Cities for Climate Protection Australia

Penrith City Council, New South Wales: Printer Rationalisation Project

Penrith City Council has demonstrated that rethinking printer set-up is a simple way to reduce Council’s operational energy use, long-term operating costs and associated greenhouse gas emissions.

Visit the Initiative of the Month page on the CCP Australia website to read the full story about this month's winner.

Does your council have the leading edge on greenhouse abatement?

If you think your council has implemented an innovative greenhouse initiative or project, or has perhaps created an innovative process for its implementation, you can complete the Case Study and Initiative of the Month Nomination form and return it to your CCP State or Territory Manager.

More than 50 small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have joined ICLEI Oceania's Energise Business project to date, with recruitment continuing.

Participating businesses have demonstrated their commitment to energy efficiency by collectively making an advance commitment to action of over $15,000.

Ararat Rural City, City of Kingston and City of Yarra are participating in Energise Busines, which offers local businesses a simple and virtually risk-free way to invest in energy efficiency measures.

After joining the project, SMEs receive an expert energy efficiency assessment and detailed recommendations. Businesses can then choose to implement the recommendations with a guarantee that a specified level of savings will be achieved.

Assessments have already been completed in Ararat and are in progress in Kingston and Yarra. Ararat businesses received their assessment reports and recommendations at the end of February.

See the Energise Business webpage for more information.

The pilot councils involved in the CCP Adaptation Initiative – Bayside City Council, Hornsby Shire Council, Thuringowa City Council, Townsville City Council, City of Sydney and Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale – have participated in a recent series of workshops.

These councils have been using a risk assessment process to guide their work, leading them through the identification, analysis and evaluation of the risks and opportunities associated with the projected impacts of climate change within their communities.

Acknowledging the complexity and uncertainty inherent in climate change scenarios, ICLEI Oceania has designed a multi-day workshop process to enhance both individual and council capacity for risk and opportunity management.

It has been a busy start to the year for those involved in sustainable public lighting in Australia.

Lake Macquarie City Council, New South Wales, was the first to trial LED floodlighting and new major sustainable public lighting trials have been announced in South East Queensland.

In South Australia a sustainable public lighting project has secured $60,000 in funding while a regional asset audit is underway thanks to an Accelerated Action Grant from the Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the the Arts.

New legislation may cut Victorian councils’ street lighting costs by $4 million and the March 2008 edition of Bright Sparks is now available for more Victorian news.

Internationally, five street lighting research projects are underway in London as well as a new street lighting research program in Toronto, Canada. Also in Canada, Welland, Ontario, is piloting LED technologies for main road applications. South of the border, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, has announced that it plans to convert all downtown street lights to LED.

For details of these news items and new information on emerging technologies, see the Sustainable Public Lighting Toolbox.

Adelaide City Council, an ICLEI member and participant in both our Water Campaign™ and Cities for Climate Protection programs, has launched the world’s first solar powered electric bus.

Tindo, which means sun in the indigenous language of the Kaurna people, has raised the international standard in environmentally sustainable commuter transport.

Tindo is the bus first in the world to be recharged using 100% solar energy, which is generated by a unique solar photovoltaic (PV) system installed on the roof of the new Adelaide Central Bus Station. The solar PV system will generate almost 70,000 kiloWatt hours of zero carbon emissions electricity each year, making it the largest grid-connected system in Adelaide.

With an operational range of 200 kilometres between charges under typical urban conditions, the air-conditioned solar electric bus is able to carry 42 passengers, with seating for 25 passengers, two wheelchair spaces and standing room for 15 passengers.

Five CCP councils from the greater Hobart region in Tasmania have received a $50,000 Accelerated Action Grant from the Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.

Hobart City Council, Brighton Council, Clarence City Council, Glenorchy City Council and Kingborough Council aim to produce the Hobart Integrated Regional Bicycle Network Plan.

The plan includes a regional on- and off-road cycling network, end of trip facilities and recreational destinations. The councils also intend to drive momentum within the community to plan and create the facilities identified in the regional plan.

This project will create a positive environment for an increase in cycling activity while decreasing car-dependence and thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to the anticipated environmental benefits there are also financial and health benefits associated with such a shift in transport behaviour, including:

• improved community health
• decreased medical costs for chronic conditions
• reduced expenditure on vehicle investment and maintenance
• reduced costs associated with congestion
• reduced expenditure on road expansion plans.

The councils’ comprehensive regional approach, taking into account key regional employment, recreation, and service nodes, and securing the participation of key business and industry stakeholders, will provide valuable insights and best practice guidelines for local governments around Australia seeking to improve their active transport networks.

The combined greater Hobart Councils hope to have a final draft plan available for public comment in March 2008.

Over 20 CCP Australia councils have already signed up to have their municipalities involved in this year's Earth Hour event.

Originating in Sydney in 2007, the Earth Hour campaign has now gained global attention.

As a result, on 8pm March 29 2008, millions of people in some of the world’s major capital cities will unite and switch off for Earth Hour.

CCP councils already signed up include Adelaide, Alexandrina, Ballina, Bankstown, Caboolture, Cairns, Douglas, Hornsby, Hunters Hill, Ipswich, Lane Cove, Manly, Maroochy, Melbourne, Mosman, Mount Alexander, Mount Barker, Murweh, Perth, Scenic Rim, Subiaco and Sydney.

See the Earth Hour website for more information.

CCP participant and ICLEI Member, the City of Melbourne, has been recognised at the 2007 Australian Engineering Excellence Awards.

The Council House 2 (CH2) building was awarded the 2007 Sir William Hudson Award for engineering excellence.

Producing only 13% of the emissions of the old council premises, CH2 also operates with greatly reduced utilities consumption, including an 85% reduction in electricity consumption, 87% reduction in gas consumption and a 72% reduction in water mains supply.

More information about the awards is available from the Engineers Australia website.