A PLAN that aims to reduce impacts of storms, floods, heatwaves, droughts and bushfires has been adopted by the Rural City of Wangaratta, albeit with some push-back.
The draft Climate Adaptation Plan was tabled at Wangaratta council’s April meeting and explores a 10-year action plan to help council best deal with natural events caused by climate change.
Actions include: proactive council, policies and operations; future-proof council infrastructure and assets; future-proof land use planning and development; a prosperous, prepared and healthy community; and a resilient environment.
The plan was shaped through early engagement with the community and stakeholders, including surveys and workshops conducted in August and September 2024.
Following council endorsement, the draft plan was placed on public exhibition for two months, allowing the community and stakeholders to review and provide further feedback.
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Councillor Allison Winters backed the plan, believing it is vital that councillors prepare for the future risks that climate change will bring.
“The responsibility of councillors and those in any governance position is to activity anticipate risks and respond to emerging risks,” Cr Winters told the meeting.
“The recent climate change affects our local businesses, farmers, economy and community members, families, schools, health services and has a pervasive effect on our health and wellbeing.
“It has an effect on our council owned assets, our service deliver, operations and activities and that’s what this plan aims to achieve."
Cr Winters explained that there have been 50 risks identified within this document and there are set actions such as updating policies and plans, promoting a resilient natural environment and accounting for climate change in asset management and budgets.
However, Cr Harvey Benton stood against the plan on several points around whether the plan was necessary, the drive behind the plan’s requirement, duplication, and the overall narrative.
“I struggle to support this document in the way it’s written,” he said.
“I’m fully aware that councils are required by the local government act to have a climate adaption plan, however, I believe we’ve made our plan to really appease another level, that being a big brother."
Cr Benton said council is already doing many of the plan’s actions at an operational level already and he questioned the duplication which the document inferred it would be in parallel with other plans and strategies.
