantages

·    The cost of this future assessment would likely absorb most or all of the earnings from the credits themselves at current carbon prices

6.       Conclusion

6.1       The assessment of owned or managed land has shown that only a relatively small area of regenerating indigenous forest is likely to exist, and that this area is insufficient to justify an application for carbon credits.

6.2       Based on the small eligible land area, it is recommended that Council does not proceed with registering the areas of indigenous forest due to the small return on carbon credits and the complexities involved in registering indigenous forest in the ETS.

7.       Next Steps

7.1       Council will be estimating carbon sequestration figures as a “removal” (withdrawal of GHGs from the atmosphere) in future Council/communities carbon footprint inventories.

 

Author:           Daniela Ramirez, Climate Change Adaptation Adviser

Attachments

Attachment 1:    A2737347 - ETS Forestry opportunities (Part 2)

Attachment 2:    A2761326 - ETS Forestry opportunities (Part 1)  

 

Important considerations for decision making

1.   Fit with Purpose of Local Government

1. Consideration of carbon credit options for Council’s indigenous forestry supports the economic and environmental wellbeing of the community.

2.   Consistency with Community Outcomes and Council Policy

The recommendation supports the following community outcomes:

·    Our unique natural environment is healthy and protected

·    Our rural and urban environmental are sustainable managed

·    Our communities are healthy, safe, inclusive, and resilient

·    Our region is supported by an innovative and sustainable economy

And the following statement in Nelson 2060

·    Outstanding lifestyles, immersed in nature and strong communities

3.   Risk

There are no perceived risks associated with not taking future assessments, as the carbon sequestration will be considered in future carbon footprint inventories instead of recognising the value of sequestration through the Emission Trading Scheme.

4.   Financial impact

There is no financial impact if the future assessment is not conducted.

5.   Degree of significance and level of engagement

This matter is of low significance given the small financial value and therefore no engagement with the wider community is planned.

6.   Climate Impact

2.       Consideration of Council’s indigenous forestry assets and opportunities for climate credits supports the wider climate change work programme.

7.   Inclusion of Māori in the decision making process

No engagement with Māori has been undertaken in preparing this report.

8.   Delegations

The Environment and Climate Change Committee has the appropriate delegations in consideration of this report

Areas of Responsibility:

Climate change impact and strategy overview - mitigation, adaptation and resiliency

On the recommendation of the Chief Executive, and with the agreement of the Chair of the relevant committee, subcommittee or subordinate decision-making body and Mayor, matters within the area of responsibility of a particular committee, subcommittee or subordinate decision-making body may be considered directly by Council instead.

 


Item 7: Carbon Credit Potential from Council Indigenous Forests: Attachment 1

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Item 7: Carbon Credit Potential from Council Indigenous Forests: Attachment 2

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Item 8: Adoption of the Climate Action Plan

 

Council

17 November 2021

 

 

REPORT R26187

Adoption of the Climate Action Plan

 

 

1.       Purpose of Report

1.1       To adopt the Climate Action Plan, setting out the Council’s ten-year commitments to address climate change. 

2.       Summary

2.1       Nelson City Council’s Climate Action Plan (see Attachment 1) brings together in one place all the climate change related projects, actions and initiatives Council has approved funding for over the next ten years, as set out in the Long Term Plan 2021- 31 (LTP).

2.2       This LTP is a significant one for Council’s climate change journey, bringing together work and thinking over many years into Council’s most significant climate change work programme. 

2.3       The Plan will communicate Council’s initiatives, processes, budgets and timeframes to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to climate change. The Plan will be included on the Council website and will form an important accountability mechanism for measuring Council’s progress in addressing climate change.

3.       Recommendation

 

That the Council

1.     Receives the report Adoption of the Climate Action Plan (R26187) and its attachments (A2739648 and A2772355); and

2.     Adopts the Climate Action Plan (A2739648).

 

 


 

4.       Background

4.1       At its meeting of 13 August 2020 Council resolved as follows:

            That the Council

 

1.     Receives the report Council Emission Reduction Targets (R17034); and

2.     Commits to adopting the five-year emissions reductions budgets to be confirmed by government in 2021 as a way of ensuring Council takes early and substantive action towards achieving carbon neutral status with measurable positive changes by 2025;

3.     Agrees that Nelson City Council adopts the Government targets for Council’s own greenhouse gas emissions reductions (i.e., net zero emissions of all GHGs other than biogenic methane by 2050, and a 24 to 47 per cent reduction below 2017 biogenic methane emissions by 2050, including 10 per cent reduction below 2017 biogenic methane emissions by 2030); and

4.     Agrees that work is undertaken to develop specific emission reduction projects for inclusion in the Long Term Plan 2021-31, along with development of a comprehensive Council “Emissions Reduction Action Plan” in line with timeframes to produce the upcoming Long Term Plan; and

5.     Notes that a strategic framework, to bring together and provide high level guidance to all of the key elements of climate change work underway in Council, will be considered and scheduled through the development of the Long Term Plan 2021-31; and

6.     Notes that work to set targets and reduce emissions in the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit is critical to address Council’s entire emissions profile and that substantial work is already underway in the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit to measure and reduce emissions; and

7.     Notes that the development of community emissions targets and actions will be undertaken as a separate piece of work, aligned with the strategic framework and the work currently being undertaken by the Nelson Tasman Climate Forum; and

8.     Advocates to central government for an appropriate legislative and regulatory framework to support the local government sector to achieve carbon zero status.

