Published on Thursday, 25 November 2021 at 5:00:00 PM
Northam will install electric vehicle charging stations and adopt a new approach to purchasing renewable energy as part of Council’s focus on sustainability.
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
The acceptance of an offer from Synergy Corporation for the provision of two electric vehicle charging outlets for placement in Northam came about as a product of State Government’s EV Strategy. An assessment of the locations identified by Synergy have resulted in the Northam Visitor Centre Car Park being selected as the preferred location.
Northam is one of 45 locations pinpointed in the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategic Planning Report to receive EV charging capabilities in the next 3 years, and this project is made possible through the State Government’s $21 million Electric Vehicle Fund.
WALGA- Synergy Power Purchase Agreement
Synergy has recently proposed a collaborative purchasing package for WA local governments to get the best price from energy providers for contestable sites. The Shire of Northam has agreed to enter into a 3 year contract with the purchase of a percentage of renewable green energy each year, to increase exponentially year-on-year. This is currently the largest collaboration in Australia with 51 local governments in WA joining the agreement, followed by Victoria with 46 when they implemented a similar project.
The Shire of Northam is currently assessing and quantifying its carbon footprint as an organisation. In recent years the Shire has made significant efforts to become more sustainable in its operations with initiatives such as:
- The installation of solar panels at 10 Shire of Northam facilities
- Gaining Waterwise accreditation for both aquatic facilities (including the introduction of pool blankets)
- The appointment of an Environmental Sustainability Officer
- The implementation of the Local Biodiversity Strategy
- Encouraging and sourcing best practices through the Cities Power Partnership Program
- Retro-fitting Shire buildings with LED lighting
- Installation of LED flood lights at the BMX track
- Hydrowise irrigation controllers that manage operations based on weather conditions saving on electricity and water
Shire President Cr Chris Antonio said, ‘We want to showcase a commitment to sustainability moving forward, and to model the types of continuing sustainable decisions and behaviours we would like to see reflected by the local community’.
In addition to the decisions regarding the Power Purchase Agreement and EV Charging Stations, Council also moved to support a Waste Transfer Station and Tip Shop at the Old Quarry Road Waste Management Facility in Northam to reduce the amount of waste placed into landfill.
For details on the ways in which the Shire of Northam is modelling our commitment to sustainability, please visit the Shire of Northam website at www.northam.wa.gov.au.
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