Local Government

Councils play an important role in helping New Zealand make better choices, improve energy efficiency, energy conservation and improve renewable energy supply.

EECA supports local authorities and communities to achieve energy efficiencies and healthier environments, and encourages local government to acknowledge energy efficiency and conservation as a core responsibility. These responsibilities are set out under the following:

• Resource Management Act
• Local Government Act
• Land Transport Management Act

 

EECA works with Councils on a number of programmes to achieve mutual goals in energy efficiency and conservation. The following link describes how EECA’s existing programmes relate to Councils. View a copy of this list [PDF 24 KB].

Improving energy choices both within and external to Councils is the focus of several other programmes outside of EECA such as:

• Agenda 21
• Framework Convention on Climate Change
• International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives

 

EECA works in cooperation with a range of organisations and other programmes, including:

International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives
The ICLEI is an international association of local governments implementing sustainable development. Its mission is to build a worldwide movement of local governments to achieve global sustainability through local measures.

Communities for Climate Protection New Zealand

Communities for Climate Protection is a programme developed and operated by the ICLEI, with support from central government, Local Government New Zealand and EECA.

Below are two resources available to help councils factor in energy efficiency and renewable energy into their community outcome processes and Long Term Council Community Plans.

• A Guide to Energy and Long Term Council Community Plans [PDF 68.2KB]
• A quality planning guidance note on climate change – focuses on changes introduced under the Resource Management (Energy and Climate Change) Amendment Act 2004 [Quality Planning website]