Moreton Bay Regional Council accelerates commitment to tackle climate change

Moreton Bay Regional Council accelerates commitment to tackle climate change

Moreton Bay Regional Council has joined 125 councils across Australia by signing up to the Cities Power Partnership (CPP)and further committing to tackle climate change.

Mayor Peter Flannery said that this is a national program led by the Climate Council to accelerate Australia’s transition to a renewable energy future.

“As a Council we have a responsibility to do what we can to protect residents and our region, which is why we’ve recognised the crucial need to plan for the impacts of a warmer planet,” he said.

“This is of critical importance for our coastal areas which will experience increased erosion and inundation due to rising sea levels, as well as our hinterland which is at extreme bushfire risk due to decreased annual rainfall.

“A clear plan of action is needed to ensure we can manage these impacts with, and on behalf of, our community and that’s why Council is developing an Environment and Sustainability Strategy.

“We have heard the community loud and clear about the need for coordinated action, we are acting on scientific advice, and we will identify ways Council can respond to this important issue at a grassroots level.”

Priority action points

Moreton Bay Regional Council's new commitment will include the investigation of five priority actions:

• Identify where solar power and battery storage can be installed on council buildings.
• How can Council better support community facilities to access renewable energy - through incentives or grants.
• Provide support to local groups advocating community energy initiatives.
• Encourage sustainable transport use such as public transport, walking and cycling through council transport planning and design.
• Set up meetings and attend events to work with other cities on tackling climate change.

Rebuild, revitalise and restore

Mayor Flannery said involving the community to understand where we should concentrate our efforts will be key to expediating local initiatives to tackle climate change.

“We don’t need to reinvent the wheel here, there’ll be a lot of great ideas that we can borrow from other Councils that are already ahead of us in this space,” he said.

“What we do need to do is make climate-friendly choices to rebuild the economy, revitalise our community and protect and restore nature to build a better future.

“The private sector, investors, and even the energy market are all looking to renewables as the future, now that technology is making it the cheaper and more viable alternative to fossil fuels.

“So as we look for ways to bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic, I see embracing renewable technology and innovation as a way we can reboot our economy to create new local jobs well into the future.”

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