On Wednesday, Waitaki Girls' High School Enviroschools co-captain Breanna Greaney (17) and the teacher in charge of its sustainability in schools programme Jessica Wright met Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher to discuss the school's project and what the council was doing to support environmental awareness in regards to climate change, coastal erosion and their potential future impacts.
They also talked about the role the school could play in supporting the council.
Breanna said the school's group, which had about 30 active members, had recently undertaken several environmentally-focused projects that included making beeswax wraps, a beach clean up, tree plantings and working to reduce waste at the school, among others.
It has also worked on projects with other schools.
Mrs Wright said the pupils involved had embraced the project and were now looking to expand it.
"They are really motivated, an enthusiastic bunch of girls who really do want to make an impact and awareness, I suppose, so we are looking for ideas about how to get involved in the community.''
Mr Kircher said the school had done some "great work'' so far and the council would continue to support the programme.
He said coastal erosion and the effects of climate change, particularly more frequent flooding events, were of most concern to the council.
"We're building that into our asset management plan and district plan. Over the last decade we are seeing more heavy rain events and we've always had coastal erosion.
"What we are finding though is things like our stormwater systems are not coping ... so we absolutely need to look at our systems around that and our infrastructure around stormwater, for example.''
On Thursday, the Otago Daily Times reported Mr Kircher was one of nine South Island mayors who did not sign the 2017 Local Government Leaders' Climate Change Declaration.
"It's only a piece of paper. It doesn't actually achieve anything. Actually getting on and dealing with it does - that's what we're doing,'' he said.
