What Council candidates say about sustainability in the Macedon Ranges
Image from https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/voting/2020-local-council-election/elections/macedon-ranges-shire-council
All twenty-one candidates for the upcoming Council elections for South, East, and West wards were invited to give responses to key position statements and to share their vision on sustainability. This is what they wrote. A big thank you to the fourteen candidates who provided responses.
Note that there is no attempt to rank the candidates’ responses. The candidates are listed per ward in order of time of response (earliest to latest). Click here if you wish to see the official candidates’ statements on the Victorian Electoral Commission website.
Survey statements
Position 1: You support the Council’s Climate Change Policy of Zero Net Carbon Emissions from Council’s operations by 2030/31.
Position 2: You are prepared to support local food producers and protect farmland close to town centres in the Macedon Ranges.
Position 3: You support the idea of reducing car dependency and enhancing the safety of bike riders and pedestrians in the towns of the Macedon Ranges.
Position 4: You support Council’s Climate Change strategy of transitioning council’s vehicle fleet to electric and hybrid technology in order to reduce transport emissions which currently account for around 20% of the Shire’s carbon emissions.
Vision: How would you describe your vision of Council’s role in sustainability issues within the Shire and the region by 2024?
South Ward
Candidate:
Christine Walker
Resp. 1: Strongly agree
Resp. 2: Strongly Agree
Resp. 3: Strongly Agree
Resp. 4: Strongly Agree
The MRSC has a vital role to play in sustainability issues and practices and should lead with best practices in the provision of its services and it should also foster, support and encourage sustainable practices in households, businesses and farming communities in the Ranges. Beyond this again is role to protect the environment - habitats, vegetation, waterways, bushland and forest. Council has the greatest ability of any form of government to influence how people live in their area, and introduce sustainable practices to residents. There are many paths to more sustainable practices and I support those outlined above, and many more.
Candidate:
Anne Moore
Resp. 1: Agree
Resp. 2: Strongly Agree
Resp. 3: Neither agree nor disagree
Resp. 4: Agree
On Q1: I agree however it is impossible to be 100% carbon neutral . Council have made no attempt to install simple things like solar panels on all council buildings across the Macedon Ranges eg: it would take approx 495,000 trees to be planted just to negate population of 55K daily oxygen uptake. Hybrid vehicles require dual fuel systems and have a limited ratio of daily KLM's travelled before car battery runs out approx 50klm on a standard mitsubishi 4WD, so 1 trip down to melbourne then unless an availability of a charging station at their destination they would be using fuel as a back up to their return trip. Q2. I strongly agree on on locally produced produce for purchase , however with the constant push of brilliant farming land being turned into housing estates on the fringe of townships eg:b Kyneton, Gisborne, Romsey the prospect of such in a perfect world is impossible.
Q3: It is difficult to get late 50's,60,70,80 & 90 year olds out onto bikes for their commutes round townships within the Macedon Ranges in all weather types, I would however like to see cyclists to become more responsible for their own safety by wearing high Vis clothing and by following their cyclist road rules of having front and rear lights on, on their bicycles when ever it is in use. Im pro cycling Im annoyed that so many flout the rules for their own safety and it is quite comical to see them drive in their cars with their bikes racket on top, only to go for their ride and drive home again, I've lost count on the number of times I have seen this occur its counter productive to the whole concept of leaving the car at home.
Q4. refer to answer at question 1.
I would like to see the Macedon Ranges Shire Council step up and make it compulsory on all new houses built that they have to have a min of a 5kw solar capture system , I would like to see that all black and very dark tiles band on roofs as black/dark colours absorb heat rather than reflect it. That a stronger position be made in the construction of homes that they all have to have not only house wrap but external wall insulation, that all houses have a water capture system for toilet flushing & laundry use. That there be permanent stage 2 water restrictions in place and that Council in conjunction with Western Water & Melbourne water formulate a strong and viable plan for sustainable water use, as it stands it is very wrong especially "They don't apply if you are using spring or bore water, recycled water, grey water or rainwater collected in a tank that is not supplemented by Western Water." That should be altered to only include grey water"
25 years ago my ex and I wanted to put in a series of water tanks on our home in Gisborne when we were building & and underground water tank before discharging into storm water system - we were banned, Crazily where we had just moved from in Sydney "The Shire" Council were subsidising residents to put water storage tanks on their homes.
