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Willoughby City Council
Help Us Shape Your Local Centre
2018-Past consultations
2017 - Past consultations
2016 & previous years - Past consultations
Online Community Panel - April Discussion
What are your thoughts on Climate Change Adaptation?
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by Willoughby Admin, almost 8 years ago
Council are currently drafting a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for the community.
Climate change adaptation actions aim to reduce the adverse consequences of climate change. Whereas climate change mitigation focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions to minimise the severity of climate change.
It is important for Council to fully understand our residents' perceptions and knowledge of climate change and impacts on the local community. Here is your opportunity to provide feedback on climate change adaptation and how it may affect you.
How do you think climate change will effect you and your family?
What information sources and programs are you most likely to go to for information on climate change adaptation?
What would help you take action to reduce your vulnerability to climate change?
This consultation has concluded.
Recently active Posted first
Kathryne almost 8 years ago
We need greater education and financial support for households to actively try to reduce the effects of climate change. My household is very focused on recycling, composting and trying to save energy and water. We were looking into solar panels last year but in the midst of getting quotes the rebates ended and the viability was reduced (in fact the company did not even bother to come out and measure - just assumed we would not pay). I think Willoughby council is quite active in this area but a couple of things would help:1. Provide easier access to recycling in public areas - parks, shopping centres (including making Westfield/Chatswood Chase provide recycling bins)2. Provide incentives or better programs for households to install solar panels and other energy saving measures3. Provide incentives such as reduced fees for new building applications that incorporate sustainable features (or introduce levies for new buildings that don't incorporate more of these features)4. Provide composting as part of the waste collection for the many apartments in Chatswood who don't have the ability to compost at home
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apexst over 7 years ago
The council can also provide household assessments on current CO footprint and recommendations for reducing household CO emmissions and saving money on energy and water bills.
Grilled Bear almost 8 years ago
There hasn't been any change in our climate . It has just been through one of it's various permutations . Has happened before and will happen again . Sydney is a cold climate most of the year and will continue to be.
Trix almost 8 years ago
I would love to have installed solar panels, but because of our age we would be unable to recoup the cost.
Admin Commented Nic almost 8 years ago
Thank you for your comments and initiating an online conversation, this particular forum is relating to climate change adaptation rather than mitigation! Mitigation relates to reducing greenhouse gas emissions i.e. reducing your energy use, using public transport, composting food waste. Adaptation on the other hand involves measures you can take to reduce predicted climate change impacts such as, being aware on how to keep cool on extremely hot days, weather proofing your home to protect it against more intense and frequent storms and landscape initiatives to reduce flooding!Council is interested in hearing your thoughts on climte change impacts you are most concerned about. What motivates you to take action to reduce the risk climate change may have on yourself, family and household? How can Council help you adapt to climate change impacts?Thank you for your time and consideration of this forum topic!
Darius almost 8 years ago
Hi everyoneJust a reminder we are also running a survey to go with this forum topic. The survey can be viewed here: http://haveyoursaywilloughby.com.au/onlinecommunitypanel?module=survey#tool It should only take about 5 minutes and we would find the feedback very useful!
Leila.E almost 8 years ago
Education is key to change.Further education via informative brochures and public events with a council or other environmental officer to speak about ways we can make more environmentally friendly decisions; waste management, water usage and energy consumption.Other aspects discussed could be surrounding levels of consumerism, the importance of choosing local over imported where possible and introduce access to footprint calculators for Co2 and water. Then interested people can view how they can make simple changes to their lifestyle and/or diets.http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=cal/waterfootprintcalculator_indvhttp://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspxAnother aspect education really needs to put an emphasis on, is the effect of anthropogenic climate change! Still there are people that deny anthropogenic climate change!Many individuals still don't understand that climate change YES is a natural process that has happened in the Earth's historyBUT the worry is, those climate changes occurred over tens of thousands of years, not in the few decades since the Industrial Revolution!
Elaine almost 8 years ago
Thank you for your great response, Leila. You seem to have a firm understanding of climate change mitigation, thanks for providing the forum with those water and carbon footprint links. We are now aiming to educate the wider community on climate change adaptation and how the community can prepare for extreme weather events. Good to know that you value climate change education and Council will take on board your comments regarding brochures, events and speakers for our climate change adaptation roll out.
