So what is the future for heat in Fawkner?
The Climate Council have done the numbers and the modelling…
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Category Archives: climate
Extreme heat in Fawkner
Guest Post: If you care about nature in Victoria, this is your essential #vicvotes2022 state election guide
If we learnt anything from the past federal election, it’s that Australians care about climate change and nature. A survey released this week suggests the same dynamic is at play as we head into the Victorian state election.
The poll, prepared for the Victorian National Parks Association, found 36% of Victorians say their vote would be influenced by policy announcements regarding saving threatened species and stopping extinction.
The Victorian government’s own surveys have highlighted the enormous number of people who value nature. And research this year for the Australian Conservation Foundation found 95% of Australians agree it’s important to protect nature for future generations.
Despite the weight of public concern, Victoria is failing its wildlife. Last year the Victorian Auditor General’s Office handed down a damning report on biodiversity protection. It concluded that about a third of Victoria’s land-based plants, animals and ecological communities face extinction, their continued decline will likely have dire consequences for the state, and funding to protect them is grossly inadequate.
We know what’s primarily behind Australia’s extinction crisis: land clearing, invasive species and climate change-induced impacts such as extreme bushfires.
So, what have the different political parties promised in the lead up to the Victorian election, and how do they stack up? Here’s a brief guide to what’s on offer.
Continue reading2022 Federal Election Scorecards
We know you’ll be wanting to compare the major parties for the 2022 Federal Election scheduled for the 21st May. We are collecting 3rd party scorecards that compare different policy aspects of political parties. We are prioritising scorecards for climate, biodiversity and environment. This page will update as the election campaign progresses.
Note: Climate Action Moreland, Neighbours United for Climate Action and Coburg Uniting Church organised a Meet the Candidates climate forum on April 26 at Coburg Uniting Church Community Hall. See the video recording and images from the night. Climate action is listed as the top issue in surveys, including in Wills. Climate Action Moreland has also ranked the parties for Wills and the Victorian Senate for consistency with Paris Agreement 1.5C target. (see below)
Continue readingThe Fate of Fawkner’s outside pool in a warming climate
The Fawkner Leisure Centre is about to be refurbished. Included as part of the public engagement is the future of the outside Fawkner pools, although that has not been made explicit.
The pools are ageing, purportedly leaking, and near end of life, according to Council staff.
The outside pools are open during summer and are a popular place to gather and socialise during hot weather.
The pools also contribute to a local cool park effect reducing the urban heat island microclimate of CB Smith Reserve.
Continue readingPosted in climate, Moreland City Council
Tagged cool park effect, Fawkner, heat island, Leisure centre, swimming pool, UHIE
Candidate Engagement matrix for Moreland Votes 2020
MorelandVotes 2020
Moreland Council election has come around again.
For North-east ward 4 Councillors are to be elected, from 19 candidates.
For North-west ward 4 Councillors are to be elected, from 17 candidates.
For South ward 3 Councillors are to be elected, from 15 candidates.
I don’t know about you but I want Councillors that are prepared to engage with residents on multiple issues.
We have been tracking candidate responses to community group surveys, pledges and forums on various issues. What we are interested in reporting is engagement, not the respective views of candidates to a particular survey.
This provides a measure for candidate engagement.
Do you really want to elect someone who only talks to their community circle and ignores other significant citizen engagement?
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Posted in climate, community, Moreland City Council
Tagged Candidates, election, Moreland Council, morelandvotes, Morelandvotes2020
Climate, environment and forest issues in Victorian 2018 state election #vicvotes
Northern Metro region ballot paper
Our state election comes at an important time as we face major environmental issues with accelerating impacts of climate change, plastic pollution, continued deforestation.
The MPs we elect will make important decisions for us in Fawkner, our City of Moreland, and for all of Victoria that will have ramifications well into the future, sometimes for decades.
Most of us are caught up with day to day lives, with work and paying our taxes and our bills, raising our children. But it is so important to ensure that the benefits we enjoy today are maintained for the future, and the future of our children. If we don’t take the requisite actions we leave an enormous economic, social and environmental debt for future generations.
The big over-arching issue of the Victorian election campaign is addressing climate action at the state level. The recent IPCC 1.5C report articulated strongly that we need rapid and transformative social change at all levels of society if we are to avoid dangerous climate change. We are in a climate emergency.
This is so important as the Federal Liberal Government has failed in 5 years of delivering any climate and energy policy, with Australian emissions continuing to rise under the Prime Ministerships of Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison.
Here we provide different organisations reviewing the policies of candidates and parties in the 2018 Victorian state election in the hope that you find this useful for making your vote count in the Victorian state election.
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Tagged climate, election, scorecard, vicvotes, vicvotes2018, VoteClimate, voteforests
Flood Risk to Coburg North when super storm hits Melbourne
1-in-100 flood mapping for Coburg North along Merlynston Creek
I hope you didn’t have too much planned this weekend. It might be good to stay home and see how waterproof your house is when the thunderstorms start rolling in on Friday afternoon, and are expected to keep on dumping torrential amounts of rain all weekend.
