Photo by Michael Nardella We are very excited to bring you the great news that on Tuesday, 10 September 2019, the Yarra Ranges Council voted 5 votes to 3 to declare a Climate Emergency. The public gallery was overflowing with supporters of the motion, including children, and there was much excitement and jubilation once the vote was taken! Learn more on the international movement to declare a Climate Emergency In making this Climate Emergency Declaration Council is declaring that we cannot engage in ‘business as usual’ if we are to seriously tackle the Climate Emergency. Council is saying, we need a society wide mobilization that takes very seriously the danger now facing our planet and all life on the planet. The Yarra Ranges Council is taking leadership in making this Declaration. It is sending a very strong and unequivocal message to the community and to governments that we need urgent, collective action across all levels of government and the community. There is no time to waste! We must act NOW! Cr Mike Clarke’s Motion: A Climate Emergency Framework! In fact, Cr Mike Clarke’s motion went further than declaring a Climate Emergency. His motion created a Climate Emergency Framework which will enable a Whole of Council approach to the Climate Emergency, as well as also enabling greater collaboration between Council staff and the community in developing carbon abatement projects and activities. This Whole of Council approach and greater collaboration between the Community and Council is what Healesville CoRE has been advocating for the past two years. Read Cr Mike Clarke’s amended motion The Healesville CoRE Role in Facilitating this Outcome! The Healesville CoRE team is really pleased to have played a prominent role in facilitating this outcome. Our President, Jeff Barlow, is a Community Member of the Yarra Ranges Environment Advisory Committee (YREAC), which is a Council appointed group to advise Council on environmental issues. Jeff brought a motion to YREAC in June this year, which YREAC supported unanimously, to request that Council signs the Climate Emergency Declaration. This was supported by a letter from Healesville CoRE and a further supportive motion, which Jeff organized, from a meeting of the Yarra Valley Community for Climate Action, both with unanimous support. Cr Mike Clarke, who is the Chair of YREAC, then formulated his motion on the basis of the support of YREAC, as well as the support of other community groups and individuals writing to Council. A community group asked Jeff Barlow to speak in favour of the motion at the Council meeting which he did, and young kids from the community, who were present, stood behind Jeff, facing the Council, as he made his presentation to Council. It was an historic and very moving occasion. Read Jeff Barlow’s community presentation to Council here Practical Implications! It is a real pity that the motion did not ask Council to sign the Climate Emergency Declaration, which would have had significant symbolic meaning, rather than simply declaring a Climate Emergency! However, the motion as passed, will have significant practical implications. Already plans are being discussed for the next steps in creating greater community/Council involvement in … Continue reading Yarra Ranges Council declares a Climate Emergency!!