Cool Changes program gets underway

Published on 22 August 2019

Residents are being encouraged to complete a short survey to inform a new Council program to address climate change.

The Cool Changes project aims to facilitate the development of local community climate action plans, and will be designed based on responses to the survey.

It follows the successful pilot project conducted in late 2018 that resulted in the Sustainable Malmsbury Action Plan. Acting Director Planning and Environment, Rob Ball said Council plans to develop more community-led plans in several locations across the shire over the next few years.

“We recognise that addressing climate change is urgent and that action is needed across all sectors of the community. The decentralised nature of the shire means each community has its own opportunities for reducing greenhouse emissions and improving the sustainability of their local area,” Mr Ball said.

“The community-led planning process used in the pilot project in Malmsbury demonstrates that these sorts of plans are best developed by locals, for locals. It showed people living and working in a specific location are best placed to determine what actions they can take to address climate change in their local communities.”

Priority townships and localities for the program will be informed by the shire-wide survey to identify current interest and activity in addressing climate change.

“I encourage everyone, from residents and business operators to community groups and organisations to property owners, to complete the survey by 12 September, to help build a picture of both current and potential interest and action in the shire for environmental sustainability.”

The development of community action plans will compliment Council’s own work in addressing climate change through reducing emissions from its own operations, and will contribute to the broader aim for sustainability across the shire.

For more information, call Silvana Predebon on (03) 5422 0333 or email [email protected]