For the record

emissions, reducing waste to landfill that creates those emissions, installing LED street and traffic lights, just to name a few initiatives over many years.

Local government in Tasmania has recognised for a long time that climate change is one of the greatest threats and costs to councils. Policy, action, educating and working with communities are necessary, but working with engaged state and federal governments and environment ministers would be more effective.

It is time for the do-little approach at state and federal levels to cease. This is not a sleeper issue. Tasmania should be the island that innovates and is 100 per cent renewable and ready to adapt and mitigate to our rapidly changing climate.

Stop study tours

LORD Mayor Sue Hickey’s call on suspending study tours is commendable. For councillors to take advantage of a “deficient” policy smacks of suspicious motiv- ation. I understand the value of attending such conferences but, as a taxpayer, I would rather the councillors who want to attend conferences considered paying for them, or at least 50 per cent of the cost.

Alternatively, if a councillor thinks it is important to go for such “study tours”, then they ought to pay for it and go under the auspices of the council or as a representative of the council.

Sometimes these trips can be seen as mere “junkets”. I believe they are local councillors, hence their mandate is to look after the local community. IN “Study tours on hold” ( Mercury, December 5) it was reported that Hobart alderman Damon Thomas’ proposal for the council to develop a way to measure the value of international relationships was knocked back at the council meeting. It was actually passed, eight votes to two, with the council to conduct a further report on the proposal.