Kiama Council has unveiled a range of projects to help meet our goal of net zero emissions by 2031.
Director Environmental Services Jessica Rippon said the projects, scheduled to start in 2022-2023 were a major step forward in Council’s Corporate Emissions Reduction Plan (CERP).
They include securing a long term supply of renewable power, completing the upgrade of street lighting to energy-efficient LEDs, exploring the option of photovoltaic and battery storage for the Leisure Centre, The Pavilion and Community Recycling Centre (CRC) at Minnamurra, as well as an electric vehicle charging facility for the CRC.
“It’s exciting to be able to unveil these projects which are a mix of ‘quick wins’ where we can realise the benefits in the short term and others that involve doing some ground work to determine the feasibility of things such as battery storage at our larger facilities,” Ms Rippon said.
“For example, our existing three-year electricity supply agreement ends soon, so we’re looking at a 7 to 12-year deal to procure cheaper renewable energy, starting as soon as January 2023.”
“Given electricity consumption represents 50% of Council’s emissions, that’s going to be a big step towards our Net Zero goals, especially our interim target of having at least half our electricity provided from renewable sources by 2025.”
Ms Rippon said Kiama was teaming up with Shoalhaven and Shellharbour councils for the tender to further reduce costs.
Kiama Council is also able to buy renewable energy for smaller facilities from the recently-contracted NSW Government supplier.
Another quick win is upgrading all street lights to energy efficient LEDs, in partnership with Endeavour Energy.
This involves upgrading the remaining 951 non-LED lights, starting this April, reducing Council’s carbon footprint by 310 tonnes a year, and saving $48,000 a year overall.
Ms Rippon said initiatives such as installing photovoltaic and battery storage at Council facilities such as The Pavilion, Leisure Centre and Community Recycling Centre had huge potential but needed further investigation.
“The Leisure Centre and Pavilion are the ideal sites to trial battery storage with the potential to actually make money in the long term, as well as reduce emissions.”
“For this to proceed we need to first engage a specialised consultant to undertake a feasibility analysis.”
“We also need to develop an Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (EVCI) policy; an important first step in providing these charging stations in our municipality.”
“This will guide the establishment, operation and management of EVCI on public land, outline the responsibilities of providers and Council and identify preferred locations within the municipality.”
Ms Rippon said preliminary sites are being considered based on criteria including existing electrical infrastructure, available parking spaces, lighting and proximity to amenities. These include sites located in Kiama, Gerringong and Jamberoo.
Another long-term project is a trial to evaluate electric waste collection trucks and other Council vehicles.
Currently 24% of Council emissions come from diesel used in our heavy vehicle fleet.
A photovoltaic and battery system at the Community Recycling Centre in Minnamurra would generate and store enough electricity to power the depot and charge electric fleet vehicles parked at the site.
The projects will be submitted to Council as part of budget preparations for 2022-2023.
