THE Hunter Joint Organisation (Hunter JO), in collaboration with its 10 Member Councils and Central Coast Council, has been announced as a finalist for the Climate Champion Award in the Cities Power Partnership’s (CPP) 2021 Climate Awards.

The CPP Climate Awards recognise the work of local government organisations paving the way to a zero-carbon future.

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The Hunter was the first region nationally to have all Member Councils join the CPP, Australia’s largest local government climate action network, and has been working to support Member Councils to embed their CPP commitments into key governing documents.

This can be seen through the development of our Climate Change Integrated Planning and Reporting (IP&R) package which has now been released as a working draft.

The Climate Change Integrated Planning and Reporting package supports Councils’ and their communities’ climate change journey by providing user friendly, practical tools and templates to embed climate change throughout the IP&R process.

The councils in the Hunter JO’s CPP program include Central Coast Council, Lake Macquarie City Council, Newcastle City Council, Port Stephens Council, MidCoast Council, Dungog Shire Council, Maitland City Council, Cessnock City Council, Singleton Council, Muswellbrook Shire Council and Upper Hunter Shire Council.

Councillor Bob Pynsent, Mayor of Cessnock and Chair of the Hunter JO, said being nominated as a finalist is a nod to the strength of local and regional leadership.

“The Hunter has a rich history of working together to deliver positive outcomes for the region as a whole.

“The Hunter JO’s participation in the development of the CPP network has seen 11 local Councils join the program and work collaboratively to develop and pursue shared regional opportunities.

“Our region is home to over 730,000 people and has the largest share of both regional population and regional employment.

“We boast one of the fastest growing economies and a diverse natural environment.

“Our approach to this program has been holistic to ensure the entire region is represented,” he said.

Dr Portia Odell, Director of the Cities Power Partnership, congratulated Hunter JO for making the final shortlist for the awards, saying this year’s entries reflect a new level of climate action and ambition amongst local governments.

“From councils collaborating to purchase 100 percent renewable energy in the largest emissions reduction project ever undertaken by Australian local governments, to shifting entire council fleets to zero emissions vehicles, our finalists are leading the way with local climate solutions.

“These local champions are stepping up to the climate challenge.

“It’s time to celebrate the climate heroes in local government, who are helping their communities to drive down greenhouse gas emissions and create a prosperous future,” she said.

CPP Climate Award finalists were selected from entries submitted by diverse communities from small rural townships through to capital cities.

Award categories are in the areas of renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable transport, community engagement, ambition, collaboration and innovation.

The winners will be announced at the virtual awards ceremony hosted by the ABC’s Craig Reucassel at 4:00pm AEDT on Wednesday 17 November 2021.