Posts Tagged ‘governance’
Liveable & Just Toolkit: Regional Workshops
Posted in Events, Research by Kate Archdeacon on May 6th, 2011
| 12 May , 2011 | to | 17 June , 2011 |
Source: Victorian Local Governance Association via Mt Alexander Sustainability Group Inc (MASG)
The Liveable & Just Toolkit is the culmination of a project to explore how local governments across Victoria are responding to the social and equity impacts of climate change.
In June 2009 the Victorian Local Governance Association (VLGA) and Melbourne University’s McCaughey Centre travelled across the state to hear directly from local governments about issues of priority, success stories, challenges, and lessons learned in addressing the social and equity impacts of climate change. Workshops covered crucial issues such as heatwaves and bushfires, rising costs of water, energy and transport, physical and mental health, and the heightened vulnerability of groups such as the mentally ill, homeless, aged, and infants. In response to workshop outcomes and recommendations, the Liveable & Just Toolkit provides a practical framework to help integrate responses to the social and equity impacts of climate change across council activities. It also presents ideas and suggestions for local government to respond to climate change in ways that simultaneously promote social justice.
Toolkits available for download from the website:
- Addressing social and equity impacts of climate change: The case for local government action
- Reducing vulnerability: Strategies for local government to identify and help reduce vulnerability to climate change
- Engaging communities: Tips for effective and inclusive climate change community engagement
- Building resilience: Ideas for local government to strengthen community resilience to climate change
The toolkit is designed for use by those in roles of varying seniority within the local government sphere and across a range of council activities including sustainability, health and wellbeing, economic and community development, and planning. The toolkit will also be highly relevant to community organisations working alongside or in direct partnership with local governments.
Visit the website for more information on the toolkit.
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Regional Workshops: May-June 2011
The VLGA will deliver a series of workshops in regional Victoria in May and June, sponsored by mecu Ltd and hosted by local governments and regional cities. These will enable you to use the toolkit to build on existing organisational and community strengths in addressing a range of climate-related social and equity impacts.
Workshop dates and locations – all sessions run 9.30am-4pm
Bendigo: Thursday 12 May Capital Theatre, View St
Ballarat: Thursday 19 May Town Hall, Sturt St
Wodonga: Thursday 26 May Wodonga TAFE, 87 McKoy St, West Wodonga
Mildura: Friday 3 June Alfred Deakin Centre, 180 Deakin Ave (Cnr 12th St)
Latrobe: Friday 17 June Quality Inn Latrobe Convention Centre, Princes Hwy Traralgon
Visit the workshop website to register or find out more.
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Peter Harper: ‘Zero Carbon Britain 2030′ in Melbourne
Posted in Events, Research by Kate Archdeacon on March 18th, 2011
| 13 April , 2011 | ||
| 19 April , 2011 |
Zero Carbon by 2030 – Britain’s dream or reality?
Technology says we can. Science says we must. Is it time to say we will?
SPEAKER: Peter Harper, Centre for Alternative Technology (UK), Coordinator Zero Carbon Britain
Two public lectures by UK scientist Peter Harper, from the Centre of Alternative Technology (CAT), in Wales on ZeroCarbonBritain 2030 – a plan offering a positive realistic, policy framework to eliminate emissions from fossil fuels within 20 years. Zero Carbon Britain(ZCB) brought together leading UK’s thinkers, including policy makers, scientists, academics, industry and NGOs to provide political, economic and technological solutions to the urgent challenges raised by climate science.
Governments and businesses seem paralysed and unable to plan for a rapid transition to a low-carbon economy. ZCB shows what can be done by harnessing the voluntary contribution from experts working outside their institutions. The ZCB report,released in June 2010, provides a fully integrated vision of how Britain can respond to the challenges of climate change, resource depletion and global inequity, with the potential for a low-carbon future to enrich society as a whole.
During lectures in Melbourne and Sydney, Peter will explore how we can ‘Power Down’ demand in the built environment, transport, land use and institute behavioural change, then ‘Power Up’ the energy system with renewables. He’ll outline the key thinking behind the report, including why a low carbon economy is an investment in the future, and look at the ways sustainable community based and multi-lateral initiatives will concurrently inform a global energy infrastructure.
