Brimbank

Climate Emergency

Plan 2020-2025

Annual Report Card 3

1 July 2022 – 30 June 2023

2022-2023 was year three of the implementation of the

Brimbank Climate Emergency Plan 2020-2025 - Let’s

Co- Create Our Future (the Plan ). Year three of the Plan

saw new projects begin and ongoing projects continue

to deliver positive results, showing Brimbank’s continued

commitment to the Climate Emergency.

The Plan recognised Council’s responsibility to lead a socially

just, science-based, coordinated public policy response to

the crisis and sets a target of zero-net emissions for Council

operations by 2030, and by 2040 for the municipality. The

five themes for action under the Climate Emergency Plan

are: People Power, 100% Renewable, Resilient Rebuild,

Green and Cool and Circular Economy.

Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre opens its doors

Another big success was the opening of the Brimbank

Aquatic and Wellness Centre. This is a huge milestone for

Brimbank City Council and proof that it is possible for these

traditionally energy intensive council facilities to run off

100% renewable energy.

Compared to a conventional gas powered design, the all

electric and renewable energy powered centre is modelled

to avoid 1,192 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per

annum, approximately 17 per cent reduction of Council’s

overall annual greenhouse emissions.

Brimbank City Council’s emissions have traditionally

come largely from a combination of facility gas, vehicle

fuels and electricity use. Council has reduced corporate

greenhouse gas emissions by 78% over the last 10

years. We have achieved this largely by installing roof

top solar, energy efficiency upgrades and purchasing

100% renewable electricity via the Victorian Energy

Collaboration (VECO).

Facility Gas Use

Vehicle Fuels

Electricity Use

Indirect Emissions

25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0

Finacial Year

What evidence is there that Brimbank is moving towards 100% renewable energy by 2030

and is decarbonising to zero net emissions by 2040?

The Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre opened

its doors on 12 September 2022 as Australia’s first

100% renewable energy powered, zero greenhouse

gas emissions aquatic centre. The following features

enable the centre to run off all electric energy:

• Four pipe heat pump for simultaneous use in pool

and domestic water heating and space heating and

cooling throughout the centre.

• A 500kW onsite rooftop solar PV system, the

largest of any aquatic centre in Australia.

• A thermal energy storage system with a

capacity of 88,000L

• Remaining electricity needs for the centre

provided from wind farms in regional

Victoria via a long term contract with Red

Energy as part of VECO – the Victorian

Energy Collaboration.

The facility is 76% more efficient in energy use in

operation than a typical equivalent gas powered

facility. It is estimated that by being all-electric,

Council has saved over $353,000 over the first 10

months of operation. Modelling suggests that over

$2,100,000 will be saved over 5 years if current gas

price trends continue.

Since opening, Brimbank has been facilitating tours of

the centre and sharing information with councils and

aquatic centres across Victoria and NSW.

Brimbank Council was successful in receiving $500,000

in grant funding from the Federal Government for a

Community Battery to be installed in Sunshine. The

battery will be used to store energy generated from

local renewable energy sources. Stored energy will then

be dispatched for use when needed most.

To complement Council’s Street Lighting Project

completed last year, 160 decorative street lights have

been replaced with energy efficient LED. The new

lighting is set to avoid 21 tonnes of carbon dioxide

emissions per year.

Council’s Solar Pavilion program delivered three new

solar systems on Council owned sporting facilities

with a new 12.45kw system at McKenchnie Pavilion,

a 12.45kw system at Keilor Sports Club Pavilion and a

2.45kw system at Ainsworth Pavilion.

Council are moving ahead with degasification and have

conducted studies to prepare for the transition to all

electric at Sunshine West Community Centre and Keilor

Community Hub.

A feasibility study was completed for upgrading power

infrastructure at Sunshine Multideck Carpark and Keilor

Operations Centre to support the transition of Council’s

fleet to electric vehicles.

Through the Western Alliance for Greenhouse Action

(WAGA) Council made a submission to the federal

governments Fuel Efficiency Standard Consultation

paper with key recommendations advocating strong

standards that encourage zero emissions vehicle

update.

