Our journey
What council has achieved in the past in energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable transport or broader sustainability
In 2016 Brighton Council’s Works Depot building was fitted with 120 photovoltaic panels with a combined peak output of 30kW. Council also had an energy audit prepared in 2016 for the main Council chambers building which identified up to $14K worth of savings per annum. Council have begun implementing the recommendations, which include installing heat pumps, replacing lights with LED, improved insulation and solar installations.
Council has recently installed new bicycle lanes and wider footpaths as part of its streetscape upgrades of Brighton township and has begun upgrades on the walking trail and pedestrian network between the suburbs of Bridgewater and Gagebrook/Herdsman’s Cove to encourage sustainable transport options and improve mobility.
There is a Home Energy Audit Toolkit (HEAT) available for residents to borrow free of charge to measure the energy efficiency of specific home appliances.
Council has participated in the Southern Tasmanian Councils Authority’s Regional Climate Change Initiative since 2011. Recently, participating Council’s have partnered with Sustainable Living Tasmania and contributed funds for a Home Energy Bulk Buy program aimed at reducing installation costs for energy efficiency products such as heat pumps, solar installations, insulation etc for residents.
What council hopes to achieve in the future in energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable transport or broader sustainability
Council hopes to achieve improvements in energy efficiency and greenhouse emissions within its own operations and to communicate our achievements to the wider community and to be seen as a leader in this space. As our knowledge and capacity in this area grows we hope to be able to assist the community to implement their own energy efficiency measures to reduce the cost of power bills. In the longer term, Council hope to be able to be involved in the provision of small to medium scale renewable energy projects such as wind and solar farms.
What council hopes to gain from being a member of the Cities Power Partnership
As a council area that is part urban fringe in the Greater Hobart area and part rural hub for the Southern Midlands and Coal River Valley areas Brighton Council hopes to be a leader in sustainability in the region and the State. Council staff are passionate about energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse emissions, but being small Council lacks a dedicated officer in this space. Through our pledges and the resources and knowledge sharing offered through the Cities Power Partnership, Council sees this partnership as an opportunity to focus our limited resources on achieving sustainable outcomes across our operations and community.