4.2       At its meeting of 22 September 2020 Council resolved as follows:

          That the Council

 

1.     Receives the report Allocation of Climate Change Reserve Funding (A20265); and

2.     Allocates $139,620 of the remaining funds within the climate reserve for the purpose of undertaking priority climate change work in advance of the Long Term Plan, including preparation of an Emissions Reduction Action Plan; and

3.     Agrees that a sum of $20,000 remain in the Climate Change Reserve for community initiatives and if not used by May 2021, this funding go towards the priority climate change work outlined in report R20265; and

4.     Notes that future investment into the Climate Change Reserve will be considered through the Long Term Plan 2021 – 2031.

4.3       A first draft of an emissions reduction action plan was developed by a contractor before the end of 2020. Due to the workload associated with the LTP and staff turnover, that initial draft did not receive detailed review until April 2021. Since that time, the scope has been extended to include mitigation initiatives funded by Council that will support the reduction of GHG emissions within the community. This is beyond Council’s initiatives to reduce its own operational GHG emissions. Additionally, the Plan includes climate change adaptation initiatives for Council assets, operations and services as well as initiatives at a community level towards a more resilient city. Every action included in the Action Plan has been checked with the responsible officers to ensure budgets and timeframes are accurate and reflect recent Long Term Plan decisions.

4.4       Work to begin development of a strategic framework for climate change has been scheduled to commence in the 2021/22 year and it is proposed to start with a workshop with elected members (tentatively scheduled for March 2022) to discuss what the Climate Change Strategy framework should cover. Once direction is received about the scope of that work officers will be able advise on a timeline.

5.       Discussion

5.1       The Plan was workshopped with the Environment and Climate Committee on 3 August 2021. Feedback was received and the overall direction provided has been addressed in the final draft.

5.2       Feedback has also been sought from the Nelson Tasman Climate Forum, as the key overarching community group addressing climate change, established with Council funding from the 2019/20 Annual Plan. The feedback from the Forum was positive overall but there were also questions and suggestions for improvements. Information has been provided to the Forum in answer to various points raised and a number of minor amendments made to address suggestions (see Attachment 2). There were other suggestions made that are outside the scope of the Plan adoption, such as setting a more ambitious target for methane reduction or adding actions on waste reduction. Officers will discuss these ideas further with the Forum.

6.       Plan Structure

6.1       This Plan is structured in a way that identifies mitigation and adaptation initiatives within two scopes: Council operations and community initiatives.

6.2       The Plan includes a process to achieve Council targets for reducing GHG operational emissions and monitoring progress towards achieving net zero carbon and a more resilient community. The Plan includes work to identify and track GHG emissions alongside development of mitigation initiatives. Similarly, in the climate change adaptation area, the Plan includes a process to identify climate change risks, followed by the development of climate change adaptation plans.

Reporting

6.3       The Plan is a living document and as new climate change related initiatives and resourcing are approved it will be updated. When projects are completed or significantly altered, this will also be recognised in the Plan. As the Plan will be kept updated on Council’s website the public will be able to see the latest information about Council actions.

6.4       Reporting on Council emissions will occur annually with the intention being to publish in December each year with data from the previous financial year.  In working with Toitū for the last three years, Council has developed in-house capability to carry out Council’s carbon footprint inventory. Future inventories will be developed internally which will increase the sense of collective ownership and internal engagement of the whole organisation.

6.5       Reporting Nelson’s overall/community emissions is not as straightforward. At present the only data available is from Statistics NZ where data is separated out for high level groupings.

6.6       A working group has been set up to develop community GHG emissions data based in the Global Protocol for Communities-Scale GHG emissions. The working group includes Council staff, Nelson Regional Development Agency staff, Nelson Tasman Climate Forum members and Tasman District Council staff. This standard is a globally-accepted framework to consistently identify, calculate and report on city GHGs. It has been used for a number of councils in NZ that have accounted for community emissions (e.g. Christchurch, Auckland, Greater Wellington, Horizons Region, Whanganui).

 

6.7       Some other improvements are in progress. Statistics NZ will engage with the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) on determining a standard approach to measuring sequestration by region (expected in 2022). Statistics NZ and MfE are also discussing an approach for undertaking projections at the regional scale (if progressed this would not occur before 2022).

7.       Options

7.1       Two options are presented to Council for consideration. Officers recommend Option 1:

 

Option 1: Approve the Adoption of the Climate Action Plan (recommended option)

Advantages

·   Provides a critical tool for the organisation to track commitments and progress on climate action.

