10 JULY 2020 EDITION 44 Welcome to the 44th edition of Sustainability Snippets

ENVIRONMENT AWARDS PAGE 01 and beautiful communities. Will you be part of Plastic CASE STUDIES PAGE 02 Free July by choosing to refuse single-use plastics?

RESOURCES PAGE 3 Funding

Greening our City This partnership program between LGNSW and the Have you got a great project that you have been NSW Department of Planning, Industry and working on in the last 18 months? You can now Environment provides two funding streams nominate for LGNSW’s Excellence in the Environment designed to support increased tree planting and Awards. urban greening by all 33 councils in Greater . It will also support innovative

demonstration projects by Sydney metropolitan The Excellence in the Environment Awards celebrate councils or any organisation that partners with a NSW councils programs, projects and people across local council within the Greater Sydney region. 16 award categories, including the Louise Petchell Up to $12.5 million is being made available through Memorial Award for Individual Sustainability. the program across two funding streams. This Previously unsuccessful applicants can re-nominate. funding will be available to eligible local councils Apply online by Tuesday 14 July. and council-led project teams through a competitive grant process. Applications close 19 August 2020.

Electric vehicle charging toolkit A webinar will be held to provide support to applicants with the application process: The Central NSW Joint Organisation have developed Webinar: Wednesday 22 July 2020 an electric vehicle charging toolkit designed to walk Time: 10.30 – 11.30 am through the necessary steps involved in installing Please register online. electric vehicle chargers including considerations such as site selection, charging infrastructure, required Climate Solutions Fund approvals, the installation process and signage. The Australian Government is taking a market development approach to carbon abatement The toolkit aims to make it easier for commercial projects that can generate Australian Carbon Credit charge point operators to operate in the region. It Units (ACCU). Simpler and user-friendly content on the new website translates the carbon abatement provides advice on planning regulations and hosting methods including forestry, carbon farming and charging stations on council land. waste methodologies. Generate ACCU can then be sold to the Government or the carbon credit market.

Plastic free July Increasing Resilience to Climate Change Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps The third and final round of IRCC is opening soon. millions of people be part of the solution to plastic Keep an eye out on our website. pollution – so we can have cleaner streets, oceans,

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SUSTAINABILITY projects. Using recycled glass is extending the life of SNIPPETS Review of the Product Stewardship the quarries by 5-7 years as well as using the stockpile 10 JULY 2020 Act 2011 of crushed glass at the local Material Recycling EDITION 44 The Australian Government has released its response Facility. Council also uses the recycled glass in

to the Review of the Product Stewardship Act 2011. footpath and stormwater construction reducing the The review made 26 recommendations when need to purchase sand materials. considering the purpose of the Act and its role in further improving ’s management of end-of- life products and transition to a circular economy. The Australian Government supports all the Review’s recommendations and has started implementation.

CPP Climate Awards The Cities Power Partnership has opened their Climate Awards and are looking for achievements in the fields of renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable transport, and community engagement. Entries close 28 August.

Waverley Council - Waverley Park recycled water Climate Policy Toolkit system The Climate Change Authority has released The Waverley Park water recycling system harvests Prospering in a Low-Emissions World: An Updated groundwater seepage which is captured and filtered to Climate Policy Toolkit for Australia. It proposes 35 supply water for irrigation at Waverley Oval sports recommendations to help transition Australia to a low fields and ornamental gardens, as well as flushing emissions future. This includes diverting organics from toilets at Council’s Margaret Whitlam Centre. Beyond landfills, renewable energy and energy efficiency. significant water savings of approximately 7 ML of drinking water and $15,000 each year, the project improves local water quality by reducing stormwater Case studies run-off and improves resilience to drought. Ku-ring-gai’s bushfire preparedness Ku-ring-gai Council was funded through the Increasing Resilience to Climate Change program to use the Simtable modelling tool to improve public engagement and preparation for the threat of bushfires and other extreme weather events in the Ku-ring-gai area. Watch the case study.

Resources Net Zero Plan The NSW Government has released the Net Zero Plan Stage 1: 2020-2030. It is the foundation for NSW’s Council- Using recycled glass in action on climate change and goal to reach net zero road base project emissions by 2050. The plan has four priorities: Lockhart Shire Council blends recycled glass with 1. Drive uptake of proven emissions reduction Council's own quarry materials for road construction technologies

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SUSTAINABILITY 2. Empower consumers and businesses to make overarching aim of land use planning and presents a SNIPPETS sustainable choices procedural and decision-making framework applicable 10 JULY 2020 3. Invest in emissions reduction innovation at different levels of land use planning. EDITION 44 4. Ensure the NSW Government leads by example.

ClimateClever Consultations ClimateClever has introduced a Local Government LGNSW environment team’s submissions to a number Partnership Program to help communities i.e. schools, of government initiatives are available, including the homes and soon businesses, to reduce their carbon recent: footprint and save money on their utility bills, while • National Natural Disaster Arrangements providing them with all the de-identified and • 20 Year Waste Strategy aggregated data back to measure their community's • NSW Plastics Plan progress. • Private Native Forestry draft Codes of Practice

• NSW Independent Bushfire Inquiry Communicating climate change during COVID • Independent review of the Environment Protection Timing and sensitivity are paramount in and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 communicating climate change during Covid-19 - • Retail Energy Competition Review 2020: electric otherwise the climate sector risks undermining climate vehicles action for the long term. This guide looks at how to • Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement – engage people on climate change while we're dealing Phasing out certain waste exports with another crisis. Through 10 principles, the guide provides insights into what effective climate communications can look like during the ongoing Events Covid-19 crisis. LGNSW Water Forum (online event), 16 July 2020

Land Use Planning for Disaster Resilient LGNSW Water Management Conference, 6 - 8 Communities October 2020, Narrabri Nationally agreed principles for good practice in land

use planning to build disaster-resilient communities Excellence in the Environment Awards, 13 October have been laid out in a new handbook for local 2020, Little Bay (Sydney) government planners.

Compiled by the Australian Institute for Disaster

Resilience (AIDR), the handbook establishes community wellbeing and disaster resilience as the

SUBSCRIPTION PROGRAM CONTACT

To subscribe to this electronic newsletter, visit Denise Anderson lgnsw.org.au/policy/ecologically-sustainable-development/news Senior Policy Officer – Environment Local Government NSW E [email protected] P 9242 405

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