Ballarat City Council acknowledges the climate emergency

On 21 November 2018, the Ballarat City Council passed a Notice of Motion from Councillor Belinda Coates noting the IPCC report and acknowledging the climate emergency.

Five local residents came to speak in support of the motion, including Miriam (left on the photo above) and Anna (middle) – a student who is organising a school strike at Trades Hall in Camp Street in Ballarat on 30 November 2018. Belinda Coates (right), member of the Greens, moved the motion.

Councillors pointed out that they already have plans in place for council operations to go carbon neutral by 2025. Others remarked that there was more that could be done with local planning laws, transport plans and the like.

Five voted in favour, two against.


NOTICE OF MOTION:
That Council

1. Notes the recent October 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on climate change.

2. Notes the successful motion to the Municipal Association Victoria (MAV) May 2017 to recognise that we are in a state of ‘climate emergency’ that requires urgent action by all levels of government, including local councils.

3. Acknowledges the ‘climate emergency’ and the need for urgent action by all levels of government, including local councils.

4. Acknowledge the need for priority resourcing of the carbon neutral and 100% renewables action plan and prioritisation of initiatives that move us towards carbon neutrality and 100% renewables.

5. Councillors receive a briefing from officers on how to best act on this ‘climate emergency’ acknowledgment and ensure that this is embedded into the ‘carbon neutrality and 100% renewables action plan’, council plan review and future strategies.

MOVED: Cr Coates, SECONDED: Cr Moloney
FOR: Coates, Moloney, Harris, Hudson, McIntosh
AGAINST: Taylor, Tillett

CARRIED


HOT OFF THE PRESS!Ballarat Councillors supported my motion 5/2 last night to acknowledge the ‘climate emergency’ and…

Posted by Belinda Coates on Wednesday, November 21, 2018

» Ballarat City Council – 21 November 2018:
Ordinary Council Meeting Agenda with attachments (PDF, 300 pages)



WoooHooooo!!!Last night @cityofballarat Council voted unanimously to become a member of Cities Power Partnership as…

Posted by Belinda Coates on Thursday, October 4, 2018

On 3 October 2018, City of Ballarat Council voted unanimously to become a member of Cities Power Partnership as part of ramping up its local climate action, moving towards renewables and becoming a carbon neutral city.

The Council committed early last year to strive towards a target to aim for carbon neutrality and 100% renewables by 2025.

The municipality has solar hot water systems for around 20 facilities and solar panels on the rooftops of 10 major buildings.

The Cities Power Partnership is a free national program that brings together Australian cities making the switch towards clean energy.

» www.citiespowerpartnership.org.au


Related news

» Climate Emergency Declaration – 13 November 2018:
United Kingdom: Bristol City Council declares a climate emergency


Councils switching to emergency mode

Get involved by taking action with our local Surf Coast Shire Council

Our campaign is called CACE – Community Action in the Climate Emergency – and has already got four Australian Councils to declare a climate emergency and start to move into emergency mode and with six local governments in America now follow our lead including Los Angeles City.

Why emergency?
Well, we are in one. Current levels of greenhouse gases will cause an environmental and human catastrophe, and we need to act now while we still can.

So why councils?
With most state and federal government captured by fossil fuel interests or too weak to act Bryony and Adrian chose to focus on getting local governments to lead where state and federal government and most environmental NGO’s are failing us.

With enough councils in emergency mode, this will force state and federal governments to follow suit.

This is how small groups of people can start a process of changing the world by taking action with their local council.


» Join us on www.facebook.com/CommunityActionClimate

» Read more about CACE on www.caceonline.org