CITIES APPEAL:

Inner West, NSW

The ICAN Cities Appeal was endorsed unanimously by the Inner West Council on 13 November 2018.

MOTION

 

Motion moved by Cr Louise Steer and seconded by Cr Sam Iskandar.

THAT:

1.   Council congratulates ICAN on its historic achievement of winning the Nobel Peace Prize and its valuable contribution toward global nuclear disarmament;

2.   Council endorses the ICAN Cities Appeal which states that: “Our city is deeply concerned about the grave threat that nuclear weapons pose to communities throughout the world. We firmly believe that our residents have the right to live in a world free from this threat. Any use of nuclear weapons, whether deliberate or accidental, would have catastrophic, far-reaching and long-lasting consequences for people and the environment. Therefore, we warmly welcome the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons by the United Nations in 2018, and we call on our national government to sign and ratify it without delay.”;

3.   The Mayor writes on behalf of Inner West Council to the Foreign Affairs Minister calling for the Australian government to sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons on behalf of the Australian people; and

4.   Council:

a)   Review its investment policy to ascertain whether it invests in any financial institution that support the production of nuclear weapons with a view to divesting any such investments; and

b)    Report to councillors on the outcome of the review within 2 months of this motion.

Background

Nuclear weapons cause massive environmental destruction and their effects on human and animal health, by causing genetic mutations, lasts for generations. These effects include cancer and severe birth defects. There is ample scientific research that confirms the ongoing detriment caused by nuclear weapons.

Before amalgamation, the former councils of Marrickville, Leichhardt and Ashfield declared their council areas to be nuclear free zones and that policy continues for Inner West Council.

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), established in Australia in 2007, was awarded the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for its ground-breaking efforts to achieve a global treaty for the prohibition of nuclear weapons.

On 7 July 2017, 122 nations voted to adopt the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (“the Treaty”).

At this time the Treaty has been signed by 69 nations and ratified by 19 nations. Once ratified by 50 nations, it will enter into force.

While the Australian Government supports the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons, it has not yet signed or ratified the Treaty.

ICAN has launched the Cities Appeal, a campaign for towns and cities to voice their concern for the consequences of nuclear weapons and endorse the Treaty.

 

FURTHER ACTION:

2020: Australian Local Government Association

The Inner West Council submitted a motion in support of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons to the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA)  for discussion at the 2020 National General Assembly.

In August 2020, after receiving submissions from local councils across the nation, the Australian Local Government Association board wrote to the Senator the Hon. Marise Payne Minister for Foreign Affairs with a message: Councils urge the Australian Government to sign and ratify the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

2025: Inner West commemorates 80th anniversaries of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

On Tuesday June 17th, 2025 Inner West City Council (NSW) unianimously passed a commemorative motion, prepared and submitted by Councillor Oliva Barlow, which acknowedged the 80th anniversaries of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and reaffirmed its support for the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

The motion below was moved by Councillor Mat Howard and seconded by Councillor Oliva Barlow:

  1. That Council commemorates the 80th anniversaries of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 8 August 1945, and honours the memory of more than 210, 000 people who perished as a result of these attacks. We pay tribute to the Hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) and Hibakunisei (second-generation survivors), and acknowledge the enduring impacts of nuclear weapons on human lives, health and the environment.
  2. That Council affirms that nuclear weapons continue to pose an unacceptable threat to humanity and our shared environment, and expresses deep concern about the catastrophic humanitarian and ecological consequences of any use of nuclear weapons, whether by design, accident or miscalculation.
  3. That Council reiterates that all people, including those in the Inner West, have the right to live in a world free from the threat of nuclear annihilation and supports efforts to educate and engage younger generations about peace, disarmament and global cooperation.
  4. That Council notes that the Inner West Council endorsed ICAN’s Cities Appeal, a global initiative for cities, towns and local governments to show support for the TPNW, in 2018 and calls again on the Australian Government to sign and ratify the Treaty without delay.
  5. That as a community committed to peace, Council will explore opportunities to raise awareness of this issue locally and explore opportunities to hold commemorative activities around Hiroshima and Nagasaki Day, including by engaging with local schools and community groups.

Carried unanimosly

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