Inquiry into Tackling Climate Change in Victorian Communities
Hearings and Transcripts
Information on the Committee's public hearing schedule for this inquiry will be posted here as it becomes available.
Members of the public are welcome to attend the hearings.
Corrected transcripts of these hearings will also be published here when finalised by the Committee.
Upcoming hearings
Information on the Committee's public hearing schedule will be posted here as it becomes available.
Past hearings
Thursday 12 March
Mildura Rural City Council, Deakin Avenue Service Centre
76 Deakin Avenue, Mildura
10:00am - 1:15pm
Time | Witness | Transcripts |
10:00am | Mildura Rural City Council Jay Smith, Environmental Sustainability Coordinator Cr Jason Modica Cr Simon Clemence, Mayor Cr Glenn Milne Cr Helen Healy Cr Mark Eckel |
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10:50am | Mallee Sustainable Farming Tanja Morgan, Program Manager |
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11:40am | Mallee Climate Action Group Emma Walmsley, Writer and Founder of 350 Mallee Climate Action Group Carl Young, Vegetable grower Sophie Appleby, Writer and researcher |
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12:30pm | Mallee Regional Innovation Centre Rebecca Wells, Chief Executive |
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Tuesday 10 March
Federation Room, Parliament House, Spring Street, East Melbourne
9:30am - 5:00pm
Time | Witness | Transcripts |
9:30 am | Agriculture Victoria Professor German Spangenberg, Head, Agriculture Victoria Research Graeme Anderson, Climate Specialist, Agriculture Services Branch |
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10:40am | Environment Victoria Dr Nicholas Aberle, Campaigns Manager Taegan Edwards, Senior Campaigner |
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11:50am | Sustainability Victoria Claire Ferres Miles, Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Ziersch, Director of Communities and Climate Change |
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1:00pm | Lunch break | |
2:00pm | Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Kylie White, Deputy Secretary for Environment & Climate Change Sharn Enzinger, Executive Director, Energy Group |
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3:10pm | CSIRO Jane Coram, Director Land and Water Dr Deborah O’Connell, Principal Research Scientist, Adaptation Pathways and Societal Transition, Land and Water John Clarke, Team leader, Projections Research and Service, Oceans and Atmosphere Dr Martin Cope, Principal Research Scientist, Aerosol and Chemistry Modelling, Oceans and Atmosphere |
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4:15pm | Deakin University Professor John Donald, Interim Head of School, Life and Environmental Sciences Dr David Halliwell, Director Research Partnerships, Science, Engineering and Built Environment Faculty and Research Industry Professor |
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Wednesday 26 February
Room G1, 55 St Andrews Place, East Melbourne
9:30am - 3:40pm
Time | Witness | Transcripts |
9:30 am | CSIRO Professor David Karoly, Leader, Earth Systems and Climate Change Hub (ESCC Hub) |
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10:15am | Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC Dr Richard Thornton, Chief Executive Officer |
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11:00am | Friends of the Earth Melbourne Leigh Ewbank, Coordinator, Act on Climate Victoria |
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11:45am | AEMO (Australian Energy Market Operator) Violette Mouchaileh, Executive General Manager, Emerging Markets and Services Nicola Falcon, Group Manager, Forecasting Monica Morona, Senior Energy Policy Analyst |
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1:30pm | Green Building Council of Australia Davina Rooney, CEO Sandra Qian, Senior Manager, Policy and Government Relations |
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2:15pm | Insurance Council of Australia Karl Sullivan, Head of Risk and Operations |
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3:00pm | Australian Institute of Architects Julia Cambage, CEO |
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Thursday 13 February
Wangaratta Regional Study Centre, GoTafe and Charles Sturt University,
Room 9, 218 Tone Road, Wangaratta
9:30am - 12:15pm
Time | Witness | Transcripts |
9:30 am | Goulburn Broken Greenhouse Alliance Bronwyn Chapman, Executive Officer |
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10:15am | Benalla Rural City Council Larissa Montgomery, Environmental Sustainability Coordinator Indigo Shire Council Cr Jenny O'Connor, Mayor Cr Sophie Price, Deputy Mayor Murrindindi Shire Council Cr Rebecca Bowles Rural City of Wangaratta Scott Draper, Natural Resource Manager and Sustainability Coordinator Wodonga City Council Cr Kat Bennett Robyn Nicholas, Sustainability Coordinator |
