The City of Sydney this week voted unanimously to place The Sustainable Communities Plan on public exhibition.
It’s a move welcomed by consultant Michael Mobbs who has been lobbying hard to get the plan onto an official platform.
Mr Mobbs, who specialises in the design, construction and project management of sustainable food, water, energy and recycled water projects, was asked in 2010 to make a sustainability plan based on the suburb of Chippendale.
However, on completion, Mr Mobbs said the City of Sydney’s council officers took no interest “for unexplained reasons” in the plan and refused to take it to councillors for consideration.
Disappointed but undeterred Mr Mobbs then took the innovative step of placing it on the internet where it went viral via social media.
This week Mr Mobbs said it was “nice to get a win”.
“The aim now is to get it out as quickly as possible and prepare for a sustainable suburb,” he said.
“It could be a world-first, I believe it’s an-Australian first, I am not aware of anyone who has said they are going to make a sustainable suburb.”
Mr Mobbs said he was grateful to everyone who had pushed for the plan to be placed on exhibition by the City.
“It only happened through the hope, the initiative and the skill of young people reading the plan, becoming passionate and putting it on social media.”
A City of Sydney spokesperson said there had always been an intention to place The Sustainable Communities Plan on public exhibition.
The spokesman said the plan included Mr Mobbs’ consultancy work along with information gathered from City-run workshops and a community meeting in Chippendale.