·   Key stakeholders and the community will find this a useful accountability mechanism for measuring Council’s work in addressing climate change.

Risks and Disadvantages

·   None identified

Option 2: Do not approve the Adoption of the Climate Action Plan

Advantages

·    None identified

Risks and Disadvantages

 

·    May signal that Council is not acting to implement and/or monitor initiatives to address climate change

·    May suggest that Council is not fully committed to the initiatives already endorsed in the Long Term Plan 20/21.

 

               

8.       Next Steps

8.1       Should the Plan be approved it will be uploaded to the Council website

8.2       Ongoing monitoring of the implementation of initiatives listed in the Plan and the targets.

 

 

Important considerations for decision making

1.   Fit with Purpose of Local Government

Adoption of the Climate Action Plan by Council supports the environmental, social and economic wellbeing of the community by improving accountability and transparency around Council’s actions to address climate change.

2.   Consistency with Community Outcomes and Council Policy

The recommendation aligns with the initiatives included in the Long Term Plan and builds on work already underway or planned by Council. It supports the following community outcomes:

·    Our unique natural environment is healthy and protected

·    Our rural and urban environmental are sustainable managed

·    Our communities are healthy, safe, inclusive, and resilient

·    Our region is supported by an innovative and sustainable economy

·    Our Council provides leadership and fosters partnerships, a regional perspective, and community engagement.

3.   Risk

There is a reputational risk in not adopting the Plan. Council might be perceived as not committing to action or to the resourcing/actions included in the Long Term Plan 2021-31.

If the Climate Action Plan is endorsed, Council will be able to demonstrate progress in climate change initiatives related to mitigation and adaptation and communicate progress to the community.

 

4.   Financial impact

Resourcing for the Climate Action Plan is included in the Long Term Plan 2021-31.

5.   Degree of significance and level of engagement

This matter is of low significance because the Climate Action Plan compiles a list of initiatives already consulted on through the Long Term Plan process and therefore no engagement with the wider community is planned.

 

6.   Climate Impact

1.             The Climate Action Plan is an important tool for Council, demonstrating its commitment to tackle climate change.

7.   Inclusion of Māori in the decision making process

Engagement with Māori has occurred through the Long Term Plan and Activity Management Plans development process.  Consideration of te ao Māori to the overall goals and aspirations for climate action will be developed within the strategic framework which will bring together and provide high level guidance to all of the key elements of climate change work underway in Council.

8.   Delegations

The Environment and Climate Change Committee has the appropriate delegations in consideration of this report and making a recommendation to Council.

Areas of Responsibility:

Climate change impact and strategy overview - mitigation, adaptation and resiliency

Powers to Recommend to Council:

•       Approval of final versions of strategies, policies and plans

On the recommendation of the Chief Executive, and with the agreement of the Chair of the relevant committee, subcommittee or subordinate decision-making body and Mayor, matters within the area of responsibility of a particular committee, subcommittee or subordinate decision-making body may be considered directly by Council instead. 

 

 

 

 

Author:           Daniela Ramirez, Climate Change Adaptation Adviser

Attachments

Attachment 1:    A2739648 Climate Action Plan

Attachment 2:    A2772355 - Climate Forum Feedback

 

 


Item 8: Adoption of the Climate Action Plan: Attachment 1

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Item 8: Adoption of the Climate Action Plan: Attachment 2

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Item 9: Recommendation from 4 November 2021 Environment and Climate Committee - Whakamahere Whakatū Nelson Plan Programme Update

 

Council

17 November 2021

 

 

REPORT R26391

Recommendation from 4 November 2021 Environment and Climate Committee - Whakamahere Whakatū Nelson Plan Programme Update

 

1.       Purpose of Report

1.1       At its 4 November 2021 meeting, the Environment and Climate Committee decided to change the following recommendation to the Committee, to a recommendation to Council.

1.2       The original report to the 4 November 2021 Environment and Climate Committee is appended as Attachment 1 (A2781941).

2.       Recommendation to Council

 

That the Council

1.     Receives the report Whakamahere Whakatū Nelson Plan Programme Update (R26248) and its attachment (A2781941); and

2.     Approves the revised recommended programme, including:

a) pausing work on the Whakamahere Whakatū Nelson Plan, to progress a Housing Choice Plan Change to the Nelson Resource Management Plan; and

b) continuing with the freshwater planning framework development; and

c)  continuing with the Coastal Hazard Dynamic Adaptive Pathways planning programme; and

d) considering other priorities for plan changes following the enactment of the Natural and Built Environment Act.

 

 

 

 

Attachments

Attachment 1:    A2781941 - Report to 4 November 2021 Infrastructure Committee - Wakahamahere Whakatū Nelson Plan Update   


Item 9: Recommendation from 4 November 2021 Environment and Climate Committee - Whakamahere Whakatū Nelson Plan Programme Update: Attachment 1

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