Wednesday 13 April, 6.30- 8pm, BMW Edge, Federation Square
Please register your attendance by Monday 11 April to climateinnovation@ecoinnovationlab.com
Presented by the British Council, VEIL (Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab), Banksia Environmental Foundation, Key Message and BMW Edge at Federation Square.
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Water For Cities: World Water Day, March 22
Posted in Events by Kate Archdeacon on March 15th, 2011
| 22 March , 2011 |
International World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of freshwater.
World Water Day 2011:
This is the first time in human history that most of the world’s population live in cities: 3.3 billion people …and the urban landscape continues to grow. 38% of the growth is represented by expanding slums, while the city populations are increasing faster than city infrastructure can adapt. The objective of World Water Day 2011 is to focus international attention on the impact of rapid urban population growth, industrialization and uncertainties caused by climate change, conflicts and natural disasters on urban water systems. This year’s theme, Water for cities: responding to the urban challenge, aims to spotlight and encourage governments, organizations, communities, and individuals to actively engage in addressing the defy of urban water management.
Visit the website to learn more or register an event http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday/index.html or check out their photostream on Flickr.
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Speak up for wind energy! Submissions close at 5pm today.
Posted in Movements by Kate Archdeacon on February 10th, 2011
Photo: Hepburn Wind Turbine 1 Embed, January 28 2011
http://hepburnwind.com.au/blog/speak-up-for-wind-energy/
Australia’s clean energy future is being questioned by the Federal Senate’s inquiry into the ‘Social and economic impact of rural wind farms‘. Without a strong display of community support, it is possible that we won’t see any more projects like the Hepburn Community Wind Farm built in Australia. We have made it easy for you to make a submission. Simply fill out the form on our response page, editing the message to your liking, and an emailed submission will be sent to the Senate.
Submissions must be sent by 5pm on 10 February 2011. Full information about the enquiry is available on the Senate’s website - http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/clac_ctte/impact_rural_wind_farms/info.htm
Visit the Hepburn Wind Blog to respond: http://hepburnwind.com.au/blog/
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Fast Track Transport for Sustainable Cities: Forum
Posted in Events by Kate Archdeacon on January 27th, 2011
| 16 February , 2011 | ||
| 4:45 pm | to | 7:00 pm |
Source: pt4me2
Bookings: mtf@mtf.org.au
Website: pt4me2 blog
Website: Metropolitan Transport Forum
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The Real Forest Debate
Posted in Events by Kate Archdeacon on November 20th, 2010
| 24 November , 2010 | ||
| 6:00 pm | to | 8:00 pm |
Source: Victorian Climate Action Calendar
Image: DSE Victoria via flickr CC
Come and hear your political leaders present their parties’ policies on the future of native forest logging in Victoria. To incite healthy debate, politicians will be joined on the panel by forest campaigner Luke Chamberlain and Conservation Lawyer Vanessa Bleyer.
Panel:
• Hon Gavin Jennings, Labor Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Innovation,
• Peter Walsh, Coalition Shadow Minister for Agriculture,
• Brian Walters, Greens state candidate for Melbourne;
• Luke Chamberlain, The Wilderness Society’s Forest Campaigner and;
• Vanessa Bleyer, Conservation Lawyer.
Facilitated by Brendan Sydes of the Environment Defender’s Office.
24 Nov 6pm
RMIT University, City Campus, 340 Swanston St Melbourne (Building 8, Level 10, Room 22) All welcome
Gold coin donation
Info: Pia Perversi-Burchall, 0412 739 201 or pia.pb@wilderness.org.au
www.wilderness.org.au/victoria
Sustainable Cities Net: posting from Mexico City
Posted in Events, Movements by Kate Archdeacon on November 18th, 2010
| 17 November , 2010 10:00 am | to | 26 November , 2010 6:00 pm |
Centro Historico, photo: K Archdeacon
On behalf of Sustainable Cities Net, I (Kate) am attending and blogging on the United Cities and Local Governments Congress and the World Mayors’ Summit, held this week in Mexico City. The content will appear on Sustainable Cities Net and also on a site created by Siemens, who provided a similar service at COP 15 and will do so at COP 16 next month. Over three thousand delegates from around the world will attend the presentations from city mayors on the pressures and responses they meet in their own city. The opportunity to expand the discussion and learn about pressures, models, scales, successes and failures in other cities is unique, and the material from Sustainable Cities Net and Sustainable Melbourne will make its way into my perspective and reports. Bloggers from other countries will be there too, so keep an eye on all the sites for a diversity of opinion!
