CLIMATE CHANGE SURVEY RESULTS
To tackle climate change we need to act now and we need to keep working together. Importantly we need strong leadership at all levels of government. One of the real ways in which we can act is to elect government representatives willing to show leadership on one of the most important issues affecting our lives.

Clean Energy for Eternity (CEFE) sees local government as an important force in the global warming debate. Local council also has the power to influence what happens on the ground in a number of important areas such as local environmental planning, building codes, water management, waste management, setting ground rules for solar and wind installations and supporting our community in tackling climate change in our shire (eg by adopting a 50/50by2020 target).
Clean Energy for Eternity has surveyed its local candidates on their position in regard to climate change and their willingness to support key climate change initiatives for our shire.

WHAT WE ASKED LOCAL CANDIDATES:
   1. Are you concerned about climate change and the threat it poses to our shire’s environment, economy and communities?
   2. Will you support a 50/50 by 2020 target and actively assist the community to achieve this?
   3. Will you support council joining the Cities for Climate Change Protection Program (see www.iclei.org/index)?
   4  Will you support renewable energy initiatives to largely generate the shire’s energy needs?
   5. Will you support a ‘green shopfront’ to provide information and promote renewable energy options for our shire?
   6. Will you support retrofitting and replacing existing infrastructure in the shire with sustainable alternatives eg solar street lights/water tanks/ dual flush toilets?
   7. Will you support council bulk buying solar hot water systems for resale at a discount to shire residents?
   8  Will you promote the shire as a Centre of Excellence for renewable energy and sustainable practice to attract business and industry?
   9. Will you support building codes to ensure buildings become carbon neutral?
  10.Will you support a shire wide energy audit to reveal opportunities to reduce our carbon footprint?

The aim of this survey is not to promote one candidate over another. Instead Clean Energy for Eternity (CEFE) intends to inform you about the position your candidates take in regard to climate change. Please consider this information when you cast your vote on September 13th.
This survey intends to give a brief overview of our local issues and candidate’s positions. If you still want more information of have ideas of your own why not speak to your local candidate and find out what they will be willing to do for your shire?

** No responses were received from candidates not appearing in the table at the time of publishing

Cr Katrin Hackney’s response
“Thanks for the survey but there is no way I can give you a yes or no answer to many of the questions - they are far too complex for that. Below I have made brief comments but even they are only the tip of the iceberg of these issues. The issues are complex and need much valuable discussion and complex decision making. As you know, energy conservation, recycling, reuse, reducing our carbon footprint, etc are all important to me and I very much admire you and your group's aims. To achieve those aims will be a long process and while I support your ideals, I am perhaps a little too cautious still about implementation of some of these initiatives, mainly from a financial / affordability point of view . ”Below are some of Cr Hackney’s comments. Other comments have been summarized in table above.
A Green Shopfront: “A shop front to promote renewable energy options, etc is something that I personally support. I can see such a shop front as a worthwhile business opportunity. It is one of the initiatives that encouraged me to accept the chairmanship of the Renewable Energy Working Party as I would see this as a very valuable part of such an enterprise. How much Council could contribute to such an initiative is open for discussion and negotiation. There are too many questions that still need to be address for a clear yes or no answer at this time.”
A Centre of Excellence:
“This is very important to me …... I think we have a great opportunity here to attract these types of businesses and that would also generate more possibilities in promoting the use of renewable energy infrastructure, etc
Final comment
“At this stage my energy will continue to be directed at attracting renewable energy and related business to our shire. The potential for business growth is important and I can this sort of enterprise having very valuable spin-offs throughout our shire and region.”

