After spending two years helping to develop the Darebin Climate Emergency Plan 2024-2030, DCAN is alarmed to see key actions of the plan left out of the Our Darebin Plan 2025-2029 which is now closed for public consultation.
Where are the community education programs, or the targeted support for household electrification and energy efficiency measures for low income households and renters?
Any delays in these programs means leaving more Darebin households on gas leaving low income families to deal with expensive and energy inefficient homes. It also means slower progress towards Darebin's goal of zero emissions.
If you want to see Council take stronger action on climate please contact your ward Councillor. Contact details and a handy ward map can be found here. Please also consider signing this petition created by a concerned Darebin resident.
Tips for comments to raise in your phone calls/emails to Councillors:
- Concern that action on the climate emergency no longer appears to be a top priority for Council.
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Ask why community climate education programs, targeted support for household electrification and energy efficiency measures for low income households and renters have been left out of the Our Darebin four year plan.
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Ask why there is no transparent, separate budget allocation for the Climate Emergency Plan in the financial documents.
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Ask what's happened to the promised concierge program which was allocated $50,000 in last year's budget to help support Darebin households to electrify.
- Ask when will each Council program area demonstrate that it has taken climate risk into account and has appropriate plans in place.
Read DCAN's full submission here.
Background information:
The Climate Emergency Plan 2024-2030 includes the following actions which are important in helping householders electrify and reduce carbon emissions in Darebin, but none of them appear in the four year plan:
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Create a program that provides tailored support and a financing mechanism to support electrification and renewable energy for both households and transport, with a target of engaging 1000 Darebin households per year.
- By 2025 develop and begin delivery of an education campaign supporting Darebin households and businesses to electrify, improve efficiency and access affordable 100% renewable energy
- By 2025 develop and deliver an education campaign supporting Darebin households and businesses to reduce consumption, increase reuse and repair and support a circular economy
- Deliver community education and capacity-building campaigns on energy literacy and efficiency, food resilience and water saving, that reach at least 5,000 residents annually, prioritising people in Darebin who are most vulnerable to heat stress, food inequity and energy inequity
- Increase climate resilience and energy equity in Darebin through a program to support low-income households and renters to increase energy efficiency and climate resilience, reaching 150 homes per year via direct interventions and engaging with a further 1000 households by 2027.
- There are other points DCAN has raised in our submission on sustainable transport and community education on waste management that you may also want to have a look at here.
Article updated 19 June 2025
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