Proposal to scrap Cairns Regional Council’s climate targets

A plan for Cairns Regional Council to achieve net zero emissions for its operations by 2030 is likely to be scrapped with councillors to vote on a revised proposal featuring heavily scaled back targets.

Cairns councillors will vote on whether to make major changes to the council’s Climate Change Strategy 2030. Picture: Brendan Radke

A plan for Cairns Regional Council to achieve net zero emissions for its operations by 2030 is likely to be scrapped with councillors to vote on a revised proposal featuring heavily scaled back targets.

Councillors will determine whether to approve its new Climate Change Strategy 2030 at an ordinary meeting on Wednesday just three years after the current strategy was endorsed.

Cairns Regional Council will hold an ordinary meeting on Wednesday, December 10, 2025. Picture: Brendan Radke

Completed following two years of stakeholder engagement, the existing document sets a bold vision for the council to address the impacts of climate change, with 107 actions included.

But just seven actions have been completed since then with the revised scheme now hoping to set a 43 per cent reduction in operational emissions, instead.

Cairns Regional Council Director of Planning, Growth and Sustainability, Dr Mark Davey, signed off on the council’s report, to be debated by councillors. Picture: Brendan Radke

Additionally, a goal of 100 per cent of council electricity being supplied from renewables by 2030 would also be lowered to 82 per cent under the new strategy.

“Achieving net zero by 2030 across all scopes would require extensive annual carbon offset purchases,” the council report said.

“Changes to the regulatory framework regarding these emissions … no longer permit this and makes this realistically unachievable.”

The council’s State of the Environment report would return under the new strategy for the first time since 2021/22 but would only come out once every four years, rather than annually.

The report highlights the council’s record on waste, recycling, natural resources and water management.

Cairns Regional Council chief executive Ken Gouldthorp at a council ordinary meeting, held in the council chambers on Spence Street, Portsmith. Picture: Brendan Radke

At a recent meeting, chief executive Ken Gouldthorp acknowledged that it was unclear why the annual State of the Environment report had been paused with the decision occurring prior to him joining the council late last year.

“I presume that the council of the day was informed but unfortunately neither I, nor a number of the senior executives and staff today were involved with the council at that time,” Mr Gouldthorp said last month.

Cairns Mayor Amy Eden chairs a Cairns Regional Council ordinary meeting, held in the council chambers on Spence Street, Portsmith. Picture: Brendan Radke

But Mayor Amy Eden publicly backed the decision to stop releasing the report, arguing that it was changed to align with the state government’s reporting requirements.

“I’ve wanted to ensure that we run an efficient council,” she said. “If that brings efficiencies, then absolutely.

“It doesn’t mean that councillors don’t get information periodically throughout that four years.”

In October, the Cairns Post revealed that the council had dumped 20,000 tonnes more waste into landfill last financial year than the last time numbers were released in its SoE report.

The council currently has 30 hybrid vehicles and three electric vehicles in its fleet.

Between 2010 and 2020, the council reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 46 per cent.

Originally published as Proposal to scrap Cairns Regional Council’s climate targets