We write to politicians

An important part of our work is communicating with politicians - at all levels of government, and on all sides of politics. 

Some of our recent letters - and the replies - are included here.

August 2024: Another letter to NSW Minister for Transport Jo Haylen, with our comments on the "Impact of the Rozelle Interchange: Response to findings of Legislative Council inquiry". We advocated for better cycle-ways and pedestrian walkways, separated from road traffic; and for various measures to improve pedestrian safety on Victoria Road through Rozelle.

July 2024: CCBR wrote again to NSW Minister for Transport Jo Haylen, regarding the extremely low proportion of funds allocated to active transport (0.68% of al transport funding) compared with the UN recommendation of 20% . 

July 2024: CCBR wrote to NSW Minister for Transport Jo Haylen, regarding the findings of the inquiry into the Rozelle Interchange. We encouraged action on several recommendations about cycleways, bus lanes and pedestrian access and safety. Active modes of transport must not be overlooked in the process of easing vehicular traffic congestion. 

June 2024: CCBR sent a message to NSW Premier Chris Minns calling on the NSW Government to fast-track the promised Gas Roadmap .

June 2024: CCBR wrote to NSW Premier Chris Minns expressing extreme dissatisfaction with his government's extended support for the Eraring coal-fired power station. We noted that the need for this support appeared to be a direct result of the government's slow roll-out of renewable energy, transmission and storage.

March 2024: CCBR wrote to PM Anthony Albanese thanking him for bringing forward the New Vehicle Efficiency Standards, particularly mentioning CCBR's submisson to the Dept of Transport; and stressing the importance of strong steps in the Rewiring the Nation strategies to ensure that EV's are not simply powered by coal-fired electricity.

March 2024: CCBR wrote to NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully expressing concern about the plans for the coal mines in the Hunter Valley Continuation Projects (HVO) and to request that a public meeting be held to ensure that the community is properly consulted.

January 2024: CCBR wrote to NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully to express disappointment at the recent approval of Idemitsu's Boggabri mine expansion, and seek clarification of the distinction between new mine proposals and "extensions" of existing mines and other matters in current NSW policy.

November 2023: CCBR wrote to PM Albanese asking for a climate trigger to be included in the review of the EPBC.

November 2023: CCBR wrote to the Bank of Americas and also to Jefferies (a private bank in the US) pointing out Whitehaven Coal's appalling record on the environment, pointing out that Australian banks were no longer providing funds to Whitehaven, and asking that they (BoA and Jefferies) stand by their own climate commitments and likewise provide no funds.

November 2023: A brief letter to Inner West Council Mayor Dary Byrne, commending council on its FOGO (Food Organics, Garden Organics) rollout, diverting organic wastge away frm landfill and avoiding methane emissions.

November 2023: CCBR joined with other members of Inner West Alliance for Climate (IWAC) in writing to the mayor and every councillor of Inner West Council. We urged council to follow up on resolutions earlier this year and to implement a ban on new gas installations in all premises in the LGA (following the example of other councils such as Lane Cove and Waverley Councils). 

October 2023: to Premier Chris Minns about Eraring Power station, and ways to manage energy prices and supply without subsidising fossil fuel companies further. 

September 2023: to Mayor Darcy Byrne of Inner West Council, regarding the proposal to replace a planned cycleway with car parking in the plans for Rozelle Parklands. 

August 2023: to Senator David Pocock, thanking him for, and supporting his Duty of Care Bill, which would require governments and organisations to act in a way to protect future generations of children from climate heating. 

June 2023: to NSW Minister for Transport  urging the government to prioritise electric ferries in any new procurement, and to retrofit existing diesel powered ferries with electric power. 

May 2023: to Hon Penny Sharpe,  NSW Minister for the Environment, Energy, Climate Change and Heritage,  congratulating her on her recent appointment, and highlighting four key areas in which we want her to act to accelerate reduction in GHG emissions. About 180 copies of this letter were sent to Ms Sharpe by CCBR supporters who visited our stall at Rozelle Collectors Market.  

