FoE worked hard to ensure that there was a good outcome for the environment and the community from the November 27 state election.
You can find all our election materials and the Party scorecards here.
FoE is working hard to ensure that there is a good outcome for the
environment and the community from the November 27 state election.Â
FoE values collaboration, and is working with a range of partners on a number of fronts. Our key campaigns have been around the need for a strong Climate Change Bill, the replacement of the very polluting Hazelwood power station, extra water flows for the Red Gum forests of the mid Murray, and a major retrofit program of Victoria's existing houses.
Please scroll down to find information on:
- Check here for our state election scorecard
- our work around the election and public events
- our policy papers and Party scorecard
- copies of our press releases.
Our primary alliance at the state level is with the other peak green groups who are most active in Victoria: Environment Victoria, The Wilderness Society, and the Victorian National Parks Association. We have produced a shared vision of what all political parties need to commit to in terms of policy if we are to see a good outcome from the November 27 election here in Victoria.
As has been noted by the premier, John Brumby, both climate change and water will be significant issues in the state election. We will be campaigning on both of these. In addition, we remain deeply concerned about urban sustainability, forests, energy policy and a range of other issues. A key aim will be to see the main parties commit to delivering a strong and whole-of-government style Safe Climate Bill. We also believe that the state election provides a significant opportunity to argue for the need for strong container deposit legislation.
FoE never endorses 'people, party or products', but we do acknowledge that elections offer a great opportunity to influence the direction of society, and so we will be doing all we can to influence all political parties and improve their policy platforms.
Activity
For details on our work around the HRL power station proposal, check here.
For details on our Hazelwood work, check here.
Join our rapid response network
We have a rapid response network for letter writing, call ins to radio stations, responding to on line polls, etc in the build up to the election. To get involved, please send your contact details (email/ mobile) to Cam: [email protected] with Rapid Response in the subject line.
Support our work
Please consider financially supporting our election work. You can donate here.
Turning it around
The joint groups election document is called Turning It Around and it outlines seven key areas that require urgent action by the party that wins the state election.
It can be found here.
Working with other green groups, we have been tracking the ALP government with regards to how it has delivered it's election promises. Our analysis is available in the 2007 and 2008 reports, which compare the state government's performance against their election promises on the environment.
The 2007 and 2008 reports can be found here.
Climate safe houses
Another guiding document for our work in 2010 at the state level will be based on the shared report we produced on climate safe homes. In particular, we believe that if Victoria moved to an 8 star standard for new housing, we would greatly reduce emissions from houses while making them far more comfortable places to be in terms of warming and cooling them. It would also drive the creation of a range of 'climate jobs'.
The safe homes report can be found here.
our media releases
Check below for our election related press releases & news stories:
You can also check our Yes 2 renewables website for daily updates on renewable energy related issues.
- Greens release plan to phase out Hazelwood and Coal (November). Available here.
- Solar Hub announcements good for regional Victoria (October). Availeble here.
- Desal no answer, but climate change will stymie long-term hopes for rain. A response to the Nationals MP Peter Ryan on desalination and the North South pipeline. (September). Available here.
- Coalition enters climate change debate (September). Available here.
- Climate Bill becomes law. (September). Available here.
- Call for Victorian Coalition to support Climate Change Bill. (August 2010). Available here.
- HRL proposal to test government resolve on climate. Available here (August).
- Our response to the Climate White paper available here (July)
- Energy saving action a good step, climate white paper is next challenge: response to Government’s announcement of improvements to the Energy Saver Incentive scheme and registration rebates for low-emission vehicles (July 2010). Available here.
- Call for Brumby and Gillard to unite to completely replace Hazelwood (July 2010). Available here.
- Full phase-out of Hazelwood required for rapid transition from coal (July 2010). Available here.
- 'Energy Future' paper sets the scene. Climate White Paper must drive transition from coal. (June 2010). Available here.Â
- Coalition announcement on Landcare welcomed (May 2010). Available here.
- Coalition Wind Farm policy a worrying entry to environment debate (May 14). Available here.
- FoE response to State budget (May 2010). Available here.
- Green jobs package welcomed (May). Press release here.
- letter: Pipeline plus plant equals poor policy (April 4) here.
- Increase in landfill levy = green jobs (March 24). Here.
- One year out from the state election, green groups put parties on notice (November 2009). Here.
what do we need from the parties:
- Â sustainability must become central to all government decision-making
- Â we must greatly reduce greenhouse emissions and switch to a low emission economy. A first step in this must be rapid decommissioning of the Hazelwood power plant
- Â make our cities more sustainable
- Â increase the reserve system and link remaining areas of indigenous habitat
Check here for a detailed list of our election priorities.
[above: outside state ALP conference, June]
Previous events
South Melbourne mobilisation
As our contribution to the work being carried out across Melbourne by
the climate movement in the build up to the November election, we are
starting election related activity in the inner southern suburbs.
Our first event is leafletting on saturday July 17, details here. All welcome.
We held a public forum in South Melbourne on September 1st on renewable energy options for Victoria. Full details here.
For further information, contact Cam: [email protected]
If you can help with our campaign letter boxing, please contact Cam.
green jobs campaign launch
On wednesday 24th February, FoE joined with the Boomerang Alliance to
launch it's green jobs campaign, with a small but colourful presence
outside Parliament House in Melbourne. This campaign is seeking to put
the idea of Green or Climate jobs at the centre of how all political
parties should respond to the climate crisis in the build up to the
Victorian state election on November 26.
According to research by a range of groups, including the ACF, ACTU and
Environment Victoria, the major green industries that can deliver new
jobs in Victoria are:
*Rail manufacturing– 6,650 new green jobs by 2014
*Renewable Energy – 4,000 new jobs this year
*Recycling – 3,100 new green jobs by 2014
*Solar Water Heating – 1,500 new green jobs by 2020
*Energy and Water efficiency- 6,900 new green jobs over 5 years
FoE is calling on the state government to include container deposit
legislation in its Green Jobs package. It is estimated that adding a 10c
deposit to drink containers would create up to 1,200 new jobs in
Victoria within a year.Â
Please check here for a copy of our green jobs briefing paper.
Face to Face communication workshop for activists
This free workshop was held in South Melbourne on August 7. Details here.