Shepparton declares a climate emergency

A climate emergency has been declared by the City of Greater Shepparton.

City of Greater Shepparton Mayor,
Cr Seema Abdullah - her casting
 vote ensured the city would
adopt a climate emergency.

One of the city’s nine councillors was absent from the March 31 meeting, a meeting postponed from two weeks earlier, and voting on a motion calling for a climate emergency was evenly split.

Subsequently, the mayor, Cr Seema Abdullah, who had initially voted for the climate emergency, used her casting vote to see the motion passed.

It was the deputy mayor, Cr Dinny Adem, who appeared remarkably eager to move the motion and did so when he cut in on the mayor before she had even completed outlining details from the council agenda.

Cr Chris Hazelman seconded the motion and a discussion ensured, leading the to a four-all situation and then the need for Cr Abdullah to use her casting vote.

The discussion can be heard on the “Climate Conversations” podcast.

Climate decision set for council

A climate emergency, or at least the declaration of one, will be considered next week by the council for the City of Greater Shepparton.

And it is not something councillors have blindly rushed into as over the past few weeks they have heard from locals with a powerful interest in the idea and a handful of people with specialised knowledge.

First of all, it was from four locals led by Bunbartha climate activist John Pettigrew, who has been talking with people locally and around the district for nearly 15 years about what our disrupted climate system will mean to their lives.

Climate activists at the Shepparton School Strike 4 Climate.

With him at the first of those council briefings were Greater Shepparton Lighthouse Project executive officer Lisa McKenzie, Shepparton businessman John Anderson, and the Shepparton School Strike for Climate movement leader Emily Minotti Watson.

The following week they heard, via video link-up, from the leader of the Earth Systems and Climate Change Hub with the CSIRO, Professor David Karoly, and the Department of Agriculture’s climate services department’s Graeme Anderson, who is a specialist in seasonal climate.

Council staff have studied changes to our climate system and the impacts they will have on the Goulburn Valley and how the City of Greater Shepparton should prepare itself to not only survive in these changing circumstances, but thrive.

Of course, Shepparton would not be a leader in declaring a climate emergency as the City of Darebin in Melbourne became the first municipality in the world to declare a climate emergency when it acted in 2017.

On its website, the City of Darebin says:

‘‘We recognise that we are in a state of climate emergency, and we urgently need to take action to avoid dangerous climate change and provide maximum protection for people and nature.’’

It goes on to say: ‘‘Darebin’s Climate Emergency Plan outlines the leadership, advocacy and mobilisation directions this Council is taking to respond urgently, and at the scale required to address the climate emergency.’’

Shepparton council staff have liaised with their counterparts from Darebin, and other places, and so even though council has not formally declared a climate emergency, much of what it has already been doing in its day-to-day operations have been in keeping with how a climate-aware council would behave.

That deserves applause. 

In encouraging the City of Greater Shepparton’s council to act and for people illustrate their support by being in the gallery on March 17, John Pettigrew pointed out that more than 30 per cent of Australia’s population is now under a climate emergency.

Councils operating under a climate emergency are dotted throughout Melbourne and he felt councillors here could also identify with Ballarat City Council and Indigo, Hepburn and Mount Alexander Shire councils.

The adage of ‘‘think globally, act locally’’ is relevant for while any climate emergency declaration needs to be in accord with what is happening internationally, it must be about needs specific to the Goulburn Valley.

Any declaration must lead to emissions reductions, that’s critical, and the adoption of adaptation ideas that ref lect and yet don’t impact unnecessarily on the lives of Greater Shepparton people.

Story from The Shepparton News  by Robert McLean -  “Climate decision set for council.”

Report on solar farms due next month

The fates of four largescale solar farm applications for the City of Greater Shepparton will become clearer next month.

An independent planning panel’s report into four solar farm projects for the Goulburn Valley has been handed down to Victoria’s planning minister, the News understands.

Findings soon: An independent planning panel hearing
 into four solar farm proposals for the Greater Shepparton
area was held earlier this year.

A Victorian Government spokesperson said the planning panel had considered the four Greater Shepparton applications, and their findings would help inform new guidelines.

‘‘We’re developing clear guidelines for the assessment of solar farm applications in Victoria — to give locals certainty and support jobs,’’ the spokesperson said.

The News understands the minister is considering the recommendations with the report set to be released in September.

