A group calling on Macedon Ranges council to do more to fight climate change is urging residents to lobby their councillors.
The plea from the Macedon Ranges Green Energy Coalition follows a recent meeting with the council during which members made the case for a stand-alone climate change policy.
As reported by Star Weekly, the coalition, which has collected more than 3000 signatures at markets and events, wants the council to commit to becoming carbon neutral by 2020.
It recommended installing solar panels on all council buildings, at an estimated cost of $1 million.
Coalition co-ordinator Rob Bakes said members feared the need for action on climate change would become ‘‘lost’’ in the council’s new environment strategy.
‘‘Like waste management, it needs a stand-alone policy,’’ he said.
Mr Bakes said members wanted the council to adopt the coalition’s recent clean-energy petition as the basis for a new policy. ‘‘People are frustrated that we’re still talking about action on climate change.’’
The council’s planning and environment director, Sophie Segafredo, said calls for emissions reduction targets and the installation of solar panels would be considered as part of the new environment strategy.
‘‘It is not feasible to meet the timeframes suggested for action,’’ she said.
The council last week gave in-principle support to RMIT University’s greenhouse challenge to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions.
