PLANNING AND ECONOMIC COMMITTEE 1 - City of …...2016/02/10 · Agenda – Planning and Economic Committee 10 February 2016 - #5001763 Energy Update Total electricity consumption

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Agenda – Planning and Economic Committee 10 February 2016 - #5001763

PLANNING AND ECONOMIC COMMITTEE

10 FEBRUARY 20161

STATE OF ENVIRONMENT REPORT 2014/15

Michelle O’Loughlin | 8/24/18-01 | #4956913

RECOMMENDATION:

That Council endorses the State of the Environment Report for 2014/15.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

The State of Environment (SoE) report summarises Cairns Regional Council’s environmental and urban sustainability initiatives in 2014/15. Whilst SoE reporting is not a statutory requirement in Queensland, Council is committed to transparently reporting its actions to the community.

The indicators within the SoE report reflect areas aligned with Council’s Corporate Plan, which include, improving resource efficiency, biodiversity, enhancing community wellbeing, governance and economic management. By monitoring Council’s performance and understanding the trends presented, Council can be aware of the impact of various programs and strive for continuous improvement.

Key sections within the report are:

1. Built Environment2. Water3. Waste Water 4. Waste and Recycling5. Biodiversity6. Community Engagement7. Council Operations

BACKGROUND:

The 2014/15 SoE report is the tenth report of this nature produced by Council. In Queensland there is no legislative requirement for Councils to produce this report; however Council believes it is an effective and easily understood way to demonstrate its environmental accountability to the community.

This report also assists Council to strive for continuous improvement and compare itsperformance against that of other Councils.

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The de-amalgamation from Douglas Council in January 2014 presented the opportunity for SoE indicators developed over a decade ago to be refreshed to better reflect current operations and align with State reporting. Therefore, data presented in this report ranges from 2013/14 onwards, reflecting the updated Cairns Regional Council local government area.

COMMENT:

Key highlights include:

1. Built Environment

The number of building approvals assessed by Council in 2014/15 was 2,526, a 7% increase from the 2,355 approvals in 2013/14. In 2014/15, 9% of these approvals were for residential buildings, compared with 10% the previous year.

The amount of shared cycle/pedestrian pathways increased from 490km to 494km. The Super Tuesday Cyclist Count totalled 1,772 cyclists, a 51% increase from 2013/14. This increase may be partly attributed to wet weather conditions in the previous year.

2. Water

A total of 26,137 megalitres (ML) of potable water was supplied in 2014/15. This represents 433 litres/person/day (l/p/d), an increase of 7% from the previous year. Of this total volume, residential consumption was 68% or 295 l/p/d, an increase of 9% from2013/14. A major factor for this increase was 25% less rainfall in 2014/15 compared with 2013/14.

This report also highlights Council’s engagement with the Water Security Advisory Group to develop the Cairns Water Security Strategy.

3. Waste Water

A total 18,944 ML of waste water was treated in 2014/15, of which 11.6% (2,203ML) was reused, compared with 11.1% in 2013/14. Recycled water was used in applications such as irrigation on Cairns’ major golf courses, Yorkey’s Knob School and the Botanic Gardens.

4. Waste and Recycling

In 2014/15 a total of 110,995 tonnes (t) of waste was collected, of which 54,500t was diverted from landfill. This gives Council an overall recycling rate of 49%, ahead of the Queensland average of 42.7%.

Council’s new crushed glass recycling facilities, continued support for community waste education and uptake of recycling in multi-unit dwellings and businesses has also been highlighted.

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5. Biodiversity

In 2014/15 Council managed 108 hectres (ha) of land, compared with 102 ha in the previous year.

There was a 5% increase in allocated staff hours for weed control and 1,880 staff hours spent on pest animal management, the same as 2013/14.

Council supported eight community land care groups in 2014/15. This included, Treeforce, Mulgrave River Landcare, Russell River Landcare, Cairns Urban Landcare, Jarragun Natural Resource Management, Dawul Wuru Aboriginal Corporation, Holloways Beach Coast Care and Barron River Care.

6. Community Engagement

Council produced the inaugural Cairns ECOfiesta, attracting 9,000 attendees and 99 stall holders. The festival demonstrated Council’s commitment to environment, community and economic objectives (triple bottom line) and strengthened relationships with local businesses, industry and community groups.

