Climate Action Plan

We have developed Boroondara’s Climate Action Plan to deliver what’s important to our community. We recognise the real and increasing threat of climate change to our environment, health and wellbeing. We also recognise the threat to our quality of life now and into the future.

We have heard from our community that environmental sustainability, specifically climate change, is an important issue. Our Climate Action Plan outlines how we will respond to this challenge. It also explains how we will work with our community and other levels of government to tackle climate change.

The online version of the Climate Action Plan has been edited and simplified for web.
Access the original plan, implementation plan and research report here.

We recognise the real and increasing threat of climate change to our environment, health and wellbeing. We also recognise the threat to our quality of life now and into the future.

We have heard from our community that environmental sustainability, specifically climate change, is an important issue. Our Climate Action Plan outlines how we will respond to this challenge. It also explains how we will work with our community and other levels of government to tackle climate change.

We have already made big improvements, but we can keep building on these. We recognise the important global movement towards zero emissions and that the City of Boroondara should be part of this movement.

Climate change is about more than just greenhouse gas emissions. Even if all countries substantially reduce emissions now, it’s too late to avoid some long-term changes to our environment. We must prepare to adapt to a warmer climate that changes regularly and has more extreme weather events. This will impact on our people and biodiversity. It will affect how we travel, how we use water and how we live our lives.

Our vision is that everyone who lives, works and plays in Boroondara will come together to achieve our goals. We want to support and encourage the use of renewable energy and sustainable materials. We want to re-think the way we travel to use greener alternatives and we want to save our valuable drinking water. We want to make sure we use our valuable resources well and recycle as much as possible. We also want to make sure we are ready to adapt to new technologies that will help us achieve our goals.

We understand that we have an essential role in achieving this vision and tackling climate change. We will continue to lead and support our community to reduce emissions. We will work with other councils, governments, agencies and groups to find ways to reduce emissions. We will also strive to be a carbon neutral Council by 2022 and support our community to be carbon neutral by 2035.

We will report the outcomes of our Climate Action Plan each year. We will also review and update the Climate Action Plan in 5 years.

Our strategies

We have policies and programs that make sure we include environmental sustainability in our operations and services.

The Boroondara Community Plan 2017– 2027 (BCP) is our main strategic document. It guides our decisions and supports our annual plans and budgets. It also supports all of our strategies, policies and actions.

Within the BCP, there are 7 priority themes. A number of these themes guide our response to environmental sustainability and climate change.

The BCP also includes the Boroondara Public Health and Wellbeing Plan. This wellbeing plan considers the potential effects of climate change, which is required under the Victorian Government Climate Change Act 2017.

We have policies and strategies that help us meet the objectives of the BCP. This Climate Action Plan will replace Our Low Carbon Future Strategy (2009–2020).

A man using his FOGO bin

Our projects

Actions from Our Low Carbon Future Strategy focused on tackling key sources of greenhouse gas emissions from our buildings, streetlights and vehicles.

We have made great progress in increasing the energy efficiency and low carbon technology in the buildings we own. Examples of our efforts include:

  • We are powering more than 12,000 streetlights and 16 major buildings with 100% local renewable energy from a Gippsland wind farm. We will be doing this until 2030. This makes up over 85% of our total electricity use.
  • We have upgraded over 7,000 streetlights with more efficient technology.
  • We are installing solar panels on our buildings. This includes on our 4 aquatic centres. By June 2021, we had installed, or had committed to, over 1,133 kW of solar PV (energy captured from the solar panels) on all our office, depot and community buildings.
  • We are delivering cost-effective energy efficiency upgrades at our largest buildings. Our recently completed $2.5 million project Energy Performance Contract (EPC) project is now saving 1,700 tonnes of CO2-e per year. It is also saving over $250,000 each year.
  • During 2020–21, we used what we learned from the EPC project and put in place over $1 million in extra energy-saving initiatives.
Rooftop solar panels

    Other initiatives

    We also run other projects and programs that support environmental sustainability within Council and our whole community. Key examples include:

