From the President

During the more than 20 years I have served in local government, infrastructure has always been a crucial theme, as is the case for councils throughout Australia. Infrastructure in some form or another is always on the table at local government meetings I attend, whether in my capacity as an Emerald Shire Councillor (now Central Highlands Regional Council), as President of the Local Government Association of Queensland, and the Australian Local Government Association.

The Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Anthony Albanese, outlined the Labor Government's vision for infrastructure investment in Australia in a recent speech to the National Press Club of Australia. He argues that infrastructure is indeed central to the quality of life of each and every Australian, defining it in terms of water, electricity, broadband, schools, hospitals, roads and transport. Labor is finalising best practice, nationally consistent guidelines for Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and the legislation for Infrastructure Australia passed through Parliament last week.

Local government maintains assets worth more than $150 billion. Of this, $110 billion comprises built infrastructure, plant and equipment. Roads, bridges and related assets are the largest single component, worth around $80 billion.

A great deal of this infrastructure was built in the fifties and sixties with the help of state or federal funds and is now reaching the end of its economic life. Research undertaken by Access Economics, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and National Economics over the past few years on behalf of State and Territory Local Government Associations and ALGA shows increasing financial challenges facing local government. Since before the election, local government has also called for the provision of $250 million per annum for 4 years for the renewal and replacement of ageing community infrastructure such as swimming pools, sports stadiums, libraries galleries, museums, running tracks, community centres, walking or multipurpose paths etc. A Local Community Infrastructure Renewals Fund is urgently needed, and I have been lobbying our portfolio Minister Albanese and Parliamentary Secretary Gary Gray on the importance of this initiative.

The inability of local government to provide a reasonable level of local government services to communities throughout Australia should be a matter of concern to all levels of government. Councils in outer metropolitan areas face particular difficulties. The rapid expansion of suburbia into the rural fringe is placing huge financial pressures on these councils. Many coastal councils also face dramatic demographic change, compounded by the fact that their populations are not only growing, but ageing as well as, and also have an increasing expectation that the standard of infrastructure and services will be the same as in the metropolitan areas.

And while the demand for infrastructure and human services increases, older residents will demand rate and fee concessions that erode a council's revenue base and its ability to respond to these demands. Clearly there has been a rapid change in demand for services - but there has been little change to the way local government acquires its revenue.

The recent draft report by the Productivity Commission on Assessing Local Government Revenue Raising Capacity suggests that on average councils are raising about 90% of the hypothetical benchmarks in their own source revenue. If this finding is right, it's a high level of revenue recovery for local government. It would be difficult to imagine the same level for Federal and State Governments. Interestingly the Productivity Commission also stresses that local government should not necessarily try to achieve the full hypothetical level of revenue raising. Not only are there practical difficulties in fully exploiting a theoretical rates base, (and that's all it is, a theoretical proposition), there are limitations arising from the democratic process. For example the provision of pensioner discounts mentioned earlier for an aging population. There are also legislative provisions such a rate pegging in NSW that limit council rates.

Local government is attempting to meet these challenges through a call for an overhaul of federal-local government financial arrangements, to ensure that local government receives a fair share of revenue, as the states do with the GST. However we need to ensure that every dollar is spent as effectively as possible. In many cases there will be opportunities to leverage that funding with private sector funding. I am optimistic that models such as LG Infrastructure Services set up in 2005 by the Queensland Government with the LGAQ can be developed to assist councils to work effectively with the private sector to provide the infrastructure that our communities need. LG Infrastructure Services offers a range of support services to address the barriers to greater involvement between councils and the private sector and has been focusing on water and waste management services. LG Infrastructure Services recognises that for many councils the provision of large pieces of infrastructure are rare events and that smaller councils, especially, do not have the expertise for the most effective delivery of those projects. Additionally LG Infrastructure Services is in a position to combine the needs of councils on a regional basis to obtain economies of scale that would otherwise be missed. Its major focus has been on water and waste management services, but this could be expanded and I will explore this further during my talks with federal and state governments.

In being financially innovative it is important that local government maintains the highest level of probity. Almost all local government and the transactions they are involved in adhere to the highest standards of governance, but unfortunately that isn't news. The high profile and lurid exemptions to the rule do make the news and do make it hard for the rest of local government.

