Climate and sustainability

Council’s Sustainability Program is delivered through the Sustainability and Environment Unit and includes a focus on:

Other areas across Council that seek to improve environmental outcomes include native plants and wildlife, coast and waterways, agriculture and farming, and waste and recycling.

Cool Towns – Tweed Shire Urban Forest Program

Our goal for Cool Towns is to increase the amount and quality of tree canopy within urban areas of the Tweed, including all trees and vegetation, providing shade, cooling and amenity values.

Find out more about the program on the Your Say Tweed website. You can also request a single tree planting on nature strips or paths outside your residence.

About sustainability

Sustainability is about finding the right balance between civic leadership, environmental protection, economic development and social equity.

It begins with an understanding that it is the environment that ultimately supports the economy and society. Without a healthy environment, food and water supply is jeopardised, quality of life declines, and tourism and associated businesses suffer. Ultimately the Tweed becomes a place where people no longer want to live, work and visit.

At its core, sustainability is based upon:

  1. Balanced decision making based on environmental, social and economic goals.
  2. A focus on equity and fairness and a recognition that we cannot ignore the effects of our actions on others in an interdependent world.
  3. Recognition that while a strong economy is necessary to meet the needs of today, it must not be at the expense of future generations to meet their own needs.

History

Council first established its Sustainability Program in 1997 in response to recommendations from the Rio Earth Summit which identified the need for local solutions to meet the multi-faceted challenges of environmental protection, social equity and economic resilience.

Previously known as the Sustaining the Tweed Program, Council’s response to sustainability has evolved to meet legislative requirements under the NSW Local Government Act and, more recently, the Integrated Planning and Reporting requirements.

Further information

For more information on sustainability issues or initiatives contact Council's Sustainability Program Leader on 02 6670 2400.

Also see

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