I have done my carbon footprint assessment and I find it frustrating when a 4 bedroom home with then 5 persons therein had the electricity consumption being the equivalent of a1 person house hold, the same with water using way less than the 155 litres a day.
Ok so I think I just went into rant mode but unless the Shire as a whole inserts into their planning scheme's and building regulations for specific outcomes to be reached then people just do not give a rats its all a "not my problem attitude"
Ok so annoyed rant over but feel free to ring me to discuss
Candidate:
Adrian Gauci
Resp. 1: Strongly agree
Resp. 2: Strongly Agree
Resp. 3: Strongly Agree
Resp. 4: Strongly Agree
My vision for the council is to focus what can be done at a local level. Locally sourced food is vital for our economy, health and social well being. We need to get better support from community business leaders as I am seeing much pushback from macedonrangeslife.com.au who are disrupting much of the good work that so many are involved in. Let's work together for a better future.
Candidate:
Dominic Bonanno
Resp. 1: Agree
Resp. 2: Agree
Resp. 3: Strongly Agree
Resp. 4: Strongly Agree
With over 20 years experience in the Technology sector, I know Council we can utilise technology more. For example, Hydrogen fuel-cell buses and smart bins for our communities. This would have many benefits to our communities, including reducing waste and our carbon footprint.
Candidate
Rob Guthrie
Resp. 1: Strongly agree
Resp. 2: Strongly Agree
Resp. 3: Strongly Agree
Resp. 4: Strongly Agree
The current Council is promoting excessive and unpresented growth which will dramatically change and destroy the characteristics and environment that residents and visitors most value about this area. This must change and I hope to be a member of a council that has true vision to protect this area and our environment from excessive Melbourne centric development. I strongly support Council having a lead role in sustainability issues setting an example and educating and encouraging the Macedon Ranges community to follow that example. Climate change is real and we must act now. It is almost too late and is critical that we do, so that there is a future for our children and grand children. Council must encourage and provide support for local employment opportunities and the abilities to work from home are critical to reduce the thousands of cars driving to down the Calder Freeway everyday and the damage that is doing to the environment. I have always advocated for local employment opportunities and was a board member of Workspace Australia ( the former Regional Enterprise Network ) for over 10 years initially as the Councils representative and after leaving Council, as a community representative for a number of years. During that time Workspace produced "A GUIDE TO STARTING a recycling venture in your community" and Council must accelerate its emphasis on recycling towards Zero Waste. I plan that we met those targets set for 2024.
Candidate
J. S. Amenta
Resp. 1: Agree
Resp. 2: Agree
Resp. 3: Agree
Resp. 4: Agree
It is important that council supports sustainability throughout the shire and that for our region to prosper, we must support sustainable growth.
Particularly, the tourism economy has been recognised as a financial growth opportunity.
As councillor candidate I recognise importance of protecting our local economy by actively working to build partnerships and projects in the region.
It is important for our local council to lead the way on sustainability. As such council must continue to be supportive of and boost local employment (by way of partnerships and grants) and encouraging work from home where possible in reducing our carbon footprint and becoming carbon neutral as soon as practicable.
We need to continue to ensure the community main focus is on the liveability, efficiency and sustainability in every decision made within council.
If successful, I stand for preserving the unique heritage, character and environment that residents and visitors find so appealing about this great shire.
Please VOTE 1 J.S. AMENTA for transparency, accountability and ensuring community opinions are addressed.
