Climate resilience a priority for Magnetic Island
Date published: 11 March 2021
Magnetic Island is the jewel in Townsville’s crown and Townsville City Council and the local community are working to keep it that way.
Council and the Magnetic Island community have identified a list of 18 projects aimed at building resilience, reducing emissions, and creating jobs on the island.
One of these projects will now be chosen to receive funding from the Local Government Association of Queensland through the State Government’s Great Barrier Reef Islands Decarbonisation project.
Council Community Health, Safety and Environmental Sustainability Committee chairperson Maurie Soars said its important that Council plays a role in building the community's resilience to climate change.
“We live in a beautiful part of Australia that is in close proximity to a natural wonder of the world – the Great Barrier Reef – and it’s important we continue to take action against climate change,” Cr Soars said.
“Council staff have partnered with the State Government to work with several organisations and community members over the past 18 months to develop a list of projects that would help build resilience and reduce emissions on Magnetic Island and create local jobs.
“Now that we’ve been invited to apply for $125,000 funding through this program, we can start the process of engaging with the community to choose which projects take priority and how we can roll them out.
“There is also the ability for Townsville to apply for joint funding with other participating councils to form a Climate Resistance Alliance.”
The list of projects up for consideration are:
- Electric bicycle rental service
- Low-emission on-Island shuttle bus
- Establishing a native plant nursery
- Path networks to support active transport
- Sustainability and environmental education program
- Energy efficient retrofits
- Green hydrogen transport demonstration
- Aquaculture production feasibility study
- Waste facility installation of solar PV
- Tourism Master Plan
- Energy demand management incentive scheme
- Solar hot water systems
- Organic waste recycling feasibility study
- Solar PV rooftop systems
- Glass recycling feasibility study
- Low-emission marine transport
- Microgrid feasibility study
- Water smart demonstration community.
Council will continue to collaborate with stakeholders and the community to deliver the chosen projects.
