Gippsland Open Letter

We're calling for faster and fairer climate action in Victoria!

Victorians from regions right across the state are getting together to show how widespread the support for climate action is in the lead up to the federal election.

UPDATE: Join us on Sunday 7 May to ride for a fast, fair transition! We'll be delivering our open letter to federal candidates to show them the Latrobe Valley wants climate action.

Join the event

To demonstrate the momentum that’s building locally in support of climate action and a transition plan for workers and their families, we will be riding bikes and e-scooters from the Loy Yang lookout to Victory park, where we will finish our ride and present our open letter to candidates who have been invited from both the Gippsland and Monash electorates.

In Gippslandcommunity members are reaching out to local businesses, community groups, schools, sporting clubs and other groups –   asking them to sign onto the open letter for faster and fairer Victorian climate action.

Fill in the form below to sign on and show your support.

 

I want to sign on to the open letter

OPEN LETTER FOR FAIRER AND FASTER VICTORIAN CLIMATE ACTION

To our federal MPs and prospective candidates,

Here in Gippsland, our region is already facing the reality of a changing climate, including devastating bushfires and drought, severe weather events, biodiversity decline, sea level rise and erosion along our beautiful coastline.

Gippsland is also home to Victoria’s three coal fired power stations and large mines and we have an important role to transition our community and economy away from coal in a fast and fair way, avoiding the worst climate damage while working with communities, to lead their own solutions to adapt and thrive.

We believe that the future of our region can be bright, and Gippsland can be at the forefront of climate solutions like renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and industrial innovation. We want our region to embrace the opportunities that come with a low-carbon economy.

Our children will inherit the consequences of the decisions we make today, and we need leaders at all levels – global, national, state and local – to step up and make deep and urgent cuts to the pollution that is overheating our planet.

States have set a great foundation. Here in Victoria, large-scale clean energy has created 3584 jobs and attracted $5 billion in investment. Now Victorian wind, solar and hydro is generating enough energy to power almost 3 million homes.

But we must act with even greater speed and urgency. The shift from dirty fuels to clean energy is the biggest economic change since the industrial revolution, and by embracing this change we will reap the benefits.

This means:

  • Addressing the biggest single cause of the climate crisis – pollution from burning coal, oil and gas. Coal power is responsible for 40% of Victoria’s emissions and replacing it with clean energy by 2030 is an urgent priority. 2050 is too late.
  • Protecting our most important and precious ecosystems – especially our biggest waterways and food bowls, including the Murray-Darling Basin, Gippsland Lakes and coastline.

Every Victorian community has a stake in moving our state beyond polluting fuels and protecting our rivers and natural world.

We call on our federal political representatives and candidates to back this vision in our region and commit to concrete action including:

  • Commit to and legislate a national evidence-based plan to slash climate pollution this decade. With strong targets that at minimum match the ambitions for 2030 of the Business Council of Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and trading partners such as the European Union and Japan.
  • Contribute significant funding to the Latrobe Valley Authority so it can continue its work to re-skill, re-train and re-deploy workers and invest in diversifying the Gippsland economy.

Signed by,










































Additional signatories

Metung Science Forum
Shane Elmore
Thomas Moore
Arfa Khan
Kate East
Karen Ruff
Jane Sultana
Mary Baldwin
Jenny Pruscino
Lacey Macmanus
Sue Macmanus
Oscar Bateman
Belinda Griffiths
Jenna Middleton
Peter Towns
Karen Fry
Jenny Bull
Danielle Spies
Elaam Flett
Sue Salan
Dave Salan
Mary Love
Vicki Stevens
Janette Etherington
Wendy Green
Julie Lang
Emily Beaverstuck
Rebecca Sangster
Andrea Solodchuch
Eddie Flanagan
Dan Caffrey
Tracey Anton
Martina Vanvliet
Cicely Cox
Philip Rayment
Elizabeth Buckingham
Emma Macgregor
Mark Connor
Milena King
Robyn Hermans
John Hermans
Wendy Davies
Rebekah Baynard-Smith
Jenny Jackeulen
Luke van der Meulen
Mal Deveson
Jonathan Smith
Matthew Effting
Lillian Lear
Melanie Burton
Penny Duffield
John Gwyther
Keith Hamilton
Lynne Hestdal
Rhonda Fitch
Helen Gwynn
Sylvia Ashcroft
Anna Jones
Pamela Bexley
Sue Walden
Elizabeth Xuereb
Naomi Gordon
Stephen Cross
Denise Lamble
Jeni Jobe
Anne and John Schmidli
Russell Peel
Viv Scott
Judith Bishop
Ivan Knight
Brandon Mahoney
Penny Carruthers
Trevor Hoare
Elizabeth Buckingham
Fred Weight
Alison Weight
Lorraine Langner
Jessica McKenna
Kayt Edwards
Jeff Craig Sewell
Norman Hurrell
Kate Oates
Jenny Candy
Mirjam White
Bridget Nicholson
Peter Gardner
Helen Sheil
Pete Malone
Tony Walker
Rob Phair
Horrie Waymouth
Evons Waymouth
Sue Harding
Angela Pearson
Mel Darer
Nola Kelly
Michael Faulkner
Rachel Sands
Michael Down
Tim Howard
Alan Maloney
Karin Ruff
Jim Fyfe
Beck Lamble
Tim Howard
Barnaby Wedd
Alan Maloney
Malcolm McKelvie
Vivienne Turner
Denis Sultana
Heather Watson
Catherine Durant
David Wombat Lyons
Paul Hunt
Shane Rees
Philip Rayment
Robbie Aitken
Lucinda Young
Hilary Stripp
Glenn Henke
Judith Wenborn
Tegan Vanderslik
Megan Clarke
Maria Cardoso
Britt Crellin
Alexandra Macalister-Bills
Anthony Addinall
Jo-lee Kennedy
Mel Beenham
Isabelle Poole
Jenny Lawrence
Trev Mucchi
Diana Green
Matt Bouma
Andrea Farley
Shelby de Piazza
Leanne Flaherty
Nigel Macpherson
Kay Kennedy
Craig Stelmack
Bridget Hardie
Casey Brownlie
Aaron Sultana
Trevor Hoare
Glenda Maloney
Steven Wallace
Di Harrison
Rose Maher
Peter Lawrence
Liam Sultana
Elizabeth Buckingham
Jessie McLennan
Mike Purbrick
Ann Miller
Kevin Skinner
Michael Nugent
Willow Bourke
Lorraine Bull
Adam Tyson
Beau Atkinson
Heather Harris
Rob Dimsey
Pamela Austin
Carol Rowley
Heather Harris
Rob Dimsey
Pamela Austin
Carol Rowley