Cr Vin Good’s response
“Thank you for sending me your climate change survey.  After careful consideration I have decided not to answer the questions asked in it as such but instead to respond in writing re my current position.
I accept that climate change has and is occurring today and will continue into the future.  I do not yet accept that global warming is a consequence of human activity alone but believe we can take action to assist in reducing such warming by reducing the carbon emissions that we create.  Where I differ from your organisation is the quantum and timeframe for such reductions.
I draw your attention to the latest report from Professor Garnaut which recommends a reduction of 5% by 2020 (from 2000 levels)and he claims this would be consistent with reaching Rudd’s non-negotiable target of 60% by 2050.  He believes it is unlikely the world will reach a comprehensive deal any time soon.  And given this likely failure he wants Australia to set a modest target.
Unlike your (CEFE’s 50/50 by 2020 target) aspirational un-measurable target, this is a hard target which can and will be modified as the world responds accordingly.  I support this modest start which will need to be ramped up as the world accepts their responsibilities to do likewise.”

Cr Les Sutcliffe’s response
“It is clearly obvious to me that our climate is changing.However, as I have stated many times before in public forums, every year of my life has seen a slightly different weather pattern displayed and, over my 50 years, there has been a clear change in our weather that has gradually changed the way we live our lives. This is not something that has suddenly been thrust upon us. I believe that the potential issue of dramatic climate change presents possibly the biggest Economic, Ecological, Social and Geo-Political challenge of modern times. However to ask potential Councilors to respond to your concerns on the basis of a yes/no answer to a series of simplistic questions is naïve at the best. Many people have a deep and abiding belief in the theory of Climate Change. Some seem to reduce this to a near religious belief. Regardless of people’s beliefs, it is clear to me that we do not have infinites resources and we cannot maintain a carbon based energy economy forever. But it is equally clear to me that as a very minor domestic producer of Green House Gas emissions – although a major exporter of those emissions via our coal and natural gas export industry - there is little we can do to affect the global outcomes unless we were to withdraw completely from the Coal/Gas export industry. Do we believe that by withdrawing from those markets we would achieve anything except passing the economic opportunities to other producers? The only logical answer is via global Green House Emission reduction programs which might result from future rounds of international discourse scheduled for 2010/11 The latest Version 2 release of the Ross Garnaut report clearly indicates that we, as a nation, need to be cautious as to how we address these issues lest we become victims of the very process we might seek to address.”

Cr Whinston Philips response
“I will answer your questions in some detail, rather than Yes, No or Don't know, in an overall reply to the 10 questions.
 I have seen, heard and read a lot of evidence about Global Warming including Al Gore's film and this evidence appears compelling. However, the Northern Hemisphere had its coldest and wettest Winter for a long time in 2007/2008. This Winter, in Australia, has been a very cold winter. Sydney recorded its coldest August in 64 years and Adelaide had its coldest August on record. Coastal areas in North Queensland recorded some of their coldest winter days on record. The record high temperatures recorded many years ago have never been beaten. The hottest consecutive period in Australia was recorded at Mable Bar WA , when 162 consecutive days were recorded over 38 Degrees Celsius from 30th October 1923 to 8th April 1924. That temperature record has never been surpassed, to my knowledge. The highest shade temperature ever recorded (to my knowledge) in Australia was 53.1 degrees Celsius at Cloncurry QLD on 16th January 1889. It is noticeable that scientist have recently stopped referring to Global Warming and are now calling it Climate Change. having said that, I am very concerned by the impact that mankind is having on our planet. Overpopulation, chemical pollution, possible climate change, damage to ecosystems, natural disasters, extinction of plant and animal species, over fishing and unsustainable development are all of great concern to me. In Cooma-Monaro Shire, I believe we need to continue to support recycling, energy efficiency, renewable energy, pollution controls etc. However, I would be very concerned about outlaying ratepayers’ money on projects, which may only be futile or token efforts. I will also not make promises or agree to targets, without having some certainty of keeping those promises. I will be prepared to look at any ideas that people may have to reduce our use of energy and promote green energy, but I would like to see any ideas costed, with the likely impact on our local economy and potential cost or savings to our ratepayers calculated over a long term period. Our most immediate environmental threats in this Shire are the continuing spread of noxious weeds, pest animals and the ongoing drought, which is causing so much hardship to our rural ratepayers.

 

Thank you Antia, to you and your Clean Energy for Eternity group for being proactive caring and thinking residents of our Shire. I always admire people who stand up to be counted and are prepared to try to make a difference.”