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In an expression of situational leadership, Councillors passed an important resolution to establish a committee to promptly advise how matters of local climate change (LCC) could be expected to affect the shire. The motion was moved by Crs Crozier and Raynolds and supported by Crs Goonan, Marjason and me.
More than just a think-tank, the committee is chartered to make material recommendations to Council that will lead to a reduction to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other LCC mitigation actions, which might include ambient temperature moderation thought the expansion of tree planting in the villages and subsoil hydration through improved surface water handling.
In passing the resolution establishing the Climate Change Advisory Committee (CCC), Council also nominated a goal of reducing its GHG emissions by 2020, to 70% of what they were in 2005. The committee members will include 3 councillors (Cockram - Chairman, Crozier and Moore), 3 council staff (Mr Peter Bascomb - General Manager, Mr Gordon Cunningham - Director of Works, Mr Simon Holloway, Environmental Services Co-ordinator), and 3 members of the community with appropriate
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expertise (such as statistics, climatology, and mitigation development).
As Council is the biggest employer, resource user and ‘anthropogenic’ GHG emitter, the resolution focused the Committee’s work on the emissions of Council. I think doing so provides the best way to produce bulk reductions of greenhouse gas emissions emanating from the shire, without duplicating Federal and State initiatives or raising issues of authority and enforceability.
The new committee is chartered to:
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Determine what Council’s 2005 emission levels were;
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Develop strategies to reduce those levels by 30% in the next decade;
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Locate and use scientific data applicable to Palerang to determine probable local impact scenarios; and
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To provide advise to council at a strategic level.
They have been given just 12 months to do all this.
The committee has the scope to consider all aspects of Council’s operations when looking for mitigation opportunities. This includes waste handling processes, vehicle fleet and plant machinery scheduling and fuel efficiency, energy utilisation and sourcing for Council’s numerous buildings, halls, and plant complexes throughout the shire, and water recycling to name just a few major sources of potential improvement.
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It is my expectation that as Council shows its ability to get its own house in order, it will have a lot to share with residents about that process and how they might apply that local knowledge to their own backyards. In doing so, the knowledge transfer wouldn’t be political PR rhetoric but rather proven locally-tested experience.
I know a lot of residents have already undertaken many positive climate enhancing changes such as changing to low energy globes, installing thermal insulation, switching to energy efficient appliances, and repairing leaks. I'm sure as we think further we’ll find that those are just the tip of the iceberg of what can be accomplished in our homes, businesses, rural properties and transportation.
As climate change is upon us, and there is little doubt about that, it is time for all of us to call together our family, our neighbours, and our co-workers and ask these two questions: How is local climate change likely to effect us?, and, What can we do forestall (mitigation) or even benefit from those effects and prepare our homes, neighbourhoods and workplaces to sustain a good quality of life under such circumstances?
Council’s proactive initiative in this matter it is a sign of a healthy local government body. One that is committed to cut through political posturing to get to the heart of effective local CO2 reduction. Given the way the wind is blowing, it looks like we may have a lot to consider.
24 July 2009
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