No Response Provided
Graham Hackett
East Ward
Candidate:
Annette Death
Resp. 1: Strongly agree
Resp. 2: Strongly Agree
Resp. 3: Strongly Agree
Resp. 4: Strongly Agree
Climate change and sustainability are issue's my family actively care about. Where we can, we endeavour to minimise our carbon footprint through measures such as recycling and food waste management, passive heating and cooling and supporting local producers etc. Our family worm farm is lovingly tended to – especially by my husband and children. My husband works at DELWP across many areas including plastics pollution, circular economy and is currently a policy officer for hazardous waste and high risk sites.
If elected, as a councillor I will factor zero net emissions targets into my decision making process. This includes all aspects of planning, business support and operations, procurement processes, waste management and essential services. We need a holistic approach to climate policies to achieve required targets and I am committed to that. I would support effective measures in the council’s environmental strategy and support to increase those measures where possible. Council needs to be lead by example and actively work to promote, educate and provide services to assist with sustainability issues and adhere to interim targets to ensure council operations are carbon neutral by 2030/31 and community operations by 2050.
Candidate:
Deb Alford-kerr
Resp. 1: Agree
Resp. 2: Strongly Agree
Resp. 3: Agree
Resp. 4: Agree
I believe the bike issue could be a bit difficult, as so many of us have to use vehicles as we travel huge kilometres to shop, pick up kids from schools, move stock from farms ...
I’m concerned that the issue of the proposed development of Hanging Rock has come to the forefront again, and no one seems to be rallying to stop it! This was a huge issue 4 years ago ... and there seems to be silence!
I’m concerned about adequate infrastructure not being in place to support all the proposed development ... (I’m also concerned that there seems to be a huge amount of development proposed)
I’m concerned that Romsey still doesn’t have a secondary school.
I’m concerned that we don’t have enough policing in the area
I’m concerned that wee need to give more support to our local neighbourhood houses and men’s sheds as they are they do so much for our community ... I really don’t think people are aware of their amazing contribution, and clearly not thanked enough. Lancefield op shop supports the community, with all money they raise going back into community projects...
I’m concerned that local people that want to assist animal rescue, and the people that foster animals are not getting enough help
Candidate:
Bill West
Resp. 1: Agree
Resp. 2: Agree
Resp. 3: Strongly Agree
Resp. 4: Agree
Sustainability issues are very important in the Macedon Ranges, and in the past four years council has been fortunate to have officers with an in-depth knowledge of this subject, keeping council up to date with latest trends and information. It is pleasing that Macedon Ranges also has a large number of dedicated and knowledgeable individuals and community groups who promote sustainability. MRSG is to the forefront in this area.
Your wind farm project is one with huge potential and I would hope it can become reality.
I own and live on a 180 acre farm in the Rochford Valley and my wife was a regular stallholder at the Lancefield Farmers' Market for about 14 years, selling a range of perennial plants she painstakingly grew on our property, and this widened my appreciation of the need to support local producers. In regard to farmland, I have always held the view that quality land should be retained for production as much as possible; urban development can go on less productive land. Council can be a leader in helping to educate people about sustainability issues. In regard to my answer to question 4, I would qualify this by stating that cost factors would play a big part, and it may be unrealistic to expect the whole council fleet to be changed over the electric or hybrid in the very short term. I strongly support the provision of charging stations for public use in the shire. I anticipate Sustainability generally being a council priority in future terms, and council should be an advocate to government for financial support in this area.
Candidate:
Natasha Gayfer
Resp. 1: Strongly agree
Resp. 2: Strongly Agree
Resp. 3: Strongly Agree
Resp. 4: Strongly Agree
Being on the frontline of dealing with the impacts of climate change, local government plays a key role in in working with community and businesses to tackle sustainability challenges. A climate risk framework should be an important part of council considerations.