The government will consider the findings of the panel, as well as actions in other states, to develop solar farm guidelines that work for Victoria, the News understands.

A planning panel hearing into four solar proposals for the Greater Shepparton area wrapped up in May.

Across five sitting days, it heard from landholders, objectors, water authorities, planning experts, the council and the solar developers.

The panel had previously been urged by several submitters on the need for a clear set of guidelines around solar farm proposals to be developed.

The proceedings follow Planning Minister Richard Wynne’s office calling in the four proposals after the council had requested their outcome be determined by the minister’s office; an outcome the council had welcomed as ‘’sensible’’.

The panel is also set to be providing advice to the energy minister about how future solar farm applications will be assessed in Victoria, the News understands.

The applications for solar farm proposals in Lemnos, Tatura East, Congupna and Tallygaroopna constitute hundreds of millions of dollars in development costs with the projects estimated to produce hundreds of megawatts of power.

But there are concerns about the best use of prime agricultural land and fears large-scale solar farms could have an impact on nearby farming practices.

Following recommendations being handed down by the panel, the minister can approve, reject or green light the permits, with conditions attached.

Councillors had said the proposals were problematic for the council to determine.

Chief among the council’s concern with determining the applications was whether the loss of productive agricultural land for a solar farm produces acceptable planning outcomes.

Story by Thomas Moir The Shepparton News - “Report on solar farms due next month.”

Correct solar ruling vital - Shepparton News

There is no question there will be heavy anticipation surrounding a decision on the report into four major solar farm proposals for the City of Greater Shepparton.here will be anticipation from a number of parties.

Greater Shepparton City Council, which had referred these applications on to Victoria’s planning minister for one, landowners and orchardists abutting proposed sites and, of course, the solar farm developers wanting to build these facilities, just to name a few.

But the outcome of the independent planning panel, which this year considered the four solar proposals in Lemnos, Tatura East, Congupna and Tallygaroopna — between them constituting hundreds of millions of dollars in development costs and estimated to produce hundreds of megawatts of power — could range far beyond just this region.

The findings of the panel are set to help inform new guidelines.

‘‘We’re developing clear guidelines for the assessment of solar farm applications in Victoria — to give locals certainty and support jobs,’’ a government spokesperson this week said.

The News understands the independent planning panel’s report into the four solar farm projects for the Goulburn Valley has been handed down to the planning minister and that he is Seeing the light: considering the recommendations, with the report set to be released in September.

As some local stakeholders, including the Committee for Greater Shepparton, have already suggested, there is no need to rush this.

It is far more important that the guidelines created factor in land use, such as concerns aired locally around the best use of prime agricultural land.

It is important that they cast an eye on future land uses of proposed sites, ensuring the right solar developments are encouraged for the most suitable parts of the region.

That resulting guidelines are likely to apply to solar developments in other parts of the state reinforces the need for them to be strong and take many factors into account.

It seems for now, come next month, we will know more.

Editorial from the Shepparton News - "Correct solar ruling vital."

Geraldine joins us Beneath the Wisteria this month.

Geraldine Christou will be the special guest at this month’s gathering Beneath the Wisteria. 

The Director of Sustainable
Development at the City of
Greater Shepparton, Geraldine
Christou, who will be Beneath
 the Wisteria on Saturday,
February 24.

The Director of Sustainable Development at the City of Greater Shepparton has many views that align with those who gather each month Beneath the Wisteria.

This month’s gathering is planned for Saturday, February 24, at 11:00 am.

Geraldine has been in the sustainable development role for a year now having been appointed in January last year, after seven years as leader of council’s Economic Development team.

In her new role, she oversees the Building and Planning Department, comprising Strategic and Statutory Planning; the Economic Development Department, comprising tourism, events, business and industry attraction and development, business incubation, grants, international relations and visitor experience and the Environment Department encompassing Environmental Health and Sustainability and Environment.

More about Geraldine can be found on the city council’s website.

The Saturday, February 24, gathering will be held at the northern end of the Maude St Mall, it’s free to attend and although some public seating is provided, those planning to attend are encouraged to bring a folding chair.

More details are available for the convenor, Robert McLean, at 0400 502 199.

It’s good to hear cycling to work reduces your risk of dying. But that's not why I do it

Bicycles will play a key role in any move to counter climate change.

The City of Greater Shepparton wants to see
more people regularly cycling to work. 

