Waimate

Healthy ecosystems will better withstand climate stress, while forests and wetlands are carbon sinks.

Environment Canterbury provides funding so communities can plant trees and take action to restore waterways, habitats and wetlands, such as in this restoration projection at the Waihao River’s ‘Black Hole'.

Climate change is a critical consideration in Waimate District Council’s 2021-2031 Long-Term Plan, as the Council works to understand exactly how its services and community facilities may be affected.

An independent report was commissioned early in 2021 to better understand what impact Council’s everyday activities have on the climate. The report showed the Council makes a positive contribution overall, with significantly negative net emissions of -3630 tonnes, meaning its activities remove more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere than they emit.

Ensuring the air we breathe is clean helps supports both our health and the environment’s health. Waimate now has a ‘clean air zone’ which means rules are in place to help reduce the amount of pollutants going into the air.

These rules include encouraging people to switch to low or ultra-low emissions burners so they emit less smoke, and ensuring farmers have smoke management plans in place.