Sustainability takes centre stage

Prof Kate Auty holding the City of Greater
Shepparton’s Environmental Sustainability
 Strategy 2014-2030 and Travis Turner
holds the State of the Climate, the last existing
copy presented to council by Prof Auty.

Sustainability took centre stage on Thursday.

About 60 people gathered at The Connection on the causeway between Shepparton and Mooroopna for the launch of the City of Greater Shepparton’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy 2014-2030.

The city’s Mayor, Cr Jenny Houlihan formally launched the document watched by council’s sustainability and environment officer, Travis Turner, and those on the committee who worked to piece the strategy together.

Chairman of council’s environment committee, Cr “Gunna” Ryan presented those on the committee with certificates acknowledging their contribution.

Speakers included Victoria’s former Commissioner for Sustainability and Environment, Prof Kate Auty, a position from which she recently resigned, but who is now a Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Melbourne, and Tracy Taylor, who is with the nine council strong Goulburn Broken Greenhouse Alliance.

Tracy explained the “Watts Working Better” project that is about the replacement of high-energy street lights with more efficient units.

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

Talks about sustainability and strategies Beneath the Wisteria

Greater Shepparton’s aim to become environmentally sustainable will discussed on Saturday, January 25, Beneath the Wisteria.

The city council’s Environmental and Sustainability officer, Mr Travis Turner, will explain, and answer any questions about the draft environmental strategy that stretches from this year through to 2030.

The strategy, copies of which Mr Turner will have at Saturday’s gathering, can be read at the City of Greater Shepparton website.

Submissions on the draft will be taken until February 11 this year after which a final document will be prepared and go to council for ratification and adoption.

Mr Turner is eager to hear peoples’ views about the document and welcomes submissions.

Saturday’s Beneath the Wisteria session is free, open to anyone interested and although some public seating is available, people are advised to being a folding chair.

Discussions start on Saturday at 11:30am at the northern end of the Maude St Mall and last for about an hour.

Those with any questions should contact the convenor, Robert McLean on 0400 502 199 or email to convenor.

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.

A test of sustainability for Shepparton

Whether or not the City of Greater Shepparton is truly interested in sustainability will soon be obvious.

The Environmental Sustainability Strategy has been listed as an agenda item at the December 17 meeting of the council.

Council’s Sustainability and Environment Officer, Travis Turner, has told Beneath the Wisteria, a group he supports, that this is “huge opportunity for them (fellow Beneath the Wisteria supporters) to have input into council’s environmental activities”.

Travis has played a key role in developing and writing the strategy and is eager to receive feedback and is keen to see those interested in the environment and sustainability at the December 17 meeting.

The December 17 meeting will be held in the council chambers at the Eastbank Centre starting at 5:30pm.

Intricacies and diffulties of discussion paper explained

The intricacies and difficulties of assembling a discussion paper about environmental matters and sustainability were outlined at today’s (Saturday, February 23) Beneath the Wisteria.

Travis Turner, the Environmental and Sustainability Officer with the City of Greater Shepparton, explained personal background and then outlined how he and his small team had created the impressive 144 page discussion paper.

Comments about the paper varied from praise to criticism, but all the nearly 20 at the gathering seemed delighted council had taken the initiative to first publish the paper, seek comments and then conduct a series of workshops throughout the city encouraging public input, from which a draft paper will be distilled and published.

Mr Turner, who had brought copies of the discussion paper with him, encouraged all Beneath the Wisteria supporters to comment, something they can do via writing on a form included with the paper, on online via the city council website at: http://www.greatershepparton.com.au/council/communityconsultation/consultation/environmentstrategypaper/.

Council has organized four workshops at which City of Greater Shepparton residents can comment on the discussion page with the first at Dookie on Monday, March 4, followed by similar workshops at Shepparton in the Senior Citizens Rooms at 5:30pm on Wednesday, March 6, followed by another the same day at Mooroopna at 7:30pm in the Sir Ian McLennan Centre, and with the final of the workshops at the Tatura Seniors Citizens Rooms at 5:30pm on Thursday, March 7.

Whether we feel this whole project is adequate or otherwise, we have a responsibility, not just as citizens of Greater Shepparton, but as citizens of the world, to involve ourselves helping make it say what we believe is necessary.

Travis to outline city's environmental strategy

Travis Turner will talk about Greater Shepparton’s environmental sustainability strategy at the February gathering Beneath the Wisteria.

A discussion paper compiled under the direction Mr Turner, the city’s Sustainability and Environment Officer, was released for public comment this week.

Mr Turner has agreed to attend Saturday’s gathering and outline the near 150 page document.

Those who meet monthly Beneath the Wisteria in Shepparton’s Maude St Mall to consider a personal response to climate change, while thinking about how the public could answer the difficulty, should welcome the chance to hear directly from paper’s author.

The paper’s foreword, written by the city’s mayor, Cr Jenny Houlihan, says: “Greater Shepparton City Council is very excited to be in the process of developing an Environmental Sustainability Strategy.

“The strategy”, she says, “will help council identify and prioritise environmental sustainability activities across council strategies and plans and will increase the capacity and understanding of environmental and sustainability issues across council and the community.”

Comment on the strategy paper is encouraged and can be done online via the council’s website or through a more traditional sense using a form supplied with the strategy that can be returned to the council in a postage paid envelope.

The Saturday, February 3, gathering Beneath the Wisteria will not be in it usual place at the northern end of the mall, rather it will be the Queen’s Gardens immediately opposite the Shepparton Art Museum in Welsford St.

The change in venue is necessary because of the city’s annual Summer Market.

Discussions will start at 11:30am and those intending to attend are advised to bring a folding chair.