Council can support the community to develop tailored local solutions to respond to climate change – both to be resilient to current effects, and to take mitigating action. Council can also play a role in ensuring vulnerable sections of the community are not left behind. In the planning area, council can look at whether its planning scheme can do more to encourage well-planned, energy-efficient homes that save residents money on bills, and are more comfortable to live in. In terms of council’s own operations, council can upgrade infrastructure to improve resilience to extreme weather events, and improve sustainable transport options. Council also has a role in improving the energy efficiency of current and new buildings. Council can continue to install solar power on buildings, and purchase renewable electricity. Council can also ensure that sustainability is factored into procurement decisions. An ongoing council role is also to continue to work to increase the resource recovery rate so that fewer materials end up in landfill. Council of course also has a role in advocating to other levels of government to ensure that local challenges have the required recognition and resources.
No Response Provided
Geoffrey Neil
Henry Bleeck
West Ward
Candidate:
Mark Ridgeway
Resp. 1: Strongly agree
Resp. 2: Strongly Agree
Resp. 3: Strongly Agree
Resp. 4: Strongly Agree
I like the direction that the council is currently heading in terms of its own practices with regard to zero emissions, but I do believe that there is still more to be done. In particular, I see a major role for council in educationg and supporting residents and businesses in adopting sustainable practices. I believe that council targets for zero emissions could be extended to cover the entire shire and given the current progress on the emissions the target could be increased to embrace a negative target within the same time frame - this may be regarded as ambit but I think it a better idea to aim high, or very low in this case. There are a number of practical steps that council can take to educate and support including rate offsets and incentives, public campaigns and school programs. Council could also provide public support and incentives for the installation and use of renewable energy sources. I also support the current council target on single use plastics and again believe that there is a role for council in educating and supporting residents and businesses in moving away from the use of these plastics. I am very keen for council to establish bike paths and encourage this as a mode of transport within our towns. I welcome the recent improvements to footpaths and pedestrian access and would like to see these improvements continue happening. I also support the role of council in boosting and enhancing tourism as a way of ensuring the preservation of our natural environment and supporting our local businesses and producers. Coupled with a buy local campaign, this in turn helps boost employment, ensures people buy locally and helps sustainability through reducing the mileage associated with purchase of goods and services. In the near future, I am also keen to see council stepping up and installing charging stations (perhaps in designated car parks - as can be found in Canada and Europe) to encourage the use of electric vehicles. Lastly, I am keen to see more direct involvement by council in preserving and increasing biodiversity throughout our shire. Council already provides some rate incentives to assist with biodiversity and has a variety of planting programs in place but I believe that more can probably be done to promote these initiatives and other options can be developed and made available. Not all of these aims are necessarily achievable by 2024, but I would hope to see them well on the way by then.
Candidate:
Lenka Thompson
Resp. 1: Strongly agree
Resp. 2: Strongly Agree
Resp. 3: Strongly Agree
Resp. 4: Strongly Agree
My vision is for Macedon Ranges Shire Council to lead by example in reducing its emissions, respecting its natural assets, and empowering the community to be the best it can be. We are stronger when we are united. I want council to Declare a Climate Emergency and set in train a framework to extend its Zero Net Carbon Emissions across the Shire, not just council operations. We have a neighbour in Hepburn Shire who has a wind farm - brilliant! Let's collaborate and learn from them so we can do the same here too. Let's get the community, council, and businesses together and make a real positive impact.