Also through WAGA, Council made a submission to the

federal governments proposed amendments to the

Safeguard Mechanism aimed at the largest emitters

in Australia. The submission advocated that the

mechanism drive genuine carbon emissions reductions

and not a reliance on offsets, as well as driving

increased market participation.

Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre

What evidence is there that the Brimbank community is more active in organising to respond

to the climate emergency locally and more broadly, and that people are able to access quality

education and other means to overcome barriers to sustainable living?

Brimbank City Council and the Western Alliance for Greenhouse Action partnered with renewable technology

experts Renew for the first time in 2023 to hold an online workshop series providing expert, independent

advice on sustainable solutions for to households in the West. The topics presented as part of the 100%

Renewable Brimbank program included all-electric homes, solar and batteries, energy efficiency, buying

green power, electric vehicles and more.

Antarctica: All To Lose photo exhibition by Lea

Kannar-Lichtenberger, was one of a number of

environmentally themed art exhibits held across

Brimbank in 22/23. It explored how contemporary

consumer culture through tourism is impacting the

remote location.

Council hosted over 50 environmental sustainability

related events over 22/23 with over 1000 people

attending. Events were hosted across Brimbank

including at libraries, Neighbourhood Houses, online

and in habitat and conservation reserves. They

included planting days, renewable energy expert topic

webinars and workshops on growing your own food

and avoiding food waste to name a few.

Five Energy Efficiency Kits and two Thermal Imaging

Camera Kits were made available in Brimbank Libraries

in 2023 for hire to help Brimbank residents make

improvements to their home energy efficiency.

Combined, the kits have been hired 25 times in total

since their launch in early 2023 with a steady ongoing

demand. These are set to help home owners and

renters alike save on energy bills and cut energy use.

Brimbank participated in the Heat Safe Spaces project

in which six Council facilities were assessed for

heatwave resilience to form the basis of a community

resilience project. Council was awarded $5,000

funding as part of the project, to be used to develop

cool packs for community members who access

Council facilities that are promoted as ‘cooler spaces’

during heat events.

Brimbank youth collaboratively developed public

messaging as part of the Youth Heatwave Awareness

Program last year. This year, the messages were used

during heat wave events and are now an ongoing

community engagement tool as part of Council’s

Municipal Heatwave Plan.

Brimbank participated in a nationwide Electrify

Everything campaign to help promote the benefits of

switching to all-electric energy in the household and

made a Go Electric Plan available a part of the 100%

Renewable Brimbank program.

Antarctica: All To Lose photo exhibition by

Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger

Heat wave action

A key theme explored this year is our response to heat wave emergencies. This includes actions we can take

to improve community resilience by keeping our streets, schools and public places green and cool. Projects

including the

Climate Oasis in Schools program

, the commencement of the

Heatwave Safe Spaces

project

and our ongoing commitment to

increase tree canopy cover to 30% by 2046

through planting

and maintaining canopy trees in the municipality are some ways we’re working to address this.

Students working on a school masterplan as part of the Climate Oasis in Schools project

What evidence is there the municipality is getting greener and cooler, that habitat for

threatened flora and fauna is protected and connected, and that people are adopting a climate

and health friendly relationship with food?

The Climate Oasis in Schools program saw more than 50 students from Movelle Primary School and

Copperfield College Junior Campus participate in five workshops to co-design landscape masterplans for

their schools. The masterplans were developed with help from Landscape Architects from Pollen Studio and

Brimbank City Council and are a first step for these schools to improve liveability, support local biodiversity

and improve their resilience against the effects of heat waves.

As part of these workshops, students learnt about the climate emergency and the role of urban greening in

creating a climate oasis. The also participated in activities to identify local flora and fauna and designed their

own school masterplan

A mix of over 74,000 trees, shrubs, wildflowers and

grasses were planted in Brimbank in 22/23.

A study into tree canopy cover over a four year

period has shown despite densification increasing

in the municipality, canopy cover has stayed stable

or increased in 19 out of 25 of all suburbs within the

Brimbank municipality.