There are several ways forward for local government and in the meantime, we must do the best we can to continue to deliver community infrastructure and services, using the resources we have and our creativity and innovation.

Cr Paul Bell AM
ALGA President

Rainwater storage system offers hope to drought areas

Senator Kim Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, has announced H20 Hive Holdings Pty Ltd, of Ormeau, had been awarded a $64,000 Commercialising Emerging Technologies (COMET) grant to help market its novel rainwater storage system.

Senator Carr said the H20 project could result in a system that could be incorporated into the foundations of any building or structure being built on a concrete slab foundation such as a house, patio, driveway or shed.

"Each H20 Hive cell is constructed of five 160mm PVC pipes encased in expanded polystyrene. The cells are placed in position, connected, reinforced and then covered in concrete to complete the foundation," Senator Carr said.

"The system is connected to a building's downpipes and channels the rainwater off the roof - storing on average 12,500 litres per home."

Contact: H20 Hive Holdings, Matthew Woods 1300 658 393

World Water Day

World Water Day on 22 March was an occasion for councils to highlight their achievements.

ALGA President Cr Paul Bell praised the work of local governments in this area: "Through their own activities and by working with their communities, councils are making commitments and taking practical action to sustainably manage our precious water resources."

Through their own activities local governments are taking steps to use water more efficiently in council buildings, community centres, aquatic centres, parks and gardens, such as:

• Installing water efficient appliances in council buildings such as dual flush toilets, waterless urinals, efficient showerheads
• Installing rainwater tanks to capture water
• Reassessing their irrigation practices - changing grass species, water regimes, water resources, irrigation technologies
• Undertaking Aquifer Storage and Recovery
• Collecting and reusing storm water
• Creating storm water treatment wetlands and using storm water to irrigate open space
• Implementing Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD)
• Planting drought tolerant species

Local governments are working with their communities:

• Identifying opportunities through planning controls to encourage sustainable water use
• Developing community education programs - from working with schools to display homes with sustainable water use features to displays at libraries and shopping centres
• Holding workshops and demonstrations for the community - including community garden workshops and guidance on fertilizer use
• Working partnership with local businesses to promote water saving behaviour
• Delivering incentive programs for the community for rainwater tanks and swimming pool covers

For more information click here.

Water industry skills investment

The Rudd Government has announced it will invest$1.725 million in two new projexts to improve skills in Australia's water industry.

A $1.5 million Graduate Course in Water Planning, to be provided by serveral universities, is designed to boost the number of qualified professionals to tackle Australia's water challenges.

The second project, is a $250,000 National Water Sector Skills Project, tasked to develop a national picture of the skills shortages in government, the irrigation sector and with urban and rural providers. Further information is available at website.

E-security awareness

Expressions of interest are being called from community based organisations to participate in a National E-security Awareness Week to be held 6-13 June 2008.

Organisations are encouraged to hold events/activities during the Week in regional and rural Australia as part of the Australian Government's national effort to raise the level of awareness of e-security among Australian internet users. Funding is available for community organisations that represent, and have networks in, regional and rural Australia to participate in the Week by holding e-security awareness raising events.

Organisations interested in receiving information about participating in the National E-security Awareness Week 2008, including the selection criteria for funding please see the below links.

Link 1

Link 2

Dementia research forum in Sydney

The second Annual National Dementia Research Forum will be held at the Wesley Conference Centre in Sydney 18-19 September 2008. This year, we have been able to engage four international speakers and the program will include a variety of sessions: plenaries, workshops, poster sessions, a hypothetical, a breakfast with the experts and a working lunch for emerging researchers.

A program, registration form and call for poster abstracts is available from our website.

If you'd like to know, what last year's delegates said about the Forum, please have a look at our October 2007 DCRC Newsletter here.

Please note that the call for abstracts will close 13 June and early bird registrations close 16 June.

Australia's population continues to increase

Australia experienced an annual estimated population growth rate of 1.5% for the year ending September 2007, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures.

The increase of 318,500 people (in the year ending September 2007) saw Australia's population rise to 21,097,000 people. Net overseas migration contributed 179,100 people (56%) to Australia's growth while natural increase (the excess of births over deaths) added 139,400 (44%) to the tally.

Nationally, Western Australia recorded the fastest population growth at 2.4%, this was followed by Queensland and the Northern Territory both recording a growth rate of 2.2%. Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory both recorded population growth at the national average of 1.5%. New South Wales and South Australia both had population growth rates of 1.0%, followed by Tasmania at 0.8%.

