Ballarat City Council will ensure its move to be carbon neutral by 2025 is financially sustainable for ratepayers and the municipality.
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Staff will investigate current programs, and state and federal grant opportunities, to help achieve the goal before it institutes large scale changes.
Council chief executive Justine Linley said the target had to be reached in a financially sustainable manner.
“It is not about reaching the target at all cost,” she said.
“There is no point putting council or the community under great stress to meet a target we do not know the cost of.
“We will look at things we should be doing first, then the big things next.”
Council voted to be carbon neutral by 2025 and move to 100 per cent renewable energy sources at its April 26 ordinary meeting.
A number of potential changes have already been identified.
This includes retro-fitting council buildings with energy saving products, such as motion censor lights, auditing council’s vehicle and plant fleet, auditing council’s 600 buildings and their use and considering LED lighting on streets.
Council already has a cycling action plan, tree canopy cover targets, green waste services and solar panel program for public buildings in place.
Ms Linley said all these programs and possible avenues to expand them would be looked at.
Councillors passed the carbon neutrality motion without a detailed report from staff being presented.
The motion, which was proposed by Cr Belinda Coates, was approved 6-3 following a debate among councillors.
Cr Coates said it was an opportunity to ramp up efforts and demonstrate a commitment to reducing costs and emissions.
“Larger projects like LED street lighting changeover will be a high priority because of the potential cost savings and emissions reduction benefits make them a no brainer,” she said.
“Changing all street lighting across Ballarat to LEDs would save approximately $8-9 million over 20 years.”
Ms Linley said there was no doubt the target was a big task, but it would be achievable for council.
“For a rural council the concentration of effort will take a lot,” she said.
“It would need to be look at in detail – that cost couldn’t be passed on and I wouldn’t be responsible to put the community where they can’t afford it.”