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From City of Ballarat Mayor Samantha McIntosh
Can you outline City of Ballarat projects to cut greenhouse gas pollution?
There are many, most notably this includes continued research into Waste to Energy generation in the Ballarat West Employment Zone, advocating for better ecologically sustainable design principles to be incorporated into relevant policies, working through the smarter parking plan and cycling action plan which includes many elements of transport route optimisation, and advocating for local energy storage within the city to support base load and peak demand periods whilst increasing the use of renewables. Council is currently developing a Carbon Neutrality & 100 per cent Renewables Action Plan that will encompass much more.
A City of Ballarat councillor said energy collection from the Smythesdale landfill could create enough energy to power council's offices. Is methane gas collection in place at the Smythesdale landfill site or was this in reference to potential waste to energy?
Methane capture is currently in place at the Smythesdale Regional Landfill, with expansion of the facility in 2018-19 set to increase production capacity to approx. double. Once the expansion is complete this will take capacity to more than 10,000 megawatt hours per year and equivalent to the energy demand of approx. 1,000 homes. The City of Ballarat is investigating many options for accessing renewable energy to deliver municipal services, which may be sourced from an existing renewable energy facility or it may underpin investment in expanding Victoria’s renewable energy generation infrastructure.
From City of Ballarat Sustainability Portfolio Councillor Ben Taylor
Does City of Ballarat have renewable energy and emissions targets?
The City of Ballarat has an ultimate goal of zero nett greenhouse gas emissions and to source 100% of the organisations energy needs from renewable sources. Analysis being conducted as part of the Carbon Neutrality & 100 per cent Renewables Action Plan (currently under development) will define a 2025 target.
How will joining the Cities Power Partnership affect City of Ballarat's commitment to reduce carbon emissions?
While there are many benefits of joining the Cities Power Partnership, the City of Ballarat has identified the following key benefits,
Connects Council with up-to-date reputable science on climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies; Buddy program with other cities and access to visiting domestic and international experts; Join a united voice on action, providing strength in advocacy work by Council and by the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance (CVGA) on behalf of councils across central and northern Victoria; and Build the profile of Ballarat as a green city and leader in sustainability.