report from the round table 10th June

Environment Strategy - we finally have one!
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A winter's morning - Sherbrooke Forest, Kallista.

It was great to be at council last week to move the motion to ratify the Environment Strategy. The strategy has been a massive effort from all concerned and several months of work has gone into the document. There has been endless meetings to consider the document and after the seventh reading of the entire document I was happy to finally see it before council.

It seems crazy that a municipality like Yarra Ranges never had an Environment Strategy, when you consider how much of the shire is environmentally precious, zoologically significant and home to endangered flora and fauna.

I was one of the councillors on the working group, a task I shared with Cr Jeanette McRae (Ryrie ward). I have been very proud to have a key role in steering this strategy, it's a document that cements Yarra Ranges' reputation as an environmental leader.

The purpose of the Yarra Ranges Environment Strategy is to provide strategic direction and guidance to the Yarra Ranges Shire Council in its:
• delivery of community and infrastructure services;
• management of land parcels that it owns;
• efforts to reduce its own corporate environmental impacts;
• regulation of community activity through planning and other permitting and compliance processes; and
• role as a community leader, advocate and educator in sustainable outcomes.

If you'd like to have a look visit: http://www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Files/08-06-10Item8-5.pdf