On June 10, Moreland City Council voted for a procurement policy which excludes dealings with companies involved with coal corporations. The successful amendment was moved by Socialist Alliance councillor Sue Bolton.
Bolton proposed an amendment to the Council’s Procurement Policy, which is reviewed annually. The amendment “excludes from future contracts, tenders or business dealings any companies involved in developing new coal mines”. It was passed as part of the social sustainability criterion.
Seven councillors voted for and four against, including the Mayor Lambros Tapinos. The council joins a wave of councils making similar moves, including the Inner West and Byron Shire Councils in New South Wales.
The amendment came after 5 months of campaigning by Climate Action Moreland and Stop Adani Moreland. They collected more than 1000 signatures to show residents’ support for council to take this stand.
A similar motion had been tabled by councillor Natalie Abboud last October, specifically targeting the Adani Carmichael mine, but it was voted down.
Climate Action Moreland spokesperson John Englart said that last summer was a wake-up call and that Adani’s coal project will only exacerbate climate change. “We applaud the moves from our council to turn their back on companies that are working on Adani’s and other coal mines, as a way of pushing those companies to work with the clean industries of the future, not more climate-wrecking coal mines.”
Bolton told Green Left that she didn’t want to limit the motion “because Clive Palmer and Gina Reinhardt also have permits to build new coalmines in the Galilee Basin in Queensland” and “we are opposed to all new coal developments, not just Adani’s”.
The motion added a generic new coal development sustainability criteria to Council’s procurement policy, meaning that when council will award contracts to companies that are not working on new coal mines before companies that are. This will add pressure to those companies that are working with Adani, including global insurance brokers Marsh, construction company BMD and engineering firm Calibre.
[Sue Bolton is standing for reelection to council. To get in touch with her and the campaign, please visit @SueBoltonForMoreland on Facebook or ring 0413 377 978.]