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The Conservation Council is the peak environmental organisation for the Canberra Region, our mission is to achieve the highest quality environment for Canberra and the surrounding region. more ...

Policy Recommendations

Canberra has an oversized ecological footprint that we must address if we are to maintain the liveability of our city. The Conservation Council together with local experts has identified areas we need to be working on now to ensure we are sustainable into the future. Specific recommendations on climate change, planning, transport, biodiversity, water and waste provide solutions to the challenges Canberra is facing now, and into the future.

Get on Track

Photo by John Norquist.

The light rail debate has recently started up again in Canberra. Under 10% of the population uses the bus in a city that has the largest proportion of passenger vehicles (cars) out of all the states and territories. Canberrans are generally well-educated, and very concerned about climate change. They are disenchanted with the bus system and forced into using their cars. Clearly this doesn’t add up. A re-invigorated public transport system is needed. One that doesn’t rely on increasingly expensive petrol, or unrestrained road building. One that suits a switched-on, professional community, and ensures older people and young families can access urban centres. A Canberra with light rail will see a reduction in car trips, a reduction in greenhouse gasses, and a healthier, more accessible city. Canberra and light rail is an equation that works.

Photo: J Bounds

The Molonglo development is an opportunity to demonstrate that we can have both urban development and protection of endangered biodiversity. Our vision is an urban development on degraded lands built to high levels of sustainable design, incorporating a functioning river corridor for wildlife and recreation, alongside a nationally significant woodland reserve buffered by rural conservation leases.

Our slogan "Karma for Molonglo...healthy woodlands, healthy river, healthy living..." is a play on words, as the proposed Molonglo woodlands reserve will be Kama Reserve. Our hope is that providence will shine for the woodlands, wildlife and river corridor of the Molonglo area and that they will have a fortunate future.

NEWS The Conservation Council put in a detailed submission on 25 June 2008 to the ACT Standing Committee on Planning and Environment Inquiry into Draft Variation to the Territory Plan No 281 – Molonglo and North Weston (DV).

The Conservation Council’s full submission including detailed attachments can seen HERE .

A Greener Budget

Sample Image The overwhelming majority of Canberrans are concerned about the impacts of climate change, are affected by public transport policy and want to see our environment protected for the benefit of current and future generations. The Budget handed down by the ACT Government on 6 May 2008 is an opportunity to help achieve these aims. Click here to download the Conservation Councils proposals for a greener budget (pdf 372 Kb). Read our Budget Response and our response to the climate allocation "High on Emissions"