Update on the 2020 to 2024 council coming soon.
Update coming soon...
Back in 2020 I ran for a seat on the Darebin Council in the 2020 Local Government Elections, in my new single member local ward, the South West ward.
I was focused on getting Darebin to "lead the world again" and adopt a full climate emergency mobilisation response as is warranted the by the current climate emergency that threatens our survival and the lives of our children.
Darebin squandered its chance to lead the world into full emergency mobilisation under this council. We have lost three years we can never get back. Let us not waste the next four.
Find out more about undertaking a full climate emergency mobilisation response by council:
I was focused on getting Darebin to "lead the world again" and adopt a full climate emergency mobilisation response as is warranted the by the current climate emergency that threatens our survival and the lives of our children.
Darebin squandered its chance to lead the world into full emergency mobilisation under this council. We have lost three years we can never get back. Let us not waste the next four.
- Vote 1 for myself in the South West Ward
- Vote 1 Bryony Edwards in the North East Ward
- Vote 1 Philip Sutton in the South East Ward
Find out more about undertaking a full climate emergency mobilisation response by council:
- Adrian's Plan for a Global Warming Emergency Mobilisation by Darebin
- Why Darebin could have led the world into emergency mode.
- Darebin implements an Emergency Response but not for Global Warming
Community involvement
- ran gardens and grounds at Bell Primary with Nada for three years.
- served on school council
- active dad with Preston Bullants Junior football team
- local cub / scout leader
- campaigns tirelessly on reversing global warming
On other issues Adrian supports:
- Improving practices for supporting business
- Freezing rate rises during the COVID crisis
- Opening up Northcote Golf Course to the Public
- allow immediate dual use with both golfing and general public access at different times
- encourage golf as a COVID "Safe" sport
- undertake a public review of the use of this site within the next 12 months prior to the 2022 end of lease.
- If the review finds Golf is not a prefered or desirable option for the site, offer the lower greens to CERES Joe's farm or other interested urban farmers to expand their urban agriculture
- Compensate current Golf Club members if Golf is removed from the site.
- protect the site from inevitable push by developers to sell off parts
- More "wild" spaces for kids to play in, climb, make cubbies and just be kids
- More community gardens and community orchards in our open spaces
- Improve our paths and bridges
- Preserving the Kendall to Harding street footbridge but dealing with the conjestion issues by building a second bridge which would extend the existing path on the Eastern side directly North
- a pedestrian Bridge on Merri Creek under Morland road connecting the East and West paths
- Fixing the dozens of dangerous lifted pavements on our footpaths.
- Fix overflowing public bins
- Stopping roundup and other herbicide use in our public spaces. I stopped this when I ran Gardens and Ground parent group at Bell primary and sat on school council. Apparently this has been triail over the last four years but not fully implemented. The solutions have been available for years implement them now.
- Best practice ESD for new developments - no use of car parking lifts it just pushes extra cars onto the street. Have undercover bike parking instead.
- Banning pokies... every where.
Possible locations for urban agriculture sites if a review finds that Golf is not the best use for the site.
Let's get the basics right
We after week, before COVID and during COVID, this was the sort of image you would see in our local bins. I'm constantly picking up rubbish from my local park and putting it in our own bin.
What is wrong with this council?
Do not the rubbish collectors have a system of reporting when bins are constantly full and overflowing. Can the council not organise an extra weekly pick up? Three current Councillors live within a few hundred meters of this park.
Whether it is bins, lifted pavements, or newly planted trees left to die in heat waves, I will work tirelessly to help get Darebin Council to get the basics right or find a new CEO who can.
We after week, before COVID and during COVID, this was the sort of image you would see in our local bins. I'm constantly picking up rubbish from my local park and putting it in our own bin.
What is wrong with this council?
Do not the rubbish collectors have a system of reporting when bins are constantly full and overflowing. Can the council not organise an extra weekly pick up? Three current Councillors live within a few hundred meters of this park.
Whether it is bins, lifted pavements, or newly planted trees left to die in heat waves, I will work tirelessly to help get Darebin Council to get the basics right or find a new CEO who can.
Contact Adrian if you wish to support his campaign. 0403 735 118
Big thanks to all those supporting the campaign including donors, people putting my corflute up out the front of their homes and handing out leaflets.