Net overseas migration was the largest contributor to population growth for most states and territories, especially South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. Western Australia continued to have the fastest net overseas migration rate of all the states and territories.

Queensland remained a popular destination for interstate migrants with 102,200 people moving to Queensland from other states and territories (almost 2,000 people per week). Movement from Queensland to other states and territories was 75,200 (just over 1,400 people per week). This resulted in a net gain for Queensland of 27,000 people from other states and territories. Western Australia recorded a net increase of 4,200 people from other states and territories.

At 30 September 2007, the resident population for each state and territory was:

• New South Wales 6,909,000;
• Western Australia 2,119,000;
• Victoria 5,226,000;
• Tasmania 494,500;
• Queensland 4,201,000;
• Northern Territory 216,500;
• South Australia 1,588,000;
• Australian Capital Territory 340,300.

More details are available at www.abs.gov.au

No cash for war memorials

The federal government wants some war memorials outside the national capital declared "nationally significant" but will not provide funds to sustain them.

Veterans' Affairs Minister Alan Griffin introduced the Military Memorial of National Significance Bill 2008 to the lower house last week.

The bill aims to deliver on Labor's election promise to recognise the Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial in Ballarat, north-west of Melbourne, is of national significance. The memorial recognises the sacrifices of more than 35,000 Australian prisoners of war held during the Boer War, the two World Wars and the Korean War.

The legislation sets up a process to recognise other military and war memorials of national significance outside the ACT.

"I want to make it very clear that the purpose of this bill is to provide an appropriate mechanism to recognise military memorials of national significance, and not to allow for any provision or appropriation of financial support to be provided by the commonwealth," Mr Griffin told parliament.

For a war memorial to be declared of national significance it must be owned or managed by an authority at the state, territory or local government level.

It must also meet several criteria including being of an appropriate scale, design and standard, as well as being dignified and symbolic. Debate on the bill was adjourned. (AAP)

Infrastructure Australia established

Parliament has approved the establishment of Infrastructure Australia a new national body tasked to develop a strategic blueprint for addressing the nation's infrastructure needs, particularly in the areas of transport, water, energy and communication.

The legislation establishes the Infrastructure Australia Council as a statutory independent body, chaired by Sir Rod Eddington, with 12 experienced members to be drawn from industry and government.

The Minister for Infrastructure, Anthony Albanese, said the remaining eleven members of the Council would be announced in coming weeks.

He said then Infrastructure Australia would undertake a National Infrastructure Audit of nationally significant infrastructure, including in the areas of water, energy, transport and communications; compile a Infrastructure Priority List for presentation to the March 2009 meeting of COAG a list that will guide future public and private investment decisions; and develop by year's end nationally consistent guidelines for public private partnerships.

Infrastructure Australia would also provide advice on regulatory reforms to help improve the use of existing infrastructure, streamline planning approvals and 'unlock billions of dollars of new investment.'

Waste inquiry not a waste for the environment

Waste management will be the subject of a parliamentary inquiry, after the Senate passed a motion to refer to the Environment, Communications and the Arts Committee for inquiry and report by August 2008 management of Australia?s waste streams, with particular reference to:

1. trends in waste production in Australia across household, consumer, commercial and industrial waste streams;
2. effectiveness of existing strategies to reduce, recover or reuse waste from difference waste streams;
3. potential new strategies to reduce, recover or reuse waste from different waste streams;
4. the economic, environmental and social benefits and costs of such strategies;
5. policy priorities to maximise the efficiency and efficacy of efforts to reduce, recover or reuse waste from different waste streams; and
6. consideration of the Drink Container Recycling Bill 2008.

Austroads Publications

The following guides have been published and are available for download from the Austroads publications website:

• AGRS-03/08 - Guide to Road Safety Part 3: Speed Limits and Speed Management
• AGRS-09/08 - Guide to Road Safety Part 9: Roadside Hazard Management
• AGPT-09/08 - Guide to Pavement Technology Part 9: Pavement Work Practices
• AGTM-05/08 - Guide to Traffic Management Part 5: Road Management
• AGTM-11/08 - Guide to Traffic Management Part 11: Parking

Local Government Ministers Advance Electronic Development Assessment

Accelerating the implementation of Electronic Development Assessment (eDA) was at the forefront of the agenda of ministers when the Local Government and Planning Ministers Council (LGPMC) met in Brisbane on 27 March 2008. In response to a decision by the Council of Australian Governments the previous day, the LGPMC gave priority to arrangements to implement the new $30m eDA program announced by the Commonwealth as part of its Affordable Housing policy.

