Mornington Peninsula Shire Council has voted to disassemble its climate emergency plan, following a contentious and, at times, chaotic meeting on Tuesday night that temporarily halted proceedings.

A packed public gallery watched as councillors debated the future of the shire’s climate initiatives. The motion, brought forward by Deputy Mayor Cr Paul Pingiaro, called for the dissolution of the current climate emergency framework and the implementation of a costing requirement for all future climate-related matters.

Cr Pingiaro strongly denied that the motion amounted to climate denial, framing the move as a push for greater transparency and accountability in council spending.

“This motion reaffirms our commitment to climate resilience at a local level,” he said. “It ensures our actions are locally focused, practical, measurable and accountable. This isn’t climate denial—it’s fiscal responsibility.”

He cited a comparative example of council allocating $1.5 million to its top community priority—footpaths—versus $10 million spent on climate programs, amounting to roughly 3 per cent of the shire’s annual budget.

“The days of blank cheques, duplication and cost shifting need to be over,” Cr Pingiaro added. “It’s time to refocus on credible, community-led action that delivers value—not virtue signalling.”

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The motion, which was flagged publicly on social media days before the vote, triggered a wave of mixed responses from local residents, advocacy groups and ratepayers.

In response to growing speculation, Mayor Anthony Marsh made a public comment on the post ahead of the meeting, rejecting claims that the council was abandoning its climate commitments altogether.

“There is a report on our climate spending being tabled on Tuesday and there has been a proposal to rein this in to ensure these initiatives are an appropriate use of ratepayer money and give a genuine return. To suggest it is seeking to end all involvement, commitment or spending in this space is false.” Mayor Marsh said.

The decision means all future climate-related proposals must now include detailed costings and clearly demonstrate a return on investment before being approved.