A special thanks to:
A special thanks to:
- Adam Fletcher from Dinosaurus for the great design work on our posters, corflutes and memes.
- Julian Meehan for the great photo used on my poster.
“Let's give our kids a world worth living in,
let's reverse global warming!”
Can you vote for Adrian in the Darebin 2020 elections?
You can if you live in
the "South West" ward.
Click here to download the full map
Or visit the VEC website
What happened to Darebin's 3 multi member wards? The State Labor government decided to do away with some multi member wards around the state and included Darebin in that process.
Having run under the multi member ward system twice and the single member ward system this time I have considered the issues and are supportive of the single member ward system. Why?
Having run under the multi member ward system twice and the single member ward system this time I have considered the issues and are supportive of the single member ward system. Why?
- It has reduced the number of dummy and feeder candidate in my ward to ZERO. This has been a big problem in previous elections.
- It means a winning candidate can connect and represent our local community better.
- It stops under performing councillors from hiding behind the work of others.
- It gives your local community a single person to contact for issues in their area. If they don't do a good job the community can campaign to get them out next time.
- Good community candidate should still be able to beat candidates backed by the money and organisational power of major party candidates from Labor and the Greens if they start campaigning a year or two out.
Adrian's Plan for a Climate Emergency Mobilisation by Darebin to respond to Global Warming
Prioritising a climate emergency response in council
Prioritising a climate emergency response in council
- put the climate emergency response and a full climate emergency mobilisation by Darebin as the number one strategic priority within the Council plan.
- make responding to the climate emergency the first item of business at every council meeting.
- rewrite the current climate emergency plan within 3 months to focus Darebin Council on a full mobilisation as an emergency response by no later than June 30th 2021.
- find a new CEO who understands the climate emergency; its urgency; the role Council can play in leading the climate emergency response at council level; why this can drive action by other councils and higher levels of government; and most importantly, is willing to drive this through the Council agenda.
- develop whole of Council education programs and create a process where existing staff expertise is used to develop innovative,climate emergency responses.
- review and update Darebin's internal processes to enable decisions relating to the climate emergency to be taken with appropriate speed.
- feature Council's climate emergency response as the lead article of each issue of the community news.
- create a climate emergency website for Darebin Council within three weeks.
- ensure climate emergency related work is given priority across Council. For example HR processes Climate Emergency staff paperwork as a priority.
- place climate emergency messaging on Darebin public buildings within three weeks.
- develop innovative other promotional options such as promotion on council vehicles or "I support Climate Emergency Mobilisation" stickers for bins.
- develop a citizens assembly to inform and guide the climate emergency response within Council.
- Sadly the Climate Emergency Advisory Committee to Council, of which I am notionally a member, was played by council management, and strung along till it became clear the Council was not interested in engaging in a meaningful way or adopting its recommendations. Once that became obvious the committee was shut down but not disbanded and has not met now for over a year. (Update August 2020 - the CED has finally met once after 16 months of no meetings, just prior to the Victorian Council Elections.)
- mail basic information kit to all community members explaining what Darebin Council is doing, what they can do as household and businesses, and what State and Federal governments need to do better.
- reduce Council emissions to near zero.
- support the community, including the poorest members, to reduce their emissions through energy efficiency and getting solar power on their roofs and getting off gas
- all of this will save money on power bills
- work for zero emission transport options: walking, cycling, more tram routes and support for electric cars and trucks
- For example the lack of a pedestrian bridge under Moreland road on Merri Creak prevents easy commuting North and South long the path.
- For example extend a bike path from Merri Creek to Edwards Lake Park
- expand public transport throughout Darebin
- For example push the Number 11 tram route North to Edwards Lake Park
- encourage reduced consumption of high emissions food such as beef, lamb and dairy. Adopt low emissions options as the default for council catering.
- cease purchase of wood, timber and paper sourced from the destruction of native forests or companies associated with the destruction of native forests and educate the community about this issue.
- ensure the highest standards of building construction and retrofitting, making new buildings energy positive where possible.
- all councils can play a critical role in creating global cooling and drawing down historic emissions by converting green waste into biochar. Biochar is a soil additive which traps carbon for 100s of years and supports the growth of trees, crops and plants. Establish a biochar plant in Drebin to process green waste into biochar. Investigate opportunities to co develop a facility with other councils.
