Page 3682 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 28 October 2014
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Ms Lynne Harwood, the deputy chair, from the not-for-profit sector, Chief Executive Officer of Communities@Work; Ms Maria Efkarpidis, a director from the Rock Development Group, who is at the forefront of business and development innovation in the ACT; Associate Professor Dr Frank Jotzo, who brings economics and policy of climate change expertise, from the Australian National University; and Professor Will Steffen, an international climate scientist and member of the Climate Council, also from the Australian National University.
The act allows for between five and nine members. From 1 January 2014 the council’s expertise was expanded with two new appointments: Mr Toby Roxburgh, a renewable energy expert from a private consulting firm; and Ms Dorte Ekelund, a public sector representative, the current Director-General of the Environment and Planning Directorate.
This annual report, which will be available on the council’s internet page, outlines the work of the council over the year. In summary, the council met formally on four occasions over the 2013-14 period, in August, November, February and May, and provided advice on community engagement and the consequences of climate change on the issues of water, transport and energy. These are the themes they set to enable a topic-specific focus for each of their meetings and facilitate inviting representatives from both interest groups and government to present to them.
I am pleased to advise that in addition to providing advice directly to me at meetings, the council provided guidance to the ACT government by reviewing a range of documents during their development phase. Of particular note, the council provided input to the community engagement strategy on climate change, the ACT water strategy Striking the balance, the ACT’s renewable energy program, the strategic bushfire management plan version 3, and the soon-to-be-completed first review of AP2 by the Office of the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment.
The council’s views were heeded as the water strategy went from draft to final, and there has been greater prominence given to water-sensitive urban design considerations.
It is great to have a council that calls Canberra home and with such a wide-ranging level of significant international and national policy and scientific experience. And it is great to see the council continuing to engage with the government on policies such as our renewable energy generation projects and investment in improved public transport projects such as the capital metro light rail.
The act states that the council must make efforts to consult with representatives from business and the community on climate change matters. The ACT’s 2012 strategy and action plan on climate change, action plan 2, reiterates that the council should take opportunities to consult with the community on climate change. In addressing their goal to “mainstream” climate change during 2013-14 the council increasingly engaged with the community through social media as well as face-to-face presentations to local community councils and other community organisations. Council members undertook radio interviews and participated in a range of public forums.
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