News
Australia’s most sustainable towns and cities
There are so many groundbreaking clean energy projects happening around the country that we just had to single out a few and sing their praises! In the face of federal government inaction on climate change, cities and towns of all shapes and sizes are taking matters...
Newcastle says Summerhill solar farm will save it millions
WHEN Newcastle City Council announced its Summerhill solar array, I initially wondered whether it was core business for a council to operate a power station, whether it was solar or not. I knew that household solar panels were financially viable, meaning that larger...
Opinion: Funding shows faith in city’s smart vision
Newcastle City Council’s smart city strategy has taken another step forward with $5million in federal funding to help deploy digital technology to make life easier in our rapidly growing city. Friday’s announcement by the Assistant Minister for Cities, Angus...Newcastle wins $4.9m in smart transport funds
NEWCASTLE will claim more than $4.9 million in federal funds as part of its work to become a smart city. The Smart Cities and Suburbs funding, announced as part of a $28 million suite of grants on Friday, is one of 52 projects spread across the country that will...
Get on board – new report on local government transport solutions
The Climate Council recently published a report on transport pollution, Waiting for the Green Light: Transport Solutions to Climate Change. From the many findings and solutions, one thing is clear: Australia must make changes if it is to keep up with the rest of the...
Australia’s councils can drive down transport pollution: new report
Australia’s local councils can drive down transport pollution that is causing worsening climate change, according to a new report from the Climate Council’s Cities Power Partnership. The new report, Waiting for the Green Light: Sustainable Transport Solutions...
New lights to give Newcastle council a $240,000 power bill cut
MORE than 5000 street lights in Newcastle will be replaced with LEDs, Newcastle City Council has announced. The move, designed to cut the council’s energy spend, will replace 5312 sodium and vapour lights in residential areas with the light-emitting diodes. They are...
Swan solar panels save money
IN just six weeks, the City of Swan says it has cut more than $4000 from its energy bill and reduced its CO2 emissions as a result of new rooftop solar panel systems across seven facilities. City of Swan Mayor David Lucas said with a total solar generation capacity of...
Parkes is the King of Renewables!
Welcome to fabulous Parkes, NSW, where each year, thousands of Elvis fans flock to commemorate The King’s birthday with hundreds of tribute concerts, parades and competitions.As if building up a reputation as the country’s top location for Elvis impersonation isn’t...
Why Newcastle is taking the lead on climate change
Jeremy Bath, CEO of the City of Newcastle, talks about why his city is taking the lead on climate change. There is a huge amount that can be done at local government level to tackle climate change. From transport through to urban planning, councils have the power to...
How a rural community beat big power bills
Carole Hammond, Sustainability Officer for Strathbogie Shire Council, talks about the wildly successful Bogie Bulk Buy. Famous for Ned Kelly and Black Caviar, Strathbogie Shire in north-eastern Victoria is now becoming celebrated for something not commonly associated...
Tackling climate change is a community effort
Cr Mark Honey, Mayor of Kiama, looks at how councils can support their community to tackle climate change together. As a fifth-generation dairy farmer, my family has weathered many changes over the years. Climate change is certainly creating a challenge. The dairy...
Building a climate resilient community
Amanda Lawrence, Local Emergency Management Officer at Wingecarribee Shire Council, talks about how her council is helping elderly residents to prepare for climate change. Climate change will affect almost every aspect of our daily lives, from higher temperatures and...
Regional cooperation will drive electric car uptake
Professor Will Steffen talks about the need for visionary urban transport policy to drive down car pollution. Australians love our cars – and we love driving them. But this love affair with petrol-driven transport is taking a toll on our climate. Australia-wide,...
Business and renewables are a winning combination
Cr Bryan Payne, Mayor of Mornington Peninsula Shire, talks about his council’s work to help local businesses ramp up renewable energy. Australian business and renewable energy are a winning combination. Almost half of all major businesses in Australia are...How one little shire beat big electricity bills
You shouldn’t have to choose between turning on your heater or paying your power bill. For many of the residents of Strathbogie, this was a very real and difficult decision they were making every day. Power bills were escalating, with people freezing in their homes in...
US REPUBLICAN RENEWABLES LEADER SET TO INSPIRE AUSTRALIA
THE REPUBLICAN MAYOR WHO TRANSFORMED his struggling Californian city into the “solar capital of the universe” has just been confirmed to visit Australia to inspire local councils to join the global renewable energy revolution. Mayor R. Rex Parris of Lancaster will...