- Council can reduce the number of deaths in Darebin during future heat waves by following the lead of Melbourne City Council and planting many more shade producing trees and ensuring heatwave plans are adequate and at risk people are contacted and have adequate options to seek respite from the heat during the next major heat wave.
- Flood prone areas such as Fairfield will need to be assessed for their vulnerability to future extreme flood events and flood infrastructure upgraded to prevent significant damage.
- help promote and maximise local food growing initiatives including education and support for growing your own food and a massive expansion of funding for new community gardens, to help alleviate current food stress and future food crises.
- identify and plan for a conversion of open space to food growing areas during a future global food crisis.
- encourage community support networks to help in global warming related and other emergencies.
- build a local micro grid to service Darebin in case of a state grid failure.
- ensure buildings and key infrastructure can withstand increasing severe storms, floods and fires.
- directly lobby higher levels of government to undertake a climate emergency mobilisation to reach net negative emissions in our state and nationally within ten years.
- encourage other councils to undertake to declare a climate emergency and a climate emergency mobilisation.
- encourage local government umbrella organisations such as the MAV to put the climate emergency as their number one issue.
- encourage the Darebin community to contact their local members and Federal and State ministers to demand emergency action on global warming.
Like my campaign get a corflute for the front of your house.
About my campaign
For over 10 years I have lived in Thornbury and Preston with my family and young son who attends our local primary school.
I ran for Council in 2012, and 2016.
Like you I am keen to see Council providing efficient services, good community support programs and improving our parks and streets.
Like you I want an end to inappropriate development and corruption.
However, my main concern is for my son and the millions of children in this world, and for them to have a positive and bright future.
Hence my focus on stopping the threat posed by global warming and unravelling our corrupted political systems that have allowed inaction on global warming and inequity to spread within Australian and around the world.
With both State and Federal governments failing to tackle and reverse global warming, local council can play a critical role.
I want to ensure Darebin Council goes beyond merely acknowledging the climate emergency and continues to play a world leading role in preventing extreme global warming while ensuring our community is prepared and safe.
To do this Darebin Council can lead the world again by mobilising all available resources within Council to both reduce emissions locally and force higher levels of government to act by directly advocating for emergency action as a Council and encouraging their community to do the same.
We have a choice. We can spend millions of dollars on sporting facilities and other programs that provide community benefit but won't stop a global catastrophe or redirect this money into getting real action on climate change for the next 10-20 years by providing the leadership the world needs.
We will do this until we ensure a safe future for our kids
I ran for Council in 2012, and 2016.
Like you I am keen to see Council providing efficient services, good community support programs and improving our parks and streets.
Like you I want an end to inappropriate development and corruption.
However, my main concern is for my son and the millions of children in this world, and for them to have a positive and bright future.
Hence my focus on stopping the threat posed by global warming and unravelling our corrupted political systems that have allowed inaction on global warming and inequity to spread within Australian and around the world.
With both State and Federal governments failing to tackle and reverse global warming, local council can play a critical role.
I want to ensure Darebin Council goes beyond merely acknowledging the climate emergency and continues to play a world leading role in preventing extreme global warming while ensuring our community is prepared and safe.
To do this Darebin Council can lead the world again by mobilising all available resources within Council to both reduce emissions locally and force higher levels of government to act by directly advocating for emergency action as a Council and encouraging their community to do the same.
We have a choice. We can spend millions of dollars on sporting facilities and other programs that provide community benefit but won't stop a global catastrophe or redirect this money into getting real action on climate change for the next 10-20 years by providing the leadership the world needs.
We will do this until we ensure a safe future for our kids
Adrian is running as part of a three person team in Darebin which includes Bryony Edwards and Philip Sutton who will fight to get the council into emergency mode.
Darebin could have led the world into emergency mode.
I was a key player behind convincing the 2016 elected Darebin Council to declare a climate emergency and sat on both the interim advisory committee and the current Climate Emergency Advisory Committee to Council.
Inspired by Darebin's lead as well as the continued campaigning by myself and many others (See CACE, Cedamia, and CED for three of the key players) the climate emergency declaration campaign spread around the world, changing the global discourse from "climate change" to the "climate emergency" and inspiring action at many levels.
