Moonee Valley City Council has won a United Nations Association of Australia (UNAA) World Environment Day Award for its Green Precinct Project.
Located in Melbourne’s north, Council combined the collective efforts of local businesses, community organisations, not for profit groups and Local Government to become more sustainable.
In 2008, Council joined forces with a variety of local businesses and not for profit groups to become environmental leaders by addressing sustainability head on.
All 12 buildings in the Green Precinct were audited and strategies were employed to reduce their energy, water and waste while increasing sustainable transport and biological diversity.
Moonee Valley Mayor Councillor Shirley Cornish said the project is a great example of how Council, working with local retailers, can make a positive impact on the environment.
“The Green Precinct project has created a blueprint for Local Governments and businesses demonstrating best practice sustainable business activities and employee programs around greenhouse emissions, water, waste, biodiversity and transport,” she said.
Over the 20 month project, the Green Precinct Project achieved
- a 22 per cent reduction in greenhouse
emissions - an 18 per cent reduction in potable water use
- recycling of more than 60 per cent of all
- recyclable materials
- introduction of the Moonee Valley Junior
Rangers - improved energy efficiencies in all buildings
- improved water efficiencies in all buildings.
The project was co-funded by Council with a $190,000 grant from the Victorian Government’s Sustainability Fund.
This Fund was developed to foster environmentally sustainable use of resources and best practices in waste management to advance the social and economic development of Victoria.
Since 2004, the Fund has provided $61 million in funding to support 166 diverse projects in schools, businesses, Local Governments and community groups.
For further information about Moonee Valley’s Green Precinct project contact Environment Coordinator Sheridan Blunt, telephone
(03) 9243 8888.
