The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder has become the first West Australian local government to pledge to take action as part the Climate Council’s Cities Power Partnership.
Under the national partnership, participating councils make five pledges to limit their local climate impact, from reducing transport emissions to getting behind renewable energy.
The Climate Council recently released a report warning critical decisions on climate change were needed within the next three years to limit dangerous climate impacts, such as prolonged extreme droughts, in the Kalgoorlie area.
The report found Kalgoorlie faced serious climate impacts, including reduced rainfall, prolonged drought and food and water mal” unless serious cuts were made to carbon pollution.
City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder chief executive John Walker said with the south of WA facing longer, more extreme dry spells and drastically reduced rainfall, the town’s water security was at risk if climate change continued unchecked. “That’s why it’s important that we plan carefully for our future, which includes embracing renewable power,” he said.
“With renewable energy rapidly taking shape as a cheap, reliable source of power, Kalgoorlie-Boulder is leading the way in showing other local governments how it can be applied to council operations.”
Kalgoorlie-Boulder has pledged to increase its reliance on renewable energy across council operations, building on the clean energy success of the Goldfields Oasis Recreation Centre.
It also plans to transform the way it uses energy, including installing energy-efficient lighting across the city, and working with State and Federal governments to make renewable energy affordable and accessible for the wider community.
Climate Council chief executive Amanda McKenzie said regional councils such as Kalgoorlie-Boulder were showing the way for the rest of the country by coming up with practical, innovative solutions to climate change.
This article first appeared in the Kalgoorlie Miner on 5 December 2017
