Heat-safe Frankston community event

By Alison Cooke, CoPower customer member and Frankston Local

On Tuesday 27^th February 2024 I organized the Heat-safe Frankston community event in partnership with Sweltering Cities and sponsored by CoPower.  It’s crucial that communities can come together and discuss how we can start building resilience to the impacts of climate change such as heatwaves.  The event included approximately 35 locals, community advocates, Councillors, and business CEOs in the room. There was a clear focus on how increasing temperatures, and heatwaves particularly, have a big impact on our community. They listened to Sophie Emder of Sweltering Cities speak about the breadth and visibility of their campaigns in the intersection of public health, justice and heat. Claire Harvey, CoPower Board member and Frankston City Counciler spoke about her climate advocacy and the current action in the council’s climate change strategy. Dr Genevieve Cowan spoke about her advocacy and outlined the effects of heatwaves on people and pets.

Local governments have, in many cases, taken the queue from concerned residents to act on climate change, with state and federal governments only stepping up to make stronger emission reduction commitments much more recently. More attention is now being turned to the equally urgent task of climate adaptation, and of working to protect people and places from various climate harms. Councils know that they cannot do this work on their own: partnership with engaged, motivated and well-networked community groups form a vital piece of the puzzle and certainly adds momentum. Good on Alison for reaching out, stepping up and making things happen in Frankston!”

Claire Harvey CoPower Board Member and Frankston City Councillor

 

The night also included a community heat sensitivity mapping exercise. The participants were fully engaged in brainstorming and feedback mapping to identify potential areas for action in climate adaptation, particularly efforts to identify and better support more vulnerable members of our communities (e.g. renters, the elderly, those facing barriers related to disability or living with chronic health conditions and the environment and habitat). By the end, participants had identified a number of key actions for follow-up, in the short, jam-packed session. This piece was run by Friends of the Earth’s Aleesha Hanczakowski and Vicky Rae. The feedback on the activity was overwhelmingly to both hold it again and extend the time allowed, and to proceed to solving the concerns and issues raised.

I’m currently writing a report for the attendees and for Frankston Council ‘s attention. It contains the findings and observations based on community member’s feedback, and on the identified actions and areas of concern arising from the community sensitivity mapping exercise.