Dunedin mayoral candidates Sophie Baker and Andrew Simms, and city council candidates Marie Laufiso, Jim O’Malley and Lily Warring spoke at a meeting last night before fielding questions from the audience of about 50 people.
Dunedin climate advocate Bruce Mahalski opened the meeting and said it was an opportunity for the candidates to share their thoughts on climate-related issues.
The council hopefuls covered topics such as a commercial train service, the city’s Zero Carbon 2030 goal and the working relationship between the Otago Regional and Dunedin City Councils.
Cr Barker said the council’s zero-carbon goals, which it was unlikely to meet, should have been better organised.
Mr Simms said there needed to be advocacy for the environment and emission reduction, but it needed to be done without losing support from the wider community.
"The DCC should not prioritise the cost of climate change initiatives ahead of essential climate change resilience, and nor should it use one to hide behind the other."
Cr Laufiso said the climate crisis was not a single issue, but linked to generational struggles for Māori and Pasifika members of the community.
Cr O’Malley said climate change was an existential threat and while he agreed the council should be acting on it, as local government, it was limited in what it could do.
Ms Warring said the council should work the reduce "eco-anxiety" among residents and make decisions for the betterment of future generations.