Council partnered with Regional Development Australia to produce the North Queensland ECOweek. It attracted 49 events and business promotions across the region to promote sustainable lifestyles and environmental awareness.

Council awarded eight Community Sustainability Grants in 2014/15, totalling $20,000.

Council facilitated, delivered and supported numerous community engagement activities including, Tropical Tree Day, Drain Stencilling and the Youth Storm mural for reef and catchment health, National Recycling Week, Go Clubs: Greener Building Initiative,Sustainable House Day, Love to Ride Cairns, Ride 2 Work Day and Community Bike Rides.

7. Council Operations

Emissions Update

Council has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 45% since 2007/08 and is on track to meet its 50% reduction target by 2020. The 2007/2008 baseline has been revised to reflect more accurate landfill gas data and de-amalgamation with Douglas Shire.

Council is responsible for the destruction of around 5,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) of methane per year from the Portsmith landfill. In 2014/15 Council received 5,383 Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCU’s) for the period between March 2014 and February 2015 which is currently stored in Council’s registry account awaiting sale.

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Energy Update

Total electricity consumption was 33,183,485 kWh, a 0.6% reduction from the year previous.

Since 2010/11, Council’s top 11 energy consuming facilities have collectively reduced their energy consumption by 24%.

Total electricity cost to Council in 2014/15 was $9,760,134, an increase of 3.4% compared with 2013/14. This is largely due to an increase in streetlight electricity as a result of an Ergon streetlight audit that attributed a large number of additional streetlights to Council.

During 2014/15, a total of $1,325, 664 was avoided through tariff reviews and energy efficiency measures across the organisation.

Water Consumption

Council used 804.3 ML of water on parks, gardens and facilities, a 22.7% increase from 2013/14. A significant contributing factor for this is a 25% reduction in rainfall experienced in 2014/15 compared with the previous year.

Fuel Consumption

Council’s overall fuel use decreased by 26.7% compared to the previous year, resulting in a greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 26.3%. This is due to Council’s Fleet Improvement Projects such as GPS monitoring, hybrid electric units and an online booking system, reducing the total amount of vehicles required.

OPTIONS:

1. That Council endorses the 2014/15 State of the Environment Report.

OR

2. That Council does not endorse 2014/15 State of the Environment Report.

CONSIDERATIONS:

Risk Management:

Extensive internal consultation across Council was undertaken to ensure accuracy of content.

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Financial:

There are no financial or budgetary implications associated with this report.

Corporate and Operational Plans:

The SoE report provides an update on the following corporate objectives,

Economy

2.3 Infrastructure and utilities that facilitate and enhance sustainable growth.

Environment

3.1 A natural environment that is valued and sustainable.

3.2 A quality and well planned built environment that meets basic community needs

3.4 An environmentally educated and empowered community.

3.5 Ensure climate change impacts on our community, natural and built environment are minimised.

Governance

4.1 An innovative, transparent and accountable local government

4.3 Responsible financial management and efficient operations

The SoE report 2014/15 fulfils a key operational activity in the Operational Plan,

3.0 Environment: A sustainable, well managed and healthy environment that provides a balance between built infrastructure and the conservation of our world heritage features and natural and cultural resources.

Statutory:

There are no statutory obligations to prepare an annual State of the Environment report in Queensland.

Policy:

The SoE report relates to the intents of the Corporate Sustainability Policy and the Energy and Emissions Management Policy.

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CONSULTATION:

Extensive internal consultation across Council was undertaken to ensure accuracy of content with Strategic Planning, Strategic Programs, Water and Waste, Development Assessment, Natural Areas Management, Parks and Leisure and Infrastructure Services.

ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment 1: State of Environment Report 2014/15

Michelle O’LoughlinSustainability Officer

Peter Boyd Manager Strategic Planning and Approvals

Kelly ReastonGeneral Manager Planning and Environment.

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Documents

PLANNING AND ECONOMIC COMMITTEE 1 - City of …...2016/02/10 · Agenda – Planning and Economic Committee 10 February 2016 - #5001763 Energy Update Total electricity consumption