Climate Summit for Local Government

Sept 6-8, 2023 | Melbourne

Lismore City Council's climate and sustainability commitments

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

  • Traditional Owners Widjabul/Wiabul People
  • Member since 2021
  • Population 43,790
Feature_icon_1 / Renewable energy

100%

renewable energy for council by 2023

Feature_icon_2 / Solar Energy

100%

renewable energy for community by 2023

Our journey

Our Council is constantly seeking new and innovative ways to reduce our carbon footprint and we are making great strides with renewable energy, including the launch of two council/community solar farms this year. This is a model that can be used widely, and we want to share our knowledge and partner with others to see great ideas become reality.

We have an organisational target to self-generate all our electricity from renewable sources by 2023, and to achieve this we need to build a large-scale solar power plant in our Local Government Area. We have no doubts that embracing renewable energy is one of the most important steps in tackling climate change.

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

LCC has been working on a range of innovative sustainability initiatives for a number of years including biodiversity management, state-of-the-art waste management and our biggest organisational goal – to self-generate all electricity from renewable resources by 2023.

Our 100% renewable electricity goal continues Councils past work in energy efficiency and solar installations which has reduced our consumption and resulted in substantial financial savings and GHG emissions reduction. Our flagship project is Lismore Community Solar, a unique council/community partnership, the first of its kind in Australia, which has funded two 100kW solar farms at Councils high use sites. The first 100kW solar farm is up and running at our Sports Centre, the second, which was launched in January 2018, is at our Sewerage Treatment plant.

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

LCC’s future is guided by our Community’s vision of ‘Lismore as a Model of Sustainability’. We are well on the way to achieving our renewable energy goal and our future holds many more exciting and innovative actions including construction of the second of our unique Community funded solar farms, Australia’s largest floating solar farm at our sewerage treatment plant, as well as a large scale solar plant, LED streetlighting, and electric vehicle network across the region.

Why council joined the Cities Power Partnership

We joined the CPP program to be brought together with many other Councils who are leading in sustainability and also working towards a clean energy future. We are keen to share our successes and learn from others in a partnership which will ultimately encourage and inspire us all.

Pledges

Council has committed to the following Cities Power Partnership pledges:

Renewable energy
Install renewable energy (solar PV and battery storage) on council buildings.
Power council operations by renewable energy, and set targets to increase the level of renewable power for council operations over time.
Support local community renewable energy projects, and encourage investment in community energy.
Sustainable Transport
Ensure Council fleet purchases meet strict greenhouse gas emissions requirements and support the uptake of electric vehicles.
Work Together and Influence
Set up meetings and attend events to work with other cities on tackling climate change.

In the news

Media Release

Enough is enough: Flood affected mayors and councillors call for more support

24 Mar 2022
Thirty-one mayors and councillors from some of the most flood damaged regions have called on the government to do more to protect communities.
Media Release

Mayors and councillors stand together in climate call

04 Mar 2021
Seventeen mayors and councillors have called on the government to recognise the spiralling costs to communities from climate-fuelled extreme weather.
Media Release

Mayors commit to clean, local jobs

20 Oct 2020
Over forty mayors and councillors have released a joint statement committing to economic recovery solutions that create jobs and tackle climate change.

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