Climate Summit for Local Government

Sept 6-8, 2023 | Melbourne

Murrindindi Shire Council's climate and sustainability commitments

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

  • Traditional Owners Taungurung and Wurundjeri People
  • Member since 2021
  • Population 14,887
feature_icon_3 / CO2 Emissions

Net Zero

council emissions by 2035

feature_icon_4 / People

Net Zero

community emissions by 2035

Our journey

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

Council has reduced its emissions by 10% since 2017, by installing more than 130kw of solar power on Council buildings, upgrading hundreds of street and office lights to LEDs, and other energy efficiency upgrades.

We have transitioned all of Council’s electricity accounts to 100% renewable energy in accepting an invitation to join the Victorian Energy Collaboration (VECO).

We supported our communities’ transition to solar, by running a Solar Bulk Buy Program, which saw 68 solar systems installed on private homes across Murrindindi Shire.

We have also installed two publicly available electric vehicle charging stations in Kinglake, and delivered a community education program on home composting to help divert organic waste from landfill.

We have carried out a climate change risk assessment on Council’s operations and services to determine the steps we need to take to adapt to a harsher climate.

More recently we took a Climate Change Pledge, outlining our commitment to taking action on climate change.

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

We are currently preparing our Climate Action Plan, which will outline actions that Council can take to reduce its emissions as an organisation, help our communities adapt to a harsher climate, and support community members, groups and businesses to move toward net-zero emissions by 2035.

We continue to advocate to state and federal governments on the importance of addressing local barriers to action, and to follow our lead by taking more ambitious action to protect our livelihoods and communities.

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

Council has reduced its emissions by 10% since 2017, by installing more than 130kw of solar power on Council buildings, upgrading hundreds of street and office lights to LEDs, and other energy efficiency upgrades.

We have transitioned all of Council’s electricity accounts to 100% renewable energy in accepting an invitation to join the Victorian Energy Collaboration (VECO).

We supported our communities’ transition to solar, by running a Solar Bulk Buy Program, which saw 68 solar systems installed on private homes across Murrindindi Shire.

We have also installed two publicly available electric vehicle charging stations in Kinglake, and delivered a community education program on home composting to help divert organic waste from landfill.

We have carried out a climate change risk assessment on Council’s operations and services to determine the steps we need to take to adapt to a harsher climate.

More recently we took a Climate Change Pledge, outlining our commitment to taking action on climate change.

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

We are currently preparing our Climate Action Plan, which will outline actions that Council can take to reduce its emissions as an organisation, help our communities adapt to a harsher climate, and support community members, groups and businesses to move toward net-zero emissions by 2035.

We continue to advocate to state and federal governments on the importance of addressing local barriers to action, and to follow our lead by taking more ambitious action to protect our livelihoods and communities.

What we hope to gain by being a member of the Cities Power Partnership
We chose to become a member of the Cities Power Partnership because we recognise the importance of being connected to a formalised network of local councils who are working to take action on climate change. The CPP can provide us with support and information to help us advance our goals.

We also see the benefit in promoting climate action to our community and business sectors and showcasing the important work that local councils are doing to mitigate the issue and support communities to take action.

We chose to become a member of the Cities Power Partnership because we recognise the importance of being connected to a formalised network of local councils who are working to take action on climate change. The CPP can provide us with support and information to help us advance our goals.

We also see the benefit in promoting climate action to our community and business sectors and showcasing the important work that local councils are doing to mitigate the issue and support communities to take action.

Pledges

Council has committed to the following Cities Power Partnership pledges:

Renewable energy
Install renewable energy (solar PV and battery storage) on council buildings.
Support local community renewable energy projects, and encourage investment in community energy.
Energy Efficiency
Adopt best practice energy efficiency measures across all council buildings, and support community facilities to adopt these measures.
Sustainable Transport
Ensure Council fleet purchases meet strict greenhouse gas emissions requirements and support the uptake of electric vehicles.
Work Together and Influence
Set city-level renewable energy or emissions reduction targets.

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