NSW’s Hawkesbury Council Seeks Input For Net Zero Emissions Strategy

Hawkesbury City Council Building in Windsor | Image via Google Earth

Sydney’s Hawkesbury City Council is asking residents for their ideas to help it build on its emissions reduction efforts and become a net-zero emissions organisation.

Hawkesbury City is located on the north-western fringe of the Sydney metropolitan area and is the largest local government area in the Sydney metro region in terms of area (2,776 km²). Comprised of dozens of suburbs and localities, it has a population of approximately 67,000.

Council says it is committed to becoming a net zero emissions organisation by 2050 – and sooner if possible. As part of  the development of a Net Zero Emissions and Water Efficiency Strategy, Council has launched a short survey that will contribute to the strategy and inform Council how it can assist the community in reducing household and workplace emissions.

“Hawkesbury City Council is with the community 100% on this journey towards achieving net zero emissions,” said Mayor of Hawkesbury, Councillor Barry Calvert. ” It will take a commitment from everyone – government, businesses, residents and visitors, but together we can achieve great things with a combination of big moves and small steps.”

Hawkesbury City Council Emissions Reduction Progress

Council has already made solid progress on emissions reduction, with initiatives including:

• A Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for renewables-based electricity.
• The installation of 2,776 solar panels across 12 Council facilities with a total capacity of 764kW. Among the buildings to have solar panels installed was its main office in Windsor (pictured above).
• LED use in street lighting and Council facilities.

In May last year, Council entered into a new electricity supply agreement providing renewable-based power for its large facilities. Not only is this electricity emissions-free, but is expected to save Council $2.5 million over the next 10 years. 90% of Council’s electricity is now sourced from renewables and Mayor Calvert has stated Council’s aim is to be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy in the very near future.

The combined solar energy, LED lighting and Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) initiatives were expected to slash Council’s carbon emissions from 18,900 tonnes in 2014 to 10,100 tonnes in 2020 – a 47% per cent reduction.

Solar Energy And The Hawkesbury City Community

Council notes electricity usage is the community’s highest emissions source and says 18% of households within the Hawkesbury LGA have installed solar panels. Uptake of solar power systems in the major centres of Richmond, North Richmond and Windsor appears to be significantly higher.

According to SQ’s solar and battery calculator, a good quality 6.6kW system installed in the Windsor and Richmond postcode areas can be expected to achieve simple payback in under 4 years.