Climate emergency declarations in Australia
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Climate Emergency is being declared in Australia similarly to many other jurisdictions across the world (actions known as Climate emergency declaration). One such jurisdiction in Australia, Darebin City Council, was the first one in the world to declare a climate emergency in 2016. This page lists all known climate emergency declarations within Australian jurisdictions across all three levels of government in Australia (Local, State, and Federal).
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Federal
There is currently no declaration of a climate emergency at the Federal level in Australia, although there have been multiple motions moved to declare one.
In October 2019, the Australian Labor Party supported the Australian Greens Party's motion to declare a climate emergency. The motion was additionally supported by crossbenchers Zali Steggall, Helen Haines, and Andrew Wilkie, as well as Centre Alliance.[1] However, the proposition failed with members of the Morrison Government and some crossbenchers voting against it.[1]
State/Territory
The Australian Capital Territory is the first and only territory to have declared a climate emergency. The South Australian Parliament voted for a climate emergency in the upper house and lower house in South Australia.
| State/Territory | Declared a Climate Emergency | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Capital Territory | Yes | Labor/Green Coalition Government voted for a climate emergency on 16 May 2019[2] |
| New South Wales | No | N/A |
| Northern Territory | No | N/A |
| Queensland | No | N/A |
| South Australia | Yes | Upper House of SA Parliament voted for a climate emergency in 2019. The climate emergency motion passed the lower house in 2022[3] |
| Tasmania | No | N/A |
| Victoria | No | N/A |
| Western Australia | No | N/A |
Local Government
Summarize
Perspective
In June 2019, Councillor Trent McCarthy of the City of Darebin brought together councillors and parliamentarians in Australia and around the world in online link-ups[4] to facilitate collaboration between councils and governments which have declared a climate emergency. Following these link-ups and a successful motion at the National General Assembly of Local Government,[5] McCarthy announced the formation of Climate Emergency Australia,[5] a new network of Australian governments and councils advocating for an emergency response to climate change.
Local government has been the most active level of government in declaring a climate emergency in Australia. Currently, every state in Australia has at least one local government jurisdiction that has declared a climate emergency. Only two capital city local governments have not declared a climate emergency: the City of Perth, which has not yet voted on a climate emergency declaration, and the City of Brisbane, which has voted against a motion to declare a climate emergency.[6] Below is a list of local governments, showing which have declared a climate emergency, which have voted against a climate emergency, and which have not voted on a climate emergency.
New South Wales
36 of 128 local government jurisdictions in NSW have declared a climate emergency, the highest number of any state, although Victoria has the highest percentage of councils that have declared a climate emergency.
Northern Territory
Only one local government jurisdiction in the Northern Territory has declared a climate emergency, and that is the City of Darwin.
| Council | Climate Emergency Declared | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Alice Springs, Town of | No | N/A |
| Alyangula | No | N/A |
| Barkly Regional Council | No | N/A |
| Belyuen Shire Community Government Council | No | N/A |
| Central Desert Regional Council | No | N/A |
| Coomalie Shire Community Government Council | No | N/A |
| Darwin, City of | Yes | Darwin was the first local government jurisdiction in the Northern Territory to declare a climate emergency, on 30 July 2019.[45] |
| Northern Territory Rates Act Area (East Arm) | No | N/A |
| East Arnhem Regional Council | No | N/A |
| Katherine, Town of | No | N/A |
| Litchfield Municipality | No | N/A |
| MacDonnell Regional Council | No | N/A |
| Nhulunbuy Corporation | No | N/A |
| Palmerston, City of | No | N/A |
| Roper Gulf Regional Council | No | N/A |
| Tiwi Islands Regional Council | No | N/A |
| Unincorporated Top End Region (Finnis-Mary) | No | N/A |
| Victoria Daly Regional Council | No | N/A |
| Wagait Shire Council | No | N/A |
| West Arnhem Regional Council | No | N/A |
| West Daly Regional Council | No | N/A |
| Yulara | No | N/A |
Queensland
Two councils have declared a climate emergency in Queensland: Noosa Council and Sunshine Coast Council. Brisbane City Council voted against a climate emergency, one of only two capital city zones in Australia that have not declared a climate emergency.
