During yesterday’s strategy, planning and engagement committee meeting, members considered a report updating them on the council’s zero-carbon work programme.
After moving the report be accepted, committee chairwoman Sophie Barker said she was pleased staff would be asking members of the Zero Carbon Alliance — a group of major organisations in Dunedin working to collaboratively reduce the city’s emissions — if they had "pulled all of the levers as hard as possible".
"The DCC can show leadership, but we also need ... everyone to be in the waka, going in the same direction."
The council had aimed for Dunedin to be a zero-carbon city by 2030, but conceded last month this was unlikely, regardless of the level of investment.
Cr Carmen Houlahan said the council had set high goals, but must remain an example for other Dunedin organisations and show dedication in addressing the climate emergency it declared in 2019.
"To sit here around this table today and listen to some people say, ‘Oh, but the others aren’t meeting their targets’, as if that’s a defence for us overturning our vote to have a high investment in carbon zero, is unbelievable."
She was referring to last month’s council decision not to include any investment package aimed at cutting emissions in the draft long-term plan consultation document — as all papers in the plan include zero-carbon assessments.
Cr Barker raised a point of order, which deputy chairman Kevin Gilbert upheld — it was misrepresentation to say the decision amounted to "overturning" as the council had never committed to a package, she said.
During Cr Houlahan’s five-minute speech, three points of order were lodged — and upheld — for misrepresentation.
"The councillor will then please stick to what we’re doing, which is noting the report, not making a political speech," Cr Barker said after the third point of order.
"Sorry, I forgot I’m a politician and I’m around a political table," Cr Houlahan replied.
"If we weaken, then others will weaken, because they’ll say, ‘Why should we bother?’," she said.
"We shouldn’t just give up, we need to put our best foot forward and make a commitment.
"I want a planet to live on, thanks very much."
Cr O’Malley took issue with Cr Houlahan’s comments.
"I am very tired of people who, bottom line, don’t seem to understand what was cut out or what we have done, but have quite quickly gone to Facebook and determined that they are the righteous protectors of the planet," he said.
Carbon-zero activity was already included in much of the council’s work, such as its spending on Three Waters following the 2015 floods, he said.
"Our 10-year target on doing what we’re doing on carbon zero is unaffected," Cr O’Malley said.
"I am tired of people who seem to not be able to read their papers rushing to the microphone, telling us how we have failed."
Cr Lee Vandervis said he could not see how the report in question, or any others over the past six years, had affected climate change.
"Is this the most elaborate attempt to convince ourselves that we have the power to change the weather?" he asked.
"To me, this report, this whole climate emergency strategy, is an extreme arrogance."
Cr Andrew Whiley focused on the report, which for the first time, included data on cruise ship emissions.
He was pleased the council was developing support for businesses wanting to reduce their carbon footprint and Dunedin had a lot to offer international tourists, he said.
"Let’s support the tourism industry, the cruise industry, on that basis.
"Let’s focus on what we can do as a city — I think in our long-term plan, we’re showing a lot of investment in that."
Councillors accepted the report — Cr Vandervis recorded his vote against the motion.
