Our journey
What has council achieved in the past in energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable transport or broader sustainability
The City of Parramatta has adopted its Environmental Sustainability Strategy, which outlines our key environmental directions and priorities as our city grows, while meeting our bigger goal of building Australia’s Next Great City.
The City of Parramatta is the first local government in Australia to seek a Green Star – Communities rating for Parramatta Square, and is also the first local government to specify Green Star ratings for each building across an entire precinct.
Council has a long standing commitment to improve the efficiency of our buildings and assets. Council has installed 146kW rooftop solar systems and regularly undertakes energy efficiency upgrades on various Council owned buildings such as lighting, HVAC and power factor correction resulting in significant financial savings. Council also participated in Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Council’s ‘Light Years Ahead’ project, replacing over 1,114 mercury vapour street lamps with LED, saving an estimated 341 tonnes of CO2 annually.
Council is a part of the Our Energy Future program which is a free, energy advice service to help the local households reduce their power bills without compromising on comfort.
What does council hope to achieve in the future in energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable transport or broader sustainability
The Council will continue replacing an additional 5,970 mercury vapour street lamps with LED resulting in estimated reduction of 1824 tonnes of CO2 annually. The energy efficiency upgrades and rooftop solar installation will be expanded to cover all feasible sites. Council will be pursuing sustainable transport initiatives for the City including the Parramatta Light Rail.
In coming months, the Council will develop an implementation pathway to help achieve the goals set in the Environmental Sustainability Strategy.
What does Parramatta council hope to gain from being a member of the Cities Power Partnership
Parramatta is Sydney’s central CBD with over 235,000 residents. The Cities Power Partnership aligns with Council’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy and provides a platform to network and collaborate with other participating Councils across Australia. The Council also looks forward to sharing its learnings and experience across the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable transport.