While they have degree of embedded energy, they are moved by human energy and so on the point of their movement, they draw little on fossil fuel energy, other than that required to produce the food that fuels the people riding the bike.

And of course, beyond integral to the mitigation of climate change they are good forth health of users.

The importance of bicycles has also been recognised the City of Greater Shepparton council and just today (April 25) it was reported that council had set a target of increasing cycling in the city by 10 per cent.

It was noted that 655 people regularly cycled to work and the four year target, which will be assessed annually, is to see that number jump by at least 65. 

It may not be a surprise to see another study suggesting that cycling to work can drastically reduce your chances of getting cancer and heart disease – those who ride bikes for transport already know how good it makes them feel. However, it’s perhaps yet another motivation for those who don’t, to dust off their bikes – and remember some other reasons cycling to work is so great.

In a five-year study of 263,450 UK commuters, published in the BMJ, researchers at Glasgow University found regular cycling cut the risk of death from any cause by 41%, and the incidence of cancer and heart disease by 45% and 46% respectively.

The cyclists in the study were riding an average of 30 miles per week; that’s three miles each way, five days per week. Cycling at a leisurely 10mph, that would take about 20 minutes each way – a manageable distance for most people.

Read Laura Laker’s story on The Guardian - “It’s good to hear cycling to work reduces your risk of dying. But that's not why I do it.”

Cleaning up the rubbish of our questionable behaviour

Clean-Up Australia Day is coming to Shepparton, and you can be involved.

The Shepparton/Mooroopna Urban Landcare Group and the City of Greater Shepparton have combined to make this community clean-up day possible.

A free barbecue lunch will follow the clean-up at the Shepparton Weir just off the Boulevard/Rudd Rd near the Shepparton cemetery.

Those keen to help at the Shepparton clean-up should meet at 10:00am at the dirt road (50 metres south of the cemetery entrance) that leads to weir for the two-hour rubbish collection. The free lunch will follow.

People can register online or contact Jean Young at the city council on 0439 988 726.

The Sunday, March 6, clean-up at the weir is a part of the national Clean-Up Australia Day event.

(Such annual events – cleaning up the country are a product of our national obsession with consumption of stuff and then simply throwing it away, which has an immediate obvious impact, and that is a seemingly endless amount of rubbish, and our frivolous use of energy and resources that is eating into the Earth’s capital and disturbing the Earth’s climate system; manifesting itself as climate change – Robert McLean.)

Weeping for society as I lock-up my bike

M

y heart weeps for society every time I use my bicycle and the behaviour of just a few forces me to lock it up.

The new bicycle security lockers in
Shepparton's Maude St Mall.

I grew up in an era when people rarely locked anything, including the front door of their homes, but all that has changed and now a bike can’t be left unattended for even minutes for it could be subject to an opportunistic theft.

Theft is one of the prime reasons that people don’t use bicycles more and sadly many local governments have been forced to go to extremes to provide bicycle parking security.

And now the City of Greater Shepparton is providing security lockers in the city’s Maude St Mall.

Read the story - “GSCC Bike Lockers providing more options for cyclists”.

- Robert McLean.

Plan to build new art museum defies unfolding realities

The City of Greater Shepparton this week agreed to further advance a proposal to build a $35 million Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) overlooking the city’s Victoria Park Lake.

An artist's impression of the new
 Shepparton Art Museum (SAM)
the city's Victoria Park Lake.

A personal formal objection to the idea revolved around realities of the quickly unfolding circumstances of climate change demanding that personally and publicly we avoid spending heavily on anything, especially new buildings that are rich in embedded energy.

Rather than create a new building, and incur for the people of Greater Shepparton significant debt, we should be creatively and innovatively using what exists.

My Editor at the Shepparton News, Joanne Breen, has asked that I avoid discussing climate change in my fortnightly columns, but the idea of committing the city to a multi-storey and expensive building is contrary to what will be needed if we are to endure the rigours of a disrupted climate.

Chief Executive Officer of the McPherson Media Group, the owner of The News, Damian Trezise, once said that if I was to again mention “peak oil”, he would “pull” my column.

This, again, is simply too important not to mention as much of the enthusiasm for the idea is about bringing tourists to the area, something that will become increasingly difficult as the impacts of peak oil really begins to bite.

