Cooper returns strong climate advocate

DCAN congratulates local MP Ged Kearney for retaining her seat of Cooper. We look forward to her continuing advocacy for strong climate action within the Labor caucus, and to our ongoing constructive relationship.

In view of the strong showing for the Greens candidate, Tara Burnett, especially in the southern part of the electorate, we expect to see Labor working proactively with the Greens and cross bench in the Senate to enact strong laws to address the climate emergency.

Time is running out and we need the returned Labor government to act quickly to reduce emissions, including banning new gas and coal projects. We would love to have your help! Email us at [email protected]

Thank you!

We would like to extend a very big thank you to all the DCAN volunteers who were out in force at railway stations and pre-polling booths handing out the DCAN voting guide to Cooper residents, urging them to put climate first on their ballot paper. The guide was also widely distributed via social media and by volunteers on election day.

Our volunteers reported great conversations with voters and much appreciation for the advice contained in the voting guide. The Senate guide proved to be a hot favourite, helping people to maximise their vote and preferences. Many thanks to Jane Morton for preparing the guide.

Many thanks also to our supporters who helped organise the highly successful Candidates Forum, distributed and put up fence signs and helped spread the climate message in other electorates such as Wills and MacNamara. 

Courage needed to grasp election opportunity

Some excellent articles have been published since the election outlining the key climate policies the federal government will need to address in the coming months. Anna Skarbek in the Conversation and Adam Morton in the Guardian describe these policies and emphasise the once in a lifetime opportunity Labor now has to act boldly.

Richard Dennis from the Australia Institute has also called on Australians to urge the Albanese Government to seize this nation shaping opportunity. ​"As a nation", he says "we simply cannot afford to waste this golden opportunity by tinkering around the edges of problems. This is our once-in-a-generation opportunity for a progressive government with an unprecedented super-majority to enact the bold, brave, and necessary change Australia needs.......democracy thrives on high expectations and together, we can help the next Parliament be courageous and ambitious for Australia".

Time to roll up our sleeves folks (again) and make sure that Labor rises to the challenge. Join us!

What does the election result mean for DCAN?

At our monthly meeting in early May, there was a lively discussion about the implications of the election result for our work.

While Labor’s strong majority means that the transition to renewable energy will continue, there are many areas where we will still need to work for faster progress. Here are a few of the ideas for campaigning which we came up with:

• Removing the social licence of the big polluters (Santos, Woodside, etc) and their funders
• Encouraging the transition away from fossil fuel exports to the export of green energy and green technologies
• Continuing opposition to the opening of new coal and gas mines
• Reducing/removing fossil fuel subsidies
• Pushing for reform of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act, including a climate trigger
• Promoting changes in farming practices, including land regeneration
• Community education, e.g. there is no gas shortage
• Electoral reform, including revising the recent amendment to political donation laws which disadvantage independent MPs
• Promoting climate change education at all levels, with attention to helping people cope with climate distress

Please share your ideas and observations with us, either by email to [email protected] or by coming along to our next meeting on June 12th (see below for details).

Darebin Council

DCAN would like to pass on our condolences to family and friends on the sad loss of Gaetano Greco. Gaetano was an extraordinarily long-serving Darebin City Councillor, from 2008 to 2025. He was a passionate advocate for the Preston Market and strongly committed to social justice and representing the diverse communities in Darebin. He will be missed.

New CEO appointed to Darebin

We would like to welcome the new CEO of Darebin City Council Anne Howard. Anne has worked at the Colac Otway Shire (as CEO since 2021), as well as the Surf Coast and Campaspe Shire Councils. Anne will commence her role in July 2025. We look forward to meeting Ms Howard and discussing the implementation of the Climate Emergency Plan.

Help DCAN Grow on Social Media!

Exciting news! DCAN is now on Instagram and Bluesky, and we’d love you to join us there. By following and engaging with our posts, you help spread the word about climate action in our community.

Instagram – See inspiring photos, event updates, and climate tips. darebin_climate_action

Bluesky – Join the conversation on policies, actions, and solutions. @darebincan.bsky.social

Every like, comment, and share helps amplify our impact. Follow us today and be part of the movement for a greener future! Please email us if you would like to join the DCAN social media team.

Want to know more about DCAN?

Why not come along to one of our monthly meetings? We usually meet on the second Thursday of each month at 7.00pm at the Bridge Thornbury. Please drop us an email at [email protected] to let us know if you are coming so that we can make sure to welcome you and give you an agenda ahead of the meeting.

Our next meeting will be at 7:00 pm on June 12th at the Bridge, 131 Shaftesbury Parade, Thornbury.