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Local government

The Government recognises that local authorities have a significant role to play in New Zealand's national climate change response. City, district and regional councils have a mandated community governance role, regulatory and planning powers, ownership of local infrastructure, and a broader environmental guardianship under the terms of the Resource Management Act and the Local Government Act.

In particular, local bodies undertake urban planning, regulate activities that have an environmental impact, provide roading and passenger transport services, manage waste, administer building regulations, facilitate economic development, and manage natural hazards - all of which are relevant to climate change responses at the local level.

The Government is committed to working in partnership with local authorities to implement a number of its sustainability policies. This cooperation can be seen in the New Zealand Waste Strategy, jointly produced by Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) and the Ministry for the Environment. Local authorities are also instrumental in delivering outcomes under the New Zealand Transport Strategy, the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy, the Biosecurity Act, the Coastal Policy Statement, and other legislation and standards which have a bearing on New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions and its ability to adapt to the effects of climate change.

Local government partnership

The Ministry for the Environment works in partnership with local government on climate change including the:

Partnership activities undertaken to date

Partnership activities undertaken to date include:

  • Consultation with local government groups (both through LGNZ and directly to individual city, district and regional councils) about the Government's preferred policy package and wider climate change issues.
  • Collaboration with EECA and other central government agencies to ensure that climate change perspectives are taken into account when energy efficiency, planning and other environmental policy issues are discussed/progressed with local authorities and/or LGNZ.
  • Provision of information and technical guidance to assist local authorities plan responses to the potential impacts of climate change (see climate change resources and Local government guidance materials).
  • Outreach to councils and the broader community to enhance understanding of climate change impacts and responses at all levels, including following the amendment to the Resource Management Act.
  • The development and launch of a 3-year local government-focused greenhouse gas reduction programme in New Zealand.
  • Provision of information to councils on the Ministry for the Environment projects to reduce emissions mechanism.

Other activities to support climate-friendly initiatives and programmes already underway in the community, including involvement in discussions on climate change and insurance cover; working with councils to identify climate change training needs; and methodologies for council greenhouse gas inventories.

Last updated: 20 March 2008