Newcastle City Council
Newcastle City Council's 'Greenhouse Action In Newcastle' (GAIN) Plan was developed to address the growing need for our Council and our local community to manage its impact on the environment. We need to continually challenge our current practices by asking ourselves two important questions every day:
- Do we need to use so much energy and water?
- How can we do the same with less?
If we integrate this type of thinking into everything we do, we will gain financially by using less, we will gain socially by creating jobs and our children’s future will see a gain as well with reductions in pollution and environmental degradation.
A word from the Mayor
Actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Community
- Newcastle's TogetherTODAY partnership to transform the Hunter and Central Coast into Australia's most energy and water efficient region, was launched on 16 April 2007, along with Newcastle City Council's (NCC) ClimateCamŪ Billboard in Wheeler Place which tracks energy consumption for the Newcastle local government area (LGA) in our community.
- TogetherTODAY is a Hunter-based business and community environment initiative focused on showing people how to use energy and water more efficiently in their schools, homes and businesses. Key partners from the community, including organisations from all parts of the energy cycle, are committed to lead the way in the smart use of our energy and water.
- In July, NCC invited local schools and businesses to join the Race to Save the World by becoming a part of the TogetherTODAY flagship project, ClimateCamŪ for Schools. ClimateCamŪ for Schools is a world-first program developed by NCC to tackle climate change at the local level. The five year 8 milestone program allows students to track their school's energy and resource consumption to see the difference they are making TogetherTODAY. Over 50 schools have registered their interest in ClimateCamŪ for Schools .
- NCC, with EnergyAustralia, Hunter Water and other Lower Hunter Councils, have provided over 10,000 REFIT Kits to local residents.
- REFIT was re-launched in September 2007 as Enviro Saver, a TogetherTODAY co-branded product.
- Following the recent opening of a new office and call centre in Morisset, the Enviro Saver Energy Assessors have been flooded with requests to install free energy and water saving showerheads and energy-efficient light globes.
- Since April, free showerheads and light globes have been installed in over 1300 Newcastle homes and a total of over 5000 Hunter homes.
Travel
- NCC completed its Biodiesel Maintenance Analysis (MAP) in November 2006, and introduced B20 Biodiesel into 111 vehicles selected from its diesel fleet.
- NCC continues to encourage staff to utilise corporate push bikes for short trips.
- Council is currently phasing out 6 cylinder vehicles from the fleet. While twelve months ago there were only 4 four cylinder vehicles in the fleet, Council now has 38 four cylinder vehicles in the fleet.
Corporate
- NCC joined CCP's Green Purchasing program in 2006. We are currently focusing on 4 major areas which include stationery, fleet, fuel and IT. Major gains have been made in all four of these areas, since Council began the project.
- A new stationery catalogue has been introduced which rationalises the range of products available while at the same time ensuring that the most appropriate green product is selected.
- A computer "switch off" campaign has been implemented which ensures that all PC's are remotely switched off at the end of the day.
- IT is also currently trialling multi-function devices in a number of areas across the organisation which will significantly reduce the number of printers, photocopiers and faxes necessary.
- In October 2007, NCC hosted a two-day intensive learning program to share the knowledge we have gained from the development and refinement of climate action programs over the last decade with other Councils.
Future greenhouse abatement actions
- ClimateCam for Business in currently being developed and will be available for the Hunter business sector.
More information
Contact: Kristy McIntyre
Web Address: www.ncc.nsw.gov.au
Updated: October 2007
CCP Facts
State: New South Wales
Date joined:
June 1997
Current Milestone:
CCP Plus
'Flower Power' Biodiesel project
Credit: AMEIF
NCC General Manager, Janet Dore, with Environmental Trainee, Steele Adams using the corporate push bikes
Credit: AMEIF