Rataj Abdullah was in high school when she led a successful student campaign in 2022 to have a climate emergency declared by the Coffs Harbour council.
Students from across the Coffs Coast joined the movement, protesting at council chambers and going on strike.
Four years after it was made, that declaration was rescinded during a whirlwind council meeting last week, alongside changes to City of Coffs Harbour’s emissions reduction targets.
Student’s disappointment: Abdullah called the decision "willful ignorance”, questioning how the council will “create any meaningful action on climate change if even a basic declaration or target is being removed”.
“We saw the bushfires, we saw the floods, we saw the hailstorm that happened a few years ago in Toormina. There's been so many events that have disrupted our experience as young people, and it's only going to get worse and worse in the future,” Abdullah told the Mid North Coaster.
Brian Mahony, 79, who campaigned alongside the students in 2022, said it is “disappointing our councillors deny the science and dismiss the students and community who ask them to protect their future”.
What happened: The council’s draft Renewable Energy and Emissions Reduction Plan (REERP) went before council last Thursday.
The plan outlined proposed actions the council could take - such as installing solar and batteries, or swapping out fleet vehicles for electric versions - to reduce the amount of emissions it produces.
Rather than adopt the plan - as recommended by council staff - four of the seven councillors present instead voted to rescind the climate emergency declaration.
What else: Councillors also voted to bring the council's net zero target in line with the state government’s, delaying it by ten years to 2050.
Additionally, “Scope 3” emissions, such as emissions generated by council contractors or suppliers, will no longer be factored into council’s emissions reduction efforts.
Why it happened: Mayor Nikki Williams said the decisions were based on a wish to save ratepayers money, framing the debate around the current cost-of-living crisis.
In particular, she took issue with the proposed purchase of carbon credits to meet the council’s target to achieve net zero by 2040.
The number: If it completes every action to reduce its emissions outlined in the REERP, it is estimated the council will still be producing 43,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent by 2040.
To offset this, and meet its proposed net zero target, council could purchase carbon credits.
The REERP estimates this would cost about $2.5 million in 2040 and a similar amount each year following.
No costs today: However, under this proposed plan, there would be no cost to ratepayers until 2040.
“Whatever the year is that they tell their community they want to be carbon neutral, is the year that they need to start [purchasing carbon credits],” said Cece Hyslop from Ironbark Sustainability, who authored the report.
Do we need targets?: The actions within the REERP would require an investment of $11 million, but are forecast to save the council approximately $30 million through reduced energy, fuel and maintenance costs.
Mayor Williams said she supports reducing emissions, but doesn’t think actions should be guided by “ideological statements”.
“Having a climate emergency declaration forces us into having to do things before they're ready, before we've got the technology, which then costs the community money down the track,” Williams told the Mid North Coaster.
Adaptation needed: The mayor agreed the Coffs Coast is experiencing the impacts of climate change, but argued money could be better spent building the region’s resilience to it.
“All of our funds should be going to adaptation, not to carbon credits, because that's not going to change our climate change in our region,” she said.
Push back: One of those who voted against the mayor’s motion, Tony Judge, claims Williams has misrepresented council’s proposed use of carbon credits to the community.
“Carbon credits are optional. Carbon credits are there for if we don't actually hit our targets. Instead, we could actually just accelerate our action on getting to net zero,” he told the Mid North Coaster.
He believes rescinding the climate emergency declaration “takes the pressure off” the council to meet its goals.
“The declaration actually sets a focus for council to work as hard as we can to minimise our carbon emissions. It sort of underpins everything council does, and informs every acquisition of an asset or new programs.”
Late notice: Those who voted against the motion claim they were given half an hour’s notice of its existence ahead of the meeting.
Due to the late inclusion, former deputy mayor Sally Townley - who served on council for 12 years - believes the general public has been “deprived of the opportunity to have a say”.
“It would seem that the public has generally endorsed Council's actions to switch where possible to low carbon activities. Nobody is mounting a 'carbon increase' campaign,” she said.
What’s next: Approval of the REERP has been deferred.
A revised plan will be written, following further community engagement, outlining ways to reduce emissions through “normal asset renewal, operational efficiencies and sound economic and environmental decision-making”.
Councillors opposing Thursday’s decision have stated they intend to raise the issue again in council, so concerned community members have an opportunity to have their voices heard.
Image credit: Brian Mahony.