ALGA President Cr Paul Bell stressed the importance of working with state and territory local government associations to implement the new program and welcomed the LGPMC's decision that the states and territories, in conjunction with their relevant local government associations, would provide advice to the Federal Housing Minister on a broad range of eDA matters, including the extent of councils? implementation of eDA, and ideas for fast-tracking implementation in councils.

ALGA President Briefs Ministers on Constitutional Recognition Process

ALGA President Cr Paul Bell briefed Local Government Ministers on ALGA's process to advance constitutional recognition at the meeting of Local Government and Planning Ministers in Brisbane on 27 March. Cr Bell outlined the process which includes councils conversations over the next few months, a meeting of experts in Canberra in August and a National Constitutional Summit in Melbourne on 8-11 December 2008. Cr Bell noted the Federal Government's election commitment to consult with local government on constitutional recognition and the importance, therefore, of local government considering the issues and determining its position as part of that consultation process.

ALGA attends Housing Ministers Conference

The Commonwealth Government's priority to tackle homelessness was a key item of discussion at the meeting of Commonwealth, State and Territory Housing Ministers held in Melbourne on the 14 March. ALGA, together with the NZ Government is an observer at the Ministerial Conference.

Cr Ann Bennison represented ALGA at the meeting.

The first meeting of Housing Ministers since the November election also included Ministers responsible for homelessness and community support programs to ensure there was thorough engagement on challenges and options for the future.

Ministers agreed that it is unacceptable that after 17 years of continuous economic growth, each night 100,000 Australians are homeless. Half of these people are under 24 years old, and 10,000 are children.

A Place to Call Home will invest $150 million to reduce homelessness, including the building of 600 new houses for homeless Australians;

Ministers were also briefed on the Commonwealth Government's commitment to develop a Homelessness Green and White Paper to set the agenda for reducing homelessness over the next decade.

The White Paper, to be delivered by September, will include a comprehensive national action plan to reduce homelessness. An expert steering group is being led by the Executive Director of the Brotherhood of St Laurence Tony Nicholson.

The Ministers also discussed the on-going commitment to address housing for Indigenous Australians, and debated the intricacies of the COAG working group exercise to deliver a National Affordable Housing Agreement.

From a local government perspective, it was disappointing to see Housing Ministers could not reach agreement on the value of ALGA being elevated to a full member status on the Ministerial Conference. After some debate it was agreed that this matter be best discussed at a future meeting of the Conference. Whilst Cr Bennison was somewhat disappointed with the decision, local government can continue to be satisfied that it is well represented given its membership of COAG and the COAG Housing Working Group.

The long serving Queensland Housing Minister Robert Schwarten was elected the new Housing Ministers Conference Chair.

Women winners in Qld poll - though mayoral numbers down

Women and experienced councillors had been winners in the Queensland local government elections, Local Government Association of Queensland president, Cr Paul Bell said.

"At last count, a record 34 per cent of councillors will be women - up from 30 per cent at the last election. This welcome increase continues a gradual trend towards greater numbers of women in the make-up of local government elected members," Cr Bell said.

"On results to date, 315 men and 165 women will be elected as councillors," he said.

"However, it's likely there will be only 10 female mayors - 15 per cent of positions, down from a record 17 per cent at the elections in 2004. It's disappointing."

Cr Bell said that around 300 mayors, councillors and senior officers from the across the state would attend the LGAQ's Local Government Symposium to be held in Brisbane from April 16 to 18. "This will be the first occasion that the new leadership of local government in Queensland will get together to discuss the challenges that lie ahead," he said.

ALGA and LGAQ President, Cr Paul Bell was re elected as a councillor on the Central Highlands Regional Council. LGAQ Senior Vice-President and ALGA Board Member Cr Ann Bennison did not recontest her position on Brisbane City Council and has retired after many years of service to local government. Cr Bennison has represented Enoggera Ward since 1994. Before being elected to office, Cr Bennison worked in industrial relations and the finance sector. LGAQ Junior Vice-President and ALGA Board Member Bob Abbot has declared victory in the battle for mayor of the Sunshine Coast Regional Council in south-east Queensland.

