On the 19 November, Better Futures Australia hosted this session to find the answers. Together with an esteemed panel of speakers, the session covered the global and Australian context for local councils, their role and what the sector as a whole needed to do in the lead up to the COP26.
Read MoreICLEI Oceania is pleased to announce a partnership with Informed.City, a business helping cities use data to support informed decision-making to shape resilient and sustainable futures. In 2020, Informed.City won innovator of the year for the Climate Alliance Awards.
Read MoreThe fires impacted over 100 local government areas burning 24 million hectares, killing 33 people, destroying more than 3,100 homes, and caused the death and displacement of an estimated 3 billion animals.
While the Royal Commission said State Governments hold most of the responsibility for the protection of life, property and the environment, they also must ensure local governments have the capacity and capability to perform their roles in disaster management.
Read MoreHobsons Bay has taken a major step towards its climate change mitigation goals of achieving net-zero emissions for council emissions by 2020 and for its community emissions by 2030. It is installing new solar panels on more than 40 council owned and occupied buildings, acting as a Virtual Power Plant (VPP).
Read MoreICLEI and Swinburne University have now conducted interviews with the first group of 9 CitiesWithNature Pioneer councils. The interviews are designed to learn about council priorities for nature-based solutions and to develop the best way for the research community and ICLEI to support their work. More interviews will be conducted in the coming months and at least one focus group webinar will be held to discuss the findings with interviewees.
Read MoreMayors and councillors are invited to submit an application for the inaugural Oceania GCoM Steering Committee by 7 September 2020. The Steering Committee will provide strategic advice and advocacy for the GCoM program throughout Oceania region. It will also communicate the benefits and opportunities of GCoM and encourage other councils to join and explore opportunities to grow the program through the formation of partnerships.
Read MoreIt’s been one year since the City of Wollongong declared a climate emergency. Since then, the Council has progressed on many fronts including net-zero emissions targets, urban greening, cycling infrastructure, waste management and sustainable procurement. Wollongong is one of just 27 Australian signatories to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy, having joined in 2017.
Read MoreICLEI Oceania is delighted to welcome two new members to the ICLEI network, the City of West Torrens and Cairns Regional Council. Now part of ICLEI’s global network of more than 1,750 local and regional governments, Cairns and West Torrens will contribute to and benefit from city-to-city knowledge exchange, technical expertise and contribute to global advocacy campaigns and processes.
Read MoreSince the start of the pandemic, there has been a marked increase in the appreciation and demand for open public spaces, as outlined by Greener Spaces Better Places.
Read MoreThe Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) has supported the recommendation by the CSIRO that all jurisdictions should work with local government to improve climate and disaster resilience. This specific recommendation is one of 25 in the CSIRO’s Climate and Disaster Resilience report. A more integrated and long-term approach to landscape management and hazard reduction was also a priority recommendation from a new report by the Emergency Leaders for Climate Action and the Climate Council.
Read MoreIf managing multiple disasters at a time will be the new normal, how can local governments and their communities simultaneously manage recovery efforts while coping with concurrent disasters? This may be a significant turning point for the reconceptualisation and reintegration of “resilience” into all aspects of local government disaster planning.
Read MoreICLEI Oceania is now launching the Australian chapter of the Cities With Nature (CWN) program and we are extending invitations to councils to become one of our “Pioneer Cities” and take part in a needs-assessment research. Cities With Nature is a shared global platform that encourages cities to incorporate nature-based solutions in their urban development and planning.
Read MoreMelbourne, 14-15th of February. A string of chattering people streamed up Collins Street from the doors of the Melbourne Town Hall, waiting to enter Australia’s first National Climate Emergency Summit. At the time, over 70 local governments in Australia and 1,350 globally had declared a climate emergency. ICLEI personnel, councils, and representatives from our Regional Executive and Global Executive Committees were present.
Read MoreThe City of Ballarat is leading the way for recycling by removing glass from roadside recycling collection. This is an encouraging to the collapse of recycler SKM Recycling this year, which left dozens of councils stranded with tonnes of waste.
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