Please keep adding your content, activities and events to Sustainable Melbourne – we’ll be publishing as usual, but the time difference might slow it down a bit.
Muchas gracias!
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Rally to Replace ALL of Hazelwood
Posted in Events by Kate Archdeacon on November 4th, 2010
| 6 November , 2010 | ||
| 1:00 pm | to | 3:00 pm |
This Saturday 6 November 2010 @ 1pm, State Library, cnr Swanston and Latrobe Streets, Melbourne
The pressure on our politicians is rising and the excitement in the lead up to the Rally to Replace All of Hazelwood is building. The Victorian election campaign has begun and Hazelwood has featured in the media many times in the past weeks. We’ve now got a real contest on to see which parties can deliver a commitment at this election to replace ALL of Hazelwood.
This Saturday, the Rally to Replace ALL of Hazelwood could be the final push our politicians need to get across the line. Will you be there? We’ve all been working hard to promote the rally so that Victorians have an opportunity to show their concern about this issue. Now, make sure that all political parties know that you want Hazelwood replaced by attending the rally with your family and friends this Saturday.
If you can do just one thing on climate change this election, make sure that you attend this rally. The weather is forecast to be sunny and warm so bring your friends and family, don a hat and enjoy the spring day.
Help us promote the event:
* Please forward this to your friends.
* Join our facebook group and send an invitation to your friends to join. Click here http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=109819842415237
* If you want to help on the day contact josie.lee@environmentvictoria.org.au
See you Saturday at 1pm at the State Library!
Visit http://www.replacehazelwood.org.au/ for background information on the power station and the campaign.
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The October 2010 edition of Smart Water Fund News is available
Posted in Policies, Research by Rob Eales on November 2nd, 2010
Via Smart Water Fund
| In the latest issue you will find stories on: * the launch of the Smart Water Fund’s new Strategic Plan The Smart Water Fund is always on the look out for other innovative water management solutions within the community and business to promote through the Knowledge Bank. If you know of an innovative project, send your story ideas to info@smartwater.com.au. Tap into the Smart Water Fund Knowledge Hub The Smart Water Fund has supported over 180 projects across Victoria. Each project will provide unique outcomes on innovative water conservation, recycling and biosolids management solutions. Newsletters, case studies and comprehensive project information on a wide range of innovative sustainable water use projects are available from the Smart Water FundKnowledge Bank at www.smartwater.com.au. |
Moreland Bicycle Strategy (Draft): Feedback Welcome
Posted in Seeking by Kate Archdeacon on October 26th, 2010
The Draft Moreland Bicycle Strategy outlines a new vision for cycling in Moreland and proposes:
“To make the City of Moreland a great place to ride a bicycle – a place where new cyclists feel safe and the experience of riding is superior to driving a car.”
The strategy provides a detailed outline of how Council, working in partnership with the community and other agencies, will work to make this vision real over the next 10 years. The Draft Moreland Bicycle Strategy provides additional background information, and identifies priority works that will make riding in Moreland more comfortable and more popular. It was developed in consultation with the community, using feedback from consultation events and comments from the Bicycle Advisory Committee.
Some of the Moreland Draft Bicycle Strategy includes actions for:
* Community engagement and social marketing activities to make cycling attractive to a wider range of people.
* Safety Audits for all existing shared paths, and upgrades including lighting to the Upfield Path.
* New bicycle routes linking Glenroy to Coburg, Broadmeadows and the Moonee Ponds Creek Trail.
The strategy is available for public comment. This feedback will help us form the final version of the bicycle strategy. Email your comments and feedback to info@moreland.vic.gov.au or send your feedback to:
Simon Stainsby
Moreland City Council
Locked Bag 10
Moreland, Victoria 3058
You can download a copy of the Draft Moreland Bicycle Strategy or view a copy at the following locations:
* Moreland Civic Centre, 90 Bell Street, Coburg
* Brunswick Citizen Services Centre, 233 Sydney Road, Brunswick, and
* Glenroy Citizen Services Centre, 796N Pascoe Vale Road, Glenroy.
Office hours are 8.30 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday except public holidays.
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