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Are you passionate about your local neighbourhood?
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The YCAN Local Action group concerns itself with environmental and sustainability issues within the City of Yarra. We advocate for constructive practical action to reduce carbon emissions and work towards 100% renewable energy neighbourhoods.
The YCAN Local Action Group keeps a close eye on the actions of Yarra City Council and staff officers responsible for implementing actions to achieve Yarra’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2020. We aim to strengthen Council’s commitments to environmentally sustainable plans for buildings, precincts, transport and so on.
At the beginning of 2009 we submitted a list of seven important issues which the City of Yarra should focus on. We continued to pressure Council on these issues. We made submissions on issues such as better facilities for cyclists, strong environmental and sustainability design features in buildings, better waste management and the formation of a community consultation group on environmental issues in the municipality. By the end of 2009 five of the actions had been addressed—the Yarra Recycling Depot was in operation, the Yarra Environment Community Consultative Committee was up and running, with a YCAN member on board.
YCAN's local action activities are divided into a number of working groups. These are Urban Agriculture, Energy, Transport, Waste Management, and the Built Environment.
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We’ve learned a lot about the process of local government. At this level of government we can make ourselves heard. We can advocate for strong sustainable practices and efficient energy usage. We can make a difference.
Contact us to help make your local area more sustainable.
Find out more about recent Local Action Group initiatives on the pages below.
Hey Food Gardening Fans! slip, slop, slap….& byo waterbottle to cycle or stroll our edible neighbourhoods route through Yarra’s diverse & inspiring mix of streetscape food gardens. Meet the gardeners and hear about the gardens at these times: 10.30am cnr Ramsden St/Clifton Av, Clifton Hill ( Melways 2C,K3) Yarra’s first ‘official’ resident-initiated council-permitted street planterbox foodgarden [...]
Surveying at the Sustainable Living Festival YCAN will be doing a little gentle surveying at the Sustainable Living Festival this weekend at Fed Square. The theme is cycling and the aim is to encourage Yarra Council to be bold. The survey is just 7 questions and is an easy survey with a receptive audience. We are [...]
Have your final say about the Copenhagen-style bike lane on Wellington Street! Tuesday 19 February, 6.30pm Richmond Town Hall, 333 Bridge Rd, Richmond Wellington St is a popular and well connected route in the inner network. With over 400 riders in the 7-9am peak it provides a major transport function and serves as a viable connection from [...]
The 2012 Yarra Sustainability Awards honoured some great environmental projects happening in the City of Yarra. Congratulations to all involved including our very own urban agriculture legend Thomas Greig.
Thanks to everyone who came along to the Fitzroy Town Hall on Friday August 3 to take part in the very lively Trivia and Auction Night organised by the Australian Youth Climate Coalition as part of their national Repower Australia campaign. Hosted by climate scientist, David Karoly and AYCC volunteer, Max Smith, the night was [...]
We had our first ever YCAN excursion this week. We visited the Rethink Centre at Banyule which houses a Material Recovery Facility or MRF (rhymes with Smurf). We were amazed at the extent of the technology to retrieve different materials. Particularly aluminium cans, which are non-magnetic. (It involved rare earths and electromagnetic forces which caused [...]
The City of Yarra is now consulting the community with a proposal to construct a Copenhagen bike lane between Johnston St and Victoria St. Consultation includes an online survey, an information booth in Wellington St for local foot/ cycling traffic and local workers/ businesses, and a community info session in the Reading Room at the Fitzroy Town Hall.
The Yarra Community Solar (YCS) project is an initiative to establish community owned commercial scale solar PV in the community.
The City of Yarra’s world leading position is in danger of being lost. In spite of all the good work done so far, the clear need for the role, and the desire for the role by the community, the Council hasn’t included funding for the Urban Agriculture Facilitator in the 2012/13 budget. The Council introduced [...]
One of the most exciting things in Community Gardening happened last weekend. You might have missed it, because it was without fanfare, and very localised: Maud and Neil put up a planter box on a streetside close to where they live. You don’t feel excited? You should do, because this was the first streetside planter [...]
Yarra Climate Action Now is made up of people who want to see much stronger action on climate change. We are an independent community group based in the inner Melbourne suburbs of the City of Yarra. Find out more about YCAN…
