Our community is our main partner in this strategy. A lot of the work we do to prepare the district for climate impacts affects all ratepayers and many of the proposed actions are a collaborative effort. For this strategy we consider the community to be ‘everyone’ in the district.

Both sustainability and climate change are complex and sometimes contentious matters. Exposure to climate-related events, either directly or through news media, has been linked to climate anxiety, especially in younger people. At a community level Council is keen to give people access to good information and enable collective community action on things we can control. This means we will continue to help people prepare for natural events through our response plans, host educational community events and campaigns and celebrate the sustainable actions our community already undertakes.

3.1 Improving Council understanding of the impacts of a changing climate and sustainable responses, and advocate on behalf of the district in climate change matters

• A. Continue to support regional collaboration in response to climate change through the Canterbury Climate Partnership Plan (CCPP).
• B. Undertake a Local Climate Change Risk Assessment of the impacts identified as a priority by the community (e.g. flooding, fire, heavier rainfall, drought and severe storms or e.g. risk to agriculture, economic risk).
• C. Provide information and training to staff and elected members on climate change issues. (Include in Council & staff induction).
• D. Advocate on behalf of the district in climate change matters e.g. by responding to Government agencies when they seek feedback on climate related proposals.

3.2 Engage with and educate the wider community to improve understanding of climate change and sustainability practices

• A. Actively be part of and spread awareness of the ‘It’s Time Canterbury’ campaign.
• B. Ensure Council’s climate change webpage is kept up to date.
• C. Establish and support community education programmes on strategy goals, focusing on different stakeholder groups e.g. youth/schools, businesses, farming community, general public (events and/or campaigns, approx. 4 per year).

3.3 Support the community to be prepared on resilience and adaptation to climate change impacts

• A. Continue the development of community response plans (response to all natural events, including climate change impacts) for all Ashburton communities and review existing plans.
• B. Develop a district adaptation plan based on the outcome of the local risk assessment described in 3.1.B.
• C. Economic Development Strategy Objective 2.B
‘Our businesses have access to the expertise, knowledge and skills to make informed decisions that enable them to successfully adapt to the changing business environment’ -
Action 3: Develop a plan for addressing risks and utilising opportunities for the objective.

3.4 Encourage and promote sustainable good practice in Council operations and activities

• A. Council to demonstrate sustainable actions in its own operations.

3.5 Promote and connect community and stakeholder groups working on sustainable projects and establish partnerships and initiatives to engage the community and promote collective action

• A. Council to research incentives, financial benefits or set requirements that encourage sustainable action within the community (e.g. building consents, green roof, passive housing, solar panels, water tanks etc)
• B. Promote sustainable projects and initiatives, such as community clean-up events, tree planting drives and sustainability fair (Council involvement)
• C. Establish a Community Sustainability Advisory Panel with Council support
• D. Celebrate community action on World Sustainability Day (last Wednesday in October)
• E. Establish a sustainability grant to support community projects that address climate change and sustainability objectives and targets.
• F. Set up the ‘ADC gift a native tree’ project where people can buy a gift certificate and ‘gift’ someone a native tree that ADC will then plant in an allocated area.
  

Note: for more details on the actions, e.g. Council's role, who is involved, when it is scheduled and the funding, please see the action plan in the draft strategy on page 23 to 42.