Budget spend saves

By Tania Martin
YARRA Ranges Council has strengthened its green credentials with a $6 million Budget boost for the environment.
The cash will be announced tonight (Tuesday) as part of its draft 2010/11 budget meeting.
Climate change will be a big winner with $1.5 million allocated towards upgrading the shire’s street lighting which is expected to save more than 1400 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year.
Mayor Len Cox said these savings would equate to nine per cent of the council’s total emissions or 65 per cent less energy than the existing lights.
He said an additional $800,000 had been allocated to the council’s carbon management program to help reduce its environmental footprint.
The cash splash would also be used to investigate other ways to reduce energy at its pools, building on energy and water saving initiatives currently in place.
Yarra Ranges climate change activist Peter Cook said the new initiatives were valid ideas but only time would tell how effective they would be.
“Overall I think they are being quite proactive.
“Councils are quite limited with what they can do to reduce emissions compared to Federal and State Governments,” he said.
“In that aspect I think they are doing what they can to reduce emissions.”
But Mr Cook said the street lighting program and reducing energy consumption at pools were not new initiatives.
However, he said both were good ideas.
“I remember when the shire did an energy audit which showed street lights and the pool were their top two sources of emissions,” Mr Cook said.
Shire CEO Glenn Patterson said the environmental initiatives were a highlight of this year’s Budget.
He said this year’s spending was determined by the council’s 10 priority areas identified in its council plan.
Other initiatives under the environment cash injection include appointing an ecological assessments officer and a community outreach for climate change officer to develop programs to enable residents to manage their own carbon footprints.
The council also plans to develop a climate change response plan and spend an additional $100,000 in recurrent funding to extend its tree planting program.
But weeds will be a big loser – the council plans to spend an extra $60,000 to have them removed from council reserves and roadsides.
More details on the council’s green spending will be available following tonight’s meeting.