CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY

Council adopted its Climate Change Policy at a Council Meeting on 28 September 2022

Council is required under the Local Government Act 2020 to consider climate change in decision-making. In January 2022, we made a formal pledge under the Victorian Climate Change Act 2017 to:

  • work across all areas of Council responsibility to reach net zero emissions by 2035 in our organisation and support our wider community to do the same.
  • Prepare our organisation for any unavoidable impacts so that we can keep providing essential services to our community.
  • Support our community to transition to a climate-safe way of life.

Council’s Climate Change Policy, adopted on 28 September 2022, guides council in the implementation of the pledge.

  • The organisation will transition to net zero emissions by 2035, based on 2016/17 levels
  • Council commits to a short-term reduction target of 20% by 2025 and a medium term target of 75% by 2030,
  • Council will progressively include climate related risks, actions and measures in its key planning processes and documents
  • Council decisions, operations and services will consider contribution to emission reduction, and adaptation to future climate conditions
  • Council aims to build knowledge and develop collaboration in activities with our local community, business and other stakeholders

The targets are informed by climate science to keep warming below 2 degrees. Council is directly contributing to efforts to return to a safe climate.

To implement the Policy, Council is developing a Climate Change Action Plan with specific actions for the organisation to achieve mitigation and adaptation.

A key section of the Plan will articulate Council’s support for community action. Earlier feedback has been included in the development of this draft. Council intends to adopt the Plan in 2022, and release it for public consultation in 2023. Focus groups during this consultation will directly inform this section of the Plan.


Please click here to register your interest in being involved in a focus group about climate change action

FAQs

Stage 1

Climate change poses serious risks to our health, our unique landscapes and our way of life. We are already feeling its impacts with extreme weather events such as bushfires, heatwaves, storms and floods becoming more frequent and severe.

We also know that climate action will benefit our Shire. Benefits include cheaper and more reliable power, extra income from renewable energy production and carbon credits, and a healthier community that buys local and chooses to walk or cycle instead of drive.

Through the Shaping Our Future consultation last year, many in our community said that we need to act on climate change. In response, Council is developing a climate action plan.

The Plan will act as a roadmap in coming years to help us achieve our goals and work together towards net-zero emissions by 2035. We want to hear more from you about the best actions we can take and how we can help you to act too.

How to get involved

There are many ways you can get involved in the project

  • Provide input via the Taking Climate Action Survey
  • Explore other people’s action ideas on the Gather Board and add your own
  • Attend one of our pop up kiosks

Council acknowledges the urgent need to act on climate change and would like to thank everyone in the community who provided input and shared ideas to help us develop our draft Climate Action Plan.


Your input has helped shape ideas and actions that Council can take to reduce its emissions as an organisation, help our communities adapt to a harsher climate, and support community members, groups, and businesses to move toward net-zero emissions by 2035. Our draft Plan will be available for feedback soon with further opportunities for the community to get involved and provide feedback to on our proposed approach.

Stage 2

Stage 2 Feedback period has now closed. Thank you to the community members who participated.

Council officers will review and analyse the community feedback and present to Council prior to the adoption of the Climate Change Policy at Wednesday 28 September, 2022 scheduled meeting.

Council has prepared a draft Climate Change Policy and is inviting you to share your feedback, to help us understand if the principles and objectives within the Policy reflect the expectations you have of Council in responding to climate change.

In January this year, Council made a formal pledge under the Victorian Climate Change Act 2017 to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2035, adapt our operations to climate change, and support our community to act too.

Our Climate Change Policy will help guide us to achieve these goals and lay the foundation for the development of our Climate Change Action Plan.

The draft Policy is available in the Exhibition Documents section. Community members are invited to provide feedback on the draft. Submissions close at 12.00 noon on Wednesday 24 August.

How to get involved

Council is now inviting feedback. You can respond in the following ways: