Baw Baw commits to zero emissions

A Baw Baw Shire staff member will provide two hours a week service to the Baw Baw zero emissions project.

A report to council said the Baw Baw Sustainability Network (BBSN) was partnering with Beyond Zero Emissions (BZE) to develop a plan to assess the feasibility of transitioning the Baw Baw municipality from stationary energy (electricity and gas) to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2027.

After considering a request from its advisory committee Environmental Voice, council agreed to provide up to two hours per week of officer in-kind time to support the project.

The three major objectives of the project are:

Preparing a report outlining the municipality’s baseline use of energy across domestic, commercial and industrial sectors;

Organising and hosting community engagement workshops; and Preparing the energy transition plan. “Development of an energy transition plan will identify the gap between the municipality’s current energy consumption and renewable energy generation and the ultimate needs and costs of transitioning the stationary energy sector to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2027,” officers said.

“Development of this energy transition plan will identify feasible opportunities to further transition our municipality to renewable energy in the future. The plan will also assist with the identification of new and potential job and business opportunities within our community.

“Increasing Baw Baw Shire’s proportion of renewable energy use in the future will contribute to further reductions in global carbon emissions,” the report said.

Council’s Environmental Voice advisory committee was briefed by the BBSN on the project. The committee resolved to present its recommendation for council to allocate inkind support to the project.

The project has been funded by The Lord Mayor’s Charitable Fund to the value of $16,000.

Provision of in-kind officer support for one to two hours a week is estimated to provide a monetary contribution of up to $3000 to the project over a six month period.

No community consultation has occurred as yet, although the project involves conducting two community engagement workshops. The first workshop will aim to gather local expertise which will contribute to the project and the second workshop will target the broader community about the project.

Cr Peter Kostos said council had already achieved great reductions in its emissions.

He said council staff had done extensive work in putting solar panels on council buildings to reduce its footprint.

He said council also had spent money on replacing street lights with LED lightning, which was another way of reducing emissions.

“Hopefully we can get further towards the 100 per cent mark,” he said.

Cr Darren Wallace said council needed to support this advisory committee.

He said renewable energy in the Latrobe Valley was a debatable subject.

“The thought of it is not for everyone. We have to give it a lot of thought,” he said.

Cr Michael Leaney said this project had $16,000 funding.

“I agree that the reality of 100 per cent may not be achievable but there is only one way to find out. We have no idea of our gas and electricity usage,” he said.

Cr Danny Goss spoke against the motion, while admitting it was not “politically correct to oppose it.”

Cr Goss said he was opposed to council resources being used for two hours a week on an issue that was the federal government’s responsibility.

“I was elected to spend ratepayers’ money wisely and this is not a wise use,” he said.

Mayor Joe Gauci said he believed the project warranted the time council was putting into it.

“For the sake of two hours in kind I think it’s worth it because we would spend more on a consultant,” he said.