Baw Baw Shire Council

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Baw Baw Shire Council
A case study of one Councils actions in response
to climate change Mayor Ruth McGowan Women,
Leadership and Climate Change National Forum 10
November 2009
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• West Gippsland
• 40,000 people
• 4000 km2
• We seek to lead behavioural change in our
  community by example

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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 usIts called
leadership
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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
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• Our Climate Change Actions
• Rebates
• Energy Efficient Council Offices Services
• Carbon Neutral Car Fleet
• Sustainable Recreation Facilities
• Innovative Recycling Programs
• Community Programs

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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

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

Biodiesel Tank
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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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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
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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?
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For more information
Contact Cr Ruth McGowan, Baw Baw Shire Email
ruth.mcgowan_at_bawbawshire.com.au www.ruthmcgowan.c
om Or Nicolette Davey, Environment Officer Ph
5624 2570 Email nicolette.davey_at_bawbawshire.vic.g
ov.au
Visit the environment webpage at
www.bawbawshire.vic.gov.au
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Change will not come if we wait for some
otherperson or some other time. We are the ones
wevebeen waiting for. We are the change that we
seek Barack Obama
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Baw Baw Shire Council Vision
Challenge the boundaries be the difference
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Our focus is community education on water and
energy conservation
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Priority projects for Baw BAw

• Water conservation and community education
• Waste minimisation
• Land and biodiversity conservation management
• Climate change adaption focus on councils own
  infrastructure and community behavioural change
• Victorian Local Sustainability Accord, Baw Baw
  Shire Local Environmental Sustainability Priority
  Statement (2008)

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Our community is engaged - Turning mobile phones
into fence posts at Labertouche Primary School
after the bushfires
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Our councillors are committed to meeting the
challenges of climate change
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Our Staff have a passion Raj and Nicolette
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Kids are learning water doesnt just come from a
tap but from their tank at the kinder
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Our environment is precious
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Rural projects include Free trees for rural
residents and support for landcare
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From Walhalla to Warragul council
infrastructure is going green
Rain water tanks at Walhalla visitors toilets
Heat pumps Western Park Oval, Warragul
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Rainwater tanks and education at local
kindergartens
Warragul
Erica
Yarragon
Longwarry
Drouin
Neerim South
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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
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We installed Sun lizards at local kindergartens
to reduce heating and cooling costs
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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
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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
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Council Rebates are highly popular with ratepayers
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We work in partnership with our community -
Drouin Anglican Church
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we aim to lead by obvious examples
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And install highly visual projects such as at the
Drouin public library (5kw PV system)
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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.
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Climate change becomes personal - February
bushfires, defending my home
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What drives me is to create a better future for
my children and their generation
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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.
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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)