Happyzine 2015 = exciting times ahead

Ever wonder how to get your local council on board with your green dreams?  Submitting to your Annual Long Term Plan is one way to go about it.

Marlborough resident Russell Hopkins was looking for a colour to repaint his house roof, through Resene paints, when he found the Whiteroofs website and “agreed with the ideas about climate change mitigation.”  Working as a Grey Power Liaison Person for the Marlborough District Council, and knowing that Marlborough has high sunshine hours, he set out to “spead the Cool Roofs idea through the Province by getting the Council to adopt the Concept.”

His suggestions to the council included that “the white roofs idea could be promulgated throughout Marlborough by:

• ·              Council painting white its own reservoirs and buildings, including its own Elderly Rental Housing.
• ·              Recommending building consent applicants to paint their roofs white.
• ·              Including the advantages to the environment of white roofs through its Thursday Express Notices and other Council publications.”

The region has more sunshine hours per year than any other in NZ, so this step is a natural one.

Mayor Alistair Sowman said, “It was a No Brainer.”

Russel said the submission was “well received and was then passed at the Councils 28/6/12 Meeting,to their Resource Management Review Sub-Committee for consideration.”  He’s hopeful that the White Roofs concept will be included within the Marlborough District Scheme Plan.

2012 LONG TERM PLAN SUMISSION – by Russell Hopkins

NZ WHITE ROOFS PROJECT

My Submission is a request that Council adopt the NZ White Roofs Project.

The attached two papers show that painting roofs white, mitigates the effects of global warming by reflecting sunlight back into space.

Starting in North America, the advantages of painting roofs white has now reached New Zealand with the Auckland City Council accepting the concept.

The project is cost free, by simply selecting a white or near white colour when a commercial or residential roof is due for a repaint. With Marlborough being
a sunshine province, this step is a natural one and could be done at zero cost to Council.

The White Roof Project could be promulgated through out Marlborough by:

Council painting white its own reservoirs and buildings, including its own Elderly Rental Housing.

Recommending building consent applicants to paint their roofs white.

Including the advantages to the environment of white roofs through its Thursday Express Notices and other Council publications.

I recommend that the Marlborough District Council adopt the White Roofs Project for Marlborough as an effective way to fight global warming.

Web Site: whiteroofs.org.nz

Russell Hopkins.

I wish to speak to my submission.

Check out the White Roofs Project on Kakariki Street, Kapiti Coast.

Tags: white roofs