Maroondah Council recently passed its Budget for the 2008 and 2009 financial year with a total of $860,000 allocated to reducing greenhouse emissions. While this provides a foundation for further action in regard to greenhouse emissions council must not rest on its laurels.

The Maroondah Journal has reported on Maroondah Council’s ongoing reluctance to meet its greenhouse reduction targets:

Cr Alex Makin asked the council to adopt a quarterly report in order to provide an update on its target of reducing carbon emissions by 20% by 2010.

Quarterly reporting will provide accountability transparency so that progress towards the greenhouse reduction targets can be monitored and allow for action to be taken before it is too late.

“The target has been set for quite a number of years and yet it seems there has been very little done to achieve it.”

Council committed itself to the 2010 target back in the year 2000. Maroondah Council and its Councillors have had eight years to meet its obligations and yet very little seems to have been achieved. The $850,000 announced in the council budget along with quarterly reporting will help correct this negligence.

Three of Maroondah’s current councillors were part of council in the year 2000. While Maureen Naylor has been a supporter in reducing greenhouse emissions, Councillors Les Wilmott and Peter Gurr must explain why so little progress has been made in achieving this target.

Furthermore all of Council must realise that the 20% target should be seen as merely an interim step towards further greenhouse emissions. Inaction must no longer be tolerated.