SUSTAINABILITY SNAPSHOT
2013/14
CONTENTS
Executive Summary
Introduction
1. Environmental Commitment and Reporting
2. Energy Conservation
3. Integrated Water Management
4. Waste Management and Minimisation
5. Sustainable Purchasing and Product Use
6. Biodiversity
7. Environmental Education
Executive Summary
The City of Stonnington Sustainability Snapshot provides
an annual update of progress being made by Council and the community to improve local environmental conditions.
The report focuses on the seven environmental priority areas identified in Council’s Sustainable Environment Strategy 2013–17, which are: environmental commitment and reporting, energy
conservation, integrated water management, waste management and minimisation, sustainable purchasing and product use, biodiversity and environmental education.
Departments from across Council contribute to the delivery of the Strategy in addressing these
key local issues. Significant progress has been made to date through both Council operational improvements and broader community outreach activities.
Key actions achieved in 2013/14 include:
• The commencement of Council’s Sustainability Outreach Program, an initiative dedicated
to supporting residents and businesses to implement sustainable practices including home
composting, household energy efficiency, community gardening and e-waste (electronic) recycling.
• The incorporation of Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) features in the redevelopment
of the TH King Pavilion (now the Stonnington Environmental Education and Design (SEED) Centre)
to reduce resource consumption and for use as a community educational space.
• Adoption by Council of an Environmentally Sustainable Development (ESD) local planning policy requiring developers to include ESD considerations within their planning applications. The policy is a proposed amendment to the Stonnington Planning Scheme and has been endorsed by a Panel and Ministerial Advisory Committee. It is currently awaiting final endorsement by the Minister for Planning.
• The incorporation of the Water Sensitive Urban Design Policy into the Stonnington Planning
Scheme to improve the City’s water quality by requiring building developers to implement
measures to treat stormwater onsite.
• Ongoing investment in energy efficiency infrastructure upgrades at Council’s high energy
use buildings and facilities (through Council’s Energy Efficiency Implementation Program).
This has reduced Council’s energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions
despite the provision of expanded services to meet community needs.
• The introduction of improved waste and recycling facilities in Council offices to improve staff
waste disposal practices and increase Council’s diversion of recycling and food waste from landfill.
• The continued enhancement of local biodiversity and waterway health along the Yarra River
through the implementation of Stage Two of the Yarra River Biodiversity Linkages Project.
Works this year included vast indigenous revegetation and widening of the cycle path.
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the annual City of Stonnington Sustainability Snapshot!
Creating a healthy and sustainable City where natural and urban environments are enjoyed and protected is a priority of Council.
Environment is one of four pillars in the Council Plan 2013–2017. The Environment Strategies include:
• Support the shift towards the use of sustainable transport options.
• Increase the amount of open space and improve and balance the use of existing spaces through greening of streets and other initiatives including green roofs and walls.
• Demonstrate waste minimisation and the efficient use of water and energy, through the implementation of innovative and best practice initiatives.
• Initiate behavioural change within the community to adopt sustainable practices.
• Manage, strengthen and develop local biodiversity and protect and increase flora and fauna.
• Support Council and the community to respond to, mitigate and adapt to climate change.
• Improve Council’s own environmental performance and practices through a whole of Council commitment.
The Sustainable Environment Strategy 2013–2017 embodies many of these strategies which flow on to the Sustainability Snapshot.
Addressing the range of factors that impact on the environment will create not only a healthier community for our present generations, but a sustainable environment for future generations to also enjoy.
This report provides an annual update of progress being made by Council and the community in influencing key environmental issues as identified in Council’s Sustainable Environment Strategy 2013–2017.
The Sustainable Environment Strategy is the driver of environmental planning, monitoring and improvement for the City of Stonnington. It is a Council-wide strategy with the overall aim of protecting and restoring the environment in Stonnington.
This report is based on the seven environmental themes of the Sustainable Environment Strategy, including; environmental commitment and reporting, energy conservation, integrated water management, waste management and minimisation, sustainable purchasing and product use, biodiversity and environmental education.
Reporting on each theme includes; a summary of the key issues and opportunities, the goals and objectives for improvement, key actions achieved over the previous 12 months, performance highlights and the focus for activity over the next 12 months.
