Darwin lord mayor declares climate emergency at council meeting

DARWIN lord mayor Kon Vatskalis has declared a ‘climate emergency’ and called upon the Territory and commonwealth governments to join him in standing against climate change

Darwin lord mayor Kon Vatskalis has declared a climate emergency at Tuesday night’s council meeting

DARWIN lord mayor Kon Vatskalis has declared a ‘climate emergency’ at tonight’s council meeting and called upon the Territory and commonwealth governments to join him in standing against climate change.

He said that given Darwin was affected by such extreme weather, it was important to take a stand.

“I am alarmed at the current escalation in climatic issues affecting our city, the Northern Territory, our Nation and the World,” he said.

“In Darwin we have recorded one of the driest wet seasons on record, bores in the rural area are running dry and advice from the Bureau of Meteorology is that the coming months will be hotter and drier than average, with little chance of an early Wet Season.”

Mr Vatskalis said severe weather events are being experienced in greater numbers around the world and the BOM has warned of an increase in the severity of Tropical Cyclones in the Top End.

“Events such as cyclones, floods and fires cause widespread damage — to property, families and our social fabric,” he said.

“It is critical we take action immediately to address issues we face now and in the future.”

Mr Vatskalis said he would be inviting community members and key stakeholders to participate in a Lord Mayor hosted Climate Emergency Round Table.

“We need to act now and respond collectively to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions through our actions and policies,” he said.

“I have asked council officers to identify opportunities to reduce our contribution to climate change across all Council’s service areas as a priority.”

“And I encourage the Darwin community to do the same in their homes and in their workplaces.”

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In declaring a state of climate emergency City of Darwin joins nearly 600 jurisdictions worldwide, including 28 Australian councils, in recognising that human induced climate change represents a substantial threat to our community and environment.

Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore last week pushed the same question to her council, suggesting climate change posed a ‘serious risk’ to residents and should be treated as a national emergency.

A report will be prepared for the September 24 council meeting outlining a plan and time frame to prioritise the development of a whole of Council approach.