2008 has been a busy year for ICLEI Oceania and its Local Government partners. A special ICLEI Oceania event held during the Australian Local Government Association’s Local Government Constitutional Summit on 9 December will see the launch of two reports, a new social sustainability project, and the recognition of council achievements in ICLEI programs throughout the year.
“I’m particularly pleased to launch our two major reports for 2008,” said Wayne Wescott, ICLEI Oceania CEO. “One marks ten years of greenhouse gas reporting for Cities for Climate Protection Australia, with fantastic results, and the other is the first annual Water Campaign™ Action Report, detailing Local Governments’ approach to sustainable water management. Congratulations to all councils involved.”
Cities for Climate Protection Australia (CCP) – record abatement
The Local Government sector continues to play a significant role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The CCP Australia Local Government Action on Climate Change 2008 report has exceeded all expectations for Local Government contributions, summarising over 3,000 actions reported by 184 councils (download the report from the ICLEI Oceania website, www.iclei.org/oceania).
CCP currently has 234 Australian councils participating in the program (representing about 84 per cent of the Australian population) with continued support in 2008–09 from the Australian Government, through the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, and the Victorian Government, through the Department of Sustainability and Environment.
The program continues to grow with a series of new projects for 2008–09, including Switch IT Over, designed to accelerate the transition to best practice management of energy efficient IT and office equipment. CCP is also helping Local Government prepare for climate change impacts with a series of forums addressing adaptation being held around the country.
The Water Campaign™ – reporting
council action
The ICLEI Water Campaign™ is also growing and gaining substantial support from State Governments around the country. The first annual Water Campaign™ Actions Report highlights the aggregated water conservation and water quality actions from
24 contributing councils in 2007–08 (download the report from the ICLEI Oceania website, www.iclei.org/oceania).
ICLEI Oceania has prepared the report to inspire Local Governments across Australia to become more involved in saving water and safeguarding its quality.
The Water Campaign™ has also produced numerous case studies and the 2008 Actions Profile to showcase the actions councils are undertaking to improve their sustainable water management.
Currently there are 120 councils in the Water Campaign™, with 15 new councils joining in 2008. There was particularly strong growth in Western Australia, with councils joining up to address water scarcity and quality issues.
Three councils reached Milestone 5 in the program; City of Mandurah, WA and Hornsby Shire Council and Penrith City Council in NSW.
Cities for Safe and Healthy Communities – foundation councils recognised
ICLEI Oceania is expanding its traditional work on resilient ecosystems with a new approach to thriving communities, the Cities for Safe and Healthy Communities initiative.
Foundation councils in 2008–09 from across Australia will participate in this establishment phase, designed to both create opportunities for their input as well as provide outcomes of immediate benefit to councils. These councils are to be recognised for their support of this initiative at the ICLEI Oceania event during the Local Government Constitutional Summit.
Cities for Safe and Healthy Communities is designed to help Local Governments foster healthy, safe, resilient and sustainable communities. Supported by the National Local Government Drug and Alcohol Advisory Committee and Brisbane City Council, the initiative is using ICLEI’s established processes to build capacity to effectively plan to meet communities’ social sustainability goals.
Integrated Sustainability Services (ISS) – new tools developed
Integrated Sustainability Services (ISS) was formed in mid 2008 combining the strengths, skills and resources of ICLEI Sustainability Services and the Centre for Public Agency Sustainability Reporting. This year the ISS team developed a ‘Sustainability Assessment Tool for Local Governments’, funded by Sustainability Victoria.
Triple Bottom Line Program councils participated in a range of workshops, covering topics such as sustainability review, sustainability planning and indicators, sustainability reporting, and specific sustainability training workshops.
ISS also launched its online networking list for TBL Program participants.
Organisation-wide ICLEI Oceania expands – winners of
a Melbourne award
In 2008, ICLEI Oceania continued to place staff with member councils around Australia to provide members and program participants with tailored services and a local perspective.
Staff are now hosted by the City of Melville, WA; the City of Campbelltown, SA; the City of Melbourne, Vic; Penrith City Council and the City of Sydney, NSW; and Wellington City Council, New Zealand. Brisbane City Council also assists in the delivery of ICLEI services to Local Governments in Queensland.
ICLEI Oceania’s 2007 Accelerating Now! Conference won a Melbourne Award and a Meetings and Events Industry (MEA) Victoria state award for our efforts to deliver a Green Event approach.
Looking ahead, in June next year, ICLEI Oceania will be taking a substantial delegation of Local Governments to the triennial ICLEI conference in Edmonton, Canada. See www.iclei.org/worldcongress2009 for more details about the ICLEI World Congress 2009: Connecting Leaders – Advancing Local Action for Sustainability, 14–18 June 2009, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Contact ICLEI Oceania if you are interested in taking part in this exciting opportunity on (03) 9639 8688 or oceania@iclei.org
*Copy supplied by ICLEI Oceania. ICLEI Oceania is the regional secretariat for
ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, which was founded in 1990 as the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives.