    • The launch of the Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) program in May 2020. This program helps keep food and garden organics out of landfill. FOGO is one of the biggest changes in community waste management since kerbside recycling.
    • The Council Climate Change Risk Assessment (2020).
    • The Sustainable Buildings Policy (2016). This policy makes sure that all new or upgraded buildings are environmentally sustainable. It also makes sure that all Council building projects at least a 5-star standard in the Green Building Council of Australia’s ‘Design & As Built Tool’.
    • Programs such as Living for our Future, which help teach our community about energy efficiency and other sustainability issues.
    • Providing the latest energy efficiency and renewable energy advice to residents and businesses through the Australian Energy Foundation.
    • Our Compost Revolution program is offering advice and discounts for residents on products such as worm farms and compost bins.
    • Through programs such as the Teacher Environment Network, we are supporting schools to include sustainability in their curriculum and in the way they work.
    • We are building roads using recycled asphalt. The asphalt includes materials such as recycled soft plastic bags, glass and leftover cartridge toners. We also reuse asphalt that’s been recovered from our other road projects.
    • We are a member of the Eastern Alliance for Greenhouse Action. Together with other eastern suburb councils in Melbourne, we work to deliver programs that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support our community to adapt to the effects of climate change.
    A boy standing next to FOGO compost

    We carried out consultation with our community about this Climate Action Plan in 2020.

    During the first phase of the consultation, we heard from more than 1,500 community members. They shared their feedback online, over the phone and in writing. We randomly selected one-third of these community members to take part.

    In March and April 2021, we did a follow-up survey and workshops. This second phase of the consultation told us we were mostly on the right track. We found out that we have the support from our community to take bold actions to reduce our contribution to climate change.

    A survey report outlining the consultation process for this plan is published on our website.

    During 2021, we carried out consultation on the refresh of our Boroondara Community Plan. We have considered the feedback from the community during this process and included this in the development of our Climate Action Plan. We will publish the details from this consultation in 2021.

    Other considerations in developing this plan

    Our Climate Action Plan aims to guide the City of Boroondara on the most effective ways to reduce emissions and be more sustainable.

    When we developed this plan, we looked at:

    • community feedback
    • how our operations contribute to greenhouse gas emissions
    • how the Boroondara community contribute to greenhouse gas emissions
    • how climate change is connected to other environmental issues, such as our biodiversity and water availability
    • other ways we can help reduce the effects of climate change outside our own operations
    • how much we need to reduce emissions by to avoid the worst effects of climate change
    • what data we have available to track and report on how well we are doing
    • what data we aren’t able to collect.

    Council emissions

    We started recording our emissions in 2007–08. We call this our baseline year. In our baseline year, the emissions were 26,837 tonnes of CO2-e. Since then, we have checked greenhouse gas emissions across all the buildings and services we manage.

    Due to ongoing efforts to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and environmental footprint, our emissions are now below 6,000 tonnes CO2-e. This is over 80% less than our baseline year and is more than the target set in Our Low Carbon Future Strategy, which was 30–40%.

    Though this a great effort, data shows that Council’s emissions make up less than 1% of emissions in Boroondara. This shows that we have an important role to play in supporting our community to tackle greenhouse gas emissions in Boroondara as well.

      Council emissions by source

      • Electricity in buildings makes up 46% of our emissions.
      • Electricity for streetlights makes up 28% of our emissions.
      • Gas for buildings makes up 10% of our emissions.
      • Fuel for vehicles makes up 8% of our emissions.
      • Indirect greenhouse gas emissions makes up 7% of our emissions.
      • Taxi and air travel makes up less than 0.1% of our emissions.
      • Refrigerants makes up 1% of our emissions.

      In 2021, streetlight electricity is 100% renewable and over 90% of building electricity is renewable. Renewable electricity doesn’t contribute to our total greenhouse emissions.

      Council emissions over time

      Since our baseline year in 2007–08, we have tracked our emissions each year. This includes actual emissions and emissions from vehicle use that have been offset by buying Australian Biodiversity Regeneration Offsets.

      Greenhouse gas emissions from 2007 to 2014

      Emissions (tonnes CO2) 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14
      Actual emissions 26,509 26,316 26,803 26,130 25,156 23,865 23,605
      Offset emissions   911 911 860 860 860 860
      Total emissions 26,509 25,405 25,892 25,270 24,296 23,005 22,745

      Greenhouse gas emissions from 2014 to 2021

      Emissions (tonnes CO2) 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21
      Actual emissions 23,396 22,625 22,483 22,825 21,787 17,308 4,500
      Offset emissions 2,341 2,341 2,705 2,398 2,369 2,324 2,324
      Total emissions 21,055 20,284 19,777 20,427 19,417 14,984 2,175

       

      Community emissions

      We sourced information about where emissions in Boroondara come from on the Snapshot database. This database is the most readily available information about community emissions in Victorian Local Government Areas.

      The total emissions for Boroondara from January to December 2019 equals 1,804,000 tonnes of CO2-e.

      Electricity makes up 58% of emissions in Boroondara. 

      Gas makes up 19% of emissions in Boroondara. 

      Transport makes up 20% of emissions in Boroondara. 

