Sydney's plans for future development are in the direction of dense, transit-accessible neighborhoods instead of traditional sprawling suburbs. This development pattern is expected to save the city hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure, transport, health and greenhouse gases.

In February 2007, Marrickville (a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales) adopted the Oil Depletion Protocol, committing to an annual 3% reduction in the use of oil by the total operations of Marrickville Council.

In April 2008, the Darebin City Council received a report on the implication for Council of Global Peak Oil that it had commissioned in July 2007. They resolved to continue the city's existing programs that enhance the city's resilience in the face of peak oil and add to them emphasis on the energy issue, to advocate to state and federal government about peak oil, and to refer the development of an action plan to budget considerations.

Clover Moore, NSW MP and Lord Mayor of Sydney, Australia, spoke before the New South Wales Parliament about Peak Oil and the challenges it would pose to Australia and NSW. She also spoke about the related efforts of the Sustainable Sydney project.

A research paper produced for the Municipal Association of Victoria, Australia explores the energy uncertainty adaptation strategy of relocalization through case studies. The report also touches on ways in which local governments can encourage these efforts.

This research paper provides an overview of a range of critical issues relevant to the development of an oil vulnerability mitigation strategy and action plan, including: possible broad principles and approaches to manage the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding the timing and net impacts of peak oil on Queensland; projections of Queensland’s vulnerability to the potential impacts of peak oil, drawing on currently available data and modelling; and suggesting the further work required to evaluate and refine possible initiatives to reduce Queensland’s vulnerability to rising/more volatile oil prices and to the potential supply disruptions.

This paper is part of an ongoing process to develop an Oil Vulnerability Mitigation Strategy and Action Plan for Queensland, anticipated to be finalized by mid next year. The paper is an information document that is not government policy. This paper is the first step in developing policy options for inclusion in the Oil Vulnerability Mitigation Strategy and Action Plan.

Gas prices in Sydney, Australia, are soaring - but they're not hurting everyone evenly. A recent study has found that residents of the western ring of suburbs are spending, on average, three times what their inner-city counterparts are spending on fuel. Insufficient public transit infrastructure gives residents of these suburbs little option but to keep paying, at a cost to other parts of their lives and to the community.

The Brisbane (Australia) City Council's Climate Change and Energy Taskforce report, released on 12 March 2007, included 31 recommendations across eight strategy areas having to do with how this large, coastal, sub-tropical city can face the challenges of climate change and peak oil.

Making roads for people, rather than cars? That's the plan in Darebin, Australia. Darebin Council's new transport plan is the first in the Melbourne region to explicitly give priority to trams, pedestrians and cyclists on key roads. Changes in lights, lane arrangements and the like will change the relative attractiveness of the different modes of transport.