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Climate Change

Policy Objective

-encourage more effective policies from all levels of government and to advocate for societal change within a framework of sustainability and low carbon lifestyles supported by renewable energy sources

Key Issue

-Since 2014 the City of Gold Coast Climate Strategy has lapsed and has not been replaced.

Actions:

• Gecko will actively engage with all levels government to strongly advocate for immediate, comprehensive and effective strategies to reduce carbon pollution and to ameliorate the impacts of climate change on ecosystems and human communities
• Gecko will canvas the views of candidates in elections as to how they will achieve these policy outcomes.

Candidate Question:

What will you do to introduce effective strategies and policies to reduce greenhouse gases

(carbon/methane) across the Gold Coast and address climate change?

Climate Change
What will you do to initiate implement immediate, comprehensive and effective strategies and policies to reduce carbon pollution across the Gold Coast and to address the risks of climate change on Gold Coast communities and ecosystems?

Open Media Protocol

Policy Objective

To ensure that citizens have access to information about the activities of Council, including through their elected representatives through all forms of media and direct communication.

Actions:

• Amendments to the Local Government Act which ensures collaborative financial decision making of all councillors and the mayor/ chairman.
• A provision in the Act to limit the ability to use rate payer funds such that it unduly benefits or disadvantages a particular Councillor or Division.
• All councillors to be enabled to make public statements regarding activities/ decisions within their Division and city wide matters as appropriate.

Candidate Question:

How you enable citizens have access to information about the activities of Council including ensuring Councillors to make public statements regarding activities/ decisions within their Division and city wide matters as appropriate?

How will you ensure that citizens have access to information about the activities of Council, through all forms of media and direct communication, including collaborative financial decision making by all councillors and the mayor?

Will you work to ensure that citizens have access to information about the activities of Council, through all forms of media and direct communication, including:

• amendments to the Local Government Act which ensures collaborative financial decision making of all councillors and the mayor/ chairman.
• a provision in the Act to limit the ability to use rate payer funds such that it unduly benefits or disadvantages a particular Councillor or Division.
• all councillors to be enabled to make public statements regarding activities/ decisions within their Division and city wide matters as appropriate.

Commercial and recreational activities in conservation areas

Policy Objective

To ensure lands zoned, acquired or dedicated for conservation purposes are managed for their primary purpose, and only appropriate, low impact activities occur on those lands. A much stronger management framework, linked to the Nature Conservation Strategy, that guarantees such activities contribute to the conservation purpose of the area are critical.

Actions:

Gecko seeks a strong framework for the management of commercial and recreational activities in

Candidate Question:

What kinds of commercial and recreational activities do you support in conservation reserves and how would you ensure that lands dedicated for conservation purposes are managed for their primary purpose, and only appropriate, low impact activities occur on those lands?

Working with the community conservation sector

Policy Objective

To provide for open dialogue and develop trusting working relationships between the Gold Coast conservation sector and Council, towards proactive and effective protection and management of the Gold Coast environment.

Actions:

Gecko asks that the Gold Coast City Council establish an effective mechanism for proactively engaging with the conservation sector on Council planning, development and environmental protection matters, such as an Environment Advisory Committee, involving representatives from Traditional Owners, environmental experts including academics from the City’s universities and conservation groups

Candidate Question:

How would you establish an effective mechanism for proactively engaging with the conservation sectors and other relevant sectors on matters involving Council planning, development and environmental protection, with the aim of proactive and effective protection and management of the Gold Coast environment?

(such as an Environment Advisory Committee, involving representatives from Traditional Owners, environmental experts including academics from the City’s universities and conservation groups)

Keeping Koalas Secure in the Gold Coast Landscape

Policy Objective

To reverse the decline of koalas and loss of koala habitat; and to establish a framework for retaining, managing and restoring koala habitat to ensure secure and viable populations of koalas on the Gold Coast.

