On 21st August, 400 residents of the Bega Valley Shire met in the RSL Club to hear speakers on climate change. Chaired by Mayor Tony Allen, this meeting unanimously endorsed a resolution setting targets of 50% reduction in energy and 50% adoption of renewable energy by 2020. The Clean Energy Working Group set up will report back to the Bega community in February 2007.
The exact words of the resolution were
“We the people of the Bega Valley support the objective of meeting a target of a reduction in our energy use by 50% and generation of 50% clean energy by the year 2020 in order to tackle climate change. Further, we request that the Bega Valley Shire Council commit to working with the community to meet these targets and to establish a working group with the aim of reversing greenhouse emissions within the shire. The working group will report back to the community within 6 months.”