Climate change policy adopted

Gosford Council has resolved to adopt the Climate Change Policy after an "overwhelming response" from the local community to the draft policy document.

A council staff report stated it had received a total of 29 submissions from local stakeholders, 26 of which it claimed were in support of the policy.

"The challenges that climate change presents to the Gosford Local Government Area are numerous and drive the need to adopt a Climate Change Policy," the report stated.

"Many of the general governance issues raised as lacking from the policy will be dealt with in existing and new strategies and plans which will be reviewed and developed to support the policy implementation in due course.

"The proposed policy amendments are intended to provide greater clarity regarding these climate change objectives and commitments and address the substantiated matters raised in submissions."

However, the report stated that the introduction of a Climate Change Policy did not introduce a new responsibility into the scope of council's work but was merely there to "frame up the extent of existing responsibilities into a coherent set of objectives and commitments".

According to council's report, various submissions were received from the community addressing mitigation, adaptation and general issues with the draft policy.

"In addition to the preparation of new plans and strategies, submissions suggested the need to review existing plans and strategies for consideration to sea level rise, and this suggestion has been supported," the report stated.

"Submissions were in strong support of the policy's commitment to community information/education and suggested strengthening adaptation information/education.

"This suggestion has been supported.

"Biodiversity is captured by the listing of natural systems, however it was specifically added to the list of initial considerations for climate change adaptation risk assessments due to several concerns in submissions that it was not being dealt with in the policy."

The report responded to submissions from the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) Central Coast branch and from the NSW Master Builders' Association.

The ACF branch supported the idea of a climate change policy but raised concerns that the draft document "did not meet their standard".

"Of particular concern to the ACF Central Coast branch was the lack of management strategies and timeframes for actions within the draft policy," the council report stated.

"To address these concerns the policy wording has been amended to strengthen statements of action for council to undertake.

"The inclusion of timeframes, however, is not usually covered in policy but will be addressed in strategy documents that are developed out of the adopted policy."

The NSW Master Builders Association also supported the introduction of a climate change

Policy but had concerns in regard to council's Sea Level Rise Policy.

"There was some confusion that council would also be implementing a sea level rise policy, when in fact all council has done is adopt the State Government level for planning purposes," the council report stated.

"The MBA was mainly concerned about protecting individuals existing property rights and was worried council would remove the right of landowners to defend their property utilising innovative engineering solutions or that council would introduce a 'special climate change risk reduction rate'.

"To address these concerns the policy wording has been amended to clarify these statements."

Council's Draft Climate Change Policy was put on public exhibition from December 23, last year until February 18, this year.

Council agenda ENV.25, 4 May 2010