Collaborative plan to guide response to climate emergency

Published on 30 January 2023

Residents are invited to collaborate on a new plan that will guide the Macedon Ranges community on managing the impacts of climate change.

Building on the momentum of the earlier Cool Changes program and a unified call for more urgent action, Cool-ER Changes aims to take a broader lens on the future of our environment in creating a shared, shire-wide Climate Emergency Response Plan for both Council and the community.

The plan will initially be informed by a number of themed workshops between March and June, delving into discussions on topics including healthy ecosystems, renewable energy, waste management and responses to natural disasters.

Mayor Annette Death encouraged all Macedon Ranges residents to get involved with Cool-ER Changes, given the broad impacts of climate change regardless of individual circumstances.

“Through the Cool Changes program, Council worked with residents across the Macedon Ranges to help address climate action at a localised level – this was important, but only one part of the story,” she said.

“Cool-ER Changes will result in a more universal action plan. From renewables to rural land management practices, future-proofing community sport to the liveability of our homes, there will be something tangible for everyone to take action on.”

The community is invited to the official launch of Cool-ER Changes at Kyneton Town Hall on Thursday 2 March from 7pm – 8:30pm, to celebrate the tangible climate action already underway in the shire and outline the vision for further action into the future. Register online

This launch will also see the debut screening of Bridging the Divide: a short film voicing the thoughts of young and old residents in the shire on climate change.

Cool-ER Changes aligns with a Council commitment within its Council Plan 2021-2031 to “lessen the severity of climate change through actions that enable Council and community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions”.

It also complements Council’s recently endorsed Counting Down to Zero plan, to target zero net emissions across Council-managed facilities and operations by 2030.