Two Local Government Regional Climate Alliances (RCAs) will each receive an additional $50,000 from the WA State Government for carbon emission reduction projects and to strengthen resilience across their communities.
The South Coast Alliance (SCA) has been awarded $50,000 to deliver Your Business, Our Future, a pilot project that will support the business community in monitoring and reducing emissions and build awareness of emission sources in operations.
The project will complement the extensive work the SCA are currently undertaking, including developing a climate dashboard that tracks and monitors community emissions across the region.
The Goldfields Regional Organisation of Councils (GVROC) was awarded $50,000 to deliver the Goldfields-Esperance Regional Climate Risk Assessment and Adaptation Plan to develop and prioritise actions allowing the Alliance to collaborate, consolidate and broaden engagement and understanding of the climate threats and adaptive activities for key stakeholders across the region.
The regional scale adaptation plan will be a first of its kind in Western Australia. It aims to build a shared understanding and create a strategic plan to prioritise adaptation and resilience initiatives for the Goldfields-Esperance region.
The Regional Climate Alliance Pilot Program provides vital expertise and funding to support regional Local Governments in advancing climate action aspirations in the face of increasing budgetary constraints and skill shortages.
WALGA President Karen Chappel said the Local Government sector was leading the way on climate action, with 50 members, representing 82 per cent of WA’s population, signing WALGA’s climate change declaration.
“The RCA Program demonstrates how State and Local Government partnerships can deliver significant action on government priorities and drive positive outcomes across remote and regional communities,” she said.
“WALGA will continue to advocate, on behalf of the sector, for an expansion of the RCA program that leverages collaborative approaches to shared and common climate impacts across the state.”
The Regional Climate Alliance Pilot Program is an initiative under the Western Australian Climate Policy, delivered by WALGA in partnership with the Department of Water and Environment Regulation and the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.
The aim of the Program is to support Local Governments to take action on climate change through mitigation and adaptation projects, as well as encourage capacity and knowledge building through regional partnerships.Both Alliances were selected as part of a $500,000, two-year pilot program and each also received $50,000 last July under Round One of the project funding.
More information can be found at:https://walga.asn.au/policy-advocacy/our-policy-areas/environment/climate-change/regional-climate-alliance-program#Regional%20Climate%20Alliance%20Program
GVROC: An alliance consisting of the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Shires of Coolgardie, Dundas, Esperance, Laverton, Leonora, Menzies, Ngaanyatjarraku and Wiluna.
SCA: An alliance made up of the City of Albany and Shires of Denmark, Jerramungup and Plantagenet.
For an interview with WALGA President Karen Chappel please contact:
Graham Mason, WALGA Media and Communications Manager
0448 896 435 or gmason@walga.asn.au