Pressure on over climate

Government pushed on emergency

THE Tasmanian Government has acknowledged the urgency of climate change but hasn’t committed to calling it an emergency.

But Premier Will Hodgman is set to receive a letter from Hobart City Council urging him to, after the council voted to declare a global climate and biodiversity emergency on Monday night.

It joined more than 600 other jurisdictions around the world and now wants the State Government to follow suit.

A government spokeswoman said it recognised climate change was a serious and urgent issue that required local, national and international action.

“We are already taking action to address the issue,” she said.

“The State Government is focused on delivering our nation-leading Climate Action 21 Plan, our commitment to renewable energy is unflinching and we are on track to be 100 per cent renewable by 2022.

“We have our clear commitment to the similarly nationleading Battery of the Nation plan and Project Marinus which will see Tasmania powering Australia with our renewable energy.”

The Government didn’t answer whether they would also call it an emergency.

Greens climate change spokeswoman Rosalie Woodruff said Tasmanians wanted the State Government to show the leadership Hobart City Council had demonstrated.

“The evidence from the budget process over the last month has shown the Liberal Government hasn’t yet appreciated they have to move out of the reactive, business as usual approach,” she said.

“The Greens will work cooperatively with all political parties to make sure that we move into an emergency response to the climate change threat.”

Dr Woodruff said she understood a number of other councils in Tasmania were also considering declaring a climate emergency.

Councillor Bill Harvey, who brought the motion to council, said Hobart was the first capital city in Australia to declare it an emergency.

The council will also write to Prime Minister Scott Morrison.