The Information Provided is to Assist Climate Relevant Feedback
on the Impact of Climate Change Action Reductions inthe Draft MP Shire Draft Council Plan, and Health and Wellbeing Plan
You can use some of this information via cut and paste or convert to your own words:
General comment on both Plans
While 84 Victorian Councils had developed a Climate Emergency Plan (CEP) by 2020, Mornington Peninsula Shire stands alone as the only one known to have reversed its commitment by scrapping the plan.
Greenfield et al 2022
General comment on both Plans
Developed through extensive community consultation with over 90% support (Shire documents), our Climate Emergency Declaration laid out several ambitious goals. The majority of these objectives have been successfully met on time.
Council Plan
In essence, reference to Climate Change has been largely expunged compared to the 2023 Council Plan:
- The Previous Climate Emergency Plan (CEP) formed an overarching connection across all relevant activities, one that ensured cross compatibility and coordination. That powerful connectivity is now completely gone.
- Climate change appears just four times in the 2025 Draft Plan. Of these four, only one appears in any Strategic Indicator, and there is no mention in Performance Measures.
- Since the CEP was initiated, MP greenhouse emissions have declined substantially, and community and uptake of renewable energy has increased markedly. All are generally on track with the original benchmarks. The 2024 Draft Plan has removed all benchmarks or commitment for greenhouse emissions or renewable energy.
General comment on both Plans
Developed through extensive community consultation with over 90% support (Shire documents), our Climate Emergency Declaration laid out several ambitious goals. The majority of these objectives have been successfully met on time.
Health and Wellbeing Plan
Climate Change is regularly mentioned throughout Priority 6, however:
- As with the Council Plan, climate change items here are presented in an ad hoc fashion, with no overall strategic connections.
- The strong theme is about responding to current and future events when they happen. Identifying issues and instituting plans to reduce their impact before they happen provides a much greater return on the investment. The Climate Emergency Plan drove such a forward-looking aspect.
- Note that $1 invested on impact reduction typically saves $15 or more from averted future recovery costs.