Bayside City Council’s Greenhouse Action Plan

Bayside City Council has completed Milestone Five of the Cities for Climate Protection Australia program by developing and adopting a Local Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reporting on implementation of the Plan.

The Action Plan outlines the strategies that will be employed for Bayside City Council to reach its greenhouse gas reduction goal of 20% by the year 2010 in both Council operations and in the community.

As the majority of greenhouse emissions in Bayside come from the burning of brown coal to generate electricity, reducing electricity consumption is the main focus of the Greenhouse Action Plan.  This includes measures to improve the energy efficiency of current Council buildings and public lighting, and to include energy efficient features in new projects, such as the Beaumaris Library redevelopment.

The Council has already taken action by purchasing 40 per cent of its electricity as accredited green power (electricity produced from renewable resources such as wind).  

Also in place, is a car fleet policy that favours LPG - fuelled and smaller engine cars. Council has also purchased a hybrid petrol-electric car, a Toyota Prius, which has proved extremely energy efficient.

Working with the Bayside community to reduce greenhouse emissions is a major component of the Local Action Plan’s focus.  Some of the projects described in the plan are Walking Buses, a Business Energy Analysis Service, and Green Plumbers. The Local Action Plan also includes five pages of information to help residents reduce greenhouse gas emissions at home.  That 55 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in Bayside come from vehicles and homes means that the choices of Bayside’s residents can make a difference in helping to achieve the 20% target.

Greenhouse reduction initiatives have substantial flow-on benefits for neighbourhoods. Simple actions such as reducing waste, choosing green power and reducing traffic congestion make a major contribution towards greenhouse gas reductions.