Submission on 2008 District Plan

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May 27, 2008, 7:39:17 AM5/27/08
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Dear TT Opotiki Coasters
I have pasted below the submission sent in to meet today's deadline - a bit hurried - but hope it will communicate okay. There is so much in the media on 'peak oil' right now - it can't continue to be ignored by local and national politicians! I hope you are all reading the postings on the TT Opotiki Coast  website - Kazel's enthusiam is an inspiration! We  look forward to hearing from others - even if it is just to say "good idea" or "we are following your progress"!

At the end of a depressing article in the Independent this week called "What they don't want you to know about the coming Oil Crisis" was the following paragraph:


Microcosms of what could be done can be found already on the local government scene. Take the small town of Woking. Its borough council has cut carbon-dioxide emissions by fully 77 per cent - yes, more than three quarters - since 1990 using a hybrid-energy system involving small private electricity grids, combined heat and power (CHP), solar photovoltaics (PV), and energy efficiency. Woking has turned its town centre, its housing estates, and its old people's homes into inspirational islands of energy self-sufficiency. The UK grid could go down for ever, and these folks would have their own heating and electricity year-round. The technologies work in perfect harmony. The CHP units generate heating when needed in winter, and lots of electricity along with it when the PV is not working at its best. The PV generates plenty of electricity in the summer, when the heating isn't needed, meaning the CHP can't generate much electricity. Because the use of private wires is so much cheaper than using the national grid, the whole package costs fractionally less than the equivalent heating and electricity supply would cost from the big energy suppliers.

Does someone on the Opotiki TT List have the interest/expertise to be pursuing a similar dream for Opotiki? Maybe increased self-sufficiency in energy would be better for the community than the dream of a mussel farm...just musing...look forward to hearing from someone...

Lynne

Cheers

From: Transition Town Opotiki Coast

Submission on the Opotiki District 2008 – 2009 Draft Annual Plan

Transition Town Opotiki Coast (TTOC) is a community-based initiative addressing the challenges arising from the “Peak Oil” phenomena by increasing community resilience as we make the transition from a high carbon-energy lifestyle to a low carbon-energy world.

The aim of the global Transition Town Movement is to re-localise our communities, making them vibrant, resilient and truly sustainable.

TTOC asks the Opotiki District Council to:
 
  • Establish and recognize that crude oil prices will continue to rise as global supply reaches its peak and demand escalates for the remaining less easily acessed oil .
  • Consider and acknowledge the many implications this will have on everyday life in New Zealand and the Opotiki District
  • Undertake to play an active role in informing its citizens of the issue
  • Support the people of the Opotiki District in building resilience in the face of these challenges by working with the community to develop and adopt a “Community Resilience Plan”.
  • Include in this year’s annual plan some “visible” initiatives to increase resilience and build awareness

 
    1. The evidence that the world oil supply has reached its peak or will do so in the next few years is overwhelming. This means that the supply of cheap oil, available worldwide, will be outstripped by rising demand, resulting in a steep continuing increase in prices. Whilst virtually impossible to predict for sure, credible experts expect prices to reach between US$200 and US$1000 a barrel a few years following the peak and rising from there. This development is starting now and the current high costs for petrol at the pump should not be mistaken for a temporary spike. Please see on-line resources for further information on this.

 
    1. Every increase in crude oil prices impacts directly, not only on the price for petrol at the pump but also on prices for virtually any product available, including food. Agriculture, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and transport will be affected, as all of these depend heavily on oil. Due to New Zealand’s remote location, transport of goods will further increase costs, possibly making it uneconomic for some products to be imported or exported. The impact of this on the economy and on the everyday life of Opotiki district families will be dramatic. People are increasingly anxious as they struggle with sharply rising food and petrol prices. Economic activity in New Zealand is slowing and unemployment, along with prices, will rise. Beneficiaries in particular will be hard hit.
 
    1. It being the purpose of the Council under the Local Government Act 2002 (s10) to promote the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well- being of communities in the present and in the future it is the Council’s responsibility to inform its citizens of these implications so as to enable them to take adequate action towards building resilience. The impact Peak Oil will have on everyday life is not well covered in the media or through current national government information campaigns. Without a doubt the economic implications as well as the direct impact on public life and convenience don’t make it a very popular topic. However many aspects of society – transport, agriculture, trade, tourism and manufacturing to name a few are heavily dependent on oil. Shortages and high prices may severely impact on the Opotiki district’s economy widening the gap between rich and poor. Appropriate use and management of such resources will be critical in meeting our lifestyle needs in the future.
 
    1. The ability to cope with the pending crises will depend on actions taken at every level, including the community level. It is vital that the public has access to adequate information about  planned actions which are being taken by the Council and actions which can be taken by households.
 
    1. Whilst it is uncertain how quickly the changes to public life resulting from peak oil will come about and what direction they will take, there are indications that immediate action is necessary. We would expect these grave issues to be recognized in the Annual Plan and to be factored into the planning.

Recommendations:

We ask that the Council facilitates a cross-sector forum involving all sectors, including community groups, to investigate the effects locally of oil depletion and oil price rises and recommmend steps that should be taken to develop an Opotiki District Community Resilience Plan.

Transition Town Opotiki Coast recommends that the current review of the District Plan includes the following:
 
  1. A commitment to take a leading role in supporting the efforts and initiatives of community organizations in providing information on the implications of Peak Oil. Such a commitment would include:
  • Support for an Environment Centre which would advise of available community support for practical budgeting advice, vegetable gardening assistance, shopping, cooking and nutritional  information - changes in life-long consumer lifestyle habits will be needed if  hardship is to be avoided.
  • Reviewing Council owned land and facilities which could be made available to support such initiatives.
  • Free public library internet access to enable citizens without computer access to find information on Peak Oil and Climate Change.
 
  1. A review of the Parks and Reserves section of the District Plan to include a policy to plant nut and other food bearing trees in public places such as streets and parks.
 
  1. Given that oil and asphalt price rises are likely to soon affect Council’s capacity for road maintenance and operations requiring heavy equipment, review all fuel-related functions of Council to minimize escalating costs to ratepayers. For example, see ‘Road Projects at Risk as Oil Price Rises’, Dominion Post, May 2, 2008

We would appreciate an opportunity to speak to this submission.

Transition Town Initiatives originated in the UK and are quickly spreading worldwide. For a full list of the 30+ New Zealand Transitions Town initiatives, see

For more background on the New Zealand and Opotiki Coast initiatives, see
 
For information on UK Transition Towns, see

For information on Peak Oil, see eg

 








Lynne Dempsey
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