Chair of the Sustainability Working Party Sam Rowland has said it's time for council to "knuckle down and do the work".
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Having held their final meeting on June 15, the Sustainability Working Party presented a list of more than 40 recommendations to Goulburn Mulwaree Council for their consideration.
"I think there's an appetite in the community for local government to step up and play a more significant role in the area of sustainability," Mr Rowland said.
"I think they like to talk a big game, but now is the time for them to actually knuckle down and do the work."
Council established the Working Party in mid-2021 to investigate and recommend actions for the community to address climate change and the loss of biodiversity. Initial ideas were presented to council in early June.
Mr Rowland said now the Working Party had wrapped up, one of the most important recommendations was to create a permanent sustainability committee.
"[A committee] is going to play a role in bringing together the different community groups that are doing some really great work in the area of sustainability," he said.
The Working Party also recommended creating a permanent position in council for a Sustainability Education Officer who would work in conjunction with the committee.
"A staff member is going to be able to greatly assist the committee in making recommendations to council and will be able to draw on their expertise, rather than the council 'flying blind'," Mr Rowland said.
The Working Party has also pushed for a baseline report to be completed by suitably qualified consultants on climate change and sustainability to identify the biggest climate impacts on the area.
Mr Rowland said the report would support further recommendations from the Working Party with expert advice, such as an environmental levy.
"If there's going to be a new levy introduced on ratepayers, then the council needs to be able to bring the community with them on that journey," Mr Rowland said.
"The community needs to understand where the money is going to go and why it's been spent on those particular projects, which haven't been decided yet."
Other ideas include collaborating with schools, supporting existing community groups and creating a sustainability hub.
"Some of the options are more ambitious than others," Mr Rowland said.
"But a lot of them are practical, and can be implemented without too much financial strain on the council."
Councillors will consider the recommendations over the coming weeks and are due to present a report on the outcome in August.
Mayor Peter Walker praised the Sustainability Working Party for their efforts, in particular the three high school students, Molly De Cseuz, Hannah Davey and Chloe Regterschot, who were involved.
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