Cr Jim Rinaldi used his broadside against disgraced former Local Government Minister, Adam Somyurek in last Saturday's Courier to vent on some of his favourite topics.

Regarding politics in local government, the reality is that the majority of local councillors are affiliated with political parties. Wouldn't we rather know the values of a candidate up front, rather than waiting until after they are elected for their allegiances to be revealed?

Concerningly, Jim has also outed himself as a climate change sceptic, despite the overwhelming scientific consensus that man-made climate change is real - 97 percent or more of actively publishing climate scientists agree on this. His own council acknowledged the climate emergency in 2018 - but Jim missed the vote.

There's no more time for denial. Climate change is real and we need to act. The climate, the economy and the planet need people in power who are able to take the best advice available and to act on it for our collective benefit.

Jackson Snep, Black Hill.

Do you agree or disagree with Councillor Rinaldi? Read the original piece here, then have your say by filling in the form at the bottom of the page.

I am concerned that our City Council is not showing leadership about our climate emergency.

Informed people know that there is no doubt that our climate is changing so it's potentially dangerous to all life. This fact is not alarming because we have the ability to mitigate the damage. It becomes alarming when governing bodies like our City Council ignore the danger and carry on business as usual.

Although it has declared a climate emergency, our Council's policies and behaviour suggest that we have all the time in the world to respond to that emergency. They have made improvements to lighting, tree canopy, recycling, etc which are easy to justify even if we didn't have a climate problem.

I applaud the emphasis in the proposed Bakery Hill Precinct development on energy efficient and low impact living, but it is not a response to an emergency. In an emergency this development can wait, while we spend the $15million on changes to the current operations of Council, and working with the citizens of our city to become more efficient in living with our environment. They barely talk to us about it.

One of our councillors, in an opinion piece in your paper last Saturday, even complained that a State Government act "forces councillors to join the climate debate".

He goes on to question the science of climate change. This is clearly an irresponsible stand. What alarms me is that he may be speaking for the majority of council in expressing this opinion.

Joe Boin, Invermay.

Recent legislation introduced by the State Government - the Victorian Local Government Act 2020 - requires local government to consider climate change as an "overarching governance principle" in which councillors must think about the "environmental sustainability of the municipal district, including mitigation and planning for climate change" as outlined by Cr Jim Rinaldi in his opinion piece 11/7/20.

Cr Rinaldi is critical of this legislation. He asks whether we should believe those scientists who say "the sky is falling" or "those that say "it isn't and it won't" - a reductionist and inaccurate portrayal of any climate science.

He also questions the science of climate change and criticises "environmental alarmism" which he describes as the "new religion".

It seems hard to credit that anyone could hold this view after a year in which the eastern seaboard was aflame.

The scientific consensus on climate change is overwhelming and it is worth remembering that most of the scientific arguments denying climate change have been funded by vested interests such as the fossil fuel industry.

During the current COVID-19 crisis, the contrast between health outcomes for countries like Australia that have been willing to trust and act on the advice of scientists and those like the USA and Brazil that have defied the scientists has been stark.

Ballarat City Council has declared a climate emergency. The recent budget, with some minor concessions to climate change fails to reflect this declaration or treat climate change as urgent.

There is much that Local Government can do to reduce the impact of global warming and this "whole of Government" approach mandated by the legislation is welcome. In addition, there is a unique opportunity in planning for economic recovery from Covid19 to prioritise programs that will not only stimulate the economy but will also reduce the impact of climate change.

The vast majority of Australians when polled, express a high level of concern about climate change - unlike Cr Rinaldi, they need no convincing.

The Victorian Local Government Act also stipulates that "priority is to be given to achieving the best outcomes for the municipal community, including future generations". In the upcoming Council elections residents will have an opportunity to vote for representatives who better reflect their concerns for the future.

Sally Missing, Buninyong

Cr Rinaldi asks which scientists councils should believe when it comes to climate change, citing 'Australia's top scientific body, the CSIRO' said that 'climate change was not to blame for the summer bushfires.' (11 July) A simple google search would prove this incorrect - with CSIRO actually saying:

Climate change doesn't cause fires directly but has caused an increase in the occurrence of extreme fire weather and in the length of the fire season across large parts of Australia since the 1950s. In addition to 2019 being the driest year since records began in 1900, it was Australia's warmest year. In 2019 the annual mean temperature was 1.52 °C above average.

The CSIRO also includes an extensive breakdown on what causes bushfires and why climate change is making them worse.

So, I would say to Cr Rinaldi, you don't need to be confused about which scientists to believe when it comes to climate change, you should follow the advice of CSIRO - just be sure to read all of it.

This year alone has shown us how lucky we are to live in the Ballarat. We have been sheltered so far from the worst that 2020 has thrown at us - bushfires and now the coronavirus pandemic.

We are in the best position to become leaders and show other LGAs how to tackle the challenges ahead. Strong, decisive, science-based leadership is steering us through this pandemic. We need the same to tackle climate change.

Lucy Bracey, Golden Point.

We may escape the rain, we may escape the cold, we may even escape COVID-19, but we seemingly cannot escape economic and its associated population growth.

Both are destroying the environment, destroying the eco-systems, destroying the biosphere, have the world into the 6th mass distinction, and will ultimately destroy humans. Only then will the obsession with the duopoly of growth finally end.

This may sound like doom and gloom. As an optimist I hope it will not come to this, that those vested interest growth people will come to their senses, do a 180 degree turnaround and pursue an economic and social model that will return the planet to a well balanced living place for all life forms.

We can do it, it is not even hard, it just requires the will to do it.

Margit Alm, Eltham

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While I agree with the first part of this article, it does become increasingly worrisome as it progresses. And ends in climate change denial - which totally discredits the author. Sorry but the science is unanimously warning of the increasing risks.

The only deniers are highly questionable people and organizations - usually with something to gain by putting their heads in the quicksand.

While I like the idea of non-party-aligned (independent) local gov Councillors, unfortunately the Libs keep putting up closet Libs, some of whom reveal their colours /ambitions by standing for state/fed gov.

At least the ALP & Greens are open about their allegiances. The branch stacking certainly has besmirched the ALP but right wing Libs who deny the weight of science evidence on climate change are dangerous.

We do have something to fear about the future of our planet, destruction of species/habitat and I want our local councillors to have the guts and intelligence to do what it takes to at the very least protect what we have.

Merle Hathaway, Buninyong