Reducing Waste
Working together to reduce the amount of waste we generate and dispose of.
Council sets Plastic Free July challenge
Single-use plastic will be public enemy number one in the Hauraki district during July, 2019.
Find out more:
- Council sets Plastic Free July challenge
- Plastic Free July website
- Top tips for reducing your plastic
- It's time to ditch the plastic - FAQs
Save our pipes from wipes
Two tonnes of wet wipes clog our pipes every year.
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Council joins forces with Sustainable Living Trust
Council has signed up for a sustainable living community education programme, which will include eight topics, from energy efficiency and travel to waste minimisation, eco design, food choices, gardening, water saving and community resilience.
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Mayor donates worm farms to Waihi schools
Hauraki District Mayor John Tregidga has opened a can of worms with his new worm farm initiative to offer state-of-the-art worm farms to every Waihi school.
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Waihi Ward supports students for UN conference
The Waihi Ward is supporting two Waihi College students to represent Waihi at the United Nations Aotearoa Youth Declaration.
The Ward grant of $320 will help cover Holly Elson-Fisher and Amy Magyar costs at the four-day conference, which will begin at the University of Auckland on April 14.
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Council backs plan to end period poverty
Council has given Waihi business The Sustainable Pantry funding for 250 menstrual cups to give to those in need.
Find out more:
- Council backs plan to end period poverty
- Video - Council supports initiative from Waihi's Sustainable Pantry
New fines for district dumpers
Council has toughened up on littering and illegal dumping in the Hauraki District, with fines up to $400.
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Thumbs up for proposed Hauraki reuse centre
A local community group has presented a business case to open a reuse centre in the Hauraki District, receiving a unanimous thumbs-up from the Council.
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Climate Change
Climate change is one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time. We can't afford to ignore what is happening.
Climate change news
HDC welcomes the introduction of the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill as a necessary step towards meeting our international obligations to reduce greenhouse gases in our economy.
We agree climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing the international community and New Zealand.
We believe our response should be led at a national level. This Bill provides welcome national direction and leadership from Central Government to address the long term challenges of climate change.
The Bill also requires the Government to plan for how it will support Kiwi towns, cities, businesses, farmers and iwi to adapt to the results of climate change on the environment. Local Government New Zealand also welcomes the Bill.
We’re taking action
There are many things the council is already doing to address the long term challenges of climate change, including signing the Local Government Leaders’ Climate Change Declaration.
We have a plan in place to address climate change impacts. It’s set out at a very high level in a number of places in the Long Term Plan we put together after talking with our communities last year.
We’re working with Waikato Regional and Waikato District councils, iwi, technical experts and affected Kaiaua Coast communities on a jointly developed and community-led strategy that will describe how we will respond to coastal hazard risks in the future.
Our climate change initiatives
We’re involved in many climate change initiatives including:
- A sea level rise study for Thames and Hauraki Plains, NZSeaRise (Victoria University of Wellington, GNS Science, NIWA);
- Sea level rise, housing and insurance, Victoria University of Wellington research;
- Local authorities and community engagement on climate change adaptation, Otago University research;
- Resilience of the Waikato economy to natural hazards, Massey University and m.e research (National Science Challenge);
- Liaison with Deep South Challenge, which enables New Zealanders to adapt, manage risk and thrive in a changing climate by connecting science with society, through its programmes.
Upskilling
We’re also upskilling elected members and staff on climate change (and keeping up to date with best practice) through attendance at climate change conferences, LGNZ climate change webinars, Ministry for the Environment climate change guidance workshops, etc.
Looking forward
Hauraki District Council will take urgent action on climate change.
The Extinction Rebellion Waihi Group asked Council at a recent Community Services and Development Committee to declare a climate change emergency for the Hauraki District and establish a citizen’s assembly.
The committee requested staff report back to council so it could make a decision.
In the 31 July, 2019, meeting, Council resolved to recognise the urgency of addressing climate change to support a greater mobilisation of resources and accelerate the climate change programme that Council had already committed to through its 2018 Long Term Planning process.
Hauraki district Mayor John Tregidga said the word ‘urgency’ best described the approach council needed to take, rather than declaring an emergency.
Read more: Hauraki district to take urgent climate change action.
