Jinty MacTavish is returning from South America even more determined the Government must revisit its proposed Local Government Act reforms, not least because they now directly contrast with the agreement it signed at Rio+20 to progress sustainable development.
The conference wrapped up last month, leaving many nongovernment organisations and others, including Dunedin's youngest city councillor, angry and dismayed it had not delivered the agreement science said the world needed, but instead something that was weak, with little commitment to action and a distinct lack of timelines for implementation.
Despite that, it did contain some points that were of interest and hope, Cr MacTavish said, particularly the reference to the creation of sustainable development goals.
The conferences had also made it clear progress on sustainable development could come and was coming from the local authority level around the world, and the agreement recognised that, too.
It affected local authorities in several areas, including clause 42, which said the signatory governments "recognise the important role that [local and sub-national] authorities and communities can play in implementing sustainable development", and further "acknowledge the importance of involving all relevant decision-makers in the planning and implementation of sustainable development policies".
Clause 43 made similarly strong statements, including that broad public participation and access to information and judicial and administrative proceedings were essential to the promotion of sustainable development, that sustainable development required the meaningful involvement and active participation of all major groups, including local authorities, and that signatories agreed to work more closely with those major groups and encourage their active participation in processes that contributed to decision-making, planning and implementation of policies and programmes for sustainable development at all levels.
The document also reaffirmed the three "dimensions" of sustainable development as being social, environmental and economic.
Cr MacTavish said the agreement, which the New Zealand Government has signed, seemed to be in direct contrast with the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill, tabled in Parliament just weeks before Rio+20.
The Bill proposes, among other things, changes to the purpose of local government that would remove the reference to taking a "sustainable development approach" and the four wellbeings (environmental, social, cultural and economic).
That would weaken the mandate of local government to make decisions in line with best practice on sustainable development, and limit the ability of local government to respond to the community's needs in an integrated and future-focused manner, she said.
Having attended the conferences, it seemed "so obvious" to her that it was at the local authority level that progress on sustainable development could be and was being made.
Examples of where it was being driven by cities ranged from Tokyo, which had recently implemented the world's first city-level cap-and-trade scheme and achieved 13% less emissions in its first year; to Malmo, Sweden, with its integrated waste, energy and transport thinking and progressive procurement policies; to cities in Africa that were managing to produce more than half their fruit and vegetables from within their urban footprint; to poverty eradication and smart transport schemes in South American cities such as Curitiba and Bogota.
"[Local government] is where the innovation is happening, and this is the level at which sustainable development approaches need to be encouraged, supported and enabled by central government," she said.
Local governments were powerful agents of change, as they could enable discussion and co-operation between citizens and community groups, government and the private sector in a very effective way.
"I am hopeful that, in the light of signing up to this text in Rio, New Zealand's Government will reconsider its proposed changes to the local government statute, given that the proposals seem to be so out of line with the dialogue and outcomes of [the] Rio summit."
She had submitted those specific concerns, among other concerns she had, to council staff working on the council's submission on the LGA Amendment Bill.
A draft is due to be discussed by councillors later this month.
She had learned much while in Brazil and was looking forward to offering back what she could to Dunedin for consideration in the council's future decision-making.
"This trip has certainly opened my eyes to all the expertise that is out there, that we only have to ask for in order to access."
