Mayors and councillors from across the country, including the Mayor of Logan Darren Power, released a joint statement calling for urgent action to protect their communities from worsening climate change.
Create a free account to read this article
or signup to continue reading
The statement, which is signed by 31 mayors and councillors from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia calls on the federal government to:
- Lead the country in delivering on an ambitious emissions reduction target this decade, in partnership with state and local governments, to respond to accelerating climate change at the scale and pace required.
- Increase funding sources to councils for responding to climate impacts, and cutting greenhouse gas emissions, including providing a minimum of $200 million a year in the form of a disaster mitigation fund and an additional $200 million over four years for a local government climate response partnership.
- Invest in preparing before climate disasters strike and take responsibility for coordination of climate impact responses to ensure consistency and clearly delineated responsibilities between different levels of government.
- Ensure all disaster response funding extends to all damaged assets and incorporates the principle of "betterment" to allow cities and communities to be rebuilt in a way that takes into account the inevitable future changes in climate and makes them more resilient.
- Establish a national body, or expand the remit of an existing one, to support research on adaptation and act as a centralised hub for up-to-date climate change information.
The statement also cites research by Deloitte, which predicts the cost of flooding alone could reach $40 billion per year by 2060 if action is not taken soon.
Mayor Power said working together with other local governments was vital to achieve progress when it came to climate change.
"We know our communities want a cleaner, greener environment and this combined approach will further the South East's transformation to a more sustainable region," Cr Power said.
Logan City Council is also part of a pilot project to establish a regional Climate Resilience Alliance in South East Queensland, which seeks to improve collaboration when addressing climate risks.
The organisation also includes Brisbane City Council, Ipswich City Council, Noosa Regional Council and Sunshine Coast Regional Council and an invitation will be extended to other local governments in the region.
Lismore City Coucillor Elly Bird said local governments had done what they could to mitigate the impact of climate change, but further support was needed.
"If we're to learn a lesson from the catastrophic flooding that we are now seeing happen in Australia every few years, it's that we are severely under-prepared for catastrophic events like this one. We urgently need to address the root cause of the heightened storm threat: climate change," Cr Bird said.
"Local governments, like Lismore City Council, have been trying to work together with our communities to take action against climate change and build resilience. But we need more support and we need it urgently.
"That's why I've joined 31 other mayors and Councillors from Logan City Council in Queensland through to Eurobodalla Shire Council in New South Wales to call on our Federal leaders to immediately step up and reduce the climate impacts that put our communities in the firing line.
"Now is the time for our Government to lead the country in delivering on an ambitious emissions reduction target this decade to protect communities like ours from the future climate shocks that we know are coming and that we are living every single day."
Dr Portia Odell, director of the Cities Power Partnership, said local governments were on the front lines of climate impacts and needed more support.
"We can no longer leave councils and their communities alone and with little access to essential services, and expect them to spend millions to fix the damages of delayed climate action," Dr Odell said.
"The Federal Government must step up to protect communities from catastrophic climate shocks."
Should the Federal Government help foot the bill? Have your say here:
Joe Colbrook
Journalist at The Examiner, covering local government and planning, emergency services, breaking news and court. Send tips to joe.colbrook@austcommunitymedia.com.au. Ex-Jimboomba Times, UQ Alumni
Journalist at The Examiner, covering local government and planning, emergency services, breaking news and court. Send tips to joe.colbrook@austcommunitymedia.com.au. Ex-Jimboomba Times, UQ Alumni
