Climate Change Response Plan - Implementation Update

Brian Stockwell104:51

Okay, Councillors, we're back in session. Before we move on to the next item, we did have an oversight in the last item and it's noted that the planning environment meeting that Councillor Lorentson did declare a conflict of interest, a declarable conflict of interest in relation to a dealing she had with a local solicitor once. It was at the planning environment meeting agreed that she could stay in the room. There is no need to vote on the matter because the matter has been deferred but it will just be in the amendments as being noted that when she became aware of the oversight was brought to the meeting's attention. All good. So we'll move on to item 8.3, climate change response plan implementation update. Welcome Cheyenne and Sion from the climate change team and their Director, Kim Rawlings. Thanks.

Brian Stockwell132:41

Okay, I'll move on to talk to it. Our roles are really responsible for the governance. I want you to think about how much you've thought about the governance and implementation of the climate response plan since the last election. A lot. And now I'm going to read the risk change is identified as only one of two extreme risks in Council's risk and opportunity management framework. So one of only two extreme risks, and in my view, first time this term. That we're starting and we're starting to think about it. I'm not saying the staff haven't continually tried to implement the plan, and they've identified a great lot of work. But if we're serious about our role as the strategic leaders of this organisation, climate risks should be a monthly review. I'm going to go on. Normally I don't even scan the risk and opportunity section. It's normally quite dry. But let's read what the risks are. Level of risk to Council and Noosa community continues to grow. It's not getting better, it's growing. As global emissions increase and impacts begin to be felt. Governments at all levels, business, households and community each have important complementary and shared responsibilities in adapting to climate change and addressing the cause of climate change through emissions reduction. But let's read there what the are risks research the continue to implement or adequately resource the climate change response plan. This includes risk to lives. And my view was in 2019 we were out there at climate emergency. We had the 2019-20 bushfires across Australia and then I think that was the turning point for the society more generally. Everyone understood that climate change costs lives. Heat stress is probably the biggest threat in our ageing community. But it's not just lives, it's our livelihoods, our health, being, well our food supply chains, economic disruption, to critical infrastructure, and the loss of biodiversity and natural values that underpin the liveability in Noosa. The increasing frequency and severity of climate hazards including flooding, sea level rise, bushfires, droughts, landslides, extreme heat. Severe storms, and cyclones are evident in the succession of local disasters in recent years. I won't keep on going. But if we as leaders of this organisation can't maintain the focus, then we are passing on a legacy of risk. Now, as I said, we have done some good stuff. The transition to net zero will be an interesting plan because it will be challenging. We have one, you know, major opportunity to make a step change out of the landfill which I hope will prove to be a viable option. But to me, we need to constantly think how much time do we spend on day-to operations operational issues of current importance. This is how much time do we spend setting up this organisation so that in 10 and 25 years people aren't losing their lives to climate change impacts. Or the next series of bushfires. Or the next extreme storm. Song. To me it's a salutary lesson but it's also it's good to look at the opportunities and as we see the economic development department have the fun part of this they get to have green drinks and talk about the opportunities because solving the ongoing emissions issue is really about rejigging our economy to be a carbon-neutral economy it's about looking at all the fantastic technological options available it's about looking at how renewable energy can replace stationary coal-fired stations there's numerous opportunities and I'd like to all those staff including the two that were mentioned Rebecca who has just left and Annie have were the powerhouses in this for many years and they did a great job of getting the climate change response plan up and going and our the great job of trying to get the organisation up and going in implementing it so I commend the review and look forward to our continued and regular review of how we're going to address this risk.