Vic councils move to extend smoking ban to beaches

Smokers will be asked to butt out at some of Victoria's popular beaches.

The Surf Coast Shire council will bring in trial smoking bans at Torquay and Jan Juc beaches, possibly within the next few months.

Williamstown and Altona beaches, in Melbourne's west, are set to follow while mayors from some of Victoria's largest shires including Melbourne, Geelong, Bayside and Yarra Ranges want to extend outdoor smoking bans to other areas such as bus stops, outdoor dining venues and golf driving ranges.

Surf Coast Mayor Dean Webster says if smokers want to use the beach as an ashtray then it will mean smoking will have to be banned.

"If people continue to not pick up their butts, the end result has to be banning smoking in these areas," Mr Dean said.

VicHealth chief executive Todd Harper told the 'Sunday Herald-Sun' that Victoria was on the brink of a new anti-smoking era.

"We will end up having a case where it's 'these are the areas you can smoke in' because everywhere else is smoke-free," Mr Harper said.

We're spending less time playing, sleeping and eating but working longer: ABS

We're spending less time playing, sleeping and eating or drinking, but working longer, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) survey on how Australians use their time.

In 2006 Australians slept for an average of 8 hours 31 minutes a day, five minutes less than in 1997. Time spent eating and drinking also decreased by 4 minutes a day to 1 hour 29 minutes. More information at: www.abs.gov.au

Arts and culture in Australian Life

The latest publication Arts and Culture in Australian Life provides a snapshot of the latest key cultural statistics in Australia. Figures provided by the National Centre for Culture and Recreation Statistics, Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), include data from the recent releases of the ABS, Work in Selected Culture and Leisure Activities, April 2007 and Employment in Culture, 2006.

The publication includes data on Australians working, participating and volunteering in the arts and cultural sector, Indigenous arts and culture, Australian spending on arts and culture and the impact of the sector on the economy.

Some key highlights from the latest data on Australia's dynamic arts and cultural sector are provided below:

• 3.5 million Australians work in our culture and leisure sector.
• 85 per cent of Australians attend at least one cultural venue or event in a year.
• Australia exported over $534 million in cultural goods in the last financial year.
• 27 per cent of Indigenous adults participate in creative arts.
• Australian households spend $14.7 billion on culture per annum.
• Australian Governments spend $5.5 billion on cultural funding per annum.

For more information, please see the full publications at: www.culturaldata.gov.au

Government 'to consult widely' on emissions trading

The Australian Government has released a timetable for the introduction of emissions trading.

The Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, announced the following target dates last week:

• March to June 2008: preliminary consultations on technical issues with industry and non-government groups
• July 2008: public release of a Green Paper on emissions trading design, drawing on preliminary consultations
• December 2008: public release of exposure draft legislation
• March - Mid 2009: Bill considered by Parliament
• 2009: Consultation on emissions trading regulations
• 3rd quarter 2009: Act enters into force, regulator established
• 2010: Emissions Trading Scheme will commence.

The detailed timetable is available here.

The Minister emphasised the Government's intention to consult widely with community on the design and implementation of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). She said the Government was consulting the States and Territories through a working group of the Council of Australian Governments. ALGA is represented on this COAG Working Group on Climate Change and Water. The Working Group will report to COAG by September on a range of climate change matters. The current work of the Garnaut Climate Change Review will be one of several key inputs to the design of the ETS. The Garnaut Review team released a discussion paper on the design of an Australian ETS on 20 March; the paper is available here. Submissions on the paper will be received until 18 April.

Climate change and environmental impacts on coastal communities

The House of Representatives Climate Change, Water, Environment and the Arts Committee has announced an inquiry into climate change and environmental impacts on Australian coastal communities.

Committee Chair Jennie George welcomed the co-referral of this inquiry by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Peter Garrett, and the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong.

"Much of Australia's population and infrastructure is in the coastal zone, increasing our vulnerability to climate change impacts," Ms George said. "The growth in population and intensification of land use along the coast is further increasing pressure on the environment in many areas."

Coastal management issues are a key concern for many councils, due to the increased population pressure on coastal areas. These pressures will be exacerbated by the impacts of climate change through, for example, changing sea levels and also potential shortages of water in densely settled coastal areas.

