Baw Baw Shire Council

1. Baw Baw Shire Council A case study of one Council’s actions in response to climate change Mayor Ruth McGowan Women, Leadership and Climate Change National Forum 10 November 2009

2. West Gippsland • 40,000 people • 4000 km2 • We seek to lead behavioural change in our community by example

3. Local government must do what it can locally and advocate effectively to other levels of government Local government has a mandate to protect our citizens and to promote wellbeingThe buck starts with usIt’s called leadership

4. Our Commitment Council has a strong commitment to the environment which underpins much of our decision making and services Environment Management Plan 2008 - 2010. Addresses: Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Water, Waste and Biodiversity. Being reviewed We aim to be Carbon Neutral - reduce then offset remaining energy with carbon credits Drive behaviour Change – at both Council and Community levels Partnerships with: Waste Wise, ICLEI, Western Port Greenhouse Alliance, Ecobuy

5. Our Climate Change Actions • Rebates • Energy Efficient Council Offices & Services • Carbon Neutral Car Fleet • Sustainable Recreation Facilities • Innovative Recycling Programs • Community Programs

6. 1) Rebates Water Efficient Washing Machines - $100 Home Compost Bin - $40 (max) Pool Cover - $100 Solar Hot Water - $250 Solar Panels - $500 Rainwater Tanks - $300 to $600 • Since July 2008: • Over 100 rainwater tanks installed = 1 megalitre of capacity • Over 60 residents have installed solar PV systems • Over 580 residents have installed solar hot water systems (not new houses!) • Since March 2009, over 354, 4-star WELS rated washing machines

7. Solar Panels – Depot • 2) Energy Efficient Offices & Services • Rainwater Tanks to flush toilets • Buildings connected to solar panels • Greywater recycling to flush toilets • Fluorescent lights replaced • Timers in water boilers • Voltage reduction units • Green purchasing - Ecobuy • Sensor lights • Encourage staff behaviour changes - recycling, turn-off lights etc • Changes to heating/cooling • Energy efficient appliances • All office buildings use GreenPower • Reviewing public lighting Drouin Office Grey water recycling – Depot Public Lighting Yarragon Public Toilets

8. 3) Carbon Neutral Car Fleet • Carbon Neutral Fleet • Over 900 native trees planted each year • Installed Biodiesel (B20) at Council Depot Biodiesel Tank

9. 4) Sustainable Recreation Reserves • All pools have pool covers • Outdoor Pools with Heating is Solar Heating • Rainwater Tanks to top / fill swimming pools • Ovals & Reserves irrigated by tank water & reclaimed factory water • Heat pumps installed in footy change rooms • Installed water efficient shower heads

10. 5) Innovative Recycling Programs • Tube Terminator - Recycles globes containing mercury • Electronic-Waste Recycling – diverted from landfill & prevent ground water contamination • Silage Wrap Recycling • Drum Muster • ChemClear • Mobile muster – old mobile phones • ‘Detox Your Home’

11. 6) Community Programs • Education in Kindergartens – eg. rainwater tanks installed • On-Line Sustainability Guide & e-newsletter www.bawbawshire.vic.gov.au • GreenSmart Training for building and constructions business in the community • Community Sessions – Farmworld, Clean Up Australia Day, National Water Week • National Solar Schools Program • Elderly and disabled residents – reducing energy and water bills, efficient shower heads, rainwater tanks • Heatwave response and action plan

12. Award Winners Cities for Climate Change Protection – Milestone 5 - May 2009 Waste Wise Award – April 2009 – Silver Accreditation Regional Achievement & Community Awards - October 2008 Sustainability Award Smart Water Fund 2008

13. Most of these actions have happened over the past 3 years since I have had the privilege to be a local councillor who can drive the environmental agenda at my local council Staff and the community have responded enthusiastically to a change they were waiting for When you go back home, why not ask ‘what is my local council doing to address climate change’?

14. For more information: Contact: Cr Ruth McGowan, Baw Baw Shire Email:ruth.mcgowan@bawbawshire.com.au www.ruthmcgowan.com Or Nicolette Davey, Environment Officer Ph: 5624 2570 Email: nicolette.davey@bawbawshire.vic.gov.au Visit the environment webpage at: www.bawbawshire.vic.gov.au

15. ‘Change will not come if we wait for some otherperson or some other time. We are the ones we’vebeen waiting for. We are the change that we seek’ Barack Obama

16. Baw Baw Shire Council Vision Challenge the boundaries be the difference

17. Our focus is community education on water and energy conservation

18. Priority projects for Baw BAw • Water conservation and community education • Waste minimisation • Land and biodiversity – conservation management • Climate change adaption – focus on council’s own infrastructure and community behavioural change • Victorian Local Sustainability Accord, Baw Baw Shire Local Environmental Sustainability Priority Statement (2008)

19. Our community is engaged - Turning mobile phones into fence posts at Labertouche Primary School after the bushfires

20. Our councillors are committed to meeting the challenges of climate change

21. Our Staff have a passion; Raj and Nicolette

22. Kids are learning water doesn’t just come from a tap but from their tank at the kinder

23. Our environment is precious

24. Rural projects include: Free trees for rural residents and support for landcare

25. From Walhalla to Warragul – council infrastructure is going green Rain water tanks at Walhalla visitors’ toilets Heat pumps Western Park Oval, Warragul

26. Rainwater tanks and education at local kindergartens Warragul Erica Yarragon Longwarry Neerim South Drouin

27. Water from the pristine forests of Mt Baw Baw supplies 2/3rds of Melbourne's Water supply through the Thompson dam. You have probably drunk water courtesy of the Baw Baw shire today! That resource is worth protecting for the next generation

28. We installed Sun lizards at local kindergartens to reduce heating and cooling costs

29. And promote energy efficiency with local schools. Through the National Solar Schools Program we assisted all 33 schools in the shire to apply and implement

30. As a growing municipality we have applied ‘Active by design’ and ‘Water-sensitive urban design’ guidelines for all new residential sub divisions Our population is predicted to double by 2050

31. Council Rebates are highly popular with ratepayers

32. We work in partnership with our community - Drouin Anglican Church

33. we aim to lead by obvious examples

34. And install highly visual projects such as at the Drouin public library (5kw PV system)

35. The Baw Baw Sustainability network is a community action group which started early last year. It has grown from a handful of members to more than 200 in less than 2 years with the aim of “generating ideas, energy, know how and practical action to create a sustainable world for our children and grandchildren”.

36. Climate change becomes personal - February bushfires, defending my home

37. What drives me is to create a better future for my children and their generation

38. As women; mothers; community leaders; we can take a vital role in local leadership for climate change. Right here, right now …… like never before, the saying “think locally act globally” is resonating with power.

39. We are the people we've been waiting for. There is no-one else coming. There is nowhere else for them to come from. There is no-one better than this, we are the people and therefore it's time for us to get to work on the task of building a new world (Former head of GreenPeace, activist, international public speaker, and consultant to business, Paul Gilding)