Blue Mountains City Council
Is a Power Partner
1257 street lights to LEDs
Carbon Abatement Action Plan
Created a Carbon Revolving Reserve – $1.6 million
As a non-metropolitan council, we’re keen to join forces with other Cities Power Partnership councils to strengthen our climate response.
As we know, regional and rural areas are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and heightened bushfire risk is something we’re all too aware of in the Blue Mountains.
Being a part of the largest local government initiative on climate change action in the country puts Council in a strong position to accelerate emission reduction through its Carbon Abatement Action Plan.
Through the Cities Power Partnership, we can work closely with our neighbours to develop a strong, unified regional climate action plan.
Council has chosen the following 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.
energy efficiency
Roll out energy efficient lighting across the municipality.
sustainable transport
Encourage sustainable transport use such as public transport, walking and cycling through council transport planning and design.
work together and influence
Set up meetings and attend events to work with other cities on tackling climate change.
Blue Mountains City Council
Blue Mountains Council endorsed the Carbon Abatement Action Plan (CAAP) in 2017. The plan identifies projects within the business that demonstrate reduced carbon emissions, as well as reduced operational costs. The four year target plan for a reduction in Council’s carbon emissions was achieved in the first year of the CAAP. As a result, the 2022 target of 20% absolute emissions reduction has been replaced with a stretch target of 30%. It is funded by the Carbon Revolving Reserve (CRR) which provides an on-going source of investment.
Early in 2019 Blue Mountains Council declared a climate emergency. The projects identified in the CAAP will significantly help achieve Council’s carbon reduction targets and clearly demonstrates its commitment to reducing emissions. Current projects endorsed by the CAAP are:
- Replacement of a further 2,781 street lights with LEDs;
- Upgrade to high-efficiency lighting across all of Council’s assets;
- Installation of 289kW of roof top solar on council buildings; and
- Replacement of boiler with highly efficient condensing boiler at Council’s headquarters in Katoomba.
Additional internal projects identified by the CAAP are:
- Investigate and develop centralised data monitoring;
- Staff training;
- Organisational behaviour change initiatives;
- Expansion of energy audit program;
- Investigate off-site Power Purchase Agreement (PPA);
- Coordinate minimum energy standards for all new Council buildings; and
- Review barriers and opportunities around electric vehicles within fleet.