Actions:

Gold Coast City Council must take planned and sustained action to secure existing and expand koala populations. Gecko seeks action with strong targets to secure, maintain and manage viable koala populations and habitat by:

• A public education strategy on the koala situation and the impacts of dogs, vehicles etc.
• Preparation, funding and implementation of a binding, overarching koala conservation plan for a whole of Gold Coast koala conservation approach by GCCC.
• Acquisition and protection of at least 50 hectares per annum of priority koala habitat using green levy funds contributed by ratepayers
• Identification, securing and revegetation of lands to restore connectivity and buffer existing habitat of at least 50 hectares per annum, through community grants and/or offset funds contributed by developers
• Ceasing all rezoning/ material change of use for intensive development purposes in koala habitat.*
• Where zoning provides for development, conditioning all development approvals in or adjacent to koala habitat to ensure koala corridors are retained, koala feed trees are established and impacts on koalas from the threats of dog attacks and vehicle strike are addressed (such as covenants on keeping/size of dogs, fencing standards and traffic calming devices to slow vehicles in koala zones)
• All authorised clearing of koala habitat is offset at a ratio of at least ten to one, with development not commenced until the offset is identified and established
• Illegal clearing of koala habitat is actively pursued with penalties imposed that require restoration of the area to ensure incentives for unauthorised clearing are removed
• Establishment of a genetically-sound koala breeding and reintroduction program, in collaboration with the Queensland Government (through, for example, the David Fleay Wildlife Park) to repopulate identified target areas
• Implementation of major habitat recovery program where connectivity is relatively intact, such as a Burleigh Heads to the Hinterland corridor reconnection program that includes

voluntary protection programs for landholders, a wildlife ‘bridge’ or ‘underpass’ to traverse the M1 and revegetation of identified cleared areas.

Candidate Question:

What will you do to ensure that koalas and koala habitat is retained, managed and restored to secure viable populations of koalas on the Gold Coast?

Sustainable Gold Coast – a liveable city for the future

Policy Objective

To embrace and pursue sustainability, towards a prosperous, resilient and liveable future for the Gold Coast.

Actions:

Gecko asks that the Gold Coast City Council:

• Re-establish the Sustainable City Future Committee, to be chaired by a Councillor and with membership comprising Gold Coast academics and representatives of conservation and community groups;
• Progress the development of a Sustainable City Plan, to inform council policies, investments and planning decisions; and
• Establish actions and targets that drive jobs and sustainability including:
  • the lowest per capita carbon footprint of any city in Australia,
  • development and implementation of a community resilience climate adaptation plan to respond to the impacts of climate change on our city,
  • development and implementation of green transport, green buildings and zero waste plans by 2017,
  • requiring all medium to large developments to be carbon neutral in their building and operation,
  • ensuring new residential sub-divisions provide for increased walking, cycling and traffic
  • reducing solid waste going to landfill by 50% by 2020,
  • identifying and supporting opportunities for community-scale renewable energy systems,
  • through the green levy and other initiatives, providing all Gold Coast residents with access to open space or natural areas within 5 minutes of their home;
  • maintaining viable wildlife corridors for the security of native species and restoring connectivity of habitat through planting 250,000 trees by 2020.

Candidate Question:

What actions will you take to ensure the Gold Coast is an internationally recognised sustainable city that has the lowest per capita carbon footprint in Australia, a community resilience climate adaptation plan and established green transport, buildings and zero waste policies implemented within your term of council?

If elected, will you seek to:

• Re-establish the Sustainable City Future Committee?
• Progress the development of a Sustainable City Plan, to inform council policies, investments and planning decisions?
• Establish actions and targets that drive jobs and sustainability including, but not limited to:
  • the lowest per capita carbon footprint of any city in Australia,
  • development and implementation of a community resilience climate adaptation plan to respond to the impacts of climate change on our city,
  • development and implementation of green transport, green buildings and zero waste plans by 2017,
  • requiring all medium to large developments to be carbon neutral in their building and operation,
  • ensuring new residential sub-divisions provide for increased walking, cycling and transit services, and reduce the need for car use,
  • reducing solid waste going to landfill by 50% by 2020,
  • identifying and supporting opportunities for community-scale renewable energy systems,
  • through the green levy and other initiatives, providing all Gold Coast residents with access to open space or natural areas within 5 minutes of their home;
  • maintaining viable wildlife corridors for the security of native species and restoring connectivity of habitat through planting 250,000 trees by 2020.

Preservation of public open space from sale/lease to private development

Policy Objective

To preserve and protect public open space, whether for conservation or recreational purposes, in perpetuity for the benefit of the citizens of the Gold Coast.

