'Unless Ballina Council takes a leadership role and leads the way, how can they expect the community to embrace the necessary changes'  Jeff Johnson asked the crowd, 'Local Government is in a unique position to deliver real outcomes that reduce energy use if they have the political will'. By forming greater partnerships with local businesses, and by aggressively seeking government grants, local councils can make a real impact on energy use by making it more affordable to buy energy efficent appliances, improved house design, and by providing infrastructure such as cycleways that reduce the reliance on cars'.

 About 12 Ballina council candidates, both mayoral and councillor, were at the forum which showed a real willingness to get better informed and active on this issue. The current Ballina council has signed up to the Stern Recommendations which has committed the Ballina Shire to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2020 based on 1990 levels', to achieve this is going to require direction and leadership from council, and it will be up to the incoming council, which i hope to be a part of, to put in place the systems and infrastructure to make this ambitous target a reality, Mr Johnson told the crowd.

John Kaye MLC gave an impassioned speech about the role of local government and the importance of keeping the electricity industry in government hands, 'as soon as you hand this utility over to an organisation that is only interested in making a profit, the incentive to reduce energy use and use renewable energy is lost’