      Waste makes up 3% of emissions in Boroondara.

      Other ways to reduce our carbon footprint

      It’s important to recognise that our environmental impact is made up of more than our energy use. Decisions we all make every day contribute to our carbon footprint and impact the environment.

      These include:

      • what we buy and use
      • how our food is produced
      • how we dispose of things
      • the materials used to build our homes, roads and cities.

      When we develop any plan or action to support environmental sustainability, we need to think about all of these factors.

      Unfortunately, we don’t know what the average individual greenhouse gas emissions in Boroondara is. To find out this information would be difficult, time consuming and expensive. However, we do know that there are many actions we can take as a Council and as a community to reduce our collective impact and create a sustainable, vibrant future.

      A pie chart that shows community emissions by source

      Greenhouse gas targets

      Most of our electricity now comes from renewable energy. This has been an important factor in reducing our own emissions. Compared to our baseline year in 2007–08, we have reduced emissions by more than 80%. One of the best and most cost-effective ways for us to keep reducing our energy use, is by continuing to improve our facilities that use renewable electricity. However, these actions won’t be enough to achieve our new emissions targets. We will continue to invest in energy efficiency, renewable energy and other local projects and programs that reduce our energy use and emissions.

      We have set a target to be carbon neutral by 2022. We will achieve this by investing in greenhouse gas offsets that can be measured and proven. We have set this goal for one year after the adoption of our Climate Action Plan. This will give us enough time to work out the best way to achieve it. As we keep improving our own operations, we won’t need to buy as many offsets. This is because our level of emissions will shrink as we use less greenhouse gases.

      Our greenhouse gas targets align with 4 objectives:

      1. Reduce energy use and pollution.
      2. Prioritise cleaner energy alternatives.
      3. Look for cost-effective approaches.
      4. Look for options that invest locally and offer lasting benefits for Boroondara.

      When we set our targets, we thought about:

      • what we can achieve
      • having objectives that will continue to push us to do better.

      We may not hit every target, but we will do more if we have the opportunity. We will review our targets as part of an update to the Climate Action Plan in 5 years. Or we may do this sooner if required.

      Key targets

      We will:

      • be carbon neutral by 2022
      • reduce our actual emissions by 90% by 2030 (compared to our baseline year in 2007–08)
      • reduce our actual emissions by 100% by 2040 (compared to our baseline year in 2007–08).

      Supporting measures

      • Install more 1MW (megawatt) solar PV (energy captured from solar panels)
      • Collect 65ML (mega litres) of water from alternative sources per year
      • Increase the number of street trees from 66,000 to 80,000
      • Reduce the number of Council buildings that use gas by 50%
      • Increase the land managed for biodiversity from 51 hectares to 61 hectares
      • Make sure our vehicle fleet is 90% electric (or other low emissions options).

      Greenhouse gas targets

      Local governments don’t have broad legislative or financial control over major community emissions sources. These are mostly controlled by the state and federal governments. For example:

      • electricity generation and distribution
      • transport policy
      • planning controls
      • agricultural regulations.

      We also don’t have much access or control over tax, levies or related financial incentives. We have a role in these matters, but we can only be a partner in the solutions. We aren’t able to enforce an outcome.

      Our aspirational targets for the Boroondara community will be harder to achieve. They will need support from Council and the whole community. They can only be achieved if other levels of government and the Boroondara community are committed to the same path.

      We aren’t able to mandate a target like other levels of government. Instead, we will partner with the community, businesses and institutions to meet our targets.

      Key targets

      We have targets for the Boroondara community that are aspirational. These are for our community:

      • be carbon neutral by 2035
      • reduce emissions by 60% by 2030 (compared with 2020 emissions)
      • reduce emissions by 100% by 2040.

      Supporting measures

      • Support the installation of more 50,000 kw (kilowatt) solar PV (currently 27,000 kw) across Boroondara by tripling the number of buildings with solar energy systems. This target is for all buildings in Boroondara.
      • Support residents and schools to plant 50,000 new native plants, including 10,000 trees.
      • Increase the tree cover in Boroondara from 28% to 30%.
      • Make sure there is access to electric vehicle (EV) charging within 2km of all activity centres.
      • Provide sustainability workshops and education opportunities for 3,000 people each year.
      • Support the community to only use 130 litres of water per person per day.
      • Divert at least 80% of waste from landfill.

      Key actions

      The actions in this Climate Action Plan will set Boroondara on a path to meet our targets.

      Some of these actions are ready to roll out, and some need more planning and development. Other actions define how new or updated policy frameworks should be developed for us to meet our objectives and targets.

