CITIES APPEAL:

Merri-bek, VIC

The ICAN Cities Appeal was endorsed by the Merri-bek City Council on 12 December, 2018.

MOTION

 

Cr Abboud moved, Cr Bolton seconded –

That Council:

1.        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.

2.        Writes to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, calling for the government to sign and ratify the Treaty on behalf of the Australian people.

3.        Write to ICAN to inform them of Councils decision to join the ICAN cities appeal.

Carried

FURTHER ACTION

 

2020: Australian Local Government Association

Merri-Bek City 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.

2022: Renewed call for Australia to Join the TPNW

In November 2022, Merri-bek council renewed the city’s call for Australia to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

In a media post on November 11th, council stated:

Nuclear weapons pose a significant threat to our world. Merri-bek City Council is calling on the Australian Government to sign and ratify a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. This treaty is called the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

We are one of 43 Australian councils that support the treaty and call on the Australian Government to take this action.

We have also joined the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons’ Cities Appeal. The Cities Appeal includes cities and towns across the world in support of the treaty.

Our support for the treaty aligns with Council’s Human Rights Policy 2016-2026. The danger presented by nuclear weapons impacts on humanity, our right to life, international law, and sustainability.

The release was published online, here. 

2025: Merri-Bek commemorates 80th anniversaries of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

On Wednesday July 9th, 2025 Merri-Bek Council (VIC) unianimously passed a commemorative motion 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). 

Councillor Jay Iwasaki moved that Council:

  1. Acknowledges the 80th anniversaries of the US atomic bombings of the cities of
    Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6th and 9th, 1945. We honour the 210,000+
    victims of these attacks, and the Hibakusha and Hibaku Nisei who continue to live with
    the legacy of nuclear weapons.
  2. Notes 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.
  3. Notes that any use of nuclear weapons, whether deliberate or accidental, would have
    catastrophic, far‐reaching and long‐lasting consequences for people and the
    environment.
  4. Notes Council has previously joined the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear
    Weapons Cities Appeal, a global call from cities and towns in support of the UN Treaty
    on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and calls on our national government to sign
    and ratify it without delay.

Councillor Jay Iwasaki and Mayor Helen Davidson also shared a video celebrating the council’s commemorative motion and ongoing support of the ICAN Cities Appeal and the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

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