Reports from the Local Gov Association meeting in Nowra following
robust debate, the vote to support a price on carbon price was 132 delegates in favour and 122 against.
The media release from MLC David Shoebridge’s office said:
“Today’s vote gives local communities around NSW confidence that their councils will provide strong leadership to address climate change.
“Speakers at the conference were told how all members of the community earning less than $80,000 would be better off under the carbon price than they were previously.
“Councillors also spoke about the coming cost to Councils of dealing with sea level rise and the urgent need for a strategy to deal with climate change.
“The cost for Councils will be greater in the future if we do not take action to reduce carbon emissions now.
“We welcome the Low Carbon Communities Program of $320m initiated by the Federal Government but we urge this fund to be doubled to allow Councils across Australia to put in place energy efficiency measures which reduce their reliance on coal fired power.’
Cr Ryan said Once again we are pleased that a majority of Councillors recognise that a price on carbon is a necessary step to a better future for all Australians,”.
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While this is Positive news for the entire state, LCC coalition councillors voted against inclusion of Green Power initiatives at a recent Council meeting, at least we know who was part of the NO factor in the debate, LCC has a significant number of delegates at this years program and ALL from the Liberal Coalition, let’s hope we’re not left behind completely at this conference.
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More as information comes to hand, I’m presently reading the report from the Dubbo Mayors and GM Conference a couple of months ago, will let you know what and if there is relevant info in the near future.
Signe Westerberg for Liverpool 
Hi Signe,
just goes to show, the compensation and the low carbon communities program etc will never be enough, David’s already calling for more subsidized funds. This carbon tax is selling out on our children’s futures, borrowing now and getting our children to pay off this ideological debt is not the way to go.
interesting how you view information as opposed to how I do Ray, although clearly the Greens have felt the amounts less than necessary for a long time. IMHO not acting is selling out our childrnes futures. What are we borrowing against ?… we’re asking for the top 500 to pay a bit more, I feel we just need to agree to disagree… we clearly see things from different perspectives.
Hi Signe,
the Federal government keeps borrowing money just to run our day to running costs, using our future earnings in the coal/mineral industry as collateral. No doubt we and our children will have to repay these loans plus interest as time goes by. Our national debt just keeps on rising, there doesen’t appear to be any headway in reducing our debt. Wayne Swan, lauded as he world’s best treasurer, bit hard to swallow.
While I’m not confirming your information as I’m not clear on the facts the question that comes to mind is, if we didn’t borrow we’d never own homes, build the harbour bridge etc… I personally prefer that than have all our infrastructure fail while as the Howard government banked our taxes and withheld from the taxpayers basic improvements and repair… hence the high electricity bills now. As I said I don’t have the facts in front of me, that is just an opinion of borrowing in a general sense… and I certainly have times when I’m opposed to it altogether, I suppose as always I bow to greater minds than my own.
Hi Signe,
I don’t have a problem with governments borrowing for ‘Good Debt” such as if they had borrowed for the M4 and M5, both roads would have been paid for by now. But for our Federal government to borrow more and more so that they can persue their ideolgies with nothing to show for it or worse still an NBN that will blow out in cost to up to 80 Billion dollars, then the borrowings are in fact not in the national interest when they don’t deliver just the basic infrastrucures that are required let alone a Rolls Royce NBN which is ill thought out and qould be delivered far more cheaply and efficiently if only they’d learn by other countries’ experiences and mistakes.
We’re all entitled to an opinion Ray, I guess only time will tell.
The electricity in NSW is a state issue isn’t it, it was the precpvious Lbar government(s) that ripped the dividents out the states’ statutories bodies to use as general revenue, a lot of which didn’t go into infrastructure NSW, including the electricity grid.
True in part, however the Federal Govt did reduce funding to the states forcing issues above and beyond what was reasonable, they are all complicit in this and it is a disgrace.. the average person yet again left holding the bag for infrastructure…its all a matter of record… and joining the dots Ray