A column from several weeks ago had lamented the idea of a new SAM and figured that would be the last I would have to say about the matter, but sitting through Tuesday night’s council meeting where the idea was given the go ahead, with only one dissenting voter, I was dismayed by the fact that in comments from all seven councillors, there was not a mention of any sort about resource depletion and what steps should be taken by the council, on behalf of ratepayers to prepare the city for the evolving different circumstance of the 21^st Century.

Watching on, it felt as if the decision to proceed with project was being made in a context that equated with what existed in the 1960s.

Subsequently, I sat down at my laptop and wrote the following and it will appear, I hope, in Monday’s News.

 

“W

e can’t stop now” was a recent utterance about Shepparton’s then proposed new art museum and interestingly an idiom that echoes around the world about how we live and consume.

The briefest of searches will illustrate, without any serious contradiction, that we are on the wrong path and it is imperative that we “stop now”.

"SAM" on the banks of Victoria
 Park Lake in Shepparton.

A new art museum for Shepparton is a wonderful idea, but in locking the city monetarily into particular pathway, it also locks us out from tackling ideas and projects; ideas and projects essential for a city braced to confront the challenges of the 21st Century.

Rather than single major projects such as the art museum that appeal to our better-selves, we should be looking at and investing in what might be termed the “fine grain” of our community.

True, the proposed art museum, as it is envisaged, will have multiply applications, but in a broad sense it will have relatively narrow uses and the overall cost to the community will preclude the creation and development of alternative community assets the future will demand.

It is undeniable that the world has already passed what is colloquially known as “peak oil" and so the collapse of this energy resource marks the end of private transport and so the need for all levels of government to invest immediately and heavily in public transit systems.

Beyond that, those same authorities, and in this case the City of Greater Shepparton, need to legislate and act to create communities that can be easily and conveniently traversed by human powered transport, on foot or by bicycle.

Even though a walk through any of Shepparton’s supermarkets suggest otherwise, finding food will become increasingly challenging and so our council should be planning and creating community gardens throughout Shepparton, Mooroopna and all other centres within the municipality.

The push to improve Melbourne/Shepparton rail services warrants applause, but the real urgency is to refresh, rebuild and recreate the wonderful rail network of earlier this century that laced Victoria together, including the Goulburn Valley.

If Shepparton is to prosper in the coming decades it needs to find another way and not depend on exhausted energy-rich ideas of the 20th Century for a conflation of 21st Century difficulties, among them climate change, makes what once worked, redundant.

That “other way” is not about building stand-alone art museums, rather building a resilience that takes its cues from a simpler life that demands less of earth’s finite resources, encourages us to share those same resources, and reduce our demands on the carbon-rich energy that further disrupts earth’s climate system.

“We can’t stop now” philosophy is clearly wrong, we can stop, and we must stop as the security of future generations rests with us understanding the need to change direction.

Supporters invited to Sustainability Strategy launch

Prof Kate Auty will
launch Shepparton's
Environmental
Sustainability
Strategy.
dd caption

Beneath the Wisteria supporters have been invited to attend the official launch next week of the Greater Shepparton Environmental Sustainability Strategy.

The strategy was officially adopted by the City of Greater Shepparton at its July meeting this year.

All councillors voted in favour of adopting the strategy and four of the seven councillors chose to speak to the motion to thank the Greater Shepparton community for its input into developing this important document.

Council’s Sustainability and Environment Officer, Travis Turner has thanked Beneath the Wisteria supporters for their involvement and input into the development of the strategy.

Mr Turner has invited any supporters of the group to attend the launch of strategy on Thursday, September 18, at 10.30am. He said the launch will take about an hour.

The launch, at “The Connection” on the causeway between Shepparton and Mooroopna, will be by the former Victorian Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability, Prof Kate Auty.

Those planning to attend should RSVP to Travis by September 16 via phone (03) 5832 9816 or email travis.turner@shepparton.vic.gov.au.

The strategy is available to download from the environment page of council’s website or printed copies are available by request.

An invite to Beneath the Wisteria supporters

The Greater Shepparton Environmental Sustainability Strategy has been listed as an agenda item at next week’s meeting of council.

Many Beneath the Wisteria supporters/members have had an active role in the development of the Strategy and council’s Environmental and Sustainability officer, Travis Turner, has invited them to attend.

