Inner West bans fossil ads and sponsoring

Who: Inner West Council, Australia

What: A motion to investigate how to ban fossil ads and sponsoring.

When: 13 September 2022

Inner West councilors asked staff to investigate implementing the restrictions on council property and moved to write to state and federal ministers to ask for bans in those jurisdictions as well.

Like Sydney Council, Inner West has determined to work across the local government sector about the issue of fossil fuel promotions.

The council will also write to State and Federal Ministers requesting restrictions on fossil fuel promotions.

Passed motion

That Council:

1.   Request the Mayor write to:
   1. the Federal Minister for Communications, the Hon. Michelle Rowland MP, to ask the Federal Government to pass national ethical advertising laws that restrict advertising of socially harmful products such as fossil fuels, fake natural therapies, shop signage for tobacconists and foreign government propaganda;
   2. the Minister for Digital Government and Minister for Customer Service, Victor Dominello MP requesting the NSW Government  pass ethical advertising laws; and
   3. State MPs covering the Inner West LGA seeking their support for same.
2.   Request the General Manager to:
   1. Investigate:
      1. implementing ethical advertising principles including restrictions on advertising for fossil fuels and other socially harmful products, to be further defined in a report back to Council, but which could include fake natural therapies, shop signage for tobacconists or foreign government propaganda, for any Council controlled signage or property; and
      2. updating the Sponsorships Policy to expand the list of organisations from which Council will not accept sponsorship to include a ban on accepting sponsorships from companies whose main business is the extraction or sale of coal, oil or gas, or sale of other socially harmful products.
   2. work with other councils, Local Government NSW and the Australian Local Government Association to encourage a consistent approach across local government to socially harmful advertising; and
   3. ask staff to undertake a review of Inner West Council policies or strategies that may allow for the promotion of socially harmful products.