City lacks green plans
THE Townsville City Council claims it is building for our future and looking after the wellbeing of the city’s residents but this seems incompatible with how little emphasis its 2019-20 budget gives to its “green and clean” strategies.
Numerous doctors and researchers are telling us how important the natural environment is for our wellbeing, as well as how much the effects of climate change (crop failure, heatwaves, drought, dust storms, etc) adversely affect human health.
I have noticed more and more individuals and businesses taking steps to minimise their own impact, but precious little from the council.
The council has a role to play in promoting positive and truthful education on this topic so that more individuals are able to make better informed personal choices in their daily lives.
A good place to start would be a decision by the council to declare a “climate emergency”.
So many prominent councils around Australia (and the rest of the world) have already done this, meaning the TCC is unlikely to be criticised and may even be surprised by the overwhelmingly positive response it receives.
I am very happy to hear that work is progressing on the long overdue pipeline to provide water security to the people of Townsville.
This will complete a project started in the 1980s when Joh Bjelke-petersen built the Burdekin Dam so the people of North Queensland would never run out of water again.
But what climate change harm minimisation strategies and projects does the TCC have in place? What projects have been planned to assist residents to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels? What has been planned to assist with carbon drawdown from the atmosphere?
Many years ago, Mayor Tony Mooney backed a project for “100,000 trees for Townsville” to be planted in a single year and he achieved his target. That was bold and visionary, a quality our current leaders lack.
Reforesting areas surrounding the city would draw down carbon, cool the city, add to our wellbeing and provide local jobs.
Similar projects around the world have been shown to increase the sense of wellbeing and community spirit as people feel that they are contributing to something truly worthwhile.
Cities across the world are putting in place infrastructure that reduces reliance on fossil fuels. Mass transit lanes for public transport, faster, cheaper and more reliable public transport, better and safer bike lanes, and car-free zones.
What projects of this kind are being considered for Townsville?
Canberra is now running on 100 per cent renewable energy and has plans to have zero net emissions by 2045.
This is the kind of leadership and building for our future that we deserve in Townsville. We’re just not getting it.
RANI MORRIS, Mount Louisa.