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What are the two most important things that Willoughby City Council can do to help prevent or adapt to climate change?
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Comment 1 25 Jan 2009, 11:04 AM
Better network of local area transport:
- hop on-hop off type buses like Manly Council - especially to shopping precincts, local markets, transport hubs.
- flexicars in all wards (eg at castlecrag carpark)
- widen the council cab service to other hours, weekends, and last-minute arrangements.
Act as clearinghouse and co-ordinator on local food and transport options and other such info that is locale-specific (eg website to facilitate car-sharing, or local food deliveries etc.
Comment 1.1 2 Feb 2009, 9:38 PM
EMAILED TO ADMIN BY Francis from Chatswood
Free parking for cars in a registered sharing scheme and for hybrids would encourage take up of these forms of transport.
Comment 1.2 11 Feb 2009, 8:37 AM
The Council Cab service has been extended to now operate 9am to 4pm on Saturdays. GoGet car share service is also available in Willoughby. Please contact Council or GoGet for more information.
Comment 1.3 11 Feb 2009, 8:48 AM
Willoguhby Council will also be providing a shuttle bus service in the Artarmon Industrial Area in 2009. More information on this service will be coming soon....
Comment 2 25 Jan 2009, 12:58 PM
Improve cycleways and cycle storage facilities (which should be compulsory at all new commercial buildings) also dont put cycle lanes next to parked cars. This is dangerous.
Comment 3 27 Jan 2009, 12:58 PM
Increased investment to separate cyclists from general traffic would be a significant encouragement for people to leave their cars at home. Who wants to ride to work elbow to elbow between fast moving traffic/parked cars/buses etc. Not me. Appropriately separated bike lanes would make a huge difference. (eg along the freeway at Naremburn)
Comment 3.1 3 Feb 2009, 5:26 PM
Bike paths are a good idea but only where this would not remove already congested road space. Cyclists are very vocal but we should remember they are in a minority.
Designating the main roads no cycling zones between certain hours, say 7 till 9 and 4 till 6 would ease congestion, improve safety and reduce emissions. Perhaps cyclists should be allowed to share footpaths at these times.
Comment 4 27 Jan 2009, 6:10 PM
The two largest areas of power usage and therefore the two most important areas to attempt to modify are.
Transport, particularly private.
Airconditioning, particularly in large public and private buildings.
Transport, as already mentioned more encouragement to use bikes and public transport is a great idea, but also planning to try to reduce private car use. This could include thinking about making it harder to use a car rather than always putting ease of car use at the top of the agenda. Hong Kong is an exaple where public transport usage is very high, because it is good, but also because using a private car is difficult.
Airconditioning uses vast ammounts of energy, council could through the building codes encourage the use of either energy saving systems or passive systems and promote this idea to other councils.
Comment 5 27 Jan 2009, 7:43 PM
Great ideas.The biggest impact the council could have on local residents is to help them purchase solar hot water systems. This is a whopping 30% of households footprint. The air conditioning problem needs serious thought as they consume more than any other individual item.
More regular bus service eg on Sunday to Chatswood and safer bike lanes for families to use. I would like to see a cycle to school program started by the council.
Comment 5.1 3 Feb 2009, 5:28 PM
I think Rudd's stimulus package should help on this front with hot water systems.
With air conditioning the only thing council can do is educate. People will only stop using them so much when the power companies introduce higher charges for excess power use. Councils could campaign for this perhaps?
Comment 5.2 11 Feb 2009, 9:05 AM
Bicycle NSW runs a cycle to school program which Council encourages all schools to join. You can contact your local school or Bicycle NSW for more information.
Comment 5.3 11 Feb 2009, 11:21 AM
I think this is super duper pooper scooper.
Comment 6 20 Feb 2009, 12:31 PM
Council needs to place greater focus on assisting Strata for apartment blocks in reducing their impact on the climate. To date the majority of focus has been on houses and little attempt to assist units and apartments. This focus could include assistance in establishing community gardens, replanting lawn with native plants, rainwater catchment, compost and mulch projects and energy reduction through solar projects. Considering that per person apartment blocks pay more council rates (especially in Artarmon) it seems only fare council focuses energy on reducing the biggest residential cause of emissions and therefore climate change.