      We have identified these actions as achievable priorities by our community and staff. We have also researched best practices to reduce and adapt to the effects of climate change.

      Some of the actions need commitments from partners or for technology to be more widely available. However, our Climate Action Plan includes how we can carry out those actions when it’s possible. For example, around 8% of our greenhouse gas emissions that come from natural gas is for heating buildings and pools. Another 8% comes from our vehicle fleet, which includes large waste collection vehicles. These percentages come from our baseline year in 2007–08. Our natural gas usage made up a total of 40% of emissions in 2021.

      We have set a target to halve the number of our buildings that use natural gas by 2030. Supporting smaller buildings to only use electric power will be important in meeting this target. We will also look for ways to support our larger buildings and pools to use only electric power. For example, we believe that heat pump technology, which uses electricity, may be the best way to heat our larger facilities and aquatic centres. However, we need to do more work to show how this technology is good for operations and cost-effectiveness. We also want to work with other Victorian councils to learn more and trial different technology to find one that meets our needs. This means it may take some time to convert our larger facilities from natural gas to electric power.

      We have set a target to convert 90% of our passenger fleet to electric vehicles (EVs) or other low emissions technology by 2030. We will start this transition by focussing on light vehicles. Then we will include heavier vehicles over time.

      Small EVs and other low emissions vehicles are already available. However, more work needs to be done to make sure the options for larger electric vehicles (such as waste trucks) will be appropriate for our needs. We will keep looking for new opportunities to transition our larger vehicles throughout the life of our Climate Action Plan.

      Key themes

      Our actions over the 10-year life of the Climate Action Plan are summarised under 5 key themes:

      1. Energy efficiency and renewable energy
      2. Biodiversity and trees
      3. Water and waterways
      4. Transport
      5. Circular economy (waste).

      We have also have overarching actions that affect more than one theme.

      Under each theme, the actions are classified as:

      • Actions to make Council more sustainable
      • Partnership actions
      • Actions to adapt to climate change
      • Policy and advocacy actions.

      These long-term and broad actions will be supported by:

      • more detailed actions in the Climate Action Plan Implementation Plans
      • strategies that are specific to the themes above
      • our annual budget process.
      A woman and young girl with a chicken

      Actions to make Council more sustainable

      1.1      Update and implement our Sustainable Council Building Policy to keep improving our energy use in Council buildings.

      1.2      Expand the amount of renewable energy we generate by:

      -         installing solar PV on all suitable buildings

      -         installing batteries at suitable locations

      -         supporting the use of solar PV at other locations.

      1.3      Transition Council buildings off natural gas.

      1.4      Offset our remaining emissions from 2022.

      1.5      Change the rest of our lighting to LED technology.

      1.6      Audit our building stock to find more energy efficiency opportunities over time.

      1.7      Upgrade major road streetlights to LED (subject to Victorian Government co-funding and an updated business case).

      1.8      Transition our small machines to electric powered alternatives.

      Partnership actions

      1.9      Implement a community solar PV, battery and energy efficiency bulk buy program.

      1.10    Help large energy users to switch to renewable energy via a Power Purchase Agreement or other way.

      1.11    Give advice and support to encourage Environmentally Sustainable Design standards in building, renovation and development (as well as requirements of Planning Scheme and Building Regulations).

      1.12    Deliver energy efficiency workshops, advice and support programs for community and businesses.

      1.13    Support businesses to reduce the environmental impact of their operations.

      1.14    Encourage community to offset emissions.

      1.15    Develop a program to support energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades for Boroondara homes and businesses.

      Actions to adapt to climate change

      1.16    Maintain an Emergency Management Plan that considers the likely effects of climate change.

      1.17    Improve the Environmentally Sustainable Design in our buildings over time.

      1.18    Promote the benefits of cool roofs.

      1.19    Support vulnerable and low-income residents to upgrade home energy efficiency.

      Policy and advocacy actions

      1.20    Support more Environmentally Sustainable Design in our Planning Scheme through our policies and advocacy.

      1.21    Advocate for better environmental sustainability standards for new commercial and residential developments.

      1.22    Advocate for the Victorian Government and Federal Government to adopt ambitious emission targets.

      1.23    Develop a Natural Gas Transition Plan to support the use of low emissions alternatives to natural gas at our buildings.

      Find out more about the actions we will take over the next 2 years.

      Actions to make Council more sustainable

      2.1      Increase the area managed for biodiversity from 51 hectares to 61 hectares.

      2.2      Improve the local habitat for biodiversity.

      2.3      Improve our tree planting program to provide more tree cover and urban cooling. We also want to make sure they are resilient and future-proofed.

