Change is local

The change I’ve seen has been driven by largely invisible, compassionate and humble leaders. It’s a pity they’re invisible, because, just like coronavirus, behaviour is contagious. If everyone could see their success, like I do every day, I think we’d see progress at the rate that’s needed. We’d have a pandemic of climate action. To that end, this article is the first in a series that will shine a light on the unsung work of the many people working to combat climate change in our community.

I’ll start on my home turf. When I’m not writing for Fleurieu Living Magazine, I work for City of Onkaparinga supporting our region to build resilience to climate change. In other words, I’m a bureaucrat, which it turns out is not a popular term. So, this is something of a confessional piece.

The prevailing narrative about inefficient and anti-innovation bureaucracies so uncomfortably (and hilariously) satirised in shows like Utopia, is only one small and bitter truth of working in government. It’s eclipsing a larger, better and sweeter truth about what our bureaucracies can achieve. COVID-19 has shown that when we adequately fund and expect the best from our bureaucrats and scientists,