Common Climate Network survey

Here are the answers I provided to the Common Climate Network survey of candidates on climate change (one of several surveys on climate change).

Vision for future in one tweet

(If you were looking back at the decisions the council made about climate change, what would you like to say in a tweet?)
We had made sure that new developments were climate change resilient and reduced emissions, council had chosen low emission operational options, and we had minimised the impact of sea level rise on coastal communities.

Inclusive transition

Transition to low carbon economy
Council has a responsibility to be aware of the consequences of its policy decisions and actions on climate change. PCC will soon prepare a climate change response strategy, which it will include in its next long term plan. This would be a suitable place for the council to be involved in groups working across the economy and community regarding training and infrastructure that supports or enables a low carbon economy. It can use its procurement policies to support businesses working like this. However, individual business opportunities should be left to the market to take advantage of.

Tangata whenua
Council appears to have a good relationship with tangata whenua, who have opportunities for influence at the highest levels of council. Everything the council does on behalf of communities should be done in partnership with them. It should use its relationships to be empowering communities to develop their resources and strengths. Those relationships should ensure that tangata whenua are able to influence the council's decisions and actions. This should just be part of the council's culture and why it does things the way it does.

Pacific involvement
Council should be working closely with Pacific communities and networks so they have equal opportunities to influence decisions and get the outcomes their communities want. I think PCC generally does this, but we can always do better.

Diversity & social equity
The council's work with different communities should not be in a top-down manner, where council is 'in charge' of the city and runs it in the way it thinks is best. Council should be working with its communities to help them develop into the types of communities the members want them to be. These will differ for different communities, but the council should operate under some basic principles of social equity and universal opportunity for everyone. We're such a diverse community here in Porirua, so it should just be a natural part of how council operates to involved everyone in its work, planning and decisions. It's really important that the young people from right across all of our communities are involved in decision-making and community-building. Once again, I believe council needs to empower different communities to build on their strengths in order to become what they want, with the same opportunities for everyone.

Working constructively

Change can be hard and can take longer than we want. Plans, coalitions and policies are important, but to make change stick, we have to involve everyone who can bring their strengths and enthusiasm to it. A meaningful and lasting response to climate change will involve changing habits and entrenched interests that have developed over generations. Councils have to make it easy for people to 'do the right thing' and provide incentives for them to do so. I don't have any vested interests beyond a desire for people and communities to work together to create the solutions that will work for them. That has to include everyone. Many people from all parts of our communities are concerned about the impacts of climate change, and want to be part of the solution. Council needs to help them find the ones that works for them. You nearly always get a better result when everyone is involved constructively.

Actions to support clean transport

We know that people in Porirua are enthusiastic public transport users. If we build park & ride opportunities, people will use them. The new developments planned for our city are excellent opportunities to develop clean transport systems based around public transport hubs (normally train stations) with feeder bus routes from nearby communities. New developments should also be build around cycling and walking as the main means for short trips (to the shops, school, public transport or visiting friends). Council should be investing in electric or hybrid cars as it replaces its fleet vehicles and removing any impediments to electric charging stations in the city. We shouldn't be encouraging new big box retail developments that encourage people to drive long distances to go shopping in the weekends.

Energy efficiency

Energy efficiency pays for itself, and council should always default to energy efficient options. Project planning and return on investment calculations should include the long-run operating costs (with efficient options) so council doesn't chose the cheapest initial option that costs more to run in the long-term. That might require some changes to financial policies and the way project managers operate their budgets, and I would support changes to result in long-term savings.

Waste reduction emissions

I don't know enough about this to give a considered answer.

Urban development

I believe all future urban development should be compact and based around existing transport hubs as much as possible. More compact development can satisfy both environmental concerns and housing affordability, and help create closer and stronger communities. PCC has a growth strategy that favours compact development, but it ought to be the preferred option for all developments. However, it does assume significant population growth (50 per cent in 30 years) and that will inevitably result in more greenfields developments. All new developments must satisfy high standards of water containment and sediment run-off, and include a diverse mixture of recreation opportunities that protect vegetation and waterways as much as possible.

Governance experience

I take a very collaborative approach to getting things done, and finding solutions to issues. I'm used to working in teams, both in my jobs and in community groups I've been involved in. I've been the chair of the Pukerua Bay Residents Association for nine years, and have developed a reputation as someone who focuses on finding solutions, rather then escalating or continuing problems.