123degrees almost 8 years ago
There needs to be a two pronged approach. First would be education on mitigation- as there are still some people who don't believe that it is happening. Both sides of government agree that it is real and man made but disagree on how to deal with it.This involves recycling, solar panels etc.The adaptation area is where local council can have a huge impact. The number 1 issue facing Willoughby is extreme heat. We need to be looking at planting large shady street trees and providing heat relief hubs for people who have to be out and about on the hottest day.Local flooding will become more common and like clearing your own gutters before a storm we need to identify areas in our suburbs that could be prone to blockages and flooding during storms.Workshops that help you plan and build a more weather proof home including double glazing, building for air flow, insulation, using lighter paint colours ( doing away with black roof tiles). I would also look at making the hot black road surfaces lighter with new paints /surfaces that are now hitting the market.
Derek almost 8 years ago
What are the Council's predictions with respect to required adaptation? I guess sea level rises over the next century aren't particularly relevant in this area and I'm not clear on the role the Council would play with respect to building codes, and the like, to cope with rougher weather. I'm not convinced the council has much to contribute in these areas, other than putting its own house in order and increasing reserves to cope with, e.g., additional storm damage as the effects of climate change become clearer. We are fortunate not to be living in a river delta on the Indian subcontinent.
Thank you for your comments thus far. I agree with '123degrees' suggestion of a two pronged approach. Educating people on the science of climate change is integral to any change - mitigation or adaptation based. Willoughby Council is looking to find ways of approaching the vast topic of adaptation, as basic mitigation programs are already in place. To answer your excellent question 'anonymous_survey_user_73' - some of the extreme weather events which have been identified as risks to Willoughby include: - Extreme Heat Days- Average Temperature Increase- Increased Rain Intensity- Drought- Extreme Winds- BushfireCouncil would like to help further educate our residents on how to cope and protect your home in dealing which such changes listed above. '123degrees' suggestion of a workshop to weather proof your home is a great idea. We are holding two community Climate Change Adaptation workshops on Tuesday 8th of May (9:30am session) or Thursday 10th of May (6pm session) at the Dougherty Community Centre. It would be great for all our forum participants to come along. For more details, please contact Nicola Faith on 9777 7691.
apexst almost 8 years ago
At my company we have set carbon emission reduction targets a number of years ago and then provided ongoing monitoring. The simply act of setting the target and the accompany monitoring has enabled my company to make significant greenhouse reductions at zero cost, and with a modest dollar saving. For example when choosing premises to lease we have look for 5 star environmentally rate building. We upgraded our own building to 4 and a half star rating. We monitored the use of paper, simply changing to double sided printing made a substanial saving in the amoiunt of paper we used. We changed standard car to the Prius. Our company is now considering a target which would make them carbon neutral. Willoughby Council needs to show leadership and set its own carbon reduction targets, make managers accountable for achieving those targets and then publish the progress against those targets. The council can achieve similar results.
I would like to see the battery recycling scheme at chatswood library expanded further, at least to the other libraries but also to each of the different shopping centres.
Wayne over 7 years ago
Would like to see a rebate scheme for installing water tank so that rain water is not down the drain..
It's great that there is an incentive scheme for installation of solar panel for household use. I shall be very grateful if council could also consider provding support for installing heat plump for swimming pool and replacing old /obsolete hot water system with the new energy saving type of gas heating hot water system.
treebytheriver over 7 years ago
Well, I have personally seen the effects of what extreme heat can do. (Over 45 degrees Celsius) which does not look good.Anyway answering your questions. 1. I see climate change affecting me mostly at school. Being a student, I spend most of my time there. I see heat waves will be devastating, especially with many teachers forcing students to go outside if it is sunny, where most of the oval, basketball courts and quadrangle have little shade areas. I see this must be addressed.For my home, since I am a dependant child, I have not much responsibility, but I hope the actions that are taken are sustainable. Not just installing air conditioners in every house.2. CSIRO is my source of information, but sometimes the info either goes too simple or too complicated. Either for primary school students or for scientists. This could be fixed. Information through school is often about state level, so maybe the local government could be more involved. 3. I would be more inclined to help with climate change adaptation if I knew that it was not just me doing things alone. A suggestion could be to have a website created where different challenges could be completed, and you can see who else has completed or taken the challenge.I will be coming to the forum on Thursday night, although I am sure some other people have much stronger opinions than me. I didn't even really know much about Climate Change Adaptation before I was invited to this forum from a friend. That might also be where the problem lies, people knowing too much about prevention, and not enough about adaptation.
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