Streetlights throughout Mitchell Shire are going green until at least 2030 after Council announced it had partnered with Procurement Australia and 12 other Victorian Councils to sign a Power Purchase Agreement with Alinta Energy.
Power will be generated from wind farms across the state to meet the specific renewable energy requirements for Mitchell Shire from 1 July 2020.
Council is committed to be a leader in protecting and enhancing the environment through traditional and innovative practices.
Council also recently adopted its first Environment Policy to guide its decision-making ensuring environmental impacts and improvements considered across the organisation. The policy is underpinned by six aims:
- Energy
- Climate Change
- Land and Biodiversity
- Water
- Urban Ecology
- Resource Use and Waste Management
The policy includes the goal of sourcing 100 per cent of Council’s electricity needs from renewable resources by 2050. This PPA takes a significant step towards achieving this as streetlights represent approximately 33 per cent of Council’s current electricity consumption.
Importantly, the landmark renewable energy agreement supports the aims of the policy that has been developed and supported in consultation with the Youth Council and the Mitchell Environment Advisory Committee.
