Overview

• Work Type/s:​ Contract, Part Time
• Classification/s:​ Sustainable transport, Environment and sustainability, Advocacy and campaigns Sector/s:​Not for Profit
• Location:​ Melbourne, Victoria

About Us

Friends of the Earth (FoE) Melbourne is a not-for-profit community-based organisation working for a socially equitable and environmentally sustainable future for more than 40 years. Friends of the Earth Melbourne is an anti-hierarchical organisation and a local member group of the national federation known as Friends of the Earth Australia, which in turn is the country member of Friends of the Earth International. The broader FoE International network has over 5,000 local branches across the globe and is the world's largest grassroots environmental network with over 2 million members and supporters around the world. FoE campaigns from the local to the global on today's most urgent environmental and social issues; challenging the current model of economic and corporate neoliberal globalisation, and promoting solutions to create environmentally sustainable and socially just societies.

This role is being partly funded by the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA). The PTUA is a non-profit volunteer organisation, representing passengers of all forms of public transport in Melbourne and Victoria. Founded in 1976 as the Train Travellers Association, the PTUA lobbies governments and public transport authorities in the interest of all users of public transport, works with other bodies and through the media to promote public transport and educate the community about the benefits of sustainable transport policies, and undertake research into transport policies which will improve services and make Melbourne and regional Victoria a better place to live. The PTUA is committed to a sustainable economy, a healthy ecology and an equitable society, in which Victorians can go anywhere, anytime, using a community-controlled public transport system that is convenient, efficient and safe.

About The Role

The Sustainable Cities Campaigner will work to build political power to influence key transport and planning policies. After the electricity sector, transport is the largest greenhouse gas emitter in Victoria, and it is essential that our state radically reduces emissions from transport. Making our transport system more focused on public transport, walking, cycling and building for proximity will also bring a range of social and public health benefits. The immediate goals for this campaign are:

Public Transport:

• Identify and demonstrate growing community support for the Melbourne Metro 2 (MM2) rail tunnel and increased frequency
• Put pressure on the Victorian government to ensure money is allocated for the MM2 business case in the 2021/ 2022 budget.

Road developments

• Develop campaign materials to highlight the injustices of the road lobby to put pressure on the Victorian government to move away from road developments and towards investment in public transport.

Dependent on funding, the Sustainable Cities Campaign will continue to build power up until the 2022 state election and beyond, so as to embed sustainable transport thinking into the new government.

Key Responsibilities

1. Work with FoE’s ‘Core Sustainable Cities Team’ of experienced volunteers to refine the transport component of our Sustainable Cities campaign strategy to include strategic and tactical responses to car-based infrastructure projects, and opportunities to improve public transport services such as the MM2.
2. Continue to build a decentralised organising model to unite Melbournians around a shared vision for a sustainable city, including:
   • communities affected by proposed road developments.
   • disaffected public transport users.
   • transport action groups.
   • community, residents and environmental groups who are supportive of sustainable and appropriate urban infill around transport corridors
3. Employ the above model to organise communities around the transport objectives of the Sustainable Cities campaign strategy. Key tasks would likely include:
   • Initiating community meetings and one-to-one relational meetings.
   • Identifying new and existing leaders and implementing strategies to deepen their engagement and grow their capacity.
   • Engaging a broad range of allies.
   • Running workshops and training.
4. Engage with local and national media, by:
   • Monitoring daily news and responding promptly to insert FoE’s Sustainable Cities messaging into the broader narrative.
   • Building relationships with key journalists.
5. Develop online content to build the profile of the Sustainable Cities campaign.
6. Work with Sustainable Cities volunteers, steering committee and FoE to secure funding for the position, including ongoing fundraising activities and meeting with major donors.
7. Engage with public consultation processes and develop material for policy development.
8. Organise and facilitate regular meetings to activate volunteers.

Accountability

The Sustainable Cities Coordinator reports to the steering committee composed of representatives from FoE and PTUA.

The worker will be supported on a day to day basis by the FoE campaigns coordinator.

Salary & Conditions

The campaign would be employed under the Friends of the Earth Melbourne workers agreement. Friends of the Earth Melbourne has a policy of wage equity and as such all workers are paid at the same hourly rate.

The current commencing pay rate for this position is $35.50 per hour, or $73,840.00 per annum, pro rata, plus superannuation and entitlements.

At 0.6 FTE this would be $44,304.00.

Hours of work

This is a 3 day a week position (0.6 EFT). At Friends of the Earth Melbourne we consider a working day to be 8 hours, with the option of flexi time within a working day.

Selection Criteria

Essential:

• Understanding of the campaign, advocacy and political landscape in Australia and Victoria in particular.
• Experience in delivery of issues-based advocacy campaigns.
• Experience in campaign directed community organising.
• An understanding of decentralised organising models.
• Excellent writing skills.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team
• Strong skills in creation of digital content across a broad range of online platforms.
• Excellent research skills and familiarity with policy development processes.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of urban planning and/or world's best sustainable urban transport planning practice.
• Proficiency with using digital advocacy campaign platforms and resources, preferably Nation Builder.
• Ability to attend nighttime and weekend meetings.

For any further information please contact Claudia Gallois via email: [email protected] using the subject line: Sustainable Cities Campaigner enquiry via EthicalJobs.

A position description is attached.