In particular, the report shows how the City of Stonnington, with support from local organisations, groups, residents and schools, is working to improve environmental conditions in the City of Stonnington for the long term benefit and enjoyment of all. This is demonstrated through presentation of measurable data that can be monitored for changes over time.The initiatives discussed in this report provide a direct benefit to the community, directly involve the community or relate to Council’s organisational activities which provide an indirect community benefit – or a combination of these. The general impact of the environmental themes discussed in this report can be summarised as:
impact of the environmental themes to the community
1. Environmental Commitment and Reporting
Operational Improvement (indirect benefit)
2. Energy Conservation
Operational Improvement (indirect benefit)
3. Integrated Water Management
Operational Improvement (indirect benefit) and Direct Community Benefit
4. Waste Management and Minimisation
Operational Improvement (indirect benefit), Direct Community Involvement and Direct Community Benefit
5. Sustainable Purchasing and Product Use
Operational Improvement (indirect benefit)
6. Biodiversity
Operational Improvement (indirect benefit)
7. Environmental Education
Direct Community Involvement and Direct Community Benefit
1.
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENT AND REPORTING
Through Council’s wide-ranging functions in planning and delivering facilities and services, in addition to its statutory planning responsibilities, there are significant opportunities to positively influence environmental outcomes both within the organisation and throughout the wider community.
Reporting is a key element of implementing Council’s commitment to environmental sustainability and much effort has gone into consolidating data collection processes to enable easier reporting.
The Sustainability Snapshot is the primary method for reporting on the activities implemented by Council in working towards achieving its commitment to improving environmental conditions in Stonnington and influencing a more sustainable community.
Council’s GOALS for environmental commitment and reporting
• To create an organisation wide commitment to environmental sustainability which is evident across the delivery of all Council services and functions.
• To support staff participation in environmental initiatives.
• To publicly report on the environmental performance of Council in achieving its environmental sustainability goals each year and across the life of the Sustainable Environment Strategy 2013–2017.
OBJECTIVES
• To raise awareness of environmental issues and increase staff participation in initiatives aimed at improving Council’s organisational systems, policies and processes to improve sustainability and reduce its impact on the environment.
• To regularly collect and manage data for the purpose of monitoring Council’s environmental performance.
Actions achieved in 2013/14
The following actions demonstrating Council’s environmental commitment were achieved in 2013/14:
• Implemented office-based sustainability initiatives through the staff Green Team to encourage staff to think and act sustainably and reduce resource use at Council facilities (please see Performance section).
• Further improved Council’s environmental data management to ensure more specific measurement and monitoring of Council’s environmental performance.
• Continued to inform residents and Council staff of key local environmental issues through external publications including Council’s Sustainability Snapshot 2012/13 and Annual Report, and other internal publications.
Performance
Staff Green Team Achievements
Council’s staff Green Team has been operating for over 12 months to promote sustainable behaviour among staff and reduce resource use at Council facilities.
A focus for the Green Team this year has been improving staff waste and recycling facilities and practices to divert more waste from landfill (please see Waste Management and Minimisation section).
The Green Team also developed a Green Stationery Guide for staff which provides environmentally friendly alternatives for commonly used stationery items (please see Sustainable Purchasing and Product Use section).
A focus for the Green Team in 2014/2015 will be a ‘Switch Off’ campaign to reduce energy use at
Council buildings and facilities. This will complement Council’s existing investment in energy saving infrastructure at high energy use sites.
Focus for 2014/15
Over the coming year, the focus will be on the following actions for implementing and reporting Council’s environmental commitment.
• To continue to promote sustainable office practices through the delivery of the staff Green Team 2014/15 Action Plan (including a ‘Switch Off’ energy campaign and the trial of an advanced kitchen composting system).
• To further incorporate environmental education into staff training and development programs.
• To continue to report on Council’s environmental performance against the goals of the Sustainable Environment Strategy 2013–17 both internally and to the community.
2. ENERGY CONSERVATION
The need to minimise social, economic and environmental impacts associated with climate
change is becoming a greater priority for governments around the world. This requires more efficient use of energy resources, a greater use of renewable energy and a focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The City of Stonnington has long been committed to energy conservation, however, as the population continues to grow, it is presented with the challenge of providing expanded facilities and services whilst aiming to reduce its corporate greenhouse gas emissions.
