Areas of focus
The Committee:
- will focus on climate change initiatives, enhancing the city’s open spaces, protecting biodiversity in plant, bird and animal life, and ensuring there are high quality outdoor areas for residents and visitors to enjoy be responsible for waste minimisation, energy efficiency and the three waters (drinking water, stormwater and wastewater).
Membership
Chairperson
Cr Iona Pannett
Members
- All Councillors
- Quorum: 8 members
Terms of reference (delegations)
The Environment Committee will have responsibility for:
- climate change
- gardens and beaches
- walkways
- Town Belt
- reserves
- energy efficiency
- waste minimisation
- recycling
- botanic gardens
- three waters
- environmental attractions
In addition to the common delegations identified in section 1.5, the Environment Committee has the following responsibility and authority to:
1. For all Council-owned land that is either open space, reserve under the Reserves Act 1977 or subject to the 1873 Town Belt Deed, the power to:
1.1 Agree leases, subleases, licenses, and easements (in relation to land or buildings);
1.2 Agree that a Permanent Forest Sink Initiative covenant to be added or removed;
1.3 Adopt management plans and amendments to management plans;
1.4 Adopt names;
1.5 Make any decision under a management plan which provides that it may not be made by a Council officer (for example agree a concession);
1.6 Make decisions that would change the legal status of such land, including under the Reserves Act 1977 to classify a reserve, declare land to be a reserve and revoke the reservation of land;
1.7 Recommend to Council for approval anything that would change the ownership of such land.
(except that all decisions requiring Council or Committee approval under the Leases Policy for Community and Recreation Group must be made by the Community, Sport and Recreation Committee).
Note: Some of the powers delegated to the Environment Committee may themselves be delegated to Council by the Minister of Conservation.
Full Terms of Reference and Delegations 2013/16 (1.8 MB PDF) l Text version (123KB RTF)
Relevant portfolios
Climate Change (Portfolio Leader: Cr Lee), with responsibility for:
- Climate Change Action Plan Implementation
- Cross Committee and Portfolio liaison
Natural Environment (Portfolio Leader: Cr Ritchie), with responsibility for:
- Our Living City
- Town Belt
- Environmental attractions
- Open spaces and reserves.
CCOs
- Wellington Zoo Trust
- Zealandia
- Wellington Water
Reference group
Environmental Reference Group
Relevant grant
Our Living City Fund
Asset management plans
- Water Supply
- Sewerage
- Stormwater / Flood protection
- Solid Waste
- Parks and Open Spaces
Frequency of meetings
6 weekly