by Luke Voogt
A council climate change emergency declaration has fallen short by one vote despite a large and impassioned crowd during Tuesday night’s heated meeting.
Greens councillor Sarah Mansfield urged council to declare an emergency after several locals voiced their fears during public question time.
“A huge mistake we make is in thinking what we do doesn’t matter,” she said.
“We are all responsible and none of us can fix this alone – we have to work together.”
Her motion followed worldwide climate strikes last Friday, including about 1000 protesting in central Geelong.
But Stephanie Asher proposed an amendment, saying council was “not yet ready to call a climate emergency” and described doing so as merely “ticking a box”.
Council voted 6-5 for her amendment that acknowledged “climate change poses a risk” instead, prompting jeers and angry chants from the crowd.
Earlier Cr Mansfield and Jim Mason made passionate pleas to declare an emergency.
Cr Mansfield asked how she would explain failing to act to her children when they grew up, while highlighting rising temperatures and sea levels.
Cr Mason argued climate deniers had become a threat to “global security”.
“We should be kind to them, we should love them but we must gently get them out of the way,” he said, drawing laughs from the crowd.
But Cr Asher instead proposed council officers update its Sustainability Framework as an “immediate priority” and undertake a raft of environmental measures.
“It’s not a denial (or) watering down of anything,” she said.
Cr Asher said her amendment had “significantly more substance than the original” motion without the “politicised” word emergency, meaning “all councillors” could support it.
The crowd reacted angrily as six councillors spoke in support of the amendment, forcing Mayor Bruce Harwood to interject several times.
Council’s “bread and butter” was “roads, rates and rubbish,” councillor Ron Nelson repeated over an irate crowd.
“We all drove our cars in tonight and we all drive to Melbourne every other day,” Eddy Kontelj said, drawing a similar reaction.
Cr Kontelj also said the amendment would hold councillors more accountable than just declaring an emergency.
They and Trent Sullivan, Kylie Grzbek and Anthony Aitkin, highlighted council’s environmental credentials and their “belief” in climate change.
But Cr Mansfield and Cr Mason described the amendment as a “false choice” between declaring an emergency and updating the sustainability framework, stating they were separate issues.
Cr Mansfield added that she regularly rode to work, while Cr Mason said, “I accept the science. It’s not a matter of belief.”
Mayor Harwood, Pat Murnane and Peter Murrihy also voted to declare a climate emergency.
