Climate Change Policy
Assorted Relevant Communications
First Official contact with Council
1. Email to all Councillors and other Associations - 8 March 2019
From: President - St Huberts Island Residents Association <president@sthubertsisland.nsw.au>
Date: 8 March 2019 at 2:23:57 pm AEDT
To: Ask <ask@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au>
Cc: Jane Smith <jsmith@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au>, Jeff Sundstrom <jsundstrom@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au>, Rebecca Gale Collins <rgalecollins@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au>, Adam Crouch <terrigal@parliament.nsw.gov.au>, Lucy Wicks <lucy.wicks.mp@aph.gov.au>, Chris Argaet <c.argaet@me.com>, Jenny McCulla <jennymcculla@iprimus.com.au>, Richard Mehrtens <rmehrtens@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au>, Troy Marquart <tmarquart@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au>, Lisa Matthews <lmatthews@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au>, Jilly Pilon <jpilon@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au>, Bruce McLachlan <bmclachlan@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au>, Kyle MacGregor <kmacgregor@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au>, Louise Greenaway <lgreenaway@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au>, Chris Burke <cburke@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au>, Doug Vincent <dvincent@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au>, Jillian Hogan <jhogan@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au>, Greg Best <gbest@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au>, wendy Byrne <wjbjune22@gmail.com>, Mathew Wales <mathew@walesassociates.com.au>, Helen Orchard <kpctpa@bigpond.com.au>, Patrick Aiken <patrick.aiken001@gmail.com>, Davistown Progress <davistown.progress@gmail.com>Subject: Draft Climate Change Policy
A collective of residents associations and business associations request and urge Council to place a three-month extension of time on submissions on the current Draft Climate Change Policy.
Council should not adopt a Climate Change Policy without input from all the home owners and businesses potentially affected by such policy. To achieve that input Council should write to all potential affected home owners and businesses to advise them that Council is formulating a Draft Climate Change Policy and their input is requested. Council should also explain to the affected residents the full meaning of the Climate Change Policy in its current form and the impact on the residents homes and businesses.
Our concerns are:
- Lack of notice that Council is preparing a Draft Climate Change Policy and education of the home owners and businesses.
- Lack of updated flood maps, both 1 in 100 year storm, and potential addition of agreed sea level change – to show all the potential affected areas.
- Council need to advise the home owners and businesses of the potential impact on their properties nd businesses.
- Need more updated Scientific data. Particularly as Council officers have advised that the sea level in the Brisbane Waters has basically remain unchanged in the last 40 years of Council records, if anything it has slightly fallen.
- The Council has not acted appropriately in advising all those potentially affected.
Yours sincerely,
Rodney Blake
2. Received our official Council reply (and rejection) 10 days later - 18 March 2019
From: Kendal Caynes <Kendal.Caynes@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au>
To: president@sthubertsisland.nsw.au <president@sthubertsisland.nsw.au>
Date: Monday, 18 March 2019, 8:46 am +1100
Subject: FW: CR2979 - JP/BM - Land Use, Development, Planning - Draft Climate Change Policy - EP Executive
Dear Mr Blake,
I refer to your enquiry dated 8 March 2019 regarding the draft Climate Change Policy and matters raised.
On 12 March 2018, a Mayoral Minute required Council to produce a draft Climate Change Policy by July 2018. Council’s capacity to engage with the community during the preparation phase of the draft Policy was constrained by this timeframe.
However, the draft Climate Change Policy has been accessible for community viewing via Council’s website from 12 November 2018 as well as in the Council Business Paper dated 13 August 2018. On 13 August 2018, the Council resolved to place the draft Climate Change Policy on public exhibition for a period of 28 days. Given the effort required to organise five community workshops, the exhibition period was extended to a six week period. Hence, your request to extend the public exhibition period for further three months is not supported.
Central Coast homeowners and businesses have had ample opportunity to have their say on the draft Policy. Prior to the exhibition of the draft Policy, a climate change survey attracted responses from more than 1600 community members over a four week period. The survey explored how residents believe climate change may impact them personally as well as the local and regional environment. During the exhibition period, the draft Policy was promoted in the media, online on Council’s website and social media pages as well as throughout Council community facilities. This promotion has attracted approximately 400 attendees at the five community workshops, student responses from a youth forum and online submissions and letters from the community. The draft Policy has also been reference in the rates newsletter which eliminates the need to write to every homeowner and business.
The draft Policy provides an overall framework for Council to lead action on climate change which applies to the entire region. The five workshops outlined the purpose of the draft Policy in providing a strategic direction for Council to undertake mitigation and adaptation actions in partnership with the community. The workshops also provided an opportunity for residents to discuss any personal concerns in relation to their homes and businesses with Council staff and subject matter experts.
As an amalgamated Council, the flood maps are currently being harmonised and will be made available to the community. Additionally, Council is updating its scientific data related to climate change and is currently undertaking climate risk assessment for the region.
For any further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact Anumitra Mirti, Section Manager Environmental Strategies on Ph. 4325 8290.
Regards
3. BUT... then we heard through the "grapevine" that 'something' about this was in a newspaper.
Then we found it in the Coast Community News- 14 March 2019, and it told us of our failure.
OUR ISSUE IS... The email was a "private" email to specific people. It was not a "Media release".
And then surprisingly the Mayor, Jane Smith, replied to the "media release" (our email) with her own Media release four days later, and four days before we were officially notified!!!
Are there games being played here?
Is that and advertisement for Mayor Jane Smith's previous employer below?
