Council to vote on Climate Action Plan, could Climate Emergency be next?

350 Eurobodalla coordinator Jack Egan will speak during Public Forum on Tuesday, July 26, advocating for the Council to revisit the possibility of declaring a 'climate emergency'.

Former Greens councillor Pat McGinlay brought forward a motion to declare a climate emergency in August, 2019, but that motion was voted down by councillors.

Council received five submissions relating to declaring a climate emergency during the time the Climate Action Plan was on public exhibition earlier this year.

In response, council said a declaration "does not change the intent or actions contained in the Climate Action Plan and is a matter for councillors if they wish to pursue".

"Congratulations to Council and staff on bringing this Climate Action Plan to reality," Mr Egan said.

"However, our Council should go one step further and declare a climate emergency. It's high time Council joins 104 other councils around Australia and more than 2000 around the world and declares that we're all in a climate emergency."

Mr Egan said a declaration of a climate emergency would show Council was taking "fair dinkum action" on the climate and not "kicking the can down the road".

He pointed to recent heat waves in Europe and Australia's recent signing of the Pacific Forum's climate emergency declaration as signs Eurobodalla Shire Council should consider their own declaration.

"Last week Prince Charles said the world is in a climate emergency as Europe sweltered and burned," he said.

"So, let's call a spade a spade, we are in a climate emergency.

"Declaring a climate emergency doesn't mean we're hitting the panic button, running around in confusion or throwing money ineffectually at the problem. It's a sober facing up to reality and a driver of action."

As of July 25, there were no concrete plans for Council to have another discussion about declaring a climate emergency.