Auckland Can’t Afford to Keep Joining International Forums

23 December 2015

Auckland Council has joined another international forum this time the C40 Cities Climate Change Leadership Group. This was announced on this international body's website this morning.

Auckland Councillor George Wood is disappointed that Auckland Council has become a member of the C40 Cities Climate Change Leadership Group. Auckland Council is already a member of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability. Joining a second international group will put more cost on the ratepayers of the Auckland region and really just duplicates the services provided by the ICLEI organisation.

"This idea to join C40 Cities Climate Change Leadership Group wasn't universally supported by councillors when it came to the Auckland Development committee in October. In a split vote the decision to join only got across the line with the support of the two voting members of the Independent Maori Statutory Board" says George Wood

At a time when Auckland is facing huge funding pressures I do not believe that Auckland Council can continue to heap more and more cots on to ratepayers by joining these types of organisations.

It is interesting that the C40 Cities Climate Change Leadership Group has their next conference in Mexico City in late 2016. Attending these international conferences might be affordable for big well established cities; however, Auckland on the other hand is a fledgling new local authority which still has huge establishment costs.

Sending a team of representatives to Mexico City will involve more international travel which comes at a high cost.

Mr Wood says this idea of Auckland footing it with big league world cities has to stop.

ENDS

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