City of Prospect introduces incentives to help tackle climate change
The City of Prospect has once again taken the lead in helping its community adapt to climate change. On 24 November 2008 Council endorsed an innovative Energy Efficiency Incentive Scheme aimed at assisting local residents, businesses, and clubs with the cost of installing a range of energy efficient products.
Prospect Council is the first council in South Australia to introduce and fund a financial rebate scheme for energy efficient products. The scheme is unique in South Australia because it is entirely driven and funded by Council, unlike other Adelaide metropolitan councils that are involved in the Federal Government’s Solar Cities program, which offers similar rebates.
The incentive scheme comprises financial incentives for the installation of:
- photovoltaic solar power systems
- gas boosted solar hot water heaters
- ceiling insulation
- the purchase of 100 per cent accredited GreenPower
- in home energy monitors.
The measures covered by the scheme are designed to provide members of the community with a number of practical ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to climate change and reduce their ecological footprint.
City of Prospect Mayor, David O’Loughlin, said climate change is a reality, and Council is throwing down the gauntlet to other councils and other levels of government to get serious about change for the better.
“Tackling climate change is an issue for everyone and adapting to climate change presents a significant call to action,” he said. “We are committed to educating and assisting the community to meet these challenges head on.”
The new incentive scheme complements a suite of other financial incentives already on offer by the City, including a Water Efficiency Incentive Scheme and rebates for compost bins and worm farms.
The range of incentives empowers the community to take positive action to reduce its environmental impact and address climate change.
South Australia is experiencing the effects of climate change, with water security being a major concern.
“Reducing reliance on mains water is imperative, and the Water Efficiency Incentive Scheme encourages our residents to plumb rainwater tanks into their homes, convert single flush toilets to low water use, dual flush systems and to install low flow showerheads,” said Mayor O’Loughlin.
“Encouraging our residents to compost their organics at home helps in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and improves recycling by removing this organic material from landfill.
“The Worm Farm and Compost Bin Incentive Scheme aims to encourage our residents to get their hands dirty in the fight against climate change.”
The new Energy Efficiency Incentive Scheme is the latest in a list of initiatives from the City of Prospect, all of which are in addition to existing State and Commonwealth schemes, enabling residents to further reduce the costs of tackling climate change.
Master plan – shaping our future community
Capital cities in Australia are facing unprecedented pressure from sprawling urban growth and population increases.
As a Council area close to the Adelaide CBD and strategically central to Adelaide’s northern and fastest growing region, there are increasing demands on Prospect’s arterial roads and public transport, and its character rich residential streetscapes are threatened with demolition and subdivision.
“While such impacts challenge our community, they also present enormous opportunities,” said Mayor David O’Loughlin.
Located in the inner north of Adelaide, the City of Prospect is connected to the CBD by four major thoroughfares, which provide major traffic routes for light and heavy vehicles including daily commuter traffic from the northern suburbs and beyond.
“Shops, cafes, restaurants and boutiques are found along Prospect Road, the central commercial precinct of Prospect, the City’s largest suburb,” the Mayor said. “There is ample potential for further investment of Prospect Road as it is an up and coming cosmopolitan destination with culture, art, cafes and parks for social gatherings.”
Contrasting with this is the western Churchill Road, designated as a heavy freight route, predominantly residential in nature and 150 metres from the major freight and commuter train line. The Churchill Road precinct’s urban form has been largely neglected by successive governments over the years but a new commitment from the State Government to electrify the train line builds on an earlier project where the train corridor was used to accommodate a high speed broadband service.
Mayor O’Loughlin explained that to fully harness the opportunities available on the City’s arterial roads Council is about to embark on one of the most comprehensive reviews of public space in the State.
Incorporating 3.5 kilometres of Churchill Road, 3.5 kilometres of Prospect Road, and the historic Prospect Oval precinct, this urban master planning project is a wonderful opportunity for locals to get involved in shaping the City’s future community.
“Churchill Road could become a tunnel of tree canopies sheltering clusters of high tech businesses tapping into the fastest broadband service in the nation along the train corridor, topped by high quality, comfortable apartments for those who want to live above their workplace or commute by electric train to further afield from one of the three suburban train stations set in a pedestrian friendly and attractive urban environment,” the Mayor said.
“Prospect Road’s ‘High Street’ could become a plaza for two or three blocks where pavers stretch from shopfront to shopfront, uninterrupted by kerbs and lines, where the ‘road’ is marked by bollards and landscaping, becoming more like a shared mall that you can drive through.
“Footpath dining under shady trees, apartments over shops, and an eclectic mix of successful businesses will enliven the space and build on the sense of community that is so strong in this precinct.”
Prospect Oval, steeped in tradition, has many buildings conceived in 1922 and expanded throughout the heyday of the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) that are now well past their use-by date.
“We want the community to join with us in designing a recreational precinct that preserves our best while catering for today and into the future,” he said. “We could support an indoor stadium, a youth centre, or a joint venture with the local football team for a state-of-the-art fitness centre overlooking the park.
“Perhaps we should be open to consider some other options which may include significant commercial investment to fully realise the precinct’s potential as the city’s leisure and recreation hub.
“The challenge is here for us to undertake detailed planning based on our vision for the future of inner urban communities. What will our city look like in 2058? How will we live? How will we be connected to the rest of the State – economically, socially and environmentally? How can we create more sustainable and energy friendly living solutions and more housing variety, for our evolving community?”
The City of Prospect is jointly funding this project with the State Government’s Department for Planning and Local Government.
Public consultation is expected to commence in February 2009. The project will also inform Council’s comprehensive review of its development plan, due for completion late in 2009, and provide a new benchmark in planning guidelines along well established inner urban arterial corridors.