Candidate:
Jennifer Anderson
Resp. 1: Strongly agree
Resp. 2: Strongly Agree
Resp. 3: Strongly Agree
Resp. 4: Strongly Agree
Council needs to be seriously committed to being a leader, partner and advocate in reducing carbon emissions. In the last 4 years, though the Natural Environment Strategy (endorsed in my first term on council when I was part of the subcommittee, to be reported against each year), Climate Change Action Plan and Biodiversity Strategy we are making great gains. Council needs to assess how it is progressing each year and ensure that all projects we invest in across all departments consider the carbon emissions and environmental impact. Council should continue to be a member of Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance, and pool resources with our surrounding Councils when we can. Council should avoid duplication and identify any gaps. Collaboration with businesses and community will be necessary to empower everyone to be able to maximize our efforts in sustainability together. Doing as much as Council can to improve the planning of our towns to encourage walking and cycling, or use of shared vehicles, and locating services and other land uses in appropriate locations to maximize health benefits is also an essential part of my sustainability vision for Council.The improved financial gains though reducing emissions needs to be clearly outlined so that staff, councilors and the community can understand that environmentally sustainable initiatives are also financially beneficial. Increasing Council's capacity to use recycled locally acquired materials in our infrastructure, and supporting local businesses to be able to provide this would be part of my future vision for Council's role in sustainability issues. Advocating for improved funding to reduce pests and weeds and maintain our open spaces and reserves to contribute to biodiversity and natural habitat will also be part of my vision. Continuing to support regenerative agriculture and low environmental impact tourism are also important parts of my vision of Council's role in sustainability issue within the Shire and the region. There is so much that can be done, and we can all learn from one another. The ultimate vision is to reach the goal of no net carbon emissions as soon as possible, so wouldn't it be great if we could reach this goal by 2024 rather than 2030?
Candidate:
Janet Pearce
Resp. 1: Strongly agree
Resp. 2: Strongly Agree
Resp. 3: Strongly Agree
Resp. 4: Strongly Agree
Sustainability should be one of the core considerations in decision-making- the current Council themes are Liveability, Sustainability and Efficiency.
As a current Councillor l think there has been a lot of financial support through budget allocation and work towards sustainability, climate emissions and actions. My vision is for this to continue. The Climate Change Action Plan, the Biodiversity study, the introduction of the four bins and Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) service, the Significant Landscapes work and Planning Scheme review are a few examples of this.
Continuing to work in partnership with the community is vital (such as support to Landcare groups, support to the agriculture sector and the community town sustainability action plans). Also continued partnerships with other Shires, Authorities and Government departments (such as the Local Government Renewable Energy Power Purchase Agreement the Shire is currently participating in).
The Annual Environmental Report is full of information on Climate Change; Biodiversity; Land and Water Management; and Resource Efficiency. Continuing this transparency and annual evaluation of actions and achievements should continue.
The targets for zero net emissions are a 25% reduction by July 2021 from the baseline year of 2014/15 and we have to date achieved 30%. This places our Shire in a strong position to achieve the zero net emissions in Council operations by 2030 which is set in the Action Plan.
Thank you to the many members and volunteers of MRSG who continue to support these initiatives and work.
Candidate:
Brian Wilson
Did not respond to checkbox questions
F’instance: an electric fleet is certainly preferable to fossil fuel burning, but there are issues with the carbon cost of manufacture (which is actually higher than a conventional vehicle) and then considerations such as disposal of batteries etc., – also the recharge function is important -are we just sending eh carbon from the Ranges to the Latrobe Valley or are we charging via solar array/capacitors? It makes a huge difference to the economic environmental and social ROI - Also hydrogen is even cleaner and has a lower carbon signature in the vehicle/battery manufacturing and is currently a viable fleet option. Do we lock into an electric fleet for the next 6 years or create an intelligent transition strategy to hydrogen which offers an even better outcome?
I’m more than willing to chat and share my positions and I’d even be delighted to share some of my experiences looking at sustainability initiatives overseas with your members – especially with things like energy, food security and smart water management (the inspection I did in Western China last year was amazing!!!) – I’m sure you would expect more than token box ticking from a candidate.
One thing the Ranges does need is a sustainability assessment for every contract and tender – I initiated this on the expansion of the Port of Melbourne for the state government. It makes such a difference to the quad-bottom line thinking.
The other aspect is the 2030 zero factor – Council can hit this target but what about other businesses? – My view is that conservation and sustainability must be translated from what is often regarded as an academic or bureaucratic concept into something that is an everyday operational consciousness in every business and household. I think its fair to say that Council at present is far from being an influential leader, especially in this regard.
No Response Provided
Hayden Walsh
Wes Turner
Diana Abruzzi