Posts tagged ‘City of Moreland’
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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Moreland Council adopts coal filter as part of social sustainability criteria in procurement policy
Moreland Council adopts filter for new coal as part of Procurement Policy
Success tonight on StopAdani. Moreland Council, in its annual review of Council Procurement Policy, passed an amendment to the Council Officer resolution as a part of the social sustainability criteria.
The amendment put forward by Cr Sue Bolton adds:
“Excluding from future contracts, tenders or business dealings any companies involved in developing new coal mines.”
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Anote’s Ark – Transitions Film Festival comes to Moreland (and surrounds)
Anote Tong at COP25
A film on former Prime Minister Anote Tong and the Pacific Island nation of Kiribati and the challenge it faces with climate change and sea level rise will be featured in the Transitions Film Festival and shown at Siteworks in Brunswick. The film is being presented with the support of Moreland Council supporting the vision for a Zero Carbon Moreland.
The speakers panel for this film will include Community Organiser Rosy Boylan Satanek and Climate Action Moreland Convenor John Englart.
The Transitions Film Festival showcases groundbreaking documentaries about the social and technological innovations, revolutionary ideas and trailblazing changemakers that are leading the way to a better world, including on climate change problem and solutions. The Film festival will run for 20 FEBRUARY – 06 MARCH including in some Brunswick locations as well as the Cinema Nova in Carlton and the Astor Theatre in Northcote.
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Moreland Council: Walk the talk on Adani and Council procurement policy
Climate Action Moreland have teamed up with Stop Adani Moreland for a campaign for Moreland City Councillors to revisit the decision of October 2019 on putting in place an amendment to Council procurement policy and companies that sign contracts to build the Adani coal mine in Central Queensland.
Moreland Council passed a general resolution opposing the Adani mine in 2017. Council also declared a climate emergency in 2018. Council need to ensure proper governance and include the implementation of these decisions in Council procurement policy. Please sign the online petition or the paper version being circulated.
Council has made the motherhood statements, they now need to carry through on governance to include action as part Council day to day operations with regard to procurement.
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“We all need to become everyday climate warriors”: Award to Climate Action Moreland Convenor
John Englart with Mayor Cr Abboud and Cr Riley with Environmental Sustainability Award
John Englart, Convenor of Climate Action Moreland, received the annual Moreland Award for Environmental Sustainability at the Moreland Awards on 1st October, 2019 for his advocacy in climate action. More than 200 people attended the awards event at the Coburg Town Hall.
Previous to his award, John Englart’s name was mentioned during the evening ceremonies as part of three advisory groups: Sustainable Moreland Advisory Group, Moreland Transport Advisory Committee, Community Advisory Reference Group (on level crossing removal).
John has been a resident of Brunswick, Coburg North and Fawkner for 29 years, publishing on climate science and the need for action since 2004, and active in Climate Action Moreland since 2012. He has attended as an NGO Observer for Climate Action Network Australia the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Annual conferences in Paris in 2015 (COP21), Marrakech in 2016 (COP22), and Bonn in 2017 (COP23).
Here is John’s acceptance speech to the Awards night audience:
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Submission: Zero Carbon Moreland Action Plan 2020-2025
Moreland Zero Carbon action Plan 2020-2025
We welcome the work Council staff have put into the development of a Zero Carbon Moreland Action Plan 2020/21-3024/25, building upon the Moreland Zero Carbon 2040 Framework (Doc). This is a substantial and well thought out Framework plan.
We appreciate that we have already had an opportunity to substantially contribute in the plan preparation through the Brains Trust workshops.
The following points are offered to further improve the plan.
Executive Summary highlighted points:
- Energy Transition: concern over timing of transition of aquatic centres from fossil gas
- Sustainable Transport: Advocacy on Flying Less and aviation emissions
- Sustainable Transport: Support for new Low Carbon mobility solutions
- Sustainable Transport: Support for Hydrogen and low emissions Fuels
- Sustainable Transport: Active Transport differentiation of walking and cycling needs
- Waste and Consumption: Stronger and earlier advocacy on plant based diets
- Waste and Consumption: Urban Community Food Production
- Drawdown: Moreland’s Urban Forest
- Drawdown: Advocacy for retention of high carbon forests in Melbourne hinterland
- Drawdown: Cities for Forests
- Drawdown: Investigate Opportunities for biochar
- Measurement: Public reporting on per capita and total emissions for Moreland
John Englart
Convenor
Climate Action Moreland
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Moreland Council adopts transformative transport strategy
Moreland Mayor Cr Abboud
Moreland Mayor Cr Natalie Abboud walks the talk on mode share shift to sustainable transport.
To conclude the debate on Moreland Council’s transformative Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy (MITS) Cr Abboud told her own personal journey which outlined her fears and her new found freedom in her Mayoral e-bike that she uses to move about Moreland fulfilling her duties as Mayor.
Her speech came after 2 hours of debate in the Council chamber on the strategy and 18 amendments that were proposed for the Council motion. Most amendments were debated: some were lost, some were passed and incorporated into the final motion. The Strategy was passed with 10 votes in Favour and one abstention.
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Moreland sets zero net community emissions 2040 target
Moreland 2040 Framework
As well as acknowledging we are in a state of climate emergency at the Moreland Council meeting on 12 September 2018, there were several other significant policies and resolutions from Council. The most important was setting a long term target of zero net community emissions by 2040.
As well as the long term target and putting in place a framework and five year activity plans to achieve the target, Council’s 2014 Zero Carbon Evolution Strategy with a target of 22 per cent reduction in community emissions by 2020 from a 2011 base, was also revisited. Some areas of this strategy were not performing up to the targets set, so assessments were done of what was working well, and areas that needed to be closely addressed to rejig the plan to keep it on track.
Is Moreland Council Fossil Fuel Divestment strategy on track?
2018 Report Card on the big 4 banks and fossil fuels – Market Forces
At the Moreland Council meeting on the 9th May a question was raised over the Council’s transactional banking services, and whether it was in accord with the Fossil Fuel Divestment Strategy (PDF) adopted in 2015 as a result of a campaign by Climate Action Moreland, 350.org and local residents.
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Landmark Urban Forest Strategy adopted by Moreland Council
At the City of Moreland’s August Council meeting the draft Urban Forest Strategy was adopted. This is a major piece of policy for municipality wide climate adaptation and dealing with the Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE). Moreland’s urban forest also provides significant shade and cooling to the urban environment, carbon removal, oxygen, biodiversity habitat, and reduced stormwater runoff.
Much work from dedicated council officers like Alex English, Moreland’s Open Space Planner, and many others, have gone into making this strategy document important.
The extensive community consultation resulted in a record number of submissions (257) on this policy, as well as 77 people attending consultation sessions. The adopted Policy document will be available shortly from the Moreland Council website.
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Climate Action Merribek: people in Brunswick, Coburg, Fawkner and Glenroy wanting action on climate change 