The community really turned out to launch our 2025 Kooyong Votes Climate campaign.
Starting off with a bang!
Sarah Hegarty said that the campaign launch was fantastic. “A highlight for me was to see the venue packed out with people – just about standing room only! That was incredibly heartening: a powerful demonstration that our community really cares about climate action.”
Even if it’s not clear when the election will be, enthusiasm was high to kick off the campaign. Lynn Frankes commented on the great turn out – “there was a vibe of excitement in the room. It was great seeing so many of our volunteers play a part in the program.” This year, KCCA and Lighter Footprints are being supported by NGOs Doctors for the Environment and Asian Australians for Climate Solutions.
Lynn Frankes, Lighter Footprints Deputy Convenor welcomes everyone to a very hands on Launch, with many people signing up for shifts, taking bundles to letterbox and fence signs – all hands on deck
Amy Hiller said “It was inspiring to see groups including Doctors for the Environment, the Australian Conservation Foundation and Lighter Footprints all come together alongside the Kooyong Climate Change Alliance to offer an inclusive and multipronged approach.” Lynne said that it was good to see representatives of the Swinburne and Deakin environment clubs at the Launch.
“As a parent concerned about the future my kids will inherit, I found it heartwarming to share a hall with so many folk who are volunteering their time and energy to promote solutions to climate change ahead of the federal election.”
Amy Hiller
Check out more about the Launch on our Facebook album, Bluesky thread and tweet string.
High quality information is at the heart of the campaign – explaining the Scorecard
Alex Currell, KCCA’s representative on the Victorian Climate Action Network’s Scorecard Committee, first took us through how Kooyong has changed politically – driven, particularly in 2022, by concern for climate action and political integrity. He then explained the rigorous process of evaluating all the candidates’ climate policies – based on the public record of published statements rather than a private questionnaire, and how this is collated in an easy to understand scorecard. You can check out our 2022 Kooyong Scorecard Information page here.
Alex Currell talks about the rigorous process of evaluating the candidates published climate policies and creating an accurate and easy to understand scorecard
Vote Climate campaigns are all about putting this information into the hands of voters, and giving them opportunities to ask questions directly, for instance through a Candidate Forum. It’s remarkably effective – certainly, the 2024 Boroondara Votes Climate campaign, with scorecard, forum and street work, contributed to the remarkable change in the composition of the Boroondara Council, with 10/11 majority for action on climate.
Vote Climate campaigns really work – with street work, events, scorecards, pre-poll and polling day they are worth 2-3%.
ACF Boroondara: pledge, survey and months of work already!
ACF organiser Carly Robertson explained that KCCA member ACF Boroondara had been working in Kooyong for months, with market and street stalls, trainings on how to do community conversations, especially the Community Pulse survey, which provides a platform to listen and engage over climate action policies and voting intent. The election pledge has dual purposes, as well as a personal reminder and providing access to information on candidate policies, it also provides a reminder to the candidates that a constituent will put climate at the centre of the voting decisions.
ACF has four simple messages this election.
- Yes to Renewables – cut pollution and power everything we can with clean, cheap energy from wind and sun.
- No to Nuclear – ensure Australia’s future is renewable, not radioactive.
- Yes to Protecting Nature – nature needs us this election.
- No to New Coal and Gas – no more green lights for big coal and gas polluters.
Carly Robertson, ACF Communty Organiser explains how ACF Boroondara is working in Kooyong, using a survey and pledge, that reminds candidates that constituents will put climate at the heart of their voting choice
Rob Pettit said, given it was his first Lighter Footprints campaign, that it was exciting to see and meet a diverse range of people and environmental organisations, “many of whom have committed years, even decades to significantly improving the environment for the benefit of all people.”
“Overall the commitment of the audience to creating a healthier planet was palpable. For a first timer putting faces to names was invaluable.”
Rob Pettit
People power is at the heart of any Vote Climate campaign – we need you!
Julia Croatto introduced KCCA’s campaign strategy – all about listening to voters about what matters, the importance of climate policy for everyone’s future, and handing out the scorecard.
Julia Croatto, ACF Boroondara, introduced KCCAs campaign which centres around providing high quality information on the candidates climate policies
The KCCA fence signs were a big hit, with artwork contributed by Sarah B. “Sometimes it can feel like you are the only one that is concerned about the state of the planet but seeing people sign up to volunteer at our events, collect letterboxing bundles and take our corflutes to hang on their fence reminds me that there are others who care.”
“Climate change is still a big concern for me so seeing many people in our community show up for the campaign launch was touching.”
Sarah B, graphic artist
Lighter Footprints is running the major events
Lighter Footprints is taking an educational focus and is talking to voters about the value of climate action – solar, going electric, EVs, public transport, and forests. Supported by allies, Lighter Footprints will take the lead on events, the Ashburton and Glenferrie Festivals, and major events including the Kooyong Candidate Forum at the Hawthorn Arts Centre and Powering 2025 with Simon Holmes à Court at the Malvern Town Hall.
