Climate Change: Stonnington Council action plan suggests residents don’t eat meat

A radical plan backed by Stonnington Council encourages people to stop eating meat and ditch their cars to combat climate change.

Stonnington Council has passed its action plan after declaring a climate emergency in February 2020. File picture.

An inner city council has backed a climate emergency plan that encourages people to stop eating meat, avoid overseas flights and ditch their cars.

Stonnington councillors passed the council’s action plan at its meeting on Monday night after it declared a climate emergency in February 2020.

The report outlined a series of actions and strategies which the council will work towards focusing on key areas including zero carbon in the municipality, “thriving” in the changing climate and working together for change.

But two Liberal councillors said they were outraged by a page of suggestions for people to lower their carbon impact, which included the “moderate” suggestion of only washing clothes in cold water and “high impact” actions including switching to a plant-based diet, avoiding international flights and living “car free”.

Suggestions outlined on page 19 of Stonnington Council's Climate Emergency Action plan for residents to reduce their carbon impact. Screenshot from document.

Cr Marcia Griffin said the suggestions showed “massive contempt for the freedoms Australians enjoy” and went “beyond the remit of a local government”.

“I don’t want a council telling me how to live my life and wash my clothes,” she said.

“I fully commend many of the environmental initiatives contained in this report … but these ones are a step too far.

“Stonnington could have a much greater environmental impact through our strategic planning around land use, rather than by recommending our residents give up eating meat.”

Cr Alex Lew said the plan was “alarmist” and “well outside mainstream Australian values”.

He said the plan “signals the takeover of this council by the Green left” and would lead to the council “being ridiculed and mocked”.

“I’m not going to be part of wasting ratepayers’ money telling our residents that they should not be eating meat or driving cars, using gas heaters or outdoor barbecues … or that they should feel ashamed for going on a holiday,” Cr Lew said.

Greens councillor Mike Scott disagreed, saying the council had a responsibility to take action on climate change locally.

“We are taking a lead role to innovate, be bold, take action and responsibility for our current and our future generations,” he said.

“I suggest councillors who don’t want us to take action listen to our community and recognise the community sentiment.”

Mayor Kate Hely said the plan delivered on community expectations and the changes outlined were “necessary and practical for Stonnington to adapt to our changing climate”.

“It embeds climate action into every part of our work and is also about us working in partnership with our community and other levels of government,” she said.

“We know when delivered effectively many of these changes will also save rather than cost us money in the short and long term.

“This plan is the right thing to do for our community and our future.”

Institute of Public Affairs spokesman Evan Mulholland described the plan as “extremely unpopular and impractical”.

“Local councils like Stonnington have no business in telling ratepayers they should move to a plant-based diet, or switch to expensive electric cars, or to live car free,” he said.

“Stonnington Council should stick to collecting rubbish, fixing local roads and keeping rates low.”