Alexandrina Council supported a climate emergency declaration at its meeting on 16 December, providing the organisation with a clear mandate to place climate change at the forefront of local action. 

This follows a state government declaration of climate emergency in September and joins more than 40 other councils around Australia.

A council statement says the declaration is a decision that recognises the science, acknowledges the serious risks of climate change to our community, economy and ecosystems; and makes a commitment to act.

Details of the declaration are as follows:

Alexandrina Council:

• Declares that we are in a state of climate emergency and acknowledges that unless all levels of government take action and lead their communities to restore a safe climate, there will be further dramatic and negative impacts on our community and globally.

• Notes that it is still possible to restore a safe climate and prevent most of the anticipated long-term climate impacts – but only if all levels of government around the globe adopt an emergency mode of action, actively working with their communities, to restore a safe and healthy planet at the necessary scale and speed.

• Will actively collaborate with and advocate for neighbouring local governments, state governments and the federal government to join with us by accelerating the adoption of a climate emergency response and developing their own Climate Emergency Plan.

• Will write to State and Federal Members of Parliament who represent the Alexandrina Council region, advising them of Council’s resolution and request they also act with urgency to address climate change.

The statement says the council will assign a high priority to climate emergency responses in its 2020-21 Annual Business Plan and Budget deliberation process.

It will also create a Climate Emergency Advisory Committee and allocate additional resources and staffing to apply for grants and use rebates to develop and implement appropriate projects and programs.

These will include initiating climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives such as energy reduction and carbon sequestration programs.

The council will develop and implement a Climate Emergency Plan as part of its strategic planning framework and review existing policies and plans with a view to facilitating a climate emergency response.

It intends to roll out education programs to staff and the public and build a campaign to achieve broad community support for the move into climate emergency mode.