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Page Last Updated:
Thursday, 7 August 2008 |
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Home>IMPORTANT - Ararat Greenhouse Projects
Ararat Rural City Council is committed to reducing the impact of climate change on its residents.
Council has been involved in the following projects (listed below) over the past months, Household Energy Behaviour Change Program, Zero Waste Project, Energise Business and Earth Utility's Solar Hot Water Service.
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| Household Energy Behaviour Change Program | | Ararat is one of two central Victorian towns chosen to host a new pilot of an exciting community-based program which helps ordinary households to reduce their impact on climate change by reducing their energy use - and their power bills.
The Household Energy Behaviour Change Program is an initiative of the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance (CVGA), funded through the Victorian State Government’s Department of Sustainability and Environment and supported by Ararat Rural City Council.
Program initiatives will include a free intensive ‘how-to-do-it’ program for up to 50 households, workshops, energy audits, and local events. Local businesses and services which can help people to reduce their energy consumption will also be involved.
CVGA is currently advertising for an Ararat-based project facilitator to work two days a week supporting and implementing the new program, which will conclude in July next year.
The involvement of Ararat and the other town chosen, Kyabram, will enable the program to produce a toolkit which in turn will enable the program to be used by other communities throughout the state and even nationally.
Chairman of the CVGA board, Ian MacBean, is delighted that this world-first initiative is to be offered to two more central Victorian towns.
“This is about simple actions which can reduce the impact we as ordinary people have on climate change,” he said. “It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the climate challenge and this program offers the opportunity for us to do something really positive about energy use and our own carbon emissions. If embraced, it will also contribute hugely to the community’s sense of well-being.
“Our goal is to make it easy and convenient for local households to assess their energy consumption, and to help them access information and advice to about how to reduce their electricity and gas consumption. Everyone who participates will make a positive difference to their household carbon emissions and climate change. They can also cut their energy bills by up to 30 per cent.”
Mayor Cr Ian Wilson welcomed the announcement, saying he was proud that the city had been selected for such a unique opportunity.
“Our city’s track record of community building and networking has been a major factor in this success, and I am confident that our residents and businesses are going to embrace it and participate in it. We all need to take action on reducing our own contribution on climate change, and this program offers grass-roots, practical ways of doing that. It will also help our community to develop, to be innovative and to be sustainable in the long-term,” he said.
Cr Wilson said the recently formed Ararat Greenhouse Action Group and the Ararat Regional Business Association would play important roles in supporting the program.
The initiative in Kyabram/Ararat is the second stage of the project, which started with an inaugural pilot program in Castlemaine, known as ‘Castlemaine 500’. Dr MacBean said the provision of stage two funding to CVGA for the rollout to Kyabram and Ararat was a strong endorsement of the program’s success and community participation.
CVGA is an organisation which assists communities, businesses and organisations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2010 and zero net emissions by 2020, leading by example. Alliance members include all central Victorian shires, including the Ararat Rural City.
For more information on this project please contact Daryl Scherger, Natural Resources Officer on 5355 0231 or Jane Marriott, Project Officer on 5355 0233.
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| Zero Waste | | To reduce the 168 tonnes of waste generated annually by its municipal offices, works depot, YMCA and Visitor Information Centre, Ararat Rural City Council is aiming for ‘Zero Waste’ across all of its sites.
A new Wastewise Action Plan to be launched in August will outline several initiatives to help reduce the 700 tonnes of greenhouse gas generated by Council’s waste, as well as reduce the annual cost of $6,940 for landfill.
To encourage staff to improve their recycling habits, all personal bins will be removed from work stations and replaced with one waste bin and one recycling bin to be shared by the office.
To reduce the amount of hand towel used electric hand dryers with new high-speed technology that dry hands in 10 seconds will be introduced in all bathrooms.
In tea rooms, recyclable bins will be available and any organic material can be placed in a worm farm at each site – a move which has been successfully trialled at the municipal offices during the past few years.
Council will also work with the YMCA to introduce recycling bins and reduce the high volume of cans and bottles that currently go to landfill.
