Celia Wade- Brown Southern Ward

Tane Woodley Northern Ward

Iona Pannett Lambton Ward

Paul Bruce Greater Wellington Regional Council

A PRINCIPLE-CENTRED APPROACH to LOCAL BODY POLICY

Greens will take a principle-centred approach. These are the four Green principles:

Ecological Wisdom:

The basis of ecological wisdom is that human beings are part of the natural world. This world is finite, therefore unlimited material growth is impossible. Ecological sustainability is paramount.

Social Responsibility:

Unlimited material growth is impossible. Therefore the key to social responsibility is the just distribution of social and natural resources, both locally and globally.

Appropriate Decision-making:

For the implementation of ecological wisdom and social responsibility, decisions will be made directly at the appropriate level by those affected.

Non-Violence:

Non-violent conflict resolution is the process by which ecological wisdom, social responsibility and appropriate decision making will be implemented. This principle applies at all levels. In addition, Greens prioritise the principle of Sustainable development - "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (Our Common Future UNCED) .

---

Local government's key task is to foster strong communities to fulfil these principles:

BUILDING STRONG COMMUNITIES

Strong Communities are an important part of the Green Party's plan for caring for the environment and one another.

Strong Communities embody the notion of thinking globally and acting locally.

The Green future is one where we are all valued by our communities and able to contribute to making the decisions for, and meeting the needs of, those communities.

Strong communities judge how well they are doing by the measure of human happiness, and by the state of the environment, rather than by how much they spend.

STRONG COMMUNITIES ARE SELF SUFFICIENT

Strong communities know that by sourcing as many of their needs locally as possible they keep their communities working and they are better able to control the quality of their goods and services.

The Greens are already promoting buy local schemes in NZ as part of our employment and community building strategy.

STRONG COMMUNITIES ARE HEALTHY COMMUNITIES

Green communities know that staying healthy depends first on maintaining the health of their environment. They keep their air, land and water clean by avoiding the use of harmful chemicals in their industry and agriculture, and by minimising and recycling their waste. They know too that the health of their environment is dependant on maintaining bio diversity, in protecting all of the other plants, creatures and organisms that are part of and contribute to our communities.

STRONG COMMUNITIES AND TRANSPORT

Our communities recognise that many people due to disability, old age, youth, poverty or choice are unable to drive. They know too that increasing dependence on motor cars is clogging up our towns and cities, wasting precious space, fouling the air and overheating the planet. By encouraging people to live closer to the places they work, play and go to school, and by providing safe cycle and walkways and fast dependable public transport, not only will everyone have access to the places they need to be, but their roads will be uncluttered when they really do have to climb into their motor cars.

HOW WILL THE GREEN PARTY BUILD THESE COMMUNITIES?

• Strong Communities are the outcome of all Green Policy and they are the means of implementing much of that policy. The solutions that work best are those which are arrived at and implemented by the communities whose lives they impact on.
• So while our commitment to sustainability, social justice, non violence and appropriate decision making may be non negotiable, we believe that these principles can only happen by empowering and resourcing communities to play a much greater part in shaping their own future.