Environment Strategy and Statements

Natural environment sustainability, along with economic sustainability and sustainability of the built environment are key strategic objectives for Latrobe City Council and the Latrobe Community.

The Natural Environment Sustainability Strategy (2008-2013) (NESS) was adopted at the 2 June 2008 Ordinary Council meeting and outlines Latrobe City Council’s position on the natural environment. The NESS identifies 16 action areas with associated objectives to achieve the sustainability of the natural environment.

It provides a clear vision of this component of sustainability, and provides an integrated framework for corporate strategic planning. The NESS document consolidates and rationalises Latrobe City’s previous approaches into one document. It represents Council’s position on the natural environment and how Council intends to implement the natural environment sustainability outcome in Latrobe 2026. It provides a single, streamlined policy and strategy position that includes priority objectives.

The strategy provides the basis for implementation plans, council business plans, budgets and personal work plans. Pre-existing strategies and plans become key reference documents that inform its implementation. This simplification allows greater awareness and understanding, more effective management and more efficient implementation.

Natural Environment Sustainability Strategy (pdf version,3.8 MB) 

The NESS continues to guide Latrobe City’s approach to natural environment sustainability over the five year period 2008-2013 with a formal review of the Strategy and its progress to be undertaken in 2010-2011. A snapshot of the activities undertaken to May 2010 is found in the following report 

NESS snapshot report (pdf version, 500kb)

The role of the Environment Sustainability team is to implement the actions under the NESS and to secure the sustainability of basic ecological services - air, water, soil, biodiversity - and land uses in Latrobe City and the minimization of adverse environmental impacts. In May 2011 a review was undertaken to determine progress against the NESS and to examine its relevance in context of the changing Federal and State political environment, and Latrobe 2026; the community's vision for Latrobe Valley.

NESS review (pdf version, 419.85kb)

• Position on Climate Change and its impacts (pdf, 74kb)
• 20 ways to reduce your carbon footprint (pdf, 617kb)

State of the Environment Report

The Latrobe City State of the Environment Report 2010 (the Report) is for information and education, and makes no recommendations for action.

The intent of the Report is to capture and present, in as accurate and useful a format as practicable key information on the state of the 'environment' in terms of:

• Its current condition; 
• The pressures on it and the drivers of those pressures;
• Management initiatives in place to address environmental concerns, and the impacts of those initiatives.
  The Report is intended to be updated at meaningful intervals (Commonwealth legislation states every five years).

The Latrobe City Report provides objective data and transparent interpretations of the state of the local natural environment in 2010 and the trend over the past decade, to assist in rational planning for natural environment sustainability. It will assist in determining which areas are priorities for action, and whether existing actions have been effective.

A summary report card also accompanies this Report to provide a easy to read informative tool to understanding the state of the environment in Latrobe City at a glance. This card utilises information in the larger more comprehensive report.

• Summary state of the environment report card 2010 (pdf, 4.86mb)
   
• Natural environment sustainability state of the environment report 2010 (pdf, 1.78mb)