May 2023: to PM Anthony Albanese asking him to release a declassified version of the recent Office of National intelligence (ONI) report on climate security

March 2023: Several CCBR members wrote to our local member (PM Antony Albanese) about the Safeguard Mechanism.  We have received replies from his office. 

February 2023: A letter to all Inner West Councillors (including mayor Darcy Byrne) about the IWC EV Encouragement Plan. We support it in principle, but argue for more ambitious goals and schedules, and urge councillors to list motions for forthcoming council meetings in line with our recommendations, 

January 2023: A letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about the Emissions Reduction Safeguard Mechanism. We support the initiative, but recommend six ways in which the provisions could be strengthened.

November 2022: A letter to Inner West Council commenting on their Making Cycling Easier" strategy 

August 2022: 15 other community climate groups around NSW joined us in letters to Matt Kean Minister for Energy, and and Jihad Dib, Shadow Minister for Energy and Climate Change, requesting a meeting to discuss various aspects of the Nature Conservation Council's Climate, Energy & Mining policies, in the run-up to the 2023 NSW State election. Members of several of these groups participated in developing this set of policy asks. 

July 2022: A letter to the Hon. Tanya Plibersek, urging her to reject the 27 new coal mines in NSW and QLD currently seeking approval, on the grounds that their scope 3 emissions would swamp Australia's current emissions, let alone reduced levels. 

June 2022: A letter to the Hon. Anthony Roberts, NSW Minister for Planning, about the application for extension of the Dendrobium coal mine currently being reviewed by the IPC. CCBR has also made a submission to the Department of Planning and Environment. 

June 2022: following Labor's success in the Federal election, we wrote to Chris Bowen MP, now the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. We congratulated him on his and his party's success, mentioning our work in collaboration with other groups in Reid in raising voters' awareness of climate as a critical issue. But we noted, with regret, his party's support for the Scarborough gas project, arguing that rather than seeing the current energy crisis as a fossil fuel export opportunity, Australia should be accelerating our production of renewable energy.

May 2022: following Labor's success in the Federal election, we wrote to our local Member for Grayndler Anthony Albanese: the new Prime Minister. We congratulated him on his and his party's success, mentioning our work in collaboration with other groups in Reid in raising voters' awareness of climate as a critical issue. And we looked forward to opportunities to meet with him or his staff about community concerns on climate action over the next three years. 

April 2022: we wrote again to Anthony Roberts MP, regarding his continued and mounting abandonment of the environmental planning guidelines (SEPP) that were developed over two years by his predecessor Rob Stokes. We noted that the guidelines were intended to place climate change at the centre of planning decisions, and suggested that the lack of consultation with many key industry groups may lead people to conclude that the government is unduly influenced by developers. 

March 2022: we wrote to Anthony Roberts MP, (newly-re-appointed NSW Planning Minister) requesting that he reverse his recent decision to abandon Rob Stokes' planning principles which were designed to reduce the impact of climate change. We noted that many relevant industry bodies (eg Inst. of Architects) were horrified at this move which seems designed just to smooth the path for developers.

Also a copy to Matt Kean.

December 2021: we wrote to James Griffin MP, (newly-appointed NSW Minister for the Environment) expressing our horror at the lax controls and low licence fees on emissions and air pollution from the Vales Point power station, and asking that the controls be tightened and the fees be made commensurate with the cost to the community of health harm.

November 2021: we wrote to Anthony Albanese, Chris Bowen (Climate Change spokesperson) and their advisors Skye Laris and Andrew Garrett, pressing Labor to announce, post Glasgow, a much stronger 2030 emissions target (in line with many other countries as well as Australian business organisations) as an election policy. We also sought stronger support for electric vehicles.

