Blue Mountains City Council has backed calls for a national fund financed by fossil fuel companies to help communities meet the costs of disaster recovery, infrastructure repairs and preparation for extreme weather.
Councillors unanimously supported the proposal on Tuesday September 29, according to a statement issued by the Climate Media Centre.
The motion calls on the Federal Government to introduce a levy on major coal, oil and gas corporations to establish a National Climate Compensation Fund.
It follows a community campaign arguing that residents and councils are carrying increasing costs through insurance premiums, damaged infrastructure and disaster clean-ups, while fossil fuel companies continue to profit.
Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill said the region’s experience during the 2019–20 Black Summer fires demonstrated the need for additional support.
“The Blue Mountains is one of only two cities in the world surrounded by a World Heritage Area and in 2019-2020’s Black Summer, we saw over 80% of it burned by catastrophic bushfires,” Cr Greenhill said.
“As climate change worsens, these fires will grow more intense — and our Council is left to foot the bill for their damage.”
He said the proposal built on the council’s earlier climate emergency declaration.
“We already passed a Climate Emergency Declaration in 2019: a motion calling for the establishment of a Climate Compensation Fund is the logical next step.”
Anne Welch, of the Blue Mountains Climate Compensation Group, said communities needed resources to recover from disasters and reduce their exposure to future damage.
“If you make a mess, you should clean it up. Local councils and residents shouldn’t be left holding the bill while corporations pocket the profits,” Ms Welch said.
The campaign proposes using the fund for disaster recovery, infrastructure repair and community resilience.
Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action chief executive Serena Joyner, a Blue Mountains resident for 28 years, said the issue extended beyond rebuilding after a fire.
“I work with Australians who have lost everything to catastrophic fires, and like many people in the mountains I worry about protecting my home, being able to afford insurance and the safety of my loved ones who volunteer to keep our community safe,” Ms Joyner said.
“It’s time that the big polluters who are driving climate change help pay the costs that are otherwise paid by us, our Council and state and federal governments.”
According to the Climate Media Centre, Blue Mountains is the 13th council to support the Communities for Climate Compensation campaign, joining councils including Sydney, Parramatta and Bayside.
Councillors also unanimously supported taking the proposal to the Local Government NSW conference in November.
The council will seek a federal parliamentary inquiry into the adequacy of the 2025 National Adaptation Plan, including whether it provides sufficient funding for local governments dealing with extreme weather.
The vote adds another council’s support to the campaign. Establishing the proposed levy and national fund would require Federal Government action.
The Gazette has asked Hawkesbury City Council Mayor Mary Lyons-Buckett for comment on who should pay for the growing recovery costs of flood and bushfire in our Local Government Area.
Source: Climate Media Centre.
