Community Action - Cool Changes
Cool Changes is our program that works with local communities across the shire to facilitate the development of local climate action plans. The program enacts a council commitment in its Climate Change Action Plan, adopted in June 2017.
Cool Changes is based on the principle of community-led planning, whereby members of a local community determine the content of the action plan, and are therefore more likely to take ownership of the plan and ensure implementation of its actions. Our role as a facilitator is to provide a forum where the development of the plan can be guided by independent consultants working with the community.
Macedon and Mount Macedon
Throughout November and December, 2022, the Macedon and Mt Macedon community came together to create a place-based Community Climate Action Plan(PDF, 9MB). The 'Plan' shows great variety in ways we can perform local climate action and outlines a range of tangible actions based around sustainability themes identified as priority areas of action for the area. These themes include:
- Energy
- Community
- Food
- Environment
- Waste
- Extreme weather
This is a community led plan that rely on community to implement. To get involved, see the “How to get involved” section of the plan.
We were proud to partner with Macedon & Mt Macedon Community House in design and delivery for the Cool Changes program.
Kyneton
Throughout October 2022, Council ran the Cool Changes program in Kyneton. Over three facilitated workshops, community members created a Community Climate Action Plan(PDF, 9MB).
The Plan explores various sustainability themes and outlines community goals for:
- Natural environment
- Transport
- Food security
- Built environment
- Waste
- Energy
A draft version of the plan was promoted to the Kyneton community in late 2022, receiving positive feedback and support for its proposed actions.
This is a community led plan that rely on community to implement. To get involved, see the “How to get involved” section of the plan.
We were proud to partner with Kyneton Community House in design and delivery for the Cool Changes program.
Gisborne
Throughout May and June of 2022, Council continued the roll out of the Cool Changes program with the Gisborne community. The community worked collaboratively over three facilitated workshops to develop a Community Climate Action Plan(PDF, 11MB) that creates a shared vision for future climate action within the Gisborne township.
The community identified three key goals for climate action:
- A connected and environmentally minded community that is climate emergency ready.
- Influence Council to lead by example in assisting environmental change and provide a legacy of climate sensible streetscape.
- To have Gisborne homes, businesses and public buildings be fully powered by renewable energy, with ambitions for Gisborne to have net zero emissions on electricity usage by 2030.
Action identified to achieve these goals varied from community education campaigns to increasing the number of household solar throughout the town.
Since this plan, eager community members have formed the community group ‘GREG’ (Gisborne Renewable Energy Group) under the umbrella of the Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group.
This is a community led plan that rely on community to implement. To get involved, see the “How to get involved” section of the plan.
Riddells Creek
During March and April of 2022, Council partnered with Riddells Creek Neighbourhood House in the design and delivery of Cool Changes: Riddells Creek. This partnership will add a unique element to the project with the addition of exploring community resilience as well as climate change and sustainability.
The community worked collaboratively over three facilitated workshops to develop a Community Climate Action Plan(PDF, 9MB) that creates a shared vision for future climate action within the Riddells Creek township.
The community identified that a foundational value of the plan was to be a ‘connected community’ with an overarching goals of ‘reducing emissions’.
Actions within the plan vary from community owned solar farms supplying clean, renewable energy to local businesses to a Walking School Bus which will reduce the number of cars dropping students to the primary school.
This is a community led plan that relies on community to implement. To get involved, see the “How to get involved” section of the plan.
Romsey and Lancefield
From March to August 2021, Council staff and consultants worked with the community to develop a guide showcasing local action for environmental sustainability in Romsey and Lancefield, and providing a foundation for future action to address climate change at the local level.
The plan explores several themes in the local context:
- Caring for Country
- Renewable energy
- Sustainable transport
- Better homes and buildings
- Food, health and wellbeing
- Waste minimisation, recycling and the circular economy.
A final version of the plan is now available:
Woodend
Cool Changes 3442 commenced with a community forum on 2 March 2020. The project was then re-designed to be delivered online, with the first workshop held on 25 May 2020. The project was led by consultants HipVHype, and supported by an online project hub.
Discussions held via online workshops, the project hub, and phone calls and emails allowed goals and actions for addressing climate change within the region to be gathered and assessed. A draft plan was then promoted to the wider community to gain feedback in late 2020. In all, around 70 residents participated in the development of the plan throughout the challenging year 2020.
The resulting Cool Changes Woodend Region Climate Change Action Plan(DOCX, 10MB) / Cool Changes Woodend Region Climate Change Action Plan(PDF, 5MB) contains over 25 actions for addressing climate change, all supported by the two key principles of “People on Board” for “Zero Net Emissions”.
The plan will continue to evolve over time as different sectors of the community can become more involved in local action for sustainability.
Additional support from Sustainability Victoria’s Zero Carbon Communities Transition program will enable the online approach to project planning to be a model for other communities to use in the future.
Malmsbury
From October 2018 to February 2019 the Malmsbury community were invited to share their ideas about climate change and environmental sustainability.
Through a series of community events and workshops, the Sustainable Malmsbury Action Plan(PDF, 9MB) was created by and for the Malmsbury community. It outlines their three goals for sustainability along with a set of personal and community actions that can help bring these goals to life.
The three goals are:
- Zero Net Emissions
- Resource wise
- Grow a sustainable, resilient and connected community
Sustainable Malmsbury is a living initiative that will continue to evolve. It provided the foundation for the Sustainable Malmsbury Action Group to form under the umbrella of the Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group, and a springboard for various community activities, some supported by grants.
Sustainable Malmsbury was a pilot project in Council’s wider program for facilitating the development of local climate change action plans, now titled Cool Changes. Cool Changes will be conducted in locations across the shire over the next few years.
Cool-ER Changes
We know that everyone, regardless of circumstances, will be impacted by climate change, and that residents of the Macedon Ranges are calling for more urgent action across all industries, governments and community. The Cool-ER Changes project created Council’s inaugural shire-wide Climate Emergency Plan, and outlines the key strategic approach to enacting our Declaration of a Climate Emergency.
This project extends on the Cool Changes program.