Actions:

Gecko has held a principled stance on the preservation of public open space for public benefit since its foundation in 1989. Public open space is essential to the well-being of Gold Coast residents and must be preserved in perpetuity.

Gecko will strongly object to all attempts by private developers and elected representative at all levels of government to sell, lease or gift public open space for the private profit or benefit of the developer or commercial enterprise.

Gecko will advocate to all decision makers about the importance of retaining and preserving public open space for the public.

Gecko will continue to educate the public about the importance of retaining and preserving public open space for the public.

Candidate Question:

Will you seek to preserve and protect public open space, whether for conservation or recreational purposes, in perpetuity for the benefit of the citizens of the Gold Coast and not allow it to be developed for commercial purposes?

Open Space Preservation Levy- Land Acquisition Program

Policy Objective

To ensure that funding from the OPSL is used to purchase land of high conservation values in order to achieve the targets set out in the Nature Conservation Strategy and is not solely diverted to management of the existing estate.

Actions:

Gecko will continue to advocate for the purchase of land of high conservation value to ensure the objectives of the NCS are attained.

Gecko will determine whether candidates for the Council elections in 2016 are committed to upholding the purpose of the OPSL for the purchase of land of high conservation value.

Gecko will publish the names of all Council election candidates and their position on the use of the OPSL.

Candidate Question:

Will you ensure that the funds raised under the Open Space Preservation Levy be used for its original purpose for the purchase of land of high conservation value to ensure the objectives of the Nature Conservation Strategy are attained?

If elected, will you committed to upholding the purpose of the Open Space Preservation Levy for the purchase of land of high conservation value to ensure the objectives of the Nature Conservation Strategy are attained?

Population and infrastructure

Policy Objective

To highlight the impact of the forecast population growth for the City on physical and social Infrastructure

Actions:

While the draft City Plan 2015 forecasts a population growth of about 320,000 over the next 20 years, it does not demonstrate that sufficient social or physical infrastructure will be provided to cope with the extra population. Without sufficient additional infrastructure, the city’s quality of life will be diminished.

State government and council budgets have limited capacity to fund new infrastructure. Consequently, developers must make a significantly greater contribution to physical and social infrastructure. While it’s commonly believed that infrastructure charges increase housing prices, in growing areas like Gold Coast these prices are largely set by the capacity of buyers to pay rather than by developers’ costs. The Commonwealth government’s Henry Tax Review noted that: ‘Where land supply is constrained, well-designed infrastructure charges are more likely to be factored in to the price that developers pay for raw land, than to increase the price of housing in the development where the charge is levied.’

Unless new development makes a much greater contribution to the cost of providing infrastructure, the potential benefits of a larger population will be outweighed by reduced amenity and overall quality of life for residents.

Candidate Question:

The population of the Gold Coast is forecast to increase by over 300,000 by 2030 what will you do to protect our quality of life which is under threat from this massive population growth?

Will you ensure that developers make a significantly greater contribution to physical and social infrastructure, so that the cost of this burden does not fall upon ratepayers?

Transport

Policy Objective

That the Transport plan is adopted with adequate funding and development conditions that will reduce motor vehicle dependence, reduce congestion and increase public transport patronage.

Actions:

The Transport Plan of the Gold Coast City Council identifies suitable transport infrastructure as a key condition of development plan approvals. However development is being approved without regard for the Transport Plan resulting in increased traffic density. There is no requirement to ensure that developments are approved with conditions to reduce motor vehicle use and facilitate public transport provision.

1. Having Identified the key bottlenecks and affected areas develop and implement an integrated response by State and Local government , incorporating light rail, heavy, bus links, highway access, cycleways,

2. This planning to be integrated with other policies promoting work from home, local working hubs, improved consolidation of facilities to promote walking neighbourhoods.

Candidate Question:

How will you reduce motor vehicle dependence and increase public transport patronage and ensure that developments are only approved with conditions and adequate funding to address congestion?

Transparency:

Will you release the names of the donors to your election campaign prior to the election date? If not, why not?

Do you support the building of a cruise terminal on the Gold Coast

Do you support the construction on a cableway that would impact on Springbrook National Park?