Improved urban streetscape projects are underway

at Derrimut Street, Albion where a new pocket park

is being established. New trees and passive irrigation

garden beds are also being implemented as part of

a new look Suffolk Road shopping strip in Sunshine

North.

Multiple tree planting events were held with schools

and community groups in 22/23. An example of

this was the tree planting days held with Sunshine

Heights Primary School and Ardeer South Primary

School Students in Sunshine West. Children from

Grades 3 and 4 and from the Environment Committee

participated to plant 200 seedlings across both

schools. Following the event, an additional 3000

seedlings were planted at the school by Council

contractors as part of our commitment to support

the urban forest canopy cover and provide a cool and

green environment for the school community.

Sunshine Heights Primary School tree planting

What evidence is there that the resilient rebuild is occurring in Brimbank via sustainability

improvements to the built environment, and that people are getting around more easily and

often on foot, by bike, or by public transport?

In December 2022, Council endorsed the

Draft Sunshine Energy Park Vision Plan for

consultation.

The proposal for the 54 hectare Sunshine

Energy Park is to serve the emerging Sunshine

CBD to the south, as well as connect to the

Sunshine Hospital precinct to the north. The

park is directly adjacent to the 40 hectare

Albion Quarter urban renewal precinct.

The Draft Plan includes proposals for:

• a sustainability and community hub

• a solar farm

• urban forest

• a state significant indoor stadium and

• new sports fields

In June 2023, consultation with community,

surrounding landowners and key

stakeholders commenced.

Brimbank Council has been provided with $2.7 million

for the delivery of a range of active transport projects

and cycling connections across the Sunshine Precinct

as part of the Sunshine Transport Precinct Activation

Program.

Brimbank City Council was one of many voices as part

of the CASBE alliance who contributed to the great

outcome of strengthened state wide Environmentally

Sustainable Design requirements. These will come

into effect within the National Construction Code from

October 2023 onwards. Changes include minimum

7 Star NatHers rating for all new builds and EV ready

electrical infrastructure to be implemented in new

apartment buildings.

Through the Australian Local Government

Association, Council advocated to the federal

government for strong leadership and financial

support to improve disaster mitigation and

resilience efforts to lessen the impacts on local

assets and infrastructure through our Submission

To The Emergency Response Amendment (Disaster

Ready Fund) Bill and our submission into the Inquiry

Into The Implications Of Severe Weather Events On

Roads.

Artists impression from the Sunshine Energy Park Draft Vision Plan

What evidence is there that the Brimbank economy is reducing the amount of waste to landfill,

and maximising the reuse and recycling of other products?

From 1 July 2022, food scraps were accepted in Council’s opt-in green waste bin service, now making

green bins inclusive of Food Waste and Organic Waste (FOGO). To help spread the word Council delivered a

campaign focusing on the benefits of FOGO for the environment and to transition to a circular economy. Over

the past year residents diverted over 15,000 tonnes of food and garden organics from landfill

Council held two Reusable Drop off Days this year

where residents could donate unwanted household

items in good condition, with the purpose of reuse.

Items collected included kitchen and electrical

appliances, bicycles, furniture, linen and clothing.

A total of 168 residents participated over these

events and charities including West Welcome Wagon,

Helping Hands Mission and Green Collect collected

reusable goods for redistribution.

22 Brimbank Council residents celebrated National

Recycling Week 2022 by attending a tour of

Veolia’s organic processing facility. This facility uses

Australian-made technology to turn thousands of

tonnes of organic waste into high-grade compost

and mulch. Participants witnessed what happens

after their food and garden organics bin is emptied

including processing and new products created.

Brimbank City Council, in partnership with

the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB),

Sustainability Victoria (SV) and the Victorian

Department of Transport (DoT) is using recycled

crushed glass and recycled asphalt as a replacement

for natural sand to construct roads within the

municipality. The new sustainable asphalt mix will be

independently monitored for performance under a

new research trial.

The sustainable asphalt mix will be used to resurface

Newbury Street and Gould Street. The mix equates

to 17 tonnes of recycled crushed glass - or that’s

34,000 glass bottles collected from Brimbank

recycling bins – and up to 34 tonnes of recycled

asphalt.