ARCC Councillor and Director of the Grampians Regional Waste Management Group (GRWMG), Rod Marshall said almost all the waste from Council offices and buildings sent to landfill could be recycled.
“Ararat Rural City has been a waste wise Council for a couple of years now, but to keep this title we need to improve our practices,” he said.
“This is all part of Council’s Greenhouse Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gasses in the municipality by 20% before 2010. I am confident that not only will we meet that target, we will surpass it.”
For information about how to make your business waste wise, please contact the Grampians Regional Waste Management Group office on 5358 5680.
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| Energise Business | | Ararat Rural City Council is offering small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the municipality the chance to slash their energy bills and reduce greenhouse emissions through a ground-breaking efficiency program called Energise Business.
An initiative of the Victorian Government’s Greenhouse Strategy, Energise Business is funded through the Department of Sustainability and Environment and is being delivered by Ararat Rural City, City of Kingston and City of Yarra in 2007–08.
The program will help local SMEs to reduce the overall costs of their energy usage, despite the forecasted rise of energy prices attributed to lower rainfall (reducing the output of hydroelectric power stations), and carbon prices increasing the cost of burning fossil fuel.
SMEs with an annual energy spend of greater than $5,000 are eligible to take part in Energise Business. Each business will undergo a customised energy audit then receive a set of detailed recommendations for ongoing implementation and finance. For an up-front fee of $297, businesses receive a service normally valued at $1,000.
Council’s CEO Stephen Chapple said Energise Business was a great way for SMEs to begin to adapt to a carbon-constrained future while boosting their bottom line.
“Piloted in Port Fairy last year, the program wiped more than $130,000 from the annual energy bills of 17 participating businesses,” he said. “It also delivered more than 300 tonnes of ongoing greenhouse abatement.
“These quantifiable energy savings prompted Ararat Rural City Council to come on board and encourage the implementation of efficiency measures locally. Business owners can invest with confidence, knowing that their actions will return savings to their bottom line year after year.”
Energise Business is managed by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability – Oceania (ICLEI Oceania) as part of its Cities for Climate Protection Program. Approximately 100 businesses are expected to implement efficiency measures through the program this financial year.
Businesses that would like to learn more about the program are invited to attend a free, no-obligation information session on Thursday 25 October at 6pm at the Great Hall, Gum San Chinese Heritage Museum.
For more information contact Clyde Humphries, Business Development Officer, Ararat Rural City, chumphries@ararat.vic.gov.au, 5355 0250, or 0427 583 577,
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| Earth Utility's Solar Hot Water Service | | Earth Utility is currently offering Ararat municipal residents the opportunity to switch to solar and save. With no upfront purchase costs or maintenance hassles on its solar hot water systems, all you pay is a flat quarterly fee starting from $88.
Ararat Rural City Council invites you to save by switching to solar. Leading by example, council is installing solar hot water services to many of its buildings - including the YMCA, Performing Arts Centre, Gum San Museum, Council Office and several ovals. The switch will save council money on its energy bills and reduce emissions by 40%.
“Ararat Rural City Council is thrilled to participate in this new innovative program, which introduces solar hot water systems as the ideal option to reduce your energy bills by up to 30% and protect the environment. We encourage all our residents to participate,” said Mayor, Cr Ian Wilson.
The program is part of an initiative by new and innovative sustainable utility provider, Earth Utility. Their aim is to make it easy and affordable for the entire community to change existing systems to solar. The program is also supported by the Sustainability Fund, managed by Sustainability Victoria.
Earth Utility’s unique approach removes the initial financial outlay (usually up to $6,000) to supply and install the system. It will own and maintain the system and the customer pays a flat quarterly fee delivering the customer a saving on their energy bill simply by going green.
By switching to solar, Victorian residents save by not having to pay to heat water on their energy bills. A family of 4-6 with a 300 litre electric boosted system can expect to save up to $625 per year on the Continuous Tariff and $247 per year on the Off-peak tariff. Savings for gas customers are similar to the off-peak tariff.
The standard quarterly fee for residents of Ararat is $88 per quarter including GST (based on a family of 4 - 6 using natural gas or LPG). Conditions apply. Register your interest to switch to solar on Earth Utility Website
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