The Dunedin City Council may not have proactively pursued community opinion about potential to invest more money in zero-carbon work, but public input is coming anyway.
A website calling for people to have their say has been set up and the essential premise is a section of the community is doing what the council should have done.
"This is a community-led consultation," it was stated on the website, asking people to be part of a community submission to the council as part of 2025-34 long-term plan consultation.
The council developed options for high investment and medium investment to advance the city’s zero-carbon objectives, but ended up leaving them out of the 2025-34 draft long-term plan for public consultation after an 8-7 vote.
A resolution led by Cr Sophie Barker said this was "because all the papers considered by council as part of the nine-year plan had zero-carbon assessments".
Issues such as resourcing for the council’s zero-carbon plan, described on the website as a pathway to reducing emissions and building a climate-resilient future, are nonetheless set to be a feature of public hearings.
Zero Carbon Dunedin was established to "give community a voice in council climate investment".
The council had promised to take options for high investment and medium investment out to the public for feedback, Zero Carbon Dunedin spokesman and former city mayor Aaron Hawkins said.
"However, at the start of this year, the council voted at the 11th hour to exclude them entirely from the draft budget," he said.
"Feedback on the long-term plan is generated by asking specific questions — such as how much investment is needed to fund the zero-carbon plan.
"By refusing to ask the question at all, the council is effectively stifling public debate on the most pressing issue of our time."
The council’s high-investment package included a total of more than $100 million in capital expenditure and the medium package had more than $35m.
Consultation on the council’s draft long-term plan opens on Monday and runs through April.
