Tauranga will have the opportunity to meet, hear from and ask questions to Hon James Shaw, Minister of Climate Change tonight.

Shaw will be at The Village Hall, located at 159 17th Ave West, tonight, Friday August 12, at 7.30pm.

The minister will be speaking about the Government's climate change work programme and what it means for the Bay of Plenty and Tauranga.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council candidate, Kat Macmillan is excited about this opportunity for Tauranga.

'Climate change is at the top of many of our minds at the moment especially with the recent weather events here and around the world. And with last week's release of the National Adaptation plan, I imagine the idea of managed retreat and real action is becoming more and more of a reality for people. I'm keen to find out what our minister has to say,” says Macmillan.

The evening event will allow plenty of time for question time from the audience.

'We all know Climate action and protection of our biodiversity is vital for our future but it's easy to think that because we're in such a small country with a small population, our efforts could be insignificant in the scheme of things.

"Sometimes we might feel like hiding away and burying our head in the sand but I think this evening will give us a chance to maybe find out just how New Zealand can be world leading when it comes to climate action.”