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11:35am | Wodonga Albury Toward Climate Health (WATCH) Lizette Salmon, Convenor, WATCH, and Coordinator, Repair Cafe Albury-Wodonga |
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Wednesday 12 February
Mooroopna Education and Activity Centre
23 Alexandra Street, Mooroopna
10:30am - 1:15pm
Time | Witness | Transcripts |
10:30 am | Shepparton City Council Sharon Terry, Team Leader, Sustainability and Environment Moira Shire Council Cr Marie Martin Campaspe Shire Council Allison McCallum, Enviornmental Project Officer, Conservation Mitchell Shire Council Cr David Atkinson, Deputy Mayor, and Vice-Chair, Goulburn Broken Greenhouse Alliance Elyse Kelly, Environmental Coordinator Mike McIntosh, Director, Development and Infrastructure, Mitchell Shire Council Strathbogie Shire Council Carole Hammond, Coordinator, Climate Change and Environment |
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11:50am | North East Region Sustainability Alliance (NERSA) Dr Rowan O'Hagan, Member |
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12:35pm | Benalla Sustainable Future Group David Blore, Member Kay Blore, Member |
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GV Community Energy Geoff Lodge, Chief Executive Officer |
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Thursday 5 December
55 St Andrews Place, East Melbourne
9:30am - 4:00pm
Time | Witness | Transcripts |
9:30 am | Psychology for a Safe Climate Dr Charles Le Feuvre, Vice-President |
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10:15am | VicCatchments Paula Camenzuli, Statewide Climate Change Coordinator Adam Bester, CEO, Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority |
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11:00am | Emerald Community House Mary Farrow, Manager |
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11:45am | CERES Rod Duncan, Board Member John Burne, Infrastructure Manager and Board Member |
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12:30pm | Coalition for Community Energy (C4CE) Heather Smith, Chair |
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2:00pm | City of Melbourne and Resilient Melbourne Krista Milne, Director, Climate Change Action, City of Melbourne Kim Le Cerf, Team Leader, Climate Change Mitigation, City of Melbourne Maree Grenfell, Deputy Chief Resilience Officer, Resilient Melbourne |
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2:45pm | Eastern Alliance for Greenhouse Action Cr Josh Fergeus, Executive Committee Chair Scott McKenry, Exective Officer |
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Wednesday 4 December
55 St Andrews Place, East Melbourne
10:15am - 3:30pm
Time | Witness | Transcripts |
10:15am | Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) Lisa Gervasoni, Senior Stakeholder Policy and Advocacy Advisor, Land Management and Planning Grady Powell, Policy and Advocacy Manager |
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11:00am | Council Alliance for a Sustainable Built Environment (CASBE) Natasha Palich, Executive Officer |
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11:45am | Northern Alliance for Greenhouse Action David Meiklejohn, Executive Officer Michaela Skett, Environmentally Sustainable Development Unit Manager, City of Moreland |
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2:00pm | Victorian Council of Social Service Emma King, Chief Executive Officer Bridget Tehan, Policy Adviser |
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2:45pm | Energy Networks Australia Tamatha Smith, General Manager, Corporate Affairs Chris Gilbert, Senior Economic Adviser |
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Thursday 21 November
9:30am - 11:45am
Hotel Warrnambool
Cnr Koroit & Kepler Streets, Warrnambool VIC 3280
Time | Witness | Transcripts |
9:30 am | Warrnambool City Council Cr Tony Herbert, Mayor Jodie McNamara, Manager City Strategy and Development |
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10:15am | Moyne Shire Council Robert Gibson, Manager Environment and Regulatory Services |
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11:00am | Southern Grampians Glenelg Primary Care Partnership Joanne Brown, Manager Health and Wellbeing |
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Wednesday 20 November
10:30am - 1:30pm
Hinchcliff Room, Eastern Hub Geelong
285A McKillop Street Geelong VIC 3216
Time | Witness | Transcripts |
10:30 am | Western Alliance for Greenhouse Action Fran Macdonald, Executive Officer Tim Mordaunt, Senior Sustainability Officer, City of Greater Geelong |
