Do we Still Have a Climate Emergency?

YCAN is surprised and deeply concerned that the Yarra's Draft Council Plan 2025-2029 fails to explicitly recognise the challenge of global warming - a challenge that requires urgent evidence-based action targeted at emissions reduction and harm minimisation from all levels of government.

The Local Government Act requires every newly elected Council to produce a 4-year strategy plan to guide their work in active consultation with community members. The process is now in its final stages. After inviting input through Your Say Yarra and a series of community workshops, the Council’s Draft Council Plan is open for feedback until 5 pm on 23 May.

Yarra Council declared a Climate Emergency in 2017. The strong and ambitious Climate Emergency Plan 2024-2030 was adopted unanimously by Council in June 2024. The plan acknowledges the reality of the Climate Emergency and sets out how the Council will respond to the challenges posed. Yarra Council has been widely recognised as a leader in effective evidence-based climate action – refer, for example, to the praise from the international cities umbrella group ICLEI.

YCAN expected the 2025-2029 Council Plan to identify the climate emergency and climate action high among the challenges we face over the next four years. But the draft Plan barely mentions climate or environment, and doesn’t refer at all to the Climate Emergency Plan, while several other plans are explicitly referenced.

This is unacceptable. YCAN’s surprise and concern is further heightened by the fact that:

The Climate Emergency was the first of five key themes of Yarra’s previous Council Plan 2021-2025, which drew on consultation with much the same population.

The first stage of community consultation included multiple references to the need for climate and environment action. Why hasn’t this report been made public, like other consultation reports?

Climate and environment were key concerns of the community reference group according to attendees and the published report;

Environmental sustainability is one ‘pillar’ of our Community Vision - which the Plan is required to reflect;

The draft Plan seemingly disregards the Local Government Act 2020 which requires that (at p94):

“A Council must ... give effect to the overarching governance principles ....

(b) priority is to be given to achieving the best outcomes for the municipal community, including future generations.

(c) economic, social and environmental sustainability, including mitigation and planning for climate change risks, is to be promoted.”

What do we want in our Council Plan?

Action on climate and environment, as per the Yarra Climate Emergency Plan 2024-2030, should be explicitly referenced in the Plan’s introduction and as part of each of the four Themes. No activities can flourish (or even continue) on a dead planet!

Have Your Say! Tell Council you want strong action on climate and environment – for our future.

https://yoursayyarra.com.au/councilplan2529. Deadline for submissions: 5 pm 23 May