I want to start this column with a huge thank you for re-electing me as your Councillor for the North Shore. I enjoyed meeting more of you during the campaign; the kind words and support were appreciated. At times it was a tougher and much nastier campaign than I have previously experienced; so it was humbling to come out of it as the highest polling candidate and to be back representing you on the Auckland Council.

Congratulations to my fellow Councillor Chris Darby, our new and returning Devonport-Takapuna and Kaipatiki local board members, and our new chairs. I look forward to working collaboratively together to achieve positive outcomes with and for our community.

I’m looking forward to my new role as chair of the Environment and Climate Change Committee; the youngest ever appointed by the Mayor to chair one of the four major committees. This term marks a sea change in the Auckland Council approach, with climate change at the heart of decision making and a focus on the opportunities as well as the risks. The massive groundswell of people – particularly young people – taking to the streets around the world has been heard. I marched with 70,000 of you earlier this year and it is both daunting and exciting to now lead Auckland’s response to an issue we can no longer ignore.

For too long we have allowed our actions around climate change to focus on the increasingly few non-believers or on the apocalyptic imagery of end of the world explosions and effects. The debate is now over and I believe simply talking about the fire, flood and pending disaster isn’t helpful. I want to bring our community together on this issue and show how we can make tangible actions now to reduce carbon emissions and make our community better – whether or not other nations follow suit.

The government and opposition have united in passing the Zero Carbon bill. The next step is to identify how we get from where we are now to a community with cleaner air and better water quality – for both swimming in and drinking. We will have more open spaces across the region, better tree coverage in communities that lag behind the lush green neighbourhoods we are proud of on the Shore, and a public transport system that is safe, affordable, and comfortable, so more of us both want and choose to leave the car at home.

This does not need to be achieved by simply asking for more funding. I recognise the hardships many are facing, even in our own neighbourhoods, with the rising cost of living. My focus for this committee is on efficient decision making and aligning the goals of climate change with existing projects.

There are many decisions coming that we will need to make as a community both small and large. To what degree do we adapt our existing infrastructure vs. mitigating the causes behind these issues? When adapting to extreme weather events will we focus more on high probability but low impact events; or on those with a much lower likelihood of happening but far larger consequences?

On that note, have an amazing summer, Christmas, and New Year. Please travel safe, spend time with those you love, and have a break – even if you have to work through and it’s just a few hours at the beach or at the park.

See you all in the New Year when the hard work begins again.