In urging Beneath the Wisteria members to attend the meeting, Travis said: “They may be interested in coming along to the council meeting to listen to what the councillors have to say about the Strategy, its contents and whether or not they vote to adopt the Strategy”.

The meeting, which is open to the public, starts at 5:30pm on Tuesday, July 15, in the council boardroom, Welsford St Offices and last for about an hour.

“An action in the strategy,” Travis said, “is to form an Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee and so I invite BtW supporters to consider becoming a community representative on the committee.

“There will be an official period when community members can submit an Expression on Interest form in the coming weeks,” he said.

Travis urged Beneath the Wisteria supporters to contact him it they wanted to flag their interest and be kept in the loop.

Travis can be contacted by phone at (03) 5832 9816 or mobile 0407 859 428 or via email at: travis.turner@shepparton.vic.gov.au

Comment sought on city's draft sustainability strategy

Draft environmental and sustainability
strategy can be viewed online or
hard copies are available for the City
of Greater Shepparton.

Beneath the Wisteria is considered a “key stakeholder” in the preparation of a Greater Shepparton Sustainability Strategy 2014-2030.

A draft strategy for the final document has been released at Beneath the Wisteria has been invited to comment on what has been proposed.

Read through the “Draft Environmental Sustainability Strategy” and let me know if you have any thoughts or contributions as we have until February 11, 2014, to note any thoughts we would like considered.

However, also feel free to send your contribution direct to City of Greater Shepparton. Those with any questions about the draft or the process should contact council’s Sustainability and Environment Officer, Travis Turner.

'Slap Tomorrow - A Wake-Up Call' launched

“Slap Tomorrow – A Wake-Up Call” was launched yesterday (April 3).

The "Slap Tomorrow committee at
 the Wednesday, April 3, launch.

About 30 people gathered in Shepparton’s Queen’s Gardens to hear the City of Greater Shepparton Mayor, Cr Jenny Houlihan, launch he Thursday, June 6, forum.

Cr Houlihan congratulated the Slap Tomorrow committee for raising the profile of the climate change conversation.

The event attracted most of the local media and on independent observer commented that it was great privilege to be at an event that may be seen in 100 years as the moment when the conversation about understanding and drawing the opportunities from climate change was ignited in the Goulburn Valley.

A brochure aimed at promoting the event to potential supporters of the forum was handed out.

Candidates invited to join the conversation

Those who have nominated for next month’s City of GreaterShepparton council elections have been invited to join a conversation about responding to climate change.

The invitation is from the organizer of those who gather Beneath the Wisteria in Shepparton’s Maude St Mall, Robert McLean.

“Our response to climate change is,” Mr McLean said, “is unquestionably the most pressing issue facing our community and it is of absolute importance that our council is aware of the complications and be working to build our city’s resilience”.

The next gathering Beneath the Wisteria is planned for 11:30am on Saturday, September 29.

Mr McLean said personal invitations had not been extended to individual candidates, rather it was hoped all those who have nominated would simply join the conversation.

“We are not expecting, or do we want, a ‘stump speech’ from anyone, rather we would like them to be a part of the general conversation about how the city should, and could, respond to our changing climate,” Mr McLean said.

Australia, and particularly the south-eastern corner, including the Goulburn Valley, is considered to be something of the “canary in the coal mine” for the world in relation to climate change.

Mr McLean said that the impact of the world’s changing climate will be felt first, and worst, in our small part of the world and so it was incumbent upon our councillors to be of a mind, and intent, to prepare our community to deal with the unfolding dilemma.

Saturday’s conversations Beneath the Wisteria are at the northern end of the mall, are absolutely free, open to the public and along with an open mind, those intending to attend should bring a folding chair.

A timely response to climate change through careful urban design

Our response to climate change has many facets, but chief among them is how we live and how we move about.

Urban designer, Bruce Echberg, of Melbourne’s Urban Initiatives, has just returned from a study trip to Europe where he looked at how people there have planed their cities to encourage “people interaction” and the ease of movement.

Bruce, a founding member of Melbourne’s Urban Design Forum, that celebrates its 25^th birthday this year, has had, through Urban Initiatives, a long involvement with the City of Greater Shepparton.

His pictures tell a wonderful story about how our towns and cities should, and could, look.

Bruce has divided his series of pictures into three: "European Bikes and infrastructure"; "Floriade 2012 Venlo"; and "HAFENCITY Hamburg July 2012".