South Australia
16 of the 67 local government jurisdictions in South Australia have declared a climate emergency, the Town of Gawler being the first.
Tasmania
Five councils in Tasmania have declared a climate emergency. Three councils have rejected or voted against a declaration.
Victoria
With 35 of 79 Local Government jurisdictions in Victoria having declared a climate emergency, this is the highest percentage of climate emergencies declared for any state. Darebin City Council in Victoria was the first jurisdiction in the world to declare a climate emergency in 2016.[71]
| Council | Climate Emergency Declared | Date | Climate Targets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine Shire | Yes | 5 November 2021 | Has a target of net zero emissions for council operations by 2023[72] |
| Ararat, Rural City of | No | N/A | No Target |
| Ballarat, City of | Yes | 21 November 2018[73] | |
| Banyule City Council | Yes | 7 October 2019[74] | Banyule City Council has a target to be carbon neutral by 2040[75] |
| Bass Coast Shire | Yes | 21 August 2019[76] | |
| Baw Baw, Shire of | No | N/A | |
| Bayside City Council | Yes | 17 December 2019[77] | Bayside Council was certified carbon neutral in December 2020[78] |
| Benalla, Rural City of | No | N/A | |
| Boroondara City Council | No | N/A | |
| Brimbank, City of | Yes | 25 June 2019[79] | |
| Buloke, Shire of | No | N/A | |
| Campaspe, Shire of | No | N/A | |
| Cardinia, Shire of | Yes | 19 September 2019[80] | |
| Casey, City of | No | N/A | |
| Central Goldfields Shire Council | No | N/A | |
| Colac Otway, Shire of | No | N/A | |
| Corangamite, Shire of | No | N/A | |
| Darebin, City of | Yes | 5 December 2016[81] | |
| East Gippsland Shire Council | No | N/A | |
| East Frankston, City of | Yes | 20 November 2019 | |
| Gannawarra, Shire of | No | N/A | |
| Glen Eira City Council | Yes | 5 May 2020[82] | |
| Glenelg Shire Council | No | N/A | |
| Golden Plains Shire | Yes | 27 July 2021[83] | |
| Greater Bendigo, City of | No | The City of Greater Bendigo has not declared an emergency but in 2019 voted to "recognise and urgently respond" to environmental and climate breakdown. The council has since argued that the vote was equivalent to an emergency declaration and that it tied council spending to risks surrounding climate change.[84] | |
| Greater Dandenong, City of | Yes | 15 January 2020[85] | |
| Greater Geelong, City of | No | Motion to declare climate emergency rejected on 26 September 2019 | |
| Greater Shepparton, City of | Yes | 3 June 2020[86] | |
| Hepburn, Shire of | Yes | 19 September 2019[87] | |
| Hindmarsh, Shire of | No | N/A | |
| Hobsons Bay, City of | Yes | 8 October 2019[88] | |
| Horsham, Rural City of | No | N/A | |
| Hume, City of | No | N/A | |
| Indigo, Shire of | Yes | 1 August 2019[89] | |
| Kingston, City of | Yes | 28 January 2020[90] | |
| Knox, City Council of | No | N/A | |
| Latrobe, City Council of | No | N/A | |
| Loddon, Shire of | No | N/A | |
| Macedon Ranges, Shire of | Yes | 24 March 2021 | |
| Manningham, City Council of | Yes | 10 February 2020[91] | |
| Mansfield, Shire of | No | N/A | |
| Maribyrnong, City Council of | Yes | 7 March 2019[92] | |
| Maroondah, City Council of | No | N/A | |
| Melbourne, City Council of | Yes | 17 July 2019[93] | |
| Melton, City Council of | No | N/A | |
| Mildura Rural City Council | Yes | 27 February 2020[94] | |
| Mitchell, Shire of | Yes | 20 September 2021 (acknowledged)[95] | |
| Moira, Shire of | No | N/A | |
| Monash, City of | No | N/A | |
| Moonee Valley City Council | Yes | October 2019[96] | |
| Moorabool, Shire of | No | N/A | |
