Alternatively, download the document via the following direct link -
David Blore, BSFG Vice President
for BSFG Committee
Alternatively, download the document via the following direct link - David Blore, BSFG Vice President for BSFG Committee
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New Action Group - 'Ecological Sustainable Planning, Development and Retrofitting' - July Report10/8/2022 Ecologically Sustainable Development may be a consideration in Planning Developments, however it appears not be a major factor in Planning Subdivisions. We see this by the absence of passive orientation in Subdivisions.
Our group has yet to have a formal meeting however we have had email contact regarding goals and actions. One of our members with planning experience is away now and we hope to meet on his return. Another member has alerted us to the Sustainable Subdivisions Framework which is an initiative of the Council Alliance for a Sustainable Built Environment (CASBE), https://www.casbe.org.au/what-we-do/sustainable-subdivisions/. At the Council Office on Wednesday July 27, I met Bronwyn Chapman and the Environmental Sustainability Officer Nathan Gasperoni. We discussed the new BSFG Review groups. As for our group Bronwyn thought the current Planning Scheme enabled developers to consider and incorporate passive design in new subdivisions. She also felt there may be an opportunity to have a Briefing for Developers about sustainable subdivisions. This could be a joint briefing with BSFG and with Council funding. We also briefly discussed Retrofits and Council may have looked at retrofitting buildings and have a tool, Combat which might be of interest to us. The Benalla Planning Scheme is available at https://planning-schemes.app.planning.vic.gov.au/Benalla/ordinance I mentioned my interest in Council emissions following the BSFG Climate Emergency Petition presentation to Council on Wednesday September 29th, 2021. At the meeting Council was to have available an emissions report ready for the review of the Climate Adaptation Strategy which is now due. I recently found that Council have been involved in evaluating Emissions Assessment tools with Strathbogie, Indigo and Towong Shire Councils, https://www.gmca.org.au/carbon-crunching-councils.html. Bronwyn suggested I write to the Council asking for a Council emissions report. Bronwyn suggested a way for BSFG to work with Council could be to have regular meetings with her and Nathan. Council funding could also be available for BSFG projects however these could only be considered for the 2023 Council Budget. There are also the annual Community Grants and the monthly Sponsorship Grants to support BSFG activities, https://www.benalla.vic.gov.au/Your-Community/Annual-Grants-Program. Bronwyn also suggested BSFG report to Council regularly about BSFG activities, such as the recent well attended Landlords Solar Forum. Peter Maddock "Adaptation - Addresses the impacts of climate change - more frequent heatwave events, intense downpours and harsher fire weather. Mitigation - Addresses the causes of climate change - reduces the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere." At last Wednesday's Planning and Development Committee meeting, Benalla councillors wee finally considering a peition, originally received by council in April this year, from 600 local residents to declare a climate emergency, and to develop plans and actions that would enable Benalla to become a net-zero emissions community by 2030. At the meeting, councillors were addressed by two of the Benalla P-12 College student captains, Jessica Patterson and Lachie Sands. Benalla GP Dr Gerard Brownstein, and Benalla Sustainable Future Group (BSFG) president Peter Holmes. Councillors asked many questions of the presenters, and all indicated their acknowledgement that climate change was indeed a threat to our community's future health, social and economic wellbeing. However, at the conclusion of the discussion, a motion was moved and passed by all councillors that the petition be noted, that the council recognizes that climate change is one of the most significant issues that will impact the social, cultural and economic and environmental health and wellbeing of our community and will act accordingly with all policies and programs of the council, and that council further considers its position on climae change during the upcoming review of the Benalla Rural City Climate Change Adaptation and Action Plan 2013-2025. BSFG, and no doubt the wider community know that we are very disappointed with this response from our elected leaders. Despite overwhelming worldwide evidence of the catastrophic climate-related events in recent years, and the most recent IPCC report noting that "this is the last decade the world has in which to drastically reduce greenhouse emissions in order to contain global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius", council's motion contains no indication of urgency whatsoever, and no demonstrable target to work towards in relation to reducing greenhouse emissions. In fact, the motion, in referring to the review of Council's Climate Change Adaptation Policy, 2013-2025, as its principal document of reference for climate change, basically indicates that council will make plans about what to do "after the hourse has bolted", rather than developing plans to stop the horse bolting. We need a Climate Change MItigation Plan to be developed, a point that was made consistently by speakers on Wednesday night. BSFG will continue to advocate vigorously for action on mitigating climate change. Therefore, on behalf of the Benalla community, we declare that the world faces a climate emergency, and must drastically reduce its greenhouse emissions by 2030, and Benalla must play its part in striving for these emission reductions. BSFG calls for expressions of interest from representatives of the many key stakeholder groups across the community which will be affected by climate change, to join a community consultation "Climate Change Mitigation" group to develop ideas and plans to lead Benalla towards a net-zero emissions future, preferably by 2030. To register interest in participating, email BSFG at bsfginc@gmail.com and provide your name, contact details and areas of interest. Peter Holmes, Benalla |
BSFG News
Regular updates on sustainability issues of concern to BSFG members in Benalla and North East Victoria and on key events in the BSFG calendar. Search for articles here...Swanpool Environmental Film Festival - from 2015 to 2023 (click on 'previous' at end of page to go to earlier reports)
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