On Thursday 25th October the state government released without fanfare its Climate Change Strategy, entitled Adapting to our Changing Climate, which outlines the key climate change challenges the state will face and the strategic approach it will need to take to address them.
It states in its foreword that the “design, implementation and timing of the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, and support for new low emission technology, are primarily matters for the Australian Government and the Federal Parliament” and is also prefaced with statements about future prosperity and preventing competitive disadvantage for the state’s export industries.
The Western Australian Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Strategy was announced in 2007 and was the major work program for the then Office of Climate Change for over 18 months. It was an election commitment of the current state government to “work with industry, scientists, local government and conservation groups to develop a climate change adaptation strategy covering each major sector of Western Australian industry as well as urban planning agencies and state water and energy utilities”. The strategy was to assess the likely impacts and risks of climate to various sectors of the economy and communities and make recommendations of mitigation and adaptation actions.
Robin Chapple MLC, Greens WA spokesperson for climate change had this to say about the strategy:
“This so-called strategy is a perfect example of the state’s position on climate change. We are only now seeing the outcome of this process, having taken over four years to complete, with input, at considerable cost from two different consultancies and from the Climate Change Unit, and it’s a nine page document without a budget or strategic plan of any kind.
“What was a well-resourced climate change unit of 12 people has been allocated barely any new funding over the past four years and has been whittled down from an office of more than 12 staff, to a ‘unit’ of less than five. The Indian Ocean Climate Initiative has been allocated no forward funding. There is no allocation for climate change action from this state government at all. This is not a strategy, and it’s not the document this state was promised. It’s a joke”, said Chapple.
For more information please contact Robin Chapple on 0409 379 263 or 9486 8255
