Mayor: Dominic King
Bellingen Shire was early to act on climate change with the development of the Bellingen Emissions Reduction Program and a regional Climate Change Adaption Strategy in 2010.
A decade on, a diverse range of projects have been delivered including the installation of 184kW of solar power capacity at sites with high electricity consumption, river rehabilitation programs at 36 sites and the allocation of dozens of grants for community groups to protect our environment and build community capacity.
Bellingen Shire Council resolved to Declare a Climate Emergency in March 2019. The declaration acknowledged that Bellingen Shire is being affected by climate impacts, particularly sea level rise, bushfires, heat waves, severe storms, drought and floods. As part of this declaration, Council prepared and adopted a Climate Emergency Response Framework and Corporate Carbon Plan with a target of zero net emissions by 2040.
2021 will see Council continue to plan for the future by engaging with the community in the development of a Climate Adaptation Plan. This will guide actions to build resilience and mitigate the risks our changing climate poses to the environment, residents, industry and visitors of Bellingen Shire.
GCoM Badges Awarded
