Environmental Planning and Reporting

Local Agenda 21

Rio Earth Summit logo

Logo for the Rio Earth Summit

Agenda 21 is an action plan signed by 172 national governments in 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit, it aimed to begin a global partnership for sustainable development. Local Agenda 21 (LA21) was developed for local government as many of the problems and solutions being addressed by LA21 have their roots in local activities. LA 21 identifies what Council can do to help our natural environment with initiatives covering diverse matters such as environmental education, energy efficiency, biodiversity conservation and waste minimisation. Marrickville Council developed its first LA21 Strategy in 1997.

During the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) in September 2002, local government leaders from around the world, along with representatives from the United Nations, World Health Organisation and the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, launched Local Action 21 as the motto for the second decade of Local Agenda 21. Local Action 21 provides a direction for local government to move from creating agendas to undertaking action, by building on the progress already made in the move towards Ecologically Sustainable Development.

Marrickville Council has developed its action plan for Local Action 21, outlining its sustainability vision, goals and objectives, and the actions Council will undertake to make them happen. This includes detailed objectives for protecting environmentally sensitive areas in Marrickville such as the Cooks River, for promoting ecologically sustainable development in the area and for minimising Council's operational impacts on the environment.

A review of the Local Agenda 21 Action Plan has been put on hold so that new strategies and activities are aligned with the Department of Local Government's Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework and the development of Council's new 10 year Community Strategic Plan.

Actions from the strategy are incorporated into Council's Management Plan and reported on in the State of the Environment Report (see below).
 

State of the Environment Report

Marrickville Council is required to prepare an annual State of the Environment Report. The Report is structured around the themes of Land, Air, Water, Energy, Biodiversity, Waste, Liveability (incorporating Noise, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage and Non-Aboriginal Heritage) and Learning for Sustainability.

It summarises any new or updated information relating to the environmental indicators and activities undertaken during the reporting period to protect and enhance the local environment. It also highlights any emerging issues or threats to the environment.

A hard copy of the report can be viewed at Council's Customer Service Centre, library branches and at the Green Living Centre.

Previous State of the Environment Reports

This is the State of the Environment Report for the period from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009.