Dear Welcome to the Conservation Council's final Yellow Box Newsletter for 2019, our monthly update on the latest news, campaigns and events relating to the environment in the ACT. 2019 has been a busy year for the Conservation Council. We welcomed a new team of enthusiastic, experienced staff and two new Board members at last month's AGM - MaryClare Woodforde and Sarah Reid. Highlights of the year include Board President Rod Griffiths again circumnavigating the ACT's border and raising nearly $20,000 for the Council; our World Environment Day dinner in June was our most successful ever, thanks to our keynote speaker environmental activist and former Senator Bob Brown; and at our annual Spring Mingle event in November, we congratulated our three ACT Environment Award winners Lawrence McIntosh, Aoibhinn Crimmins and Solarshare, for their outstanding and inspiring dedication to protecting our environment. We have recently wrapped up a series of constructive policy workshops in anticipation of next year's ACT election; and our Environment Exchange forums fostered plenty of lively discussion throughout the year, on the future of gas, cat containment, the effectiveness of environmental offsets in the ACT and the challenge of horses in Kosciuszko National Park. In the lead up to the Federal Election, we hosted a well-atteneded Election Forum where six ACT candidates outlined their policies; and took the Environment Echanges to a new level of style with the Business of Single-Use Plastics Forum held at HighRoad in Dickson. On our website, there is now comprehesive information about cat containment in the ACT, and we have launched a fantastic information kit for cat owners and wildlife lovers to start conversations with neighbours about cat containment. Our project on the Heritage values of the Gungahlin Woodlands and Kama Nature Reserve in Molonglo is ongoing, and highlights two key areas where we have been advocating to Government for biodiveristy protection throughout the year. In addition, we have made numerous submissions to Government on sustainable energy, transport, the ACT budget, single-use plastics, protecting trees, and development in Molonglo. In November, the Conservation Council, Pedal Power ACT and Living Streets Canberra submitted a petition with over 400 signatures asking the ACT Government to upgrade active transport infrastructure. Last week, the Council launched our new 'Get off gas' petition calling on the Government to stop rolling out the gas network to new developments as an easy way to start reducing emissions from gas. 2019 saw the ACT Government release its much-consulted-upon Climate Strategy and Living Infrastructure Plan in September and in May was the first Australian state to declare a climate emergency. Thanks to continuing pressure from member groups and people such as yourselves, more than 60 companies have ruled out working with Adani at its Carmichael Coal Mine in Queensland's Galilee Basin, and in September, more than 15,000 Canberra took to the streets to protect the Federal Government's lack of action on climate change. While right now it seems like we have a long way to go to bring sensible and effective climate policy to Australia, there is no doubt that 2019 has seen the climate movement widen and the calls for action stregthen. All of us at the Conservation Council wish you the very best for the festive season and look forward to seeing you out campaigning to protect our beautiful planet in 2020. Helen Oakey Executive Director Conservation Council ACT Region |