Council’s commitments
Climate Emergency and Policy
In August 2019 Lismore City Council publicly declared a State of Climate Emergency. The public declaration acknowledged the “threats to humanity, civilisation, other species, and the life-supporting capacity of air, water, soil and ecosystems”.
In 2020, Council then adopted a Climate Resilience Policy. The Climate Resilience Policy guides how Council can support the community in preparing for and withstanding the impacts of extreme events in a changing climate and enables the community to thrive in a climate changed world. It also recognises that reducing greenhouse gas emissions is important to limiting further climate change.
The policy includes embedding climate change adaptation and resilience as a core component of Council’s strategic planning, processes and operations.
Climate Adaptation Planning
In accordance with the Climate Resilience Policy, Council are in the early stages of scoping and preparing a Plan that focuses on how we as a community can adapt to our changing climate. This will be titled the Climate Ready Lismore Plan. The aim of this work is to facilitate collaborative actions to reduce risks so that we can continue to live, survive and thrive in Lismore.
To help us scope out such a Strategy, Lismore City Council carried out consultation with local stakeholders towards the end of 2023. The Climate Ready Lismore Plan: Stakeholder Report(PDF, 1MB) summarises what we heard from stakeholders.
With the recent climate events including the 2022 flooding natural disaster, and drought and bushfire prior to that, the Lismore community has lived experience of what could be happening more regularly in future.
Council wants to learn from your experience, expertise and ideas to assist in the development of the Climate Ready Lismore Plan. To enable this, Council is hosting a series of community conversations whereby you can share your needs, concerns and aspirations around climate change, find out how to join the conversations here.
Lismore City Council acknowledges that the community will have ideas on how to best resource ourselves to adapt to these and other expected changes and will be looking to the community for expertise and suggestions in due course. Watch this space.
Resilient Local Communities
Lismore City Council is committed Council to prioritising a place-based approach to developing climate change resilience frameworks.
So far, Council have worked with the communities at Nimbin and The Channon to develop such frameworks.
If you would like to be involved in developing a Resilience Plan for your community, contact Council’s Strategic Planning team at council@lismore.nsw.gov.au.
Council’s Own Energy Consumption
Lismore City Council acknowledges we are a key business and employer in the LGA. Our own footprint is as critical as any others.
In 2014, Council adopted a Renewable Energy Master Plan. The Plan sets a target for Council to generate 100% of its electricity needs from renewable energy sources by 2023. A monitoring report that outlines the progress that has been made towards this target will be published soon.
The Community Energy Efficiency Program (CEEP) has helped Lismore City Council to improve the energy efficiency of several community facilities, Council buildings and streetlighting.
Other Projects Relating to Climate Change
Wide-ranging solutions contribute to reducing the severity of climate change, and respond to the impacts of the changing climate.