Hepburn Shire has made a commitment to environmental sustainability as part of the Hepburn Together, Community Vision project during 2021.

They are seeking input from the community about the most important aspects of the Shire’s natural environment and what needs to be protected and improved for future generations.

Mayor, Cr Tim Drylie, said that together we can make a world of difference if we reduce our impact on the environment and ecosystems, advocate for more sustainable and regenerative processes and make meaningful changes to adapt to a changing climate.

“The benefits of acting now reach far beyond lifestyle choices. The sooner we take action, the better chance we have at survival as a species and at keeping our biodiverse systems from collapsing. There are many opportunities at a local level to engage and be the change. One thing we can do is to help our local economy to become more circular – by reusing waste in innovative ways and designing out fossil fuel heavy processes,” said Cr Drylie.

Sustainable Hepburn will be Hepburn Shire Council’s new environmental sustainability strategy acknowledging the interconnections between emissions reduction, the natural environment, waste and climate resilience. It will include detailed action plans for the following strategic themes:

  • Beyond zero emissions
  • Natural environment and biodiversity
  • Low waste
  • Climate and water resilience

“We are committed to developing this with the community and have convened a Community Reference Group of 25 community members who will work together on developing Sustainable Hepburn during February and March 2022. We value the community vision for a Sustainable Hepburn, including their needs and priorities and there are multiple options for input,” said Cr Drylie.

The Sustainable Hepburn page on the Participate Hepburn website provides three interactive activities: a community survey, a map for you to indicate your favourite local places and space for you to suggest sustainability actions you would like to see implemented across the Shire. These activities have been available since December and close next Monday 7 February 2022.

The sustainability team from Hepburn Shire Council will be available to discuss Sustainable Hepburn with the community in person, over the next two weeks at four locations across the Shire. In Daylesford, the team will be outside the Daylesford Library on the corner of Bridport and Albert Streets on Monday 7 February from 2:30pm 5:30pm  and Saturday February 12th from 10am to 1pm.

The team will take your ideas to the Community Reference Group as they deliberate on the strategy’s development.