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The Eurobodalla Shire Council expects to source 100 per cent of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030 and slash its energy emissions 80 per cent by 2030.
That’s the aim of an ambitious Emissions Reduction Plan adopted at Tuesday’s council meeting.
The plan outlines 21 new actions that will be addressed over the next four years, including priorities like a large scale solar farm, battery storage opportunities and reducing landfill methane emissions.
The council’s acting director of Planning and Sustainability Deb Lenson said it was important the council took a responsible and focussed approach to reducing emissions.
“This plan is about managing the financial costs related to council’s emissions, from operating the local water and sewer services, the landfills, the community pools and buildings, to the fuel related to maintaining the local roads,” Ms Lenson said.
“Critically, it’s about saving money by reducing those costs and doing the right thing for the environment.”
The draft plan attracted 27 submissions from the community and overwhelmingly supported the council’s ongoing emissions reduction activities.
Climate Council of Australia was among those who made a submission, acknowledging the council’s leadership in the field with an invitation to partner with other leading councils in the new Cities Power Partnership program.
Representatives from Eurobodalla 350.org and South Coast Health and Sustainability Alliance attended the Council meeting and spoke in favour of the plan.
Ms Lenson said the Emissions Reduction Plan builds on the achievements made under the previous Greenhouse Action Plans.
“We are on track to meet our target of a 25 per cent reduction in emissions by 2020,” Ms Lenson said.
“There are a number of exciting opportunities we will be investigating in the new plan such as battery storage, biogas energy and electric vehicles.
“Combined with rapid improvements in technology and reductions in the cost of deployment, there is great potential to make further reductions to energy costs and emissions. This plan positions us well to capitalise on emerging opportunities.”
