On a global day dedicated to standing up for the environment, Tweed Shire Council has declared a climate emergency and provided support for today’s School Strike for Climate.
Mayor of Tweed, Councillor Katie Milne was successful in her Notice of Motion at last night’s Council meeting to call for emergency action by all levels of government, including by local councils.
Tweed Youth Council member Jazmine Cooke, who is also a Member of the NSW Parliamentary Youth Council, addressed councillors at the public forum session before the meeting, urging them to take all the necessary action required to limit global warming.
The Mayor’s motion acknowledged that our young people have the most at stake as they are the ones that will face the worst impacts of climate change if this is not addressed rapidly and effectively.
This morning Cr Milne told Echonetdaily ihat it is important to acknowledge how serious the situation is so that our responses can then be aligned to this emergency level status.
‘I am very pleased the declaration passed but disappointed three of the Councillors do not seem to be listening to either the scientists or the young people and voted against this declaration,’ she said. ‘Not one of them even spoke about why they voted against the motion.’
Council’s resolution encouraged adults to join the students at today’s global School Strike for Climate at 11am in Ambrose Brown Park in Pottsville.
Council noted that 45 other Australian Local Councils have declared a climate emergency, along with 987 government bodies around the world
In the resolution, Council also noted: that 45 other Australian Local Councils have declared a climate emergency, along with 987 government bodies around the world; that Tweed’s 2017 flood was the largest on record and the two recent major fires that have burnt hundreds of hectares of Tweed’s bushland; last year’s United Nations’ IPCC report which found that global emissions of carbon dioxide must peak by 2020 and reduce by 45 per cent by 2030 to keep the planet below a 1.5°C increase; and, that even a 1.5°C increase will lead to significant climate disruptions including the Great Barrier Reef predicted to lose 90 per cent of its coral and the outlook for the reef now classified as very poor.
A report will now be developed outlining the actions Council is currently undertaking to address climate change and further steps that can be taken to reduce emissions to levels at least consistent with IPCC targets. The report will be provided to the Tweed Shire Youth Council for their input.
In addition, information on the implications for sustainability will now be included in all reports to Council.
The Mayor will write to the NSW and federal governments and local Members of Parliament requesting them to declare a climate emergency and prioritise actions to address climate change.
To view the full resolution, go to www.tweed.nsw.gov.au/CouncilMeetings.
How unsurprising that the Tweed business as usual suspects voted against declaring a Climate Emergency. Yet another glaring example that nothing substantial will be done by the old political parties in Australia to properly address the existential threat we face. National, Liberal, Labor corruption will kill your kids and grandchildren through climate change denial and wilful inaction. Yet they keep getting elected to government.
Maybe homo sapiens is just too stupid to live?
Most of the species Homo sapiens Australias tend to judge their fellow homo sapiens by what they do rather than what they grunt. Geoff Provost and the LNP governemnt have delivered the best bus service in the Northern Rivers from Tweed Heads down the Tweed Coast. Real public transport that gets strong patronage, instead of Milne, Fenelon and their party’s pointless train that would link Murbah with just 35 households in the Tweed Shire that do not have a car and live near the rail line.