Amy introduces Lighter Footprints events including the highly influentual Candidate Forum – looks like the bundles for March 5th are rapidly dissappearing
Powering 2025 with Simon Holmes à Court
Don’t miss Simon Holmes à Court keeping us up to date on Australia’s energy transition. How fast are we moving, what about roadblocks, what can we do about them, and how can we take advantage of our world-leading renewable resources? Does the nuclear option make sense? Simon will be joined in conversation with Ric Brazzale, Managing Director at Green Energy Trading. Places are filling up fast – RSVP here.
Sarah and Rob talk to our major events, their importance and what it feels like to be part of the organising team
Kooyong Candidates Forum – democracy in action
As always, the Kooyong Candidates Forum offers an opportunity for constituents to ask questions directly to the candidates about their climate policy and how they would vote on issues that really matter to our lives now and the future of our kids.
Will they accelerate the roll out of least cost, clean energy and storage? Support electrification to lower household energy bills? Will they approve new coal and gas? What about nuclear cost and taxpayer funding?
In 2022, the Kooyong Candidates Forum cast a long shadow, with the incumbent’s non-appearance being duly noted in media and social media.
Of course, filling up a Town Hall and running a major event takes a lot of people power. We would love you to join our dedicated crew! New Committee member Rob Pettit says “I look forward to working collaboratively with the environmental organisations and groups at both the Simon Holmes a’Court event and the Candidates Forum.”
Despite the date being dependent on election time (it could be March 12 or April 2nd at this point) we would really appreciate your RSVP now.
We’re all in this together
At this point people headed to the sign up sheets, filling up the Festival shifts, trainings and quite a bit of pre-poll and polling day. The fence signs were pretty popular too, both ACF’s powerful, colourful statements and the KCCA ‘For the Kids” sign.
“Lots of people took our “For the Kids I’m Voting Climate” fence signs. I think that’s a message that resonates with many of us”
Lynn Frankes
Jean commented that the launch was held on “a beautiful summer afternoon”, boding well for the event. “I have been involved with the environment movement for over ten years now, so naturally I saw a number of familiar faces. However, I was really encouraged to see many unfamiliar faces, including younger people.”
“What I liked most about the event were the heart-felt presentations by the various speakers, and I felt very encouraged by the warm reception they received, as well as the interest shown in the display tables at the side of the room.”
Jean C
Vote Climate campaigns reflect the interests of their communities and depend on the community
Sarah Hegarty said that working with allied groups to plan and organise this event was a real highlight. “I know it is the start of some great ongoing collaborations”, she said.
“It was fantastic to hear about what like-minded groups are doing and planning, to learn from each other, and to work and strategise together.”
Sarah Hegarty
Veteran campaigner Dave Sweeney delivers on nuclear
What a speaker! Campaign legend, Dave Sweeney brought his decades of experience to our keynote, with a core message that reinforced the LNP’s nuclear policy as basically a smart political tactic rather than a viable energy policy. Nuclear is far too slow, the highest cost form of generation, is deeply unpopular, and is “clean” in name only.
Expert modelling has found that emissions would go up massively, mostly because going nuclear is designed to stop clean energy in its tracks – capping it at 54% (we are at 45% right now, and will be at 48% by the end of the year – 54% by 2050 is all about keeping coal going for another 15 – 20 years, all on the taxpayer dime).
“Dave Sweeney is an adept speaker and his message on how the Liberals are using nuclear as a campaign tactic rather than a serious policy was very powerful.”
Lynn Frankes
The worst of it is that once the taxpayers have paid out for the seven reactors, they could be outputting a small percentage of the power we need at 2050, according to the Smart Energy Council, at costs that could blow out to $600bn, more than double the cost of a full scale clean energy transition with storage and transmission included.
Veteran campaigner Dave Sweeney talks through what nuclear would mean in Australia – very slow, delaying clean energy, and the taxpayer on the hook for the full, massive cost of the seven reactors plus payments to prop up coal clunkers
Worried about the nuclear proposal or just unsure? Got 5 minutes?
Check out Lighter Footprint’s nuclear information page for a quick summary of expert opinion, or dig deeper into the links if you have time.
Dave Sweeney has such a clear simple message on nuclear – check out our three minute short video here.
Do you want more renewables and a safer climate?
We’d love you to get involved in our Vote Climate campaign for Kooyong!
Visit our Kooyong Votes Climate campaign page to step up!
As Amy says “Whether via doorknocking, hosting a sign, letter boxing, having conversations at festivals or handing out scorecards at polling booths, there are opportunities for everyone to get involved in elevating climate solutions in the Kooyong electorate.”
We are volunteering for the Kooyong Votes Climate because we care for our childrens’ future