Climate Summit for Local Government

Sept 6-8, 2023 | Melbourne

Benalla Rural Council's climate and sustainability commitments

Benalla Rural Council is part of the Cities Power Partnership, Australia's largest network of councils leading the way to a sustainable future

  • Traditional Owners Pangerang, Taungurong and Yorta Yorta Aboriginal People
  • Member since 2018
  • Population 114,128

Our journey

What council has achieved in the past in energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable transport or broader sustainability

Under the Environment Strategy and Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan recent achievements include:

  • The installation of 35kW of solar PV on key local infrastructure
  • The addition of three hybrid vehicles to our fleet as a result of changes to our Motor Vehicle Fleet Management
  • Participation in the Goulburn Broken Greenhouse Alliance streetlight replacement project
  • Membership of the Council Alliance for a Sustainable Built Environment (CASBE)
  • Working with Beyond Zero Emissions and the Renewable Energy Benalla Community Group to develop a plan to transition to zero net energy use over the next ten years
  • Membership of the Goulburn Broken Greenhouse Alliance. As part of the Alliance, we have participated in many successful projects, including the Local Government Sustainability Training Program and the Climate Smart Agricultural Development project.

What council hopes to achieve in the future in energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable transport or broader sustainability?

The Council is committed to setting energy reduction targets and working with the community to achieve them, including through:

  • Water conservation and reuse
  • Energy production/conservation
  • Waste generation and recycling
  • Native vegetation conservation and management

What council hopes to gain from being a member of the CPP

CPP membership enables knowledge sharing and collaboration, providing economies of scale for our Rural City and accelerating our ability to achieve the objectives of our environment and climate change goals.

Pledges

Council has committed to the following Cities Power Partnership pledges:

Renewable energy
Install renewable energy (solar PV and battery storage) on council buildings.
Energy Efficiency
Adopt best practice energy efficiency measures across all council buildings, and support community facilities to adopt these measures.
Roll out energy efficient lighting across the municipality.
Work Together and Influence
Set city-level renewable energy or emissions reduction targets.
Support the local community to develop capacity and skills to tackle climate change.

In the news

News

CPP welcomes 31 new councils into the program

02 Oct 2018
The CPP is proud to welcome 31 new councils into the program, taking the network to over 100 councils representing almost 11 million Australians.

Join now and be part of the groundswell of local governments and communities across Australia tackling climate change.