Statement on Mornington Peninsula Shire Council’s Climate Emergency rescindment and future plans

The Western Port Biosphere was extremely disappointed in the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council’s (MPSC) rescindment of its 2019 Climate Emergency Declaration and Plan agreed after extensive community consultation. Under this Plan, MPSC achieved two key things:

• Applied a climate and emissions assessment mechanism and overlay on all Council programs and activities; and
• Documented clear and measurable emissions targets for the Council.

The rescindment of the Climate Emergency Plan (CEP) has removed this mechanism and overlay, along with any clear defined targets for climate action under the new plan.

This reflects a failure to join the dots between a thriving natural environment with rich biodiversity and the health, wellbeing and prosperity of our communities. The termination of the CEP suggests that its goals and outcomes are costs to the community rather than investments in its welfare.

These are established links. Our internationally recognised UNESCO Western Port Biosphere and its significant natural terrestrial and marine environments, including internationally significant Ramsar wetlands, are substantial recreational and tourism assets. They also support established agricultural and emerging aquacultural family enterprises, creating employment for hundreds and potentially thousands of people.

At a personal level our natural environs positively impact our mental and physical health – providing outlets for recreation, exercise, escape and reflection. They filter and cleanse the air we breathe, the waters we swim and fish in, and enrich experiences to nourish our senses.

Nature is a silent partner in making us better. Better health. Better able to work. Better able to build relationships. Better community life. Better prosperity.

By investing in climate mitigation and resilience and in our natural environment, MPSC is investing in and enabling better and healthier communities. It is a hedge against future financial impacts on the shire and its communities of recovery and restoration following catastrophic climate events, the risk and costs increasing with the greater frequency and intensity of weather and of marine systems change.

Notwithstanding our disappointment, the Western Port Biosphere intends to work with MPSC to achieve positive outcomes on climate and environmental protection and restoration.

As a first step, we are participating in the process of community response to the new draft MPSC Plan, as outlined below.

Western Port Biosphere’s submitted response to the draft MPSC Plan:

There is a notable absence of clearly defined emissions targets or milestones for emissions attributable to the MPSC, or the collective output for the Mornington Peninsula Shire. The Western Port Biosphere strongly recommends the replacement of vague goals like ‘Increase’, ‘Retain’ and ‘Decrease’ with reinstated emissions targets for MPSC under its draft plan.

This recommendation also applies to plans for increases in other environmental programs like increasing tree canopy, restoration of bush habitat and similar, with much greater clarity about the type and diversity of tree canopy and restoration.

While we appreciate that Council is aiming for less consultation and more tangible, on-the-ground environmental outcomes, we call for an ample allocation of budget to engage appropriate scientific expertise to ensure projects promote biodiversity and avoid the potential for counterproductive, monocultural plantings across the Shire.