November 2021: following our letter to Matt Kean, we wrote to Dominic Perrottet regarding the need for a stronger 2030 emissions reduction target and noting the inconsistency of continued approval of gas exploration and extraction, when the related emissions would undo all reductions in other areas. 

October2021: we wrote to Matt Kean, now Treasurer as well as NSW Minister for Energy and Environment, congratulating him on becoming Treasurer, but pointing out the inconsistency of so many gas extraction approvals in NSW, which undo all the gains made in his renewable energy policies. 

September 2021: we wrote to Matt Kean, NSW Minister for Energy and Environment, urging him to oppose Federal Minister Angus Taylor's proposed Physical Retail Reliability Obligation (PPRO) - otherwise known as 'CoalKeeper'. 

August 2021: we wrote to Anthony Albanese (as our local member as well as Leader of the Opposition) deploring Labor's decision to support the government's funding of gas exploration in the Beetaloo Basin.  We warned that Labor's unconvincing climate  policies make it difficult for voters to support them. 

August 2021: we wrote to Rob Stokes, NSW Planning Minister, asking that Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions be taken more seriously when considering approvals for new or extended coal mines, and monitoring existing ones. 

July 2021: following a meeting with Chris Bowen's Chief of Staff, we wrote with a summary of our meeting, and repeating the main points that we raised. (Chris Bowen is the Opposition Climate Change Spokesperson. )

April 2021: we wrote to Ted O’Brien MP, Chair of the Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy, in support of the Zali Steggall Climate Act. 

April 2021: we wrote to NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian expressing our disappointment the Minister Matt Kean had removed Malcolm Turnbull from the NSW Net Zero Emissions and Clean Economy Board, seemingly in response to pressure from a certain media organisation. 

The Premier has passed our letter on to Matt Kean.

February 2021: following an hour-long meeting with Anthony Albanese's Policy Advisor, we wrote to her with a summary of our meeting and our views about many aspects of Labor's Climate and Emissions policy. We received an email acknowledgement and thanks almost immediately. 

December 2020: we wrote to Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley, and NSW Minister for Planning Rob Stokes, asking how the 134 conditions attached to the approval of Santos' Narrabri gas project would be monitored and enforced, and insisting that compliance monitoring systems be established before the project commences. 

October 2020: we wrote to a selection of Federal MPs and Senators in support of Zali Steggall's Climate Action Bill, due to be presented in parliament on 9 November . 

Replies from: Tanya Plibersek  Mark Butler  Josh Wilson

October 2020: we wrote to cross-bench senators as well as relevant government ministers and opposition spokespeople expressing our disappointment at the missed opportunities in the budget for developing a clean energy industry. 

October 2020: we wrote to cross-bench senators about the proposed changes to the Environment  Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act - in particular emphasising the need for an independent regulator as recommended by Professor Graeme Samuel.

September 2020: we wrote to several local Federal MPs, to relevant government ministers and to cross-bench senators, detailing our opposition to the pro gas recommendations of the National Covid Coordination Commission (NCCC). We received automatic acknowledgements from about half, but to date we have had just one reply.

July 2020: we wrote to Rob Stokes, NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, and Matt Kean, NSW Minister for the Environment, detailing our concerns about the government's approval of the Narrabri Gas project, and its general policy in favour of Coal Seam Gas extraction in NSW.  

May 2020: we wrote to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, encouraging him to take the same co-operative, National Cabinet approach to tackling the growing climate crisis that he was taking to deal with the Corona virus crisis. We mentioned the need for stronger Federal emissions targets, investment in low-carbon technology, and the folly of continued reliance on thermal coal. We copied Anthony Albanese, Opposition Leader and local member (Grayndler). 

April 2020: we wrote to Gladys Berejiklian, Premier of NSW, supporting the NSW Government's commitment to Net Zero Emissions by 2050, but urging stronger action . Our reply, in July, came from Energy & Environment Minister Matt Kean.