Melbourne sustainability strategies endorsed

The City of Melbourne has announced that two key council documents, which lay out Melbourne’s path to a more resilient and self-sufficient future, were this week endorsed at a Future Melbourne Committee meeting.

Environment Councillor Arron Wood said the strategies were released for public feedback last year. They identify new targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the municipality over the next four years and build on efforts to capture and use water in a smarter way.

The Zero Net Emissions strategy sets out the ambitious target of zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and switching the electricity supply to 25% renewable energy. The strategy identifies emissions reduction opportunities in sectors including commercial, residential, transport and electricity generation.

Cr Wood said the document “outlines our commitment to making changes in our own operations, such as trialling low-emissions technologies and increasing the uptake of carbon neutral services”. He noted that such commitment is “needed at all levels to make [change] happen - from the local community, business and government”.

Total Watermark - City as a Catchment outlines the City of Melbourne’s goal to become a water-sensitive city - protecting waterways, responding to climate change and managing the total water cycle. The strategy positions the city as a catchment, recognising the important role of both natural and man-made catchments, including roads, roofs and impermeable surfaces.

“In recent years, our city has experienced extremes in weather conditions,” said Cr Wood, “and we recognise that water and the way we use it plays a fundamental role in helping our city cope under all kinds of conditions.”

The City of Melbourne today launched a major stormwater project at the Birrarung Marr park. A tank with a storage capacity of 2500 kL will provide 35 million litres of water to irrigate the upper and middle terraces of Birrarung Marr, Speakers Corner and the tree avenues along the banks of the Yarra River.

It is one of three stormwater harvesting projects funded through the Commonwealth Government’s Water for the Future program in 2010.