Reconciliation East Gippsland
Phillip Island Scout Group
Kacie Atherington
Leanne Ross
Grant Little
Rose Pearson
Brittany Becket
Rhondda Milner
Tanya Allen
Maggie Jones
Benjamin Gibson-Perry
Fraser Gillies
Saul Humphrey
Patrisia O’Callaghan
Maddy Bermann
Sean Peacock
Julianna Slevin
Fiona Kea
Karen Thurgood
Cathy Haigh
Georgia Easter
Jane Darling Sloyan
Brienna Allman
Marina Dibari
Andy Slevia
Kylie Blackman
Rebecca McGrath
Ava Merton
Luke Merton
Charlie Merton
Ben Merton
Max Merton
Lisa Gilbert
Amanda Byrom
Gail Noble
James Stranger
Rosemary Race
Phil Rickards
Bruce King
George Evans
Andy Gilmour
Doug Keane
Tess Lamin
Pam Reynolds
Marion May Campbell
John Close
Alexandra Lieb
Mark Pardoe
Aimee Rhodes
George Owen
Brian Lawrence
Terri Eskdale
Laine Ridley
Margaret Young
Bronwyn Halls
Amelia Wedd
Sheree McDonald
Joy Reid
Margie Barrett-Poole
Rob Cook
Tracey Anton
Deb Reynolds
Diane Dunn
Robert McKenzie
Christine Vanderwerf
Joan Hindle
Daryl Marshman
Julie Ivill
Alex Wedd
Anne Schmitt
Sharon Lawrence
Gero Gardener
Justin Gorwell
Bev Cowan
Moss Page
Hanno Schloetel
Marg Desira
Imelda Cathomen
Alan Wilson
Gwen Chapman
Tim Lyons
Stephen Yeates
Peter Reefman
Christina Robinson
Ian Onley
Rosslyn Jackson
Suzy Henderson
Jo McCubbin
Geraldine McClure
Craig Panagiris
Andrew McEwen
Jo Wainer
Zoe Fielding
John Noone
Malcolm Johnson
Sandra Stuetzle
David Vu
Carey Griffiths
Peter Gardner
Melys Griffiths
Ross Monteith
Anda Banikos
Irene McCarthy
Clive Bury
Jennifer Fraser
Alasdair Fraser
Max Hunt
Alannah Hunt
Luke Attrill
Montgomery Hall
Simone Goeckes
Margot Porter
Mary Baldwin
Reginald Baldwin
Hannah Farthing
Stephen Bensted
Steve Laws
Gillian Bremner
Diana Green
Matt Bouma
Andrea Farley
Shelby de Piazza
Nigel Macpherson
Kay  Kennedy
CrIg Stelmack
Bridget Hardie
Casey Brownlie
Aaron Sultana
Trevor Hoare
Glenda Maloney
Cinzia Ramella
Mel Gladstone
Ken Jakobi
Jane Hildebrant
Lorraine Watt
Stephanie Sabrinskas
Ricky Sabrinskas
Hugh McQueen
Chris Stubbs
Dawn Stubbs
Judy Ireland
Caroline Hammond
Daryl Marshman
Robert Boelen
Graham Ross
Chris Laming
Laura Schiemann
Isabel Kimpton
Penelope Furphy
Ian Onley
Michael Hyde
Helen Gwynn
Rhonda Renwick
Rosemary Abetz-Rouse
Lynn Atkinson
Caroline Bensted
Catheryn Thompson
Annemarie Thorp
Joan Kinnion
Royal Carrington
Mary Baldwin
Gail Hume
Kristin Tucker
Mary Baldwin
Gail Hume
Kristin Tucker
Dr Jo Wainer AM