The main areas of Council’s energy consumption are in buildings and facilities (due to heating, cooling and lighting); lighting streets, and running a fleet of vehicles and other machinery. Council will need to closely monitor its consumption of electricity, gas and fuel to ensure that targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions are achieved, despite the provision of additional buildings and equipment to service the demands of the increasing population.
Strategies for achieving this lie in making existing facilities and infrastructure more efficient and achieving efficiencies in the development of new infrastructure. In particular, the focus has been on buildings, facilities and street lighting.
Council’s GOALS for energy conservation
• To reduce Council’s corporate energy consumption and corresponding greenhouse gas emissions.
• Support the community to reduce energy consumption and corresponding greenhouse
gas emissions.
Objectives
• To reduce corporate greenhouse gas emissions by 20% below 2005 level by 2015 and 30% by 2020.
• To maintain ongoing investment in the Energy Efficiency Implementation Program at a level of $500,000 per annum.
• To investigate additional energy efficiency opportunities for Council buildings and facilities.
• To maintain ongoing investment in street lighting upgrades through the Energy Efficient Streetlight Program at a minimum of $100,000 per annum, for complete upgrade by 2022–23.
• To develop a Council protocol to set energy performance standards for all new and upgraded Council buildings and facilities.
• To continue to identify and, where possible, implement further opportunities to reduce fuel consumption of Council’s fleet.
• The inclusion of a local ESD policy in the Planning Scheme.
• Provide opportunities for the community to improve the energy efficiency of their homes and businesses.
• Increase local power generation for Council facilities through a range of clean energy technologies.
Actions achieved in 2013/14
The following actions to reduce corporate and community energy consumption were achieved in 2013/14:
Council actions:
• Continued delivery of the Energy Efficiency Implementation Program to reduce Council’s consumption of electricity, gas and fuel and associated greenhouse gas emissions.
This included the installation of two solar photovoltaic systems at Toorak Library
and Malvern Library.
• Developed a draft protocol to set energy performance standards for all new and upgraded Council buildings and facilities.
• Incorporated Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) features in the redevelopment of the TH King Pavilion (now the Stonnington Environmental Education and Design (SEED) Centre) to conserve energy.
• Upgraded a further 140 streetlights to energy efficient T5 lighting as part of Council’s Energy Efficiency Streetlight Program (bringing the total to 1,350 since 2011).
• Continued to purchase more fuel efficient/alternative fuel (e.g. LPG) light vehicles in Council’s vehicle fleet.
• Implemented an Ecodriver Program to train Council’s fleet drivers to modify their driving behaviour to improve fuel efficiency and reduce fuel expenditure and associated greenhouse gas emissions.
• Supported Council staff to utilise sustainable transport options for travel to, from and during work through the MYKI corporate
travel program and the Commuter Club.
Community outreach actions:
• Adoption by Council of an Environmentally Sustainable Development (ESD) local
planning policy requiring developers to include ESD considerations within their planning applications. The policy is a proposed amendment to the Stonnington Planning Scheme and has been endorsed by a Panel and Ministerial Advisory Committee. It is currently awaiting final endorsement by the Minister for Planning.
• Delivered energy efficiency workshops to residents and schools (please see Environmental Education section).
Performance
The following provides an overview of changesto Council’s consumption of electricity, gas and
fuel achieved through implementing the actions for 2013/14.
Electricity
Council’s electricity is consumed by its buildings and streetlights which generate the largest proportion of Council’s corporate greenhouse gas emissions.
In tracking Council’s electricity use at its buildings and facilities, it is evident that ongoing upgrades and additional use associated with the provision of improved services to the community have resulted in an increase in energy consumption since 2005/06.
An example demonstrating this in the graph below shows an increase from 2010/11 to 2011/12
which correlates with the reopening of the Harold Holt Swim Centre after its partial closure in the second half of 2010/11.
Over the past two years, Council has invested significant funds through its Energy Efficiency Implementation Program, spending $500,000 per annum to retrofit buildings with measures to reduce energy consumption.