The government budget is not a neutral document. We argue that if the government is able to spend billions of taxpayer dollars on defence, it should also be able to spend on climate disaster prevention and adaptation. By Act on Climate Collective Members Kelly Bebendorf and August Wylynko.

Can playing a board game work to exercise our climate problem-solving abilities? By Collective Member Lachlan Campbell.

A look into the complex, opaque web of tax, royalties and levies benefiting fossil fuel companies. By Act on Climate collective member, August Wylynko.

While other Australians celebrated Valentine’s Day in a more 'traditional' way, perhaps with chocolate and flowers, FoEM’s Act on Climate collective members celebrated a much deeper sense of connection at our first ever Collective Retreat. The retreat was held at Commonground, on the ancestral lands of the Taungurung People in Hilldene, Victoria. Nestled amongst the gum trees stand a collection of mudbrick dwellings dating back generations, in constant expansion and development. Yet Commonground’s vision, which is shared with Act on Climate, is timeless: a just, nonviolent and sustainable world.

On Wednesday, the 18th of February, the Act on Climate Collective co-hosted a screening of Floodland at Parliament House, a new documentary by filmmaker Jordan Giusti. The screening was attended by MP’s Sarah Mansfield and Rachel Payne, hosted by David Ettershank MP and with a foreword from the Minister for Climate Action, Lily D’Ambrosio MP.

The Victorian Government released its response to the Climate Resilience Inquiry report in early February 2026. The report included multiple recommendations for more funding; but in its reply, the Victorian Government has ignored this, stating that it is already funding adaptation.  

This is at odds with the Inquiry’s evidence, which showed significant financing gaps. And Victorian’s were loud in calling them out.

The Government’s response to this Inquiry missed an opportunity to back Victorians’ appeal for funding that would safeguard the state’s economic future, saving immense costs due to climate impacts down the line and, most importantly, saving Victorian lives.

🧑‍💻 Read more below on Act on Climate's response to the Government's response to the Resilience Inquiry. And read The Climate Change Exchange's take on the Government's response, which is a brilliant commentary on how there is little clarity about how it intends to systematically strengthen resilience, here: Victorian Government Response to Climate Resilience Inquiry short on equity and justice

📣 Take action now by emailing the Treasurer to tell them to not dismiss Victorians’ appeal for more funding to prepare for climate impacts and to adequately fund adaptation in this year’s Vic state budget through a Victorian Community Climate Adaptation Fund.

For Extreme Heat Awareness Day 2026, Act on Climate did outreach and art stalls at two Coburg locations. 

Heatwaves are growing in length and temperature due to climate change, and actions like ours on Extreme Heat Awareness Day aim to help people stay safe, and to push for action from local, state and federal governments.

What a year progressing climate adaptation in Victoria!

Celebrate with us while helping us continue this work by attending our gig fundraiser this Friday! Come along to hear more about our work this year and what we have planned for next year.

In the past month alone we have facilitated 8 MP meetings, had our campaign mentioned in Parliament, joined a FoEM contingent at Rising Tide, and helped launch Renew Australia for All's Climate Safety Plan.  

This brings the total so far to 16 MPs met with. There's still time to meet yours or quickly fire off our email asking for adequate adaptation funding in the next budget.

Zooming out, together, this year we:

• heavily influenced the Inquiry into Climate Resilience, with the need for more funding demonstrated and a VCCAF mentioned as a key funding mechanism,
• circulated our Climate Resilience Inquiry report to promote the findings and adaptation solutions,
• had impactful community resilience mapping sessions,
• launched our Australian Climate Adaptation Map,
• held monthly Adaptation Activator calls connecting people across Vic (an update on these is below!), and
• hosted an incredibly inspiring Climate Adaptation Fair showcasing solutions and creating lasting connections (another is planned for next year, but likely only in the second half of the year - watch this space!). 

It's November already and while our collective is working on an exciting adaptation project to be launched in the new year, we have a couple of events we want to share with you for the last two months of 2025. 

We also published our 2026/2027 Budget Submission, in which we call for adequate and ongoing funding for community-led climate adaptation in Victoria. Check it out to learn more about our ask.