Lane Cove and Darebin vote on Fossil Ad Ban motions – bringing the total to seven councils.
Sydney’s Lane Cove and Melbourne’s Darebin councils voted to ban fossil fuel ads and sponsorships to end the biggest month yet for the Fossil Ad Ban campaign.
Lane Cove, Darebin, Inner West and Maribyrnong all voted to explore Fossil Ad Bans in September, making a total of seven councils since the campaign launched in July.
In addition, a Bill was introduced to NSW parliament to ban fossil fuel advertising.
Lane Cove councillors requested that the General Manager update the council’s Purchasing and Sponsorship policies to prohibit the promotion of fossil fuels in any future contracts.
Three members of the public spoke in favour of the motion. Lane Cove owns around 70 bus shelters that display advertising.
Darebin, which was the first council in the world to declare a climate emergency, moved that it does not support fossil fuels being promoted on its property, and called for a report on the implications on enacting a full ban.
Darebin Mayor, Lina Messina, told the meeting the issue was just as important as banning single use plastic.
Both councils will also write to State and Federal Ministers requesting restrictions on fossil fuel promotions.
Newcastle sticks with fossils
Newcastle Council ignored emails from around 50 residents and voted down a Fossil Ad Ban motion.
A report from staff revealed that Newcastle Council has received $1.3 million from the Port of Newcastle, which predominantly exports coal.
However the council’s Sponsorship Policy does stop council from entering agreements with a range of other damaging activities and industries including;
“any activity involving the abuse of human rights or labour rights, bribery, corruption, production or supply of armaments, manufacture, distribution and wholesaling of alcohol, tobacco or nicotine related products, gambling products or services, pornography, the trade of fur or other illegal wildlife trade, abuse of animal welfare, live animal entertainment and any other activity which CN reasonably considers may pose a socially harmful activity.”
Mayor Nuatali Nelmes told the meeting, “We don’t have billboards and banners that could potentially be used for fossil fuel advertising so it’s not actually an issue for us. If it was, as councillor Wood said, then at that point in time we would deal with it.”
Ask Newcastle’s Mayor to deal with it now
Earlier in the month, Woollahra Council also voted down a ban, meaning ads for coal, petroleum and gas could be shown on its bus shelters.