Expect flash flooding in low lying areas. Merlynston Creek at Coburg North is likely to flash flood. Take care if you live in the vicinity of the 1-in-100 flood zone for Merlynston Creek, particularly around Sussex Street and Boundary Road. Visit the SES page for Moreland Council for local Flood information.
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The journey of Kermit the Growling Grass Frog from Craigieburn to COP23 UN climate conference
Kermit introduces the Black throated finches threatened by Adani
Kermit, the Growling Grass Frog couldn’t resist the opportunity of hitching a ride in my bag to Bonn, Germany and COP23. What frog doesn’t want to see the world beyond their own wetlands? Especially when their species is declining and climate change may be an important factor determining future species survival?
Kermit was centre stage at the Fossil of the Day awards on Day 2 of the conference, when Australia received it’s first Fossil of the Day award for the Adani coal mine.
The 23rd meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 23) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – to give it it’s full title – was held from 6 to 17 November in Bonn, Germany, under the presidency of the government of Fiji, the first time that a small island nation has served in this role.
I was attending the conference along with Andrea Bunting as members of Climate Action Moreland, part of the Climate Action Network Australia, a node of the global Climate Action Network, an environmental NGO (also called an ENGO).
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Posted in climate, Merri Creek
Tagged adani, Bonn, COP23, endangered species, Growling Grass frog, journey, species
Our Man in Marrakech at COP22 UN climate talks
John Englart in Marrakech
It’s a long way between Marrakech and Moreland, but Fawkner resident and member of Sustainable Fawkner has made the journey to attend the United Nations climate talks.
Before he left he organised a brief interview with the Moreland Leader, which was published on 7 November.
Moreland Leader 7 November 2016.
John will be attending some of the negotiating sessions as an official observer on behalf of Climate Action Moreland. He was at the opening plenary session on Monday.
He will also be attending briefing sessions with the Australian lead negotiator Patrick Suckling, various side events and forums that are organised as part of the conference, and perhaps an opportunity to meet Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Energy and Environment minister Josh Frydenberg.
His attendance at the conference was accredited through the Climate Action Network Australia, one of the regional nodes of the global Climate Action Network. He is working with other CAN activists from around the world at the conference in articulating stronger action on climate change at the global level.
It is also an opportunity for John to catch up in person with other grassroots and policy activists that he corresponds and interacts with.
Here is a picture of John with Irish environmental scientist Dr Cara Augustenborg at COP22 discussing climate and politics in Ireland and Australia (and the US election). The smiley earth ball was used in the opening ceremony of the conference.
John Englart & Dr Cara Augustenborg
He attended the press conference of NGO groups responding to the surprise election of Donald Trump. The mood was more somber and more determined after the election results, that action on climate, if anything, needs to be increased as climate impacts of extreme weather become more apparent.
One of the interesting insights he has seen in Marrakech is the integration of urban agriculture in the city landscape, with olives, date palms, and citrus trees adorning many of the streets and parks. Perhaps that is one idea worthy of investigation in Moreland Council’s upcoming urban food strategy.
Who is standing for NE ward of Moreland Council in 2016?
For Moreland Council North East ward, which Fawkner is a part of, 4 Councillors are to be elected, from 20 candidates standing. See VEC Moreland City Council 2016 Nominations. The following is the list of candidates as they will appear on the ballot paper. Climate Action Moreland have done a simple survey of candidates on climate and sustainability policies which are worth checking out. Two candidate forums have been organised so far for North East Ward.
The election is on Saturday 22 October. See the election results.
Candidate Forums
Fawkner Community House have invited North–East Ward Council candidates to a community forum with Fawkner residents about how candidates will represent the interests of people in Fawkner if they are elected at the council election this month.
When: Sunday 9 October 2pm to 5pm
Where: 95-97 Major Road Fawkner
Details: Fawkner Community House
Save Coburg and Pentridge Action Group are organising a candidates forum to hear from candidates and ask them questions.
When: Thursday, October 13 at 7 PM – 9:30 PM
Where: Coburg Uniting Church on the corner of Louisa St & Victoria St, Coburg
Registration: Facebook Event details
Storify Report: Urban Development in spotlight at NE Ward #MorelandVotes candidates forum
Pentridge Community Action Group reported: “Show of Hands from Candidates present at the Moreland Council NE Ward Forum re question posed by Prof Hamel-Green on opposing > 4 storey development in the Pentridge Precinct. Candidates with hands raised are George Georgiou, Sue Bolton, David Nunns, Antonio Bonifazio, and Imogen Jubb. A late response was made by Francesco Timpano”.
A third candidates forum organised at Merlynston.
When: Tuesday 18 October 7.30pm to 9pm
Details: Facebook event
Posted in climate, Moreland City Council, news
Tagged election, Moreland City Council, Moreland Council, morelandvotes, VoteClimate
Sustainable Fawkner 