Plan to cut carbon

By Tania Martin
THE Shire of Yarra Ranges plans to plant 60,000 trees in its bid to become carbon neutral over the next 12 months.
The council has laid down a challenge to Victorian and State Governments to pay more attention to the issue of climate change.
It has agreed it can’t wait any longer for government bodies to take steps to address the problems of climate change and has instead taken up a challenge of its own.
Shire chief executive officer Rob Hauser said the council can achieve a carbon neutral status within 12 months.
Mr Hauser said the council currently uses 28,500 tonnes a year of carbon and hopes to reduce that by 30 per cent.
He said the council is now laying down plans to adopt the Kyoto Protocol targets and implement changes to reduce its greenhouse gas and carbon emissions.
The Kyoto Protocol is an agreement made under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
It has been adopted by more than 160 countries and is a commitment by those countries to reduce their carbon and greenhouse gas emissions.
Australia and the United States are the only western countries, which have refused to sign the treaty.
The plan to become carbon neutral will cost the council $790,000 in the first year and will equate to a 1.3 per cent rate increase, which is $13 per property per year.
Mr Hauser said people need to understand and be made aware that climate change is now becoming a major issue.
The council now plans to develop an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions in its operations and make a plan to reduce them.
And it will commence a program to convert its vehicle fleet to cold fuel technology.
And to offset the carbon produced in generating the energy used, the shire plans to plant 60,000 trees in the shire.
It will also give residents and businesses facts sheets on how they can also help reduce greenhouse gas and carbon emissions.
Over the next 12 months the council will work to not only reduce its emission but call on others to join the fight to combat climate change.