Greens Councillors across Victoria have led the way with local action to create a safe climate, green communities, reduce waste and improve recycling, expand bike lanes and footpaths, increase transparency and integrity in government, and create vibrant, inclusive local communities. 

Here’s just some of the positive change our Councillors have been instrumental in achieving across Victoria in the last four years of governing:

Action for a safe climate

• Our Greens Mayor, together with three Greens Councillors led the way for Darebin to become the first council in the world to declare a climate emergency, kick starting a global movement with 1,767 governments across the world joining them!
   
• Greens on council have ensured Maribyrnong, Port Phillip, Yarra, Otways-Colac, Dandenong, Moreland, Glen Eira, Stonnington and Monash have joined the climate emergency movement and/or set a zero net emissions target.
   
• Darebin Greens also led a group of 48 local councils to collectively switch to 100% renewable electricity in 2020. This work was backed up strongly by Greens Councillors across the state who ensured their council signed up.
   
• Led by our Greens Mayor, Hobsons Bay has committed to establishing a ‘Virtual Power Plant’ solar farm on council buildings, providing reduced-cost green electricity to local residents. This is a first of its kind for a council in Australia. 
   
• Greens Councillors across the state have installed solar farms on council buildings and subsidised solar panels on people’s homes. Darebin established the Solar Savers program in 2014, providing subsided solar panels to people’s homes. By 2021 they will have installed 4000 solar systems on homes across the municipality. This program has since been rolled out to Maribyrnong, Monash, Dandenong, Banyule, and Glen Eira thanks to Greens Councillor leadership.
   
• And so much more, like installing efficient LED street lighting, energy efficiency grants, supporting car sharing initiatives, installing electric car charging stations, and ethical purchasing policies.

Growing urban forests, green space and sustainability

• Greens have led the introduction of urban forest plans that are seeing tens of thousands of trees planted a year across Ballarat, Dandenong, Moreland, Geelong, Yarra, Darebin, Hobsons Bay, Monash and Maribrynong. Hobsons Bay alone will plant 40,000 trees, Maribrynong 15,000, and the list goes on!
   
• Greens are ensuring new parks and green spaces are created with, for example, new pocket parks in Moreland, Melbourne, Stonnington, Yarra and Greater Dandenong, dog parks in Cardinia, and a new bushland sanctuary in Darebin.
   
• We’re protecting biodiversity with a ‘Living Corridors’ plan for Ballerat, retention and expansion of the green spine in Geelong, a new nature strip planting policy in Stonnington to improve biodiversity, biodiversity strategies in Melbourne, Greater Dandenong and Moreland, and Yarra being instrumental in creation of the Yarra Protection Act.
   
• Big increases to sustainability budgets, with Greens fighting to achieve a massive 400% increase in Dandenong, and 40% increase in Monash for example.
   
• To ensure big developers give back to the community, Darebin Greens have led on introduction of a 10% levy on developments, with that money set aside for creating new green space so that every home is less than 500m walk from a park.

Cutting waste and litter, and restoring recycling

• Greens in Yarra were the tailblazers behind the four bin system, with the first trial of glass separated from other recycling to dramatically reduce contamination and increase recycling rates. Hobsons Bay, under the leadership of our Greens Mayor, was the first Council to introduce this across the municipality. The State Government has followed their lead and is now rolling this out across the State.
   
• Introducing food waste composting services in greens bins can reduce waste by up to 40%. This massive reform has been achieved with Greens leadership in Monash, Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Yarra, Greater Dandenong, Darebin, Moreland, Glen Eira and it’s been trialled in Geelong and Melbourne.
   
• Greens in Maribyrnong, Monash, Dandenong, Darebin, Geelong and Moreland have led bans on single use plastics at council events and venues, helping to stop harmful plastics that often end up in our creeks, rivers and seas.
   
• With Greens Mayors leading the way, Moreland and Darebin have introduced recycling in roads. All roads in Darebin are now resurfaced with 90% recycled products, including crumbed rubber from old truck tyres. Trails have also occurred in other areas.
   
• In Maribyrnong and Moreland, Greens have been instrumental in implementing zero waste strategies.
   
• Greens Councillors have also led the way in opposing waste-to-energy incinerators, advocating for more sustainable, safe alternatives.

Making active transport safer

• Greens on council have been the voice championing expanding the safe bike lane network and off-road trails. In the last term we got new Bike trails and lanes in Maribyrnong, Monash, Ballarat, Port Phillip, Hobsons Bay, Moreland, Yarra, Geelong and record investment in Melbourne.
   
• We have ensured active transport strategies were introduced in Ballarat, Port Phillip, Dandenong, Moreland, and Maribrnong.
   
• Greens have also led pedestrian friendly communities, with Melbourne's first Walking Plan, new coastal walks in the Colac Otways and Hobsons Bay, and new footpaths, including in Geelong and Moreland, where small lanes have been closed to traffic to create community spaces for outdoor dining and socialising.
   

Creating vibrant, livable, diverse and inclusive communities

• Greens on Council have led the way on justice for Aboriginal people. Yarra, soon followed by Darebin, where the first Councils to discontinue Australia Day celebrations on January 26th, a day of mourning for the First Peoples of this land. We supported the introduction of Dawn Ceremonies in Ballarat and Melbourne to mark the Aboriginal lives lost in the frontier wars that raged in Australia post invasion of this land.
   
• In Councils across the state Greens were instrumental in Councils showing active support for marriage equality, supporting establishment of Victoria’s Pride Centre in St Kilda, illuminating rainbow flags on town halls, engaging businesses and more. Greens have also made practical changes in communities, for example, introducing the first trans and gender diverse swim nights and a Diversity, Access and Equity Policy in Greater Dandenong.
   
• We have increased transparency and accountability in governing by ensuring live streaming and/or audio recordings of council meetings, establishing community advisory groups, tightening donations policies and establishing a Youth Council.
   
• Advocated for transparency on council with the introduction of the first compulsory Developer Contact Register for Councillors in Stonnington, so councillors' contact with property developers is transparent to the community.
   
• Protected heritage sites and created new community hubs, including saving the outdoor pool and civic hall from closure and demolition in Ballarat; funding new sports pavillions and pools in Cardinia, Colac, Otways, Maribyrnong and more; supported establishment of the Vietnamese Museum in Maribyrnong, supported heritage protections on the Preston Market and invested in our libraries and community child care.
   
• We have supported the Arts, including increasing funding for performing arts and music in Melbourne, launching the Darbin Fuse festival, introducing short film festivals in Greater Dandenong, funding wall art murals in Moreland, introducing arts strategies in Maribyrnong and Port Phillip, a live music strategy in Ballarat, and much more.
   
• Supported introduction of affordable and social housing strategies in Maribyrnong, Monash, Darebin, Moreland and Geelong to ensure everyone has a place to call home.
   
• Funded construction of all abilities, inclusive playgrounds in many areas, to ensure all children have somewhere to play.
   
• Led ambitious anti-gambling policies and campaigns to reduce everyday people’s losses and support the health and wellbeing of our communities.
   
• Supported Youth through Cardinia’s first “Youth Council Program’ and in an Australian First, set 10% quotas for youth employment in Darebin Council.