BAYSIDE City Council will celebrate its part in reducing the impact of global warming on World Environment Day on Thursday 5 June 2008.

World Environment Day is the annual United Nations event to promote worldwide awareness of environmental issues and to encourage political action.

Bayside Environmental Advisory Group Chair, Councillor Michael Norris, said climate change was widely recognised as a major issue that required leadership and action from governments.

“Local government has a significant role in responding to climate change by helping the community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the possible impacts of climate change.

“We all need to reduce the amount of energy we use and Council’s Greenhouse Action Plan has a target to encourage the community to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent by 2010.

“Council is demonstrating leadership in tackling climate change through its own operations. Council has already met its 20 per cent reduction target for greenhouse emissions by 2010.

“We believe that much deeper cuts in greenhouse gas emissions are now required to manage the risks associated with climate change. Council will propose to set more ambitious targets that are in line with recent government targets and identify further actions to achieve those targets,” Cr Norris said. 

Here are a few actions that Council is taking to help combat climate change:

• Council’s Residential Energy Assessment Program (REAP): This program, offered free to Bayside residents, increases householders’ understanding of their home energy usage (gas and electricity). Trained community energy assessors assist residents to reduce their energy consumption (and energy bills) by 20 per cent. 

Householders commit to implementing two energy-reducing actions, such as draught sealing the home and changing to energy efficient light bulbs, which can reduce residents’ greenhouse gas emissions and save them money. The program also alerts residents to the range of government rebates and incentives that are available for improving residential energy efficiency.

• Energy efficiency audits have been conducted at three of Council’s buildings: Brighton library, Beaumaris library, and Sandringham child care centre. Council is now making changes to the buildings, e.g. installing energy-efficient light globes, and power-saving timers on photocopiers.   

Communication and education sessions with venue staff are being held to reinforce the importance of behaviour change and how staff actions can reduce the amount of energy consumed onsite.]

• Council is sponsoring a community Solar Challenge project that involves the installation of photovoltaic cells on a community facility in Bayside.

• A sustainable business program for local businesses is being developed. Working in conjunction with Village Green (a sustainability consultancy company), this program will see 40 businesses from Bayside working to reduce their in-house energy usage and to reduce their generation of waste. Involvement with the program will also have positive results for the businesses’ ‘bottom lines’.

• Council’s green waste collection service produces compost and mulch, which residents can purchase and put back on their gardens. This not only helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as it’s not going to landfill, it also helps retain water in the soil thereby reducing water usage.

To find out more about what Bayside City Council is doing to help the environment go to www.bayside.vic.gov.au/environment.htm

For more information on World Environment Day go to www.unep.org/wed/2008/english/