Posts filed under ‘Moreland Council’
Moreland Council questions Melbourne Airport expansion in a climate emergency
On Wednesday night (11 May, 2022) Moreland Council passed a motion authorising a submission to the 2022 Draft Preliminary Melbourne Airport Master Plan and Third Runway Major Development Plan. An amendment changed a rather insipid submission to one that correlated with Moreland’s forward thinking and past resolutions on the climate emergency and advocacy for sustainable transport.
Melbourne Airport are currently collating submissions by 16 May 2022. A report will then be prepared for the Federal Transport Minister to consider the Draft Airport Masterplan and the Major Development Plan and all the feedback. There is an active campaign against expansion of Melbourne Airport.
Some candidates for Wills electorate for the Federal election have answered a question on expansion of Melbourne airport.
(more…)Moderating the urban heat of car parks in Moreland
As a highly built up municipality Moreland tends feel the heat of Summer and extreme heat events exacerbated by the urban heat island effect. The extensive car parks and roads around our municipality contribute to this amplification of high temperature effects.
New research from University of Western Sydney throws new light on the urban heat island effect on microclimates and especially the role of asphalt car parks. Asphalt is particularly bad for building up heat inertia to warm the micro climate during both the day and night. But the researchers also outlined solutions.
How does this apply in Moreland? Well Moreland Council should be implementing heat mitigation solutions for all Council car parks, and also advocating for these solutions when Businesses provide parking, or the State Government expands parking, such as at Merlynston Station. Moreland Council is expanding parking at Hosken Reserve as part of the Hosken Reserve Masterplan, but have paid little attention to limiting urban heat from car parking. When putting in new car parking is the ideal time to implement urban heat solutions.
(more…)Moreland joins Australian Mayors call for more Disaster support to Local Councils by Federal Government
The South East Queensland Floods, northern NSW Floods and flooding in Sydney suburbs have been a wake up call similar to the Black Summer Bushfires in 2019/2020. The Lismore CBD was decimated by the record floods this year. Extensive Flooding in Lismore has ocurred in 3 of the last 5 years. 1 in 100 year floods
Moreland Mayor Mark Riley joined 30 other Mayors and Councillors from around Australia, including the Lord Mayors of Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Hobart, in signing the statement. Citizens can add their support by adding their name: Climate Council: add your name to stand with Local Leaders.
(more…)“Heavy rain, flooding, strong winds and storm surges are damaging communities, endangering residents, and costing millions of dollars in clean-up costs. In some regions schools and businesses have been forced to close, the lights have gone out, roads cut off, access to fresh water and food limited and thousands of homes destroyed. Many can no longer afford insurance and will be left with little.”
Statement of Mayors. Full statement and all the Mayor and Councilor signatories (PDF)
Moreland adopts new community climate targets: 75% emissions cut by 2030, net zero by 2035, Drawdown by 2040
At the Moreland Council meeting on 8 December Moreland Council briefly debated and adopted new climate targets: both community targets and Council Operations targets. Moreland had previously adoped a net zero by 2040 community target at Council meeting in September 2018.
The Council Officer recommendation was adopted for community emissions
a) 75 per cent emissions reduction by 2030
b) Net zero by 2035
c) Drawdown (‘negative emissions’) by 2040
Moreland Council to Phaseout Gas in Fawkner Leisure Centre
Moreland Council will put forward as part of the community consultation on redevelopment of the Fawkner Leisure Centre the phaseout of Fossil gas, as well as keeping the 50 metre outside pool, which was the subject of a strong community campaign.
The redevelopment is proposed to be done in 2 stages. the present plan includes conversion of the gas boiler heat pump to electric heat pump technology. This is estimated to cost $2.6 million.
The Council Officer report makes clear that the redevelopment is the time to do this phaseout of gas as part of the Zero Carbon Moreland framework to reduce emissions to address the climate emergency.
(more…)Submission: Moreland Council Budget 2021/22
On Wednesday 2 June Moreland Council had it’s formal submission feedback session to Councillors over zoom on the Draft Council Budget in 2021/22. The Climate Action Moreland submission was six and a half pages in length. Convenor John Englart briefly summarised the submission for Councillors.
Our submission called for increased expenditure to address the climate emergency, and addressed issues across the following areas:
- Infrastructure to improve uptake of Sustainable Transport
- Street trees, in particular the maintenance and protection of trees
- Permeable and low carbon surfaces
- Leisure Centres (in particular Fawkner Leisure Centre redevelopment)
- Open Space
- Comment on other strategic initiatives in the budget, including how to Phaseout gas in council facilities
June 5, 2021 at 9:04 am morelandclimategroup Leave a comment
Petition: Zero emissions by 2030 target for Moreland Council
The City of Moreland declared a climate emergency in September 2018. It has a current zero community emissions 2040 target. Climate Action Moreland and Neighbours United for Climate Action has a petition to Moreland Council to reduce this zero emissions target to 2030. This is consistent with recent science in addressing the urgency of global warming.
Sign the petition at: https://www.petitions.net/moreland_council_adopt_a_zero_carbon_moreland_target_by_2030
June 2, 2021 at 1:53 am morelandclimategroup Leave a comment
Campaigners prevent Synthetic Pitch for Hosken Reserve
At Moreland Council meeting on 12 May 2021 a compromise motion was put forward which dumped the proposal for a synthetic soccer pitch for Hosken Reserve.
This is a substantial win against synthetic turf for Hosken Reserve. This issue was won by determined local residents. We are proud that our Climate Action Moreland submission highlighted real issues such as life-cycle carbon footprint and urban heat island impact with synthetic turf, and assisted arguments put forward by residents against the original proposal.
The Conversations Caravan Engagement report (Except of Hosken Reserve item and Engagement Report PDF) basically highlighted and validated the concerns of residents, particularly the inappropriateness of an expanding sports hub in the middle of a residential area.
(more…)Moreland Council endorses Fossil Fuel Treaty
At the Council meeting on Wednesday night (12 May 2021) Moreland Councillors voted to endorse the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, being the first city, shire or municipal government to do so in Australia.
John Englart for Climate Action Moreland said “Well done to Cr Pulford and Bolton for moving and seconding the motion and for those Moreland Councillors for taking leading action in voting for Moreland Council to join this international campaign that is gaining moment.”
(more…)Synthetic Turf and the Tragedy of the Commons in Moreland
Climate Action Moreland has done a literature review to highlight the general environmental, social and health issues with synthetic turf, and specific issues around a proposal to convert unfenced grass sporting fields at Hosken Reserve in Coburg North to a fenced synthetic soccer pitch. This is the text of our submission to the Moreland Council engagement consultants employed for public consultation to inform the Hosken Reserve Refresh project for Moreland Council.
We have also reported on our blog separately on synthetic turf carbon footprint and total life cycle greenhouse gas emissions, and on the impact synthetic turf will likely have on the urban heat island effect on local residents.
Conversion of natural grass to Synthetic turf at Hosken Reserve should be considered as a catalyst issue for opposing increasing synthetic turf generally in our municipality. We are also very concerned with increasing State Government funding of school oval conversions increasing heat stress risk for children and heating the local microclimate affecting both children and local residents, against expert advice. (See Madden, et al, 2018 (Cool Schools), Pfautsch et al, Sept 2020 (School Microclimates))
We acknowledge the work done by local Merlynston residents on this issue to Help Keep Hosken a place for Community in defence of their grassed open space which they have been quite willing to share the use of with Sporting Clubs as Commons space.
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Climate Action Moreland: people in Brunswick, Coburg, Fawkner and Glenroy wanting action on climate change 