Brimbank City Council’s updated catering services

tender specifications encourage sustainable

environmental practices including low ‘food mileage’

and minimized packaging as part of requirements for

businesses providing catering for Council events.

Brimbank’s Bin Feedback program launched to help

gather data on contamination rates in recycling and

Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) kerbside

bins, as well as to help educate residents on how to

improve. As part of this program Council will inspect

1000 recycling and FOGO bins each month. Residents

will receive direct feedback via a bin tag and postcard.

Other exciting circular economy initiatives over 22/23

included:

• A reusable nappy education program for local

families and Council maternal healthcare

nurses. The program includes a reusable

nappy starter pack for participants.

• Reusable Party Kits are now available for loan

via five participating neighbourhood houses.

Email environment@brimbank.vic.gov.au to

make a booking.

• The Wash Against Waste initiative was rolled

out at the annual Christmas Party, avoiding

over 1,000 disposable pieces of catering ware.

Reusable Drop-off Day

Reusable Party Kit

Tour of the Veolia organic processing facility

Climate change is a pressing issue for Brimbank City

Council that is already having social, economic and

environmental impacts in our municipality. While we are

taking steps to tackle these impacts, more needs to be

done and some issues are tougher than others. Three

key challenges for Council are:

Natural gas is used in at least 38 Council facilities.

Using gas as an energy source in Council means

using a fossil fuel which, unlike our electricity,

cannot be sourced renewably. Degasification of our

facilities is a key step towards zero net emissions

for Council operations by 2030 but comes with

a significant up front cost as we switch over gas

systems and appliances to electric alternatives.

However, over the long term getting off gas is

expected to save Council money.

To ‘get off gas’ we are implementing three key

actions. The first is to ensure no new gas systems or

appliances are installed in Council facilities. The second

is to ensure an end-of-life gas appliance is replaced

with an electric alternative. The third is to develop a

degasification plan which prioritises the replacement

of all gas appliances over time.

Council’s fleet of vehicles includes passenger vehicles,

utes, small & large trucks. The great majority of these

are Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles powered

by petrol or diesel. To meet zero net emissions for

Council operations by 2030 means converting as many

of these as possible to electric vehicles (EVs). The

challenge with this is that currently, not all vehicles

have an electric alternative and that for those that do,

the electric version is generally much more expensive

to purchase. However, EVs are cheaper to run and

maintain.

Our Climate Emergency Plan sets a target of net zero

community emissions for the municipality by 2040. This

will be an enormous challenge as Council has limited

influence on the controlling factors for the majority

of those emissions sources. The biggest source of

emissions for the community in Brimbank is energy

use (gas and electricity sourced from fossil fuels) and

transport. Supporting the community to achieve net

zero emissions is a high priority for Council.

The figure below shows that Brimbank’s municipal

emissions largely comes from a combination of

electricity, gas and vehicle fuels.

Electricity

Total municipal emissions

2 239 000

† CO2e

Waste

Transport

Gas

Rail

1%

Industrial

2%

Commercial

1%

Residential

10%

On road

20%

Residential

16%

Commercial

12%

Industrial

29%

Urban design, parks, integrated

water management,

ecological management and

rehabilitation

$5.6M

Solar PV and electrification,

lighting and appliance

upgrades

$1M

Walking and cycling infrastructure, pedestrian

facilities, environmentally sustainable design

$2.1M

Recycling, food organics

and garden organics (FOGO),

reuse and circular

economy programs

$2.9M

Environmental stewardship,

education and community

empowerment

$2.9M

Green tagged

annual budget 2022-23

14.5M

Building a sustainable

Brimbank

9249 4000

info@brimbank.vic.gov.au

PO Box 70, Sunshine, VIC 3020

• TTY dial

133 677

• Speak & Listen

1300 555 727

•

www.relayservice.gov.au

, then enter

03 9249 4000

www.facebook.com/brimbankcouncil

www.twitter.com/brimbankcouncil

www.youtube.com/brimbankcitycouncil

Use Brimby, the online virtual assistant

brimbank.vic.gov.au

237 - 0823