Council Action on Climate Change
Council Energy and Greenhouse Saving
Frankston City Council is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, saving energy and transitioning to sustainable energy sources.
Frankston City's Greenhouse Strategy was prepared in 1999 to address local government's role in creating and sustaining local solutions to greenhouse problems. The Greenhouse Strategy provides a strategic approach to greenhouse gas reduction and focuses on both community and corporate (Council) measures.
Whilst Frankston City's Greenhouse Strategy is under review, Council continues to implement a range of greenhouse and energy saving strategies.
These include:
- Improving the energy efficiency of major Council buildings, streetlighting and equipment
- Installing renewable energy options including solar hot water heaters and solar electricity panels (photovoltaics) on several buildings
- Downsizing Council's vehicle fleet and converting more of the fleet to LPG and Hybrids
- Flaring methane from a cell of the McClelland Road former tip
- Reducing corporate waste to landfill and increasing recycling
- Offsetting emissions by planting trees
- Offsetting electricity consumption with GreenPower purchases
- Increasing recycling and sustainable procurement through the ECO-Buy program
- Providing advice, education and support for community greenhouse programs
Complimentary to Council's Greenhouse Strategy is the Carbon Neutral Commitment. Three feasibility reports have been compiled by Council to explore options for carbon neutrality into the future.
Some recent Council greenhouse and energy saving activities include:
- Street-lighting is the largest single source of greenhouse emissions for Council, representing approximately 50% of total emissions. For many years, the 80W mercury vapour lamp has been the standard to be found in most residential, minor road streetlamps. Thousands of these inefficient lamps are now being changed to 28W T5 tubular fluorescent lamps, in a bulk changeover across the municipality. This will save 68% of the energy and greenhouse emissions in the streetlighting sector.
- Energy audits have been undertaken on most Council properties. Recent audits have been completed on the Frankston Arts Precinct, Jubilee Park Aquatic Centre and the Frankston City Meals on Wheels facility. Measures identified in the audits are progressively being implemented.
- Greening Frankston's Children Centres Project is a major new initiative, which is supported by the Victorian Government Sustainability Fund, managed by Sustainability Victoria. Council will conduct energy and water assessments across 48 facilities including pre-schools, maternal and child health centres and community centres that operate out of Council-owned buildings. Opportunities for savings identified in the assessments will be progressively implemented, greatly improving energy and water efficiency and reducing costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
Council Adaptation
Frankston City is exposed to the impacts of climate change including:
- sea level rise / storm surge
- intense rainfall / inland flooding
- fire weather
- changes to average and extreme temperatures and
- changes to average rainfall
Frankston City Council has adopted a Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Plan. This Plan aims to:
- Build understanding and Council's capacity to adapt its operations and services to respond to the impacts of climate change, and
- Provide information to the community to reduce vulnerability and facilitate their adaptive response to the impacts of climate change.
To view the Plan click on the link below:
Regional Response
Improving our understanding of what climate changes are likely, and the impacts of these changes on region, industries and communities, can help us to respond more effectively to climate change.
The South East Councils Climate Change Alliance - SECCCA (formerly WPGA) - is a network of eight Councils in the south east making a regional response to climate change.
Council is also an active partner in SECCCA and has undertaken a number of projects in association with other councils in the region to better understand the local impacts of climate change and assist communities to reduce greenhouse emissions.
These include:
- Planet Savers School Project - go to Education and Projects
- South East EcoLiving Community Challenge - pending outcome of a grant application
- Sustainable Homes Program - currently in the planning stage
- Communicating the Impacts of Climate Change Project
- Protecting Vulnerable Communities from the impacts of Climate Change - pending outcome of a grant application
Visit the South East Councils Climate Change Alliance website for further details.
For further information please contact the Environment Department on 9784 1747 or e-mail environment@frankston.vic.gov.au.