Shell Eco-Volunteers Climate Change Forum

The forum, opened by Mr Richard Marles, MP, Member for Corio, aimed to facilitate discussion and local action on how the Geelong community should address and prepare for the effects of climate change.

Delegates from a diverse range of organisations including government, businesses, community and conservation groups heard from experts in climate change as well as some local case studies, and discussed ways to prepare and mitigate against the impacts of climate change.

Speakers presenting at the forum included Mark Schubert, General Manager, Shell Geelong Refinery; Patrick O’Callaghan, Director of the Wild Futures Program CVA; Associate Professor Peter Waterman; Cr John Doull, Coryule Ward; David Tournier, Wathaurong Cultural Heritage Officer; Katie Gillett, President of Geelong West Community Garden; Mark Sanders, Managing Director of Third Ecology and Dr Daniel Spooners, Group Leader Chemistry and Benthic Ecology, Fisheries Victoria, DPI.

Mr Marles said climate change was an issue of fundamental importance to Geelong with its carbon dependent economy and this type of broad-based community discussion was a crucial part of the process in developing a frontline response.
 
Associate Professor Peter Waterman, from Climate Change, Coasts and Catchments at the University of the Sunshine Coast, helped set the scene, outlining the changing climatic conditions expected for the Geelong region in coming decades.

“Climate proofing provides an opportunity for community groups and individuals in Geelong to set their own priorities and find ways of making areas and assets more resistant and people and ecosystems more resilient to extreme weather and changing climatic conditions,” he said.

Patrick O’Callaghan, Director of the Wild Futures Program with Conservation Volunteers Australia said: “By providing the opportunity for key local stakeholders in Geelong to come together, listen, talk and propose actions, both Conservation Volunteers and Shell ultimately hope to play a role in helping species and ecosystems increase their capacity to adapt to the effects of climate change”.

“We heard from a lot of passionate and interesting speakers at the Forum,” said Mark Schubert from Shell. “It is clear that in the Geelong community there are positive examples of people and organisations trying to reduce their own emissions and to investigate what can be done to adapt to climate change.”

Shell and Conservation Volunteers Australia have been associated for 20 years. Their latest initiative, Shell EcoVolunteers, encourages communities to be involved in addressing the impacts of climate change at a regional and local level. In addition to holding a number of climate change forums around Australia, Shell EcoVolunteers is focused on three important projects including the southern bell frog project taking place along Geelong’s Barwon River.

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For photos and additional information please contact:
Samantha Granger
Regional Manager Geelong
Conservation Volunteers Australia

P O Box 4326
Geelong Victoria 3212

Office 03 5221 0300
Fax 03 5221 3533
Mob 0428 598 417