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11:15am | Surf Coast Shire Council Cr Rose Hodge, Mayor Rowan Mackenzie, Manager Environment and Community Safety Lauren Watt, Coordinator, Environmental Sustainability |
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12:00pm | Geelong Sustainability Vicki Perrett, President Vivienne Burke, Secretary and Public Officer Tim Adams, Committee Member |
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12:45pm | BRACE (Barwon Region Alliance for Community Energy) Adrian Ford, Co-convenor |
Thursday 7 November
12:30pm to 3:30pm
Mornington Peninsula Shire Council Chambers
2 Queen Street, Mornington VIC 3931
Time | Witness | Transcripts |
12:30 pm | Port Phillip Eco Centre Fam Charko, Acting Executive Officer |
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1:15pm | Bayside Climate Action Group David Williams, Vice-President |
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2:00pm | Mornington Peninsula Shire Council John Baker, CEO Melissa Burrage, Climate Change, Energy and Water Stephanie Delaney, Agribusiness and Food Industry Officer |
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2:45pm | South East Councils Climate Change Alliance Dominique La Fontaine, Executive Officer Emily Boucher, City of Kingston and SECCCA President |
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Monday 28 October
2.30pm to 5.00pm
Parliament of Victoria, Spring Street, East Melbourne
Federation Room
Time | Witness | Transcripts |
2:30 pm |
Emergency Management Victoria (EMV) |
Thursday 24 October
9:30am to 11:40am
East Gippsland Shire Council Chambers
Bairnsdale Corporate Centre
273 Main Street, Bairnsdale VIC 3875
Time | Witness | Transcripts |
9:30 am | East Gippsland Shire Council Cr Natalie O'Connell, Mayor Fiona Weigall, General Manager, Assets and Environment Stuart McConnell, General Manager, Place and Community |
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10:15 am | East Gippsland Landcare Network Jenny Robertson |
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11:00 am | East Gippsland Climate Action Network Peter Gardner Rosemary Gooch Nick Blandford |
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Allen Sheridan | ![]() |
Wednesday 23 October
10:30am to 1:30pm
Quality Inn & Suites Traralgon
5601 Princes Highway, Traralgon VIC 3844
Time | Witness | Transcripts |
10:30 am | Gippsland Climate Change Network (GCCN) Cr Darren McCubbin, Chair Chris Barfoot, Board Member Malcolm McKelvie, Board Member Esther Lloyd, Communications Officer |
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11:15 am | Bass Coast Shire Council Deirdre Griepsma, Manager, Sustainable Environment Baw Baw Shire Council Cr Michael Leaney Latrobe City Council Cr Sharon Gibson Cr Darrell White Cr Darren Howe Wellington Shire Council Cr Darren McCubbin Cr Carolyn Crossley |
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12:15 pm | Bass Coast Landcare Network Dave Bateman, Executive General Manager |
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12:50 pm | Latrobe Valley Sustainability Group Lorraine Bull, President Ian Onley, Member |
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Thursday 19 September 2019
9.30 am to 1.15 pm
Bendigo Town Hall, Reception Room
189-193 Hargreaves Street, Bendigo VIC 3550
Time | Witness | Transcripts |
9:30 am | City of Greater Bendigo Cr. Dr Jennifer Alden Bernie O'Sullivan, Director of Strategy and Growth |
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10:15 am | Bendigo Sustainability Group Chris Corr, Member, & Project Manager Community Power Hub Bendigo Colin Lambie, Member Cathie Steele, Board Member |
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11:00 am | Wimmera-Mallee Sustainability Alliance Gil Hopkins, Acting Executive Officer |
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11:45 am | Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance Rob Law, Executive Officer |
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12:30 pm | Make a Change Australia Karen Corr, Founder and Co-Producer |
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Wednesday 18 September 2019
10.30 am to 1.30 pm
Mercure Ballarat Hotel & Convention Centre, Conservatory Room
613 Main Road, Ballarat VIC 3350
Time | Witness | Transcripts |
10:30 am | City of Ballarat Terry Demeo, Director Infrastructure and Environment |
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11:15 am | Renewable Newstead Genevieve Barlow, Spokesperson |
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12:00 pm | Hepburn Shire Council Hepburn Wind Hepburn Z-NET Taryn Lane, General Manager, Hepburn Wind Dominic Murphy, Sustainability Officer, Hepburn Shire Council |
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12:45 pm | Ballarat Renewable Energy and Zero Emissions (BREAZE) Mary Debrett, Vice President |
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