The terms of reference provide for the committee to inquire into climate change and environmental pressures experienced by Australian coastal areas. The inquiry will have particular regard to:

• existing policies and programs related to coastal zone management, taking in the catchment-coast-ocean continuum
• the environmental impacts of coastal population growth and mechanisms to promote sustainable use of coastal resources
• the impact of climate change on coastal areas and strategies to deal with climate change adaptation, particularly in response to projected sea level rise
• mechanisms to promote sustainable coastal communities
• governance and institutional arrangements for the coastal zone.

The committee will accept submissions until Friday, 30 May 2008. The schedule of public hearings has not been announced, but it is understood that hearings will be held in a number of major coastal centres. The details will be provided in ALGA News as soon as they are available.

Preliminary details about the inquiry, including how to make a submission, can be obtained from the Committee's website at www.aph.gov.au/ccwea

Round 2 opens for airstrip upgrades in remote Australia

The Australian Government is calling for applications under the second round of its $22 million Remote Aerodrome Safety Program (RASP).

The first round generated widespread interest amongst remote and isolated communities, with a total of 25 aerodromes across the country receiving around $1 million to help improve their safety and accessibility.

A further $5 million is being made available for:

• Repairing and upgrading runway surfaces;
• Safety equipment such as runway lighting and navigation aids; and
• Infrastructure such as animal proof fences.

The scheme does not cover works that involve terminals, hangars, buildings or on-airport commercial developments. RASP funding is available to help maintain access to air services to the nation's remote and isolated communities such as essential supplies, mail, passenger transport and medical care like that provided by the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Project applications will be assessed through a cooperative process including relevant Australian Government agencies and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Applications must be submitted by Thursday, 24 April 2008. Application forms, guidelines and further information are available here.

Taskforce to target western Sydney violence

Sydney police have declared war on violence in the western suburbs and are mobilising a special task force to take on the problem.

Police, the Department of Housing, the Fire Brigade, Busways, and Campbelltown Local Council are part of operation Tinnaroo which focuses on the Rosemeadow estate.

Police say there have been seven incidents over the past month, and in five cases missiles had been thrown. In the latest incident police were called to the suburb after reports of rocks being thrown at buses. Nine people have been arrested over the past three months.

Earth watch on Saturday

Earth Hour 2008 will be held at 8pm on Saturday 29 March. The Earth Hour campaign highlights the need to cut greenhouse emissions and households, businesses and communities are encouraged to turn off unnecessary lights and households appliances for one hour between 8 and 9 pm.

Public comments sought on National Broadband Network

ALGA will be providing a submission to assist in the development of the National Broadband Network Request for Proposals.

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy, has invited industry and the public to provide submissions that will inform the Panel of Experts.

The Panel of Experts has been established to assess proposals to build the National Broadband Network, which will provide download speeds of at least 12 megabits per second to 98 per cent of Australian homes and businesses.

"I have asked the Panel of Experts to provide me with advice that will assist in the development of the Request for Proposals documentation for the National Broadband Network process," Senator Conroy said.

Written submissions should be provided to the panel by 30 March 2008, and can be forwarded by email to nationalbroadbandnetwork@dbcde.gov.au

Submissions may be published and made publicly available online.

Further information on the National Broadband Network process and Panel of Experts is available on the website of the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.

GreenPower Accreditation Program

GreenPower are calling on all councils to encourage local residents and business to do their research when purchasing renewable energy.

The GreenPower program has put together a simple consumer information sheet with valuable information and tips on renewable energy, its accreditation, the environmental benefits renewable energy products should provide, choosing a renewable energy provider and what consumers need to know about electricity contracts.

Councils are welcome to use this information on their own websites, environmental brochures and newsletters as well as supply it to reception and environment staff for dealing with external enquiries. Reproduction should be attributed to the GreenPower program and www.greenpower.gov.au, and GreenPower kept informed at greenpower@dwe.nsw.gov.au

Purchasing renewable energy, as long as it's accredited, is one easy way for householders and businesses to immediately reduce their impact on climate change. The two page "Switching to renewable energy? Get the facts" information sheet can be downloaded here.

GreenPower is a joint initiative of the ACT, NSW, QLD, SA, VIC, and WA governments, managed by the NSW Department of Water and Energy.