Nambucca Shire Council has resolved by majority to offer its support to students participating in the climate change strike this Friday, September 20.
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The Council acknowledges the concern our youth have for the impact of climate change on the planet's live-ability. This will have the greatest impact on their generation as well as future generations.
"Climate change is a scientific fact and the potential risk to the planet's ecosystems and ultimately its live-ability is extreme. It's a matter for the governments of every country to meet their obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to try and avert this harm," Council's General Manager Michael Coulter said.
"In many respects it will be councils and local communities who will be incurring the economic, environmental and social costs of climate change. Whether it be through additional costs imposed by extreme weather events and natural disasters; changes in the availability and distribution of arable farmland; coastal erosion; or the loss of biodiversity causing changes to natural systems, local councils and their residents will be first responders.
"Whilst I have heard some argue that councils have no role in advocating for action on this global threat, the NSW Local Government Act requires that councils exercise a very broad role which includes providing civic leadership to the community. It is therefore appropriate for councils to have a position on a matter which has such important economic, environmental and social implications."
He said the Council had established a Clean Energy Committee which was working hard to implement new initiatives to reduce or offset the carbon emissions from council's operations ... a recent example being the conversion of all shire street lights to LED technology.
The Council continues to fund programs to reduce its carbon emissions via its environmental levy. The levy is paid as part of residents' rates and provides the Council with over $400,000 per annum to spend on activities to improve the environment.
