Our role is to prevent biodiversity decline and fulfil the role of a custodian of the natural environment by committing to protect, maintain and enhance biodiversity for current and future generations

Local councils, such as Yarra, are committed to engaging with the local community and delivering quality services close to residents homes. In Victoria, State Government policies, legislation and regulation related to protection of native flora and fauna recognise species that are threatened with extinction throughout the State, but not on a smaller scales. The importance of conserving locally threatened species at the local council level is rarely recognised and has been generally overlooked at State and Federal levels. It is important to conserve flora and fauna that are rare and threatened at a local council level as well as meeting legal obligation to conserve State or Nationally threatened species.

In developing the Draft Nature Strategy, external biodiversity consultation workshops were carried out with the following groups:

• Extensive consultation with Traditional Owners with Elders from the Wurundjeri Council.
• Community experts in land management, flora, fauna and policy including representatives from Merri Creek Management Committee, Darebin Creek Management Committee, Friends of Merri Creek, Abbotsford River Bankers, Victorian Indigenous Nursery Co-operative and Yarra River Keepers.
• Adjoining land managers including representatives from the Cities of Melbourne, Boroondara and Darebin and research institutions including Melbourne University.
  
• Partner organisations including State Government agencies, representatives from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), Parks Victoria (PV), Melbourne Water (MW) and contractor staff from Felix Botanica.

We recognise that the climate emergency presents an unprecedented challenge – both globally and locally. Our planet’s climate is already too hot, with dangerous heatwaves, droughts, storms and flooding becoming more intense and destructive. Effectively responding to the climate emergency requires society-wide changes at emergency scale and speed to rapidly reduce carbon emissions, drawdown carbon, drastically change the way ecological resources are used and foster resilience to living in a climate-impacted world. It will require a collective effort across all levels of government, business and the local community.

Find out more about our commitment to sustainability and tackling the climate emergency on our website.

We have also been undertaking a number of waste minimisation projects, including our Waste Revolution Trial in Abbotsford, our Zero Waste Map and This Is Your Waste installation.