The idea behind the declarations was to get the world into emergency mode in order to take action to reverse global warming. Many said an emergency mode could not be done but the COVID19 emergency mode response of our government and many governments around the world has proven otherwise.
Sadly no council (that we know of) including Darebin Council has chosen to take the next step and go into emergency mode on climate.
If we want Darebin to lead again Darebin needs new councillors and a new CEO who will be willing to drive this agenda and put the survival of our children first, ahead of Business As Usual at Council operations.
I was a key player behind convincing the 2016 elected Darebin Council to declare a climate emergency and sat on both the interim advisory committee and the current Climate Emergency Advisory Committee to Council.
Inspired by Darebin's lead as well as the continued campaigning by myself and many others (See CACE, Cedamia, and CED for three of the key players) the climate emergency declaration campaign spread around the world, changing the global discourse from "climate change" to the "climate emergency" and inspiring action at many levels.
The idea behind the declarations was to get the world into emergency mode in order to take action to reverse global warming. Many said an emergency mode could not be done but the COVID19 emergency mode response of our government and many governments around the world has proven otherwise.
Sadly no council (that we know of) including Darebin Council has chosen to take the next step and go into emergency mode on climate.
If we want Darebin to lead again Darebin needs new councillors and a new CEO who will be willing to drive this agenda and put the survival of our children first, ahead of Business As Usual at Council operations.
Darebin implements an Emergency Response but not for Global Warming
Ironically only two months after I meet with the current Mayor (Susan Rennie) and Darebin's CEO Sue Wilkinson, where they made the case that an emergency response to global warming by Council was inappropriate, Darebin Council committed to an "emergency" response to the COVID19 epidemic.
Darebin committed "$11.3 million [to a] Community and Local Business Resilience and Recovery Package" and included a community wide mail out. (See Darebin's COVID page 22/5/20)
This was exactly the scale of commitment we were looking for on Global Warming, but Darebin's CEO and Council felt Global Warming did not warrant an emergency response, while COVID19 did.
We have now lost three years in the global campaign that we can never get back. Let's not waste another four.
Ironically only two months after I meet with the current Mayor (Susan Rennie) and Darebin's CEO Sue Wilkinson, where they made the case that an emergency response to global warming by Council was inappropriate, Darebin Council committed to an "emergency" response to the COVID19 epidemic.
Darebin committed "$11.3 million [to a] Community and Local Business Resilience and Recovery Package" and included a community wide mail out. (See Darebin's COVID page 22/5/20)
This was exactly the scale of commitment we were looking for on Global Warming, but Darebin's CEO and Council felt Global Warming did not warrant an emergency response, while COVID19 did.
We have now lost three years in the global campaign that we can never get back. Let's not waste another four.
Federal Election 2021/22
this will be the last election to act before things get really bad....
I will be running in the next federal election which will likely fall between August 2021 and May 2022.
Most likely I will be running for my local seat of Cooper, as part of the Save the Planet team for that election.
Save the Planet has now registered a new political party, forming an alliance with a second like minded party.
Consequently Save the Planet through our new political party can receive tax deductible donations. You can donate $1500 per year to a political party. Donations help us cover the cost of registering candidates and running an election campaign.
Running as a candidate federally has become increasingly expensive as the major parties (who receive millions of dollars in election funding) seek to drive small parties and independents out of the political system.
Last election it cost $1000 to run in a lower house seat, now they have doubled it to $2000, money the major parties get back because they get over 4% of the vote in almost all seats they run in.
If you're interested in running yourself or want to help the campaign please either join or donate via the Save the Planet website or contact me directly.
I will be running in the next federal election which will likely fall between August 2021 and May 2022.
Most likely I will be running for my local seat of Cooper, as part of the Save the Planet team for that election.
Save the Planet has now registered a new political party, forming an alliance with a second like minded party.
Consequently Save the Planet through our new political party can receive tax deductible donations. You can donate $1500 per year to a political party. Donations help us cover the cost of registering candidates and running an election campaign.
Running as a candidate federally has become increasingly expensive as the major parties (who receive millions of dollars in election funding) seek to drive small parties and independents out of the political system.
Last election it cost $1000 to run in a lower house seat, now they have doubled it to $2000, money the major parties get back because they get over 4% of the vote in almost all seats they run in.
If you're interested in running yourself or want to help the campaign please either join or donate via the Save the Planet website or contact me directly.