The second council in New South Wales to achieve carbon neutrality, Leichhardt Municipal Council has released a draft plan that proposes to take the fight against climate change even further.
Leichhardt Mayor, Councillor Darcy Byrne, said that the Draft Climate Change Plan capitalises on Council’s momentum in reacting to climate change, and incorporates plans for cogeneration, carbon offsetting and retrofits.
“We’ve been responding to climate change for many years,” said Cr Byrne. “The best science tells us that the greenhouse gases we generate are contributing to global warming and climate change.
“We are the second Council in NSW to achieve carbon neutrality. That clearly shows just how seriously we take this issue and how much of a shift there has been within the organisation.”
The Draft Climate Change Plan provides a framework for Council to respond with targeted, effective actions that deliver the best value for the people of Leichhardt, including:
• the Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre (LPAC) cogeneration power plant, resulting in the Centre producing its own electricity and using the heat generated by the plant to warm the pools
• solar panels to be installed at Council facilities such as the LPAC, Leichhardt Oval No.1, Balmain Library & Town Hall, Balmain Depot Workshop and the Leichhardt Children’s Centre, and
• energy efficiency retrofits for the Annandale Child Care Centre and the Neighbourhood Centre, the Balmain and Catherine Street Depots, the LPAC, the Administration Building, the Leichhardt Library and Leichhardt Oval. This includes replacing lighting with energy efficient options, rewiring lighting circuits and installing daylight sensors to ensure lights are not used when not needed.
Leichhardt Municipal Council held a public information and feedback session in mid-February and residents were encouraged to make written submissions on the Draft Plan by 1st March.
