Port Macquarie-Hastings Council's general manager Craig Swift-McNair is set to give consideration to incorporating actions relating to changing climate in future reports.
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The subject of climate change was raised at the February 19 council meeting by speakers and councillors.
Resident Rachel Sheppard addressed councillors and said members of the community have attended meetings to help inform decision making.
"We have been polite, researched and solution focused," she said.
In her address, Ms Sheppard said the climate emergency has made itself well-known this summer, with the fires, storms and water security threat.
"Until council has a systematic way to ensure you (councillors) consider climate change in decision making, we have to come and say something," she said.
Ms Sheppard addressed councillors on issues including the sister city relationship with Handa, climate change solutions, water supply, water restrictions and water storage.
At the meeting, Port Macquarie-Hastings Council Mayor Peta Pinson presented a Notice of Motion.
It outlined for Mr Swift-McNair to report to the April council meeting and advise of the total spend by council on climate change or sustainability solutions.
In her address, Ms Sheppard said the Notice of Motion was quite brief.
"It is difficult for residents to understand or have input into the decision the mayor is seeking for councillors to make," she said.
"This undermines our opportunity to engage in the democratic process, in the peaceful and considered way we have undertaken."
Cr Pinson spoke about the motion and said "you can't change what you don't acknowledge".
Mr Swift-McNair said it was a challenging request because the core of what council does more broadly is sustainability.
Cr Pinson said she's had a lot of correspondence in relation to people's concerns on climate change and the motion is a way of understanding how much money council is already investing into the issue.
Councillors voted on Cr Pinson's motion and the motion was lost.
Cr Intemann put forward an alternative motion to recognise sustainability as a core value for council and to request the general manager consider including a sustainability statement, when relevant in future reports.
The motion also made a request for the general manager to give consideration to incorporating in any future reports which include actions relating to changing climate, a brief statement of estimated costs, savings and/or benefits from the proposed action/s.
All councillors voted unanimously in favour of the motion.
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