Posts filed under ‘Moreland Council’
Natural grass or Synthetic turf? What are the total life cycle emission profiles
Total life cycle analysis of synthetic turf GHG emissions
A local residents campaign in Moreland over conversion of a sporting oval in Hosken Reserve from natural grass to synthetic turf has stimulated debate on the impacts of supporting a fossil-fuel/plastics industry product for organised Sport and Recreation. Although there are many impacts of an oval conversion, the issue that concerns us greatly in Climate Action Moreland are the greenhouse gas emissions. We do have a climate emergency, which has been declared by Council in 2018.
A 2006 Canadian total life cycle emissions study found that a 9000m2 grass pitch would have a 10 year baseline carbon negative impact of minus 16.9 tonnes CO2e while the synthetic turf would generate 55.6 tonnes CO2e (Note: this study assumed -53t Co2e saving at end of life with full recycling – this would not occurr in Australia with most materials going to landfill). A 2017 Swedish total life cycle emissions study on a modelled 7881m2 synthetic field concluded GHG emissions would be 527 ton CO2e for a ten year period.
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Taking the temperature of Moreland Playgrounds and surfaces
Hot seat, hot synthetic surface. CB Smith Reserve
Summer is fast approaching and already we have had days with temperatures reaching into the low 30s Celsius degree level. Surfaces in Moreland heat up much more than the ambient temperatures.
This build up of heat in surfaces such as footpaths, roads, buildings, playground equipment and synthetic turf, contributes to the urban heat island effect, which tends to be much more pronounced in highly built up urban areas such as in Moreland.
Particularly notable is that synthetic surfaces have higher spot temperatures than either asphalt or concrete surfaces when all are in full sun.
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Election results for Moreland Council 2020 and candidate priorities 2021-24
The election results for City of Moreland Council have been announced. Some old Councillors re-elected, some new Councillors.
The new Council will be made up of: 4 Greens, 3 Labor, 4 Independents. Five of the eleven Councillors are women maintaining a good gender split. But the results in North West Ward have been brought into doubt due to what appears to be intentional postal vote tampering. (See news reports at The ABC and The Age). The VEC announced on Nov 3 referral of the matter to Victoria Police and the Local Government Inspectorate, and the results to be referred to VCAT to determine further action.
With visits to our website starting to rise in mid September, October provided our highest site visits on record since our website was established in 2009, and nearly double the number of visits compared to the 2016 Council election campaign. Moreland residents were eager to find out where candidates stood on climate and sustainability, especially during this time when we are all under stress due to the pandemic.
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Climate Emergency candidates for MorelandVotes 2020
Climate Emergency placard
This is a list of candidates who have acknowledged with a photo that we are in a climate Emergency.
Moreland Council formerly acknowledged and declared a climate emergency in September 2018 and since then have been incorporating a climate emergency framework into Council policies.
Candidates may download the Climate Emergency declaration, print it out, sign and take an image to send to us to include on this page. We’ll even accept home drawn signs acknowleding the climate emergency. We really aren’t fussed about the neatness of the sign its the action and commitment that is important.
North-east Ward – Moreland Council 2020 election candidate responses on climate
MorelandVotes NE Ward Zoom Forum
- North East Ward Candidate List
- North East Ward Climate and Sustainability Election Forum
- Responses to Climate and Sustainability Candidate Survey
September 15, 2020 at 2:42 am morelandclimategroup Leave a comment
South Ward – Moreland Council 2020 election candidate responses on climate
Brunswick Residents Network MorelandVotes Candidates Forum
- South Ward Candidate List
- South Ward Climate and Sustainability Election Forum
- Responses to Climate and Sustainability Candidate Survey
September 15, 2020 at 2:33 am morelandclimategroup Leave a comment
North-west ward – Moreland Council 2020 election candidate responses on climate
MorelandVotes NW Ward Zoom Forum
- North West Ward Candidate List
- North West Ward Climate and Sustainability Election Forum
- Responses to Climate and Sustainability Candidate Survey
September 15, 2020 at 2:28 am morelandclimategroup Leave a comment
Australian Local Government community Emissions profiles launched
Moreland community emissions profile 2018/2019
While Australia is dealing with a continuing pandemic with record new cases in Victoria, a zoom conference held by the Climate Action Network Australia launched a new website tool documenting the community emissions profile in each Local Government Area across Australia, including Moreland.
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Moreland Council 2020 election – candidate forums and climate info
Moreland Council election
Moreland Council, along with many other municipal and shire councils in Victoria, will go to the polls on 24 October 2020. Nominations close at 12 noon, 32 days before the election day on 22 September. (See Knowyour Council guide to Elections)
Enrolment closed at 4 pm on Friday 28 August 2020. You can check your enrolment at the Victorian Electoral Commission and update details.
Postal voting starts 6 October, 2020. The election will be by postal ballot. Please use the hastag #MorelandVotes on election social media.
Climate Action Moreland surveyed candidates, asking them to sign a climate emergency declaration, which is in keeping with the existing declaration by Council in 2018. Forums for candidates were run for each of the three Council Wards.
Responses will be published on posts for each ward that will contain the list of candidates, party affiliation or alignment (if any), public contact information (website, facebook, twitter if available), and their answers. We may also add extra information or links to 3rd party websites where we think it empowers voters on making an informed decision at the ballot box.
- South Ward Candidate List and responses – 3 councillors to be elected
- North East Ward Candidate List and responses – 4 councillors to be elected
- North West Ward Candidate List and responses – 4 councillors to be elected
July 26, 2020 at 1:37 am morelandclimategroup Leave a comment
Submission: Moreland Nature Plan needs to recognise existential threat to biodiversity
Kangaroos in Northern Memorial Park
Moreland Council has had a commitment to developing a biodiversity Strategy since at least 2004, but this strategy has been consistently overlooked. We have a Climate Emergency. But we also have an ecological and biodiversity emergency. Both crises are related and need to be addressed together.
Moreland acknowledged we have a climate emergency. Now we need the proposed Nature Plan, which we have waited 16 years for, to reflect the global science on the existential threats to ecosystems and biodiversity. This is important even in highly built up areas such as Moreland, which still harbours over 900 sepecies, at least 36 of them being threatened species.
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