Darwin City Council is working to protect the City’s natural resources for future generations with the development of a community focused Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and an Environmental Management System (EMS) to cover its own organisational practices. Environment Manager, Angelika Hesse, said Darwin is perhaps Australia’s only capital city with an abundance of native fauna, clean air and pristine waterways.
“Council is committed to ensuring that current natural resources are managed in a sustainable framework,” she said.
Recent projects undertaken by Darwin City Council to achieve this have included:
- fauna and flora surveys at Rapid Creek and Lake Alexander
- foreshore erosion assessment and remediation plan for Darwin’s 55 kilometre foreshore areas
- litter audits for 400 hectare of bush and park lands managed by Council
- construction of a $750,000 regional recycling and resource recovery facility at Shoal Bay Waste Management Facility
- an energy conservation plan for Darwin under the Cities for Climate Protection Program
- environmental education programs in Darwin schools, including recycling education.
“Community participation is a key part of the successful development of the EMP, which seeks to embody Council’s vision and actions for a sustainable future,” Angelika Hesse said.
For this reason an Environmental Management Plan Advisory Committee with representatives from various community, government, education and industry interests has been appointed to be the peak reference group. It will provide Council with advice on the processes being undertaken and on community feedback as the plan is rolled out.
An atlas presenting known environmental, recreational, cultural and land use values and issues has been prepared. This will be used as the basis for seeking community ideas and views as the plan is developed.
For further information on the EMP and the draft Atlas of Environmental Values visit Council’s web site at www.darwin.nt.gov.au or contact Angelika Hesse on (08) 8930 0300.
