Labor commits to working with local government on climate action
Friday 8 April - Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy, The Hon. Chris Bowen MP committed to collaborating with local governments on climate action if elected to the Federal Government.
The Hon. Chris Bowen joined over 200 Mayors and elected members representing over 108 local governments from across Australia to discuss Labor’s priorities to adapt, mitigate and build resilience.
“As one of the small handful of former Mayors in the House of Representatives, I embrace partnership between the Commonwealth and local government, particularly in climate change,” stated Mr. Bowen. “States, territories and local governments are getting on with doing the job and I want to provide a better framework for that to occur as part of a more consistent national approach.”
During the Roundtable, if elected, the Shadow Minister Chris Bowen committed to:
A roundtable with the Mayors in June to discuss how to accelerate climate action with local governments.
Invite a representative of the Australian Local Government Association to a meeting of all jurisdiction climate change and energy ministers to develop a national framework for climate change and energy policy.
During the Roundtable, Mr. Bowen outlined policy commitments that would be relevant to local governments and communities including:
Roll-out of a community batteries policy to empower communities' energy storing capacity. Local governments and communities are encouraged to host community batteries through a competitive bidding process.
Solar banks that will provide access to solar energy for those that can’t establish arrays on their rooftops.
Establishing the “Powering The Regions Fund” as part of Labor’s Powering Australia Plan and National Reconstruction Fund and accessible to local governments, emerging industries and transitioning existing industries to net zero emissions.
Emergency Response Fund with $200m allocated annually.
Conduct a review of carbon credits to ensure that the system is working with integrity and encourage biodiversity.
A National Climate Change Health Strategy to be developed in Government and that would include a focus on disadvantaged areas and communities.
A constitutionally enshrined voice to parliament for first nations people
The Mayoral Roundtable was an opportunity to urge a new Federal Government to do its part to massively accelerate climate action through partnership with local governments. Recent research shows that if the emission reductions planned by just 61 of Australia’s 537 local governments were met, 91,200 kt CO2 emissions would be reduced, this would bring Australia over half way to meeting a 43% reduction target by 2030 from 2005 levels.
Deputy Mayor Romola Hollywood of Blue Mountains City Council shared, “We are experiencing the direct impacts of climate change with more frequent and more extreme weather events. We've experienced the black summer fires, torrential rain and flooding for the last three years and as we speak we are going through more of these extreme weather events. This is taking an enormous toll on our communities, our built infrastructure, and our natural environment and we're facing massive repair bills that are beyond the scope of our own infrastructure budgets.”
Moderated by Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds of City of Hobart in her capacity as Board Member of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy stated, “The work that we all do on climate change in the next decade will be the most important work we will do in our careers. It will be challenging, it will be difficult, we will face opposition, but the reward for the work that we do is a safer future for our communities and that is the most important goal that we can strive for.”
This Mayoral Roundtable was co-hosted by ICLEI Oceania - Local Governments for Sustainability with the Australian Local Government Association, Council of Capital City Lord Mayors, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, Local Government NSW and support of Better Futures Australia, Climate Emergency Australia, Cities Power Partnership, C40 Cities and UN Habitat.
This Roundtable built on the ongoing engagement of a growing number of Mayors and local government leaders to massively accelerate action including a recently released joint statement on the floods. To get involved, reach out to oceania@iclei.org
More information from the Roundtable:
List of Local Governments Attendees to the Mayoral Roundtable
NSW
Bayside Council
Bega Valley Shire Council
Blacktown City Council
Blue Mountains City Council
Canterbury Bankstown Council
City of Ryde
City of Sydney
Cumberland Council
Eurobodalla Shire Council
Fairfield City Council
Forbes Shire Council
Glen Innes Severn Council
Goulburn Mulwaree Council
Kempsey Shire
Ku-ring-gai Council
Narrandera Shire Council
Orange City Council
Parkes Shire Council
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council
Shellharbour City Council
Shoalhaven City Council
Singleton Council
Snowy Valleys Council
Sutherland Shire Council
The Hills Shire Council
Tweed Shire Council
Wagga Wagga City
Waverley Council
Wollongong City Council
Yass Valley Council
SA
Adelaide Hills Council
Alexandrina Council
City of Onkaparinga
City of Port Lincoln
City of Tea Tree Gully
City of Unley
Mid Murray Council
Mount Barker District Council
Town of Gawler
Wattle Range Council
Whyalla City Council
TAS
Brighton council
City of Launceston
Derwent Valley Council
Glamorgan Spring Bay Council
Glenorchy City Council
Meander Valley Council
Northern Midlands Council
West Coast Council
QLD
Balonne Shire Council
Brisbane City council
Cassowary Coast Regional Council
Gladstone Regional Council
Logan City Council
Longreach Regional Council
Moreton Bay Regional Council
North Burnett Regional council
Redland City Council
Scenic Rim Regional Council
Sunshine Coast Council
Whitsunday Regional Council
VIC
Baw Baw Shire Council
Bayside Council
Benalla rural city
Brimbank City Council
Cardinia Shire Council
Central Goldfields Shire Council
City of Boroondara
City of Greater Bendigo
City of Melbourne
City of Port Phillip
City Of Yarra
Colac Otway Shire
East Gippsland Shire Council
Frankston City Council
Glen Eira Council
Glenelg Shire Council
Golden Plains Shire Council
Hepburn Shire
Kingston City Council
Knox City Council
Latrobe City Council
Loddon Shire
Melton City Council
Murrindindi Shire Council
Nillumbik Shire Council
Northern Grampians Shire Council
Rural City of Wangaratta
Strathbogie Shire Council
Wyndham City
WA
City of Armadale
City of Cockburn
City of Fremantle
City of Gosnells
City of Kalamunda
City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder
City of Kwinana
City of Melville
City of Nedlands
Mid Murray Council
Shire Augusta Margaret River
Shire of Ashburton
Shire of Denmark
Shire of Esperance
Shire of Moora
Shire of Mundaring
Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale
Town of Victoria Park
Participating Organisations
ALGA - Australian Local Government Association
CCCLM - Council of Capital City Lord Mayors
ICLEI Oceania - Local Governments for Sustainability
GCoM - Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy
Better Futures Australia
Climate Action Network Australia
Climate Emergency Australia
Climate Council
Climateworks Centre Australia
Cities Power Partnership
C40 Cities
Local Government NSW
LGASA
MAV - Municipal Association of Victoria
UN Habitat
Article written by: Dustin Cutler
Edited by: Jessica Robbins