Community Advocacy
Who speaks for our local environment?
There are many groups that focus on creating awareness of issues, responding on behalf of the environment and advocating for a more sustainable community. If you have a burning local, regional or global environmental issue, make your voice heard through the right channel.
Port Phillip Baykeeper is a community program of Port Phillip EcoCentre in association with Waterkeepers Australia. The current Port Phillip Baykeeper is Neil Blake, also Coordinator of Port Phillip EcoCentre.
Neil Blake, as our own BayKeeper, works with schools, community groups and individuals, government agencies and businesses to better understand, appreciate and protect Port Phillip Bay (aka Nairm).
Contact baykeeper@ecocentre.com with your ideas on protection, action and sustained enjoyment of our Bay.
L.I.V.E. - Locals Into Victoria's Environment
LIVE is a fast-growing group of several hundred concerned Victorians who are coming together to address detrimental human impacts on the planet, especially the threat of global warming.
The primary goals of LIVE are:
- raising awareness of the need to protect our world's vulnerable ecosystem and halt climate change;
- encouraging our society's transition to a more healthy and sustainable economy; and
- motivating and supporting others in our community to collectively minimise our ecological footprint.
We believe that when many people join together, our voices become louder and stronger. Local grassroots action CAN make a difference and is needed NOW!
pt4me2 is a project of the Metropolitan Transport Forum which represents 19 municipalities across Melbourne on transport issues.
The objective of pt4me2 is to give the community another way to have a say about public transport in Melbourne. pt4me2 is committed to improving the public transport system so that more people can use it more often. If this happens Melbourne will be a more liveable city producing less greenhouse pollution with better traffic flows.
Visit the website to have your say on public transport in Melbourne.
Bayside CCAG
The Bayside Climate Change Action Group (BCCAG) was formed in October 2006 by Bayside residents who felt passionately about the future we will be facing as a result of climate change. The BCCAG is a non-political, not-for-profit organisation, providing a collective voice for Bayside residents.
Blue Wedges speaks out for Port Phillip Bay. In particular, Blue Wedges advocates for protection of Bay flora and fauna from the impacts of the Channel Deepening project.
Port Phillip BUG
Are you a Port Phillip local with interest in things cycling?
Want to join with others to share ideas and energy to promote cycling matters?
The current bike boom is great but we need more cycle paths and better end of trip facilities.
The City of Port Phillip is supporting the (re)formation of a Bicycle Users Group (BUG). If you are interested, contact Eytan Lenko at portphillipbug@gmail.com.
Port Phillip Citizens for Reconciliation
Port Phillip Citizens for Reconciliation (PPCfR) is committed to:
- Ensuring that communities have the opportunity to walk together with Aboriginal people towards reconciliation, recognising that information, understanding and community discussion are integral to the process
- Promoting an understanding of the history of Aboriginal people, both nationally and in our local area
- Developing closer links between local Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in the community
Who are your local members?
Contact details for your State and Federal members of Parliament are available here.
Environment and Government
Below are links to the major political parties in Australia. Found out about their environmental policies and values.
National Environmental Advocacy Organisations
Australian Conservation Foundation
The Australian Conservation Foundation provides a critical review of Australian politics and the environment, containing feature articles on many subjects.
Environment Victoria is the voice of the environment movement in Victoria and mobilises people to safeguard our environment.
GetUp is an independent, grass-roots community advocacy organisation giving everyday Australians opportunities to get involved and hold politicians accountable on important issues.
Whether it is sending an email to a member of parliament, engaging with the media, attending an event or helping to get a television ad on the air, GetUp members take targeted, coordinated and strategic action.
GetUp does not back any particular party, but aims to build an accountable and progressive Parliament - a Parliament with economic fairness, social justice and environment at its core.
The Wilderness Society is a community-based environmental protection organisation. We work to safeguard our sources of clean water and air, to tackle devastating climate change, to create a safe future for life on Earth, and to give a better world to our children. The majority of our work is in Australia, with a strong focus on natural environments and the role they play in keeping our world safe.
Friends of the Earth (FoE) is a federation of autonomous local groups who are working towards an environmentally sustainable and socially equitable future. FoE Australia functions both through the activities of its local groups, and on the national level.