| Merri-bek, City Council of | Yes | 12 December 2018[97] | For operational emissions, Moreland Council was certified as ‘carbon neutral’ in 2012.[98] City of Moreland has set a community emissions reduction target of net zero emissions by 2040.[99] |
| Mornington Peninsula, Shire of | Yes | The Shire of Mornington Peninsula was the 34th local government authority in Australia to declare a climate emergency on 13 August 2019[100] | Mornington Peninsula council has a target of zero carbon emissions by 2040. |
| Mount Alexander, Shire of | Yes | 19 December 2019[101] | |
| Moyne, Shire of | Yes | 7 November 2019[102] | |
| Murrindindi, Shire of | No | N/A | |
| Nillumbik, Shire of | No | N/A | |
| [[Shire of Northern Grampians }|Northern Grampians, Shire of]] | No | N/A | |
| Port Phillip, City of | Yes | 19 September 2019[103] | |
| Pyrenees, Shire of | No | N/A | |
| Queenscliffe, Borough of | Yes | 19 December 2019[104] | |
| South Gippsland Shire | No | N/A | |
| Southern Grampians, Shire of | No | N/A | |
| Stonnington, City of | Yes | 17 February 2020[105] | |
| Strathbogie, Shire of | Yes | 22 April 2021[106] | |
| Surf Coast Shire | Yes | 2 September 2019[107] | |
| Swan Hill, Rural City of | No | N/A | |
| Towong, Shire of | No | N/A | |
| Wangaratta, Rural City of | No | N/A | |
| Warrnambool, City of | No | N/A | |
| Wellington, Shire of | No | N/A | |
| West Wimmera, Shire of | No | N/A | |
| Whitehorse City Council | No | N/A | |
| Whitlesea, City of | No | N/A | |
| Wodonga City Council | No | N/A | |
| Wyndham City Council | No | N/A | |
| Yarra City Council | Yes | 2017[108] | |
| Yarra Ranges Shire Council | Yes | 10 September 2019[109] | |
| Yarriambiack Shire Council | No | N/A |
Western Australia
11 local government jurisdictions in Western Australia have declared a climate emergency. Additionally, the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) has created a Climate Change Declaration that has been signed by 40 of Western Australia's local government associations, representing 65% of the state's local jurisdictions.[110] The Climate Change Declaration is not a declaration of a climate emergency but does mention urgent action on climate change.[111] The Western Local Government area of the City of Perth is one of two capital city Local Government Areas that have not declared a climate emergency.
External Islands/Territories
No external islands or territories of Australia have declared a climate emergency.
| Jurisdiction | Declared a Climate Emergency | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Ashmore and Cartier Islands | No | N/A |
| Christmas Island | No | N/A |
| Cocos (Keeling) Islands | No | N/A |
| Coral Sea Islands | No | N/A |
| Cocos (Keeling) Islands | No | N/A |
| Jervis Bay Territory | No | N/A |
| Heard Island and McDonald Islands | No | N/A |
| Norfolk Island | No | N/A |
Declare Organisations in Australia
- Planners Declare
- Builders Declare
- Architects Declare
- Comms Declare[126]
Other notable non-government declarations
In September 2013, the Australian Medical Association officially declared climate change a public health emergency.[127] The AMA noted that climate change will cause "higher mortality and morbidity from heat stress; injury and mortality from increasingly severe weather events; increases in the transmission of vector-borne diseases; food insecurity resulting from declines in agricultural outputs; [and] a higher incidence of mental-ill health."[127] The AMA has called on the Australian Government to adopt a carbon budget; reduce emissions; and transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, among other proposals to mitigate the health impacts of climate change.[127]
See also
References
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