Wentworth MP Allegra Spender calls for climate initiatives at local level in eastern suburbs

Newly-elected ‘teal’ MP Allegra Spender has called on eastern suburbs’ residents to become climate leaders, urging for a greater investment in environmental initiatives at a grassroots level.

Newly-elected ‘teal’ MP Allegra Spender has called on eastern suburbs’ residents to become climate leaders, urging for a greater investment in environmental initiatives at a grassroots level.

The politician recently said the recent passing of Labor’s Climate Change Bill through the House of Representatives was a “big win” and has urged the national momentum to spark local action.

“I think there’s a huge appetite in Wentworth (to embrace environmental initiatives,” Ms Spender said.

“[There are] things that can only be done at the federal national level, but let’s use this as an opportunity to build really strong local action.

“That is definitely going to be an area I’m going to be working with the community and with volunteers and community groups, and the councils on really driving that local action.”

Allegra Spender (third from right) joined other Teal independents in Canberra following the Climate Change Bill vote. Picture: Gary Ramage

Ms Spender snatched victory from incumbent Liberal MP Dave Sharma at the recent federal election with a campaign focused on delivering a federal integrity commission and ambitious climate targets.

The independent MP said she didn’t believe Labor’s majority victory had changed her ability to represent Wentworth’s interests and she was committed to working with councils and community groups to drive action on a local level.

Spender celebrating her election win, driven by voters demanding climate action, at Bondi Beach. Picture: David Barwell

But she said her role was to fight for improvements and vanquish the “climate wars” moving forward.

“Obviously, climate was a major reason [I was elected],” Ms Spender said. “I am only one seat out of 151. But they [Wentworth] want that one seat to be a constructive force on all the issues that are important to Wentworth, and to work constructively with all sides of parliament on that. And that’s what I’m doing.”

Spender was endorsed by climate activist Danny Lim earlier this year.

Eastern suburbs councils have faced division around a raft of climate initiatives in recent months with Waverley Council’s environmental action plan committed to eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from council operations by 2030, along with reducing community emissions to net zero by 2035.

However criticism of the excessive development leading to congestion, particularly at Bondi Junction, has been raised as a point of contention around council’s emissions reductions targets.

Woollahra Council has faced opposition from community groups over plans to transform a key street in Double Bay into a pedestrian space, which Mayor Susan Wynne said would further its goal to create urban centres focused on climate and sustainability.

“It’s time to actually put pedestrians first and cycleways, and all of that aspect, we need to consider it,” Ms Wynne said.

Both councils have taken on electric vehicle initiatives with public double-charging stations now in four locations in Woollahra, with council targets of installing two new charging stations per year and have its passenger fleet consist of 100 per cent electric and hybrid vehicles by 2025.

Wentworth independent candidate Allegra Spender with Paddington resident Jonathan Pepper and Discover Energy co-founder and co-CEO Jeff Yu. Mr Pepper is the first person in Australia to trial one of the new Discover Energy Super Chargers for his electric vehicle.

A Waverley Council spokesman said it was moving forward with plans to require electric vehicle charge points on many private developments with the local government area’s first two public charging stations unveiled at Eastgate shopping centre, Bondi Junction in recent weeks.

Ms Spender said the first two weeks in microcosm of parliament had been “pretty extraordinary,” with the passionate debate of question time reminding her of “a football match” and a rollercoaster of emotion in delivering her maiden speech and debating refugee policy.

The newly-elected MP said she felt confident in progress on the key issues that won her the seat.

“My goal is to build relationships across the parliament with both major parties, and I think there‘s a lot of will to do that,” Ms Spender said.

“I actually keep a copy of my house of votes in my office on my pinboard. Because I want to remind myself, I never want to lose track of why people voted for me.”