      Partnership actions

      2.4      Give trees to schools, community groups and residents.

      2.5      Deliver education workshops and programs that teach our community about protecting and improving our biodiversity.

      Actions to adapt to climate change

      2.6      Include climate change criteria in our tree renewal and plant selection guidelines.

      2.7      Deliver a program that aims to restore our habitat and install nest boxes.

      2.8      Provide support for increasing the number of canopy trees and shade to reduce urban heat.

      2.9      Increase the open space in gap areas where open space is limited.

      2.10    Review the Naturestrip Guidelines to help people use these spaces.

      Policy and advocacy actions

      2.11    Develop an Urban Forest and Urban Greening Strategy for Boroondara with a related planting plan.

      2.12    Expand and put in place policies to protect trees on private land.

      2.13    Advocate to the Victorian Government to improve tree protection on private land.

      2.14    Expand and enforce tree protection rules for developers.

      2.15    Update the Boroondara Open Space Strategy.

      Find out more about the actions we will take over the next 2 years.

      Actions to make Council more sustainable

      3.1      Update and implement our Sustainable Council Building Policy to make the water use at our buildings more efficient over time.

      3.2      Increase the amount of water we collect from other sources at our buildings, parks and sports grounds.

      3.3      Develop a new Integrated Water Management infrastructure program. This will be a plan to develop and implement new projects, such as stormwater treatment, litter management and collecting water from other sources and reusing it.

      Partnership actions

      3.4      Deliver sustainability workshops to teach the community about using water sustainably.

      3.5      Provide support programs and advice for businesses to help them use less water.

      3.6      Develop a cleaner building site program that will target sediment runoff from development sites. Develop an engagement and enforcement program for the cleaner building site program.

      Actions to adapt to climate change

      3.7      Increase the amount of water we collect from other sources, such as rainwater, and support people to use less water. This will reduce our need for mains water.

      3.8      Update and implement our Integrated Water Management Plan.

      3.9      Build the capacity of our infrastructure, such as buildings and drains, to withstand storm and flooding events.

      Policy and advocacy actions

      3.10    Maintain an Integrated Water Management Strategy and Action Plan for Boroondara.

      3.11    Implement and promote actions to reduce urban stormwater runoff

      3.12    Make sure building sites are managed well and are taking care to avoid pollution going into our waterways.

      3.13    Develop a winter irrigation strategy for Boroondara.

      3.14    Develop and implement updated soil management and irrigation management plans for a healthier open space.

      Find out more about the actions we will take over the next 2 years.

      Actions to make Council more sustainable

      4.1      Reduce the total number of vehicles in our fleet and speed up the transition to electric-powered or other low emissions options.

      4.2      Find and set aside land for fast charging stations, including car-sharing models.

      4.3      Look for ways to include electric vehicle and bicycle charging in all relevant Council civil works.

      4.4      Support flexible working options for Council staff to reduce the amount of trips by motor vehicles.

      4.5      Ask contractors to use low emission vehicles as much as possible in new contracts.

      Partnership actions

      4.6      Promote sustainability programs and events to encourage more sustainable types of transport.

      4.7      Support the installation of electric vehicle and bicycle chargers.

      4.8      Support improved off-road shared or separated bicycle and pedestrian paths.

      4.9      Connect the off-road cycling network through new links (on and off-road). This includes improved crossing facilities on main and local roads.

      4.10    Explore options for more on-road bike lane facilities.

      4.11    Create and improve walking routes to transport hubs.

      4.12    Deliver a range of sustainable transport events and programs for schools.

      Actions to adapt to climate change

      4.13    Implement our Shade Policy and look for opportunities to improve the shade on walking routes.

      4.14    Install lighting for shared paths, as well as paths in reserves and parks to encourage walking and cycling. We will also think about the effects of light pollution.

      Policy and advocacy actions

      4.15    Review and update our Integrated Transport Strategy.

      4.16    Develop a Bicycle Strategy.

      4.17    Develop a Public Transport Strategy.

      4.18    Advocate for freight emissions to be reduced. This includes offering incentives for electric trucks and anti-idling.

      4.19    Advocate for all Victorian transport projects to provide ready-to-use electric vehicle and bicycle charging infrastructure.

      4.20    Advocate for fast charging in service stations.

      4.21    Review our Car Share Policy and Procedures to provide support for sustainable transport.

      4.22    Advocate for more tram stops to be built that are in an appropriate location and comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.  

      4.23    Support local business hubs that help to reduce commuter travel.

      4.24    Develop a Council Fleet Transition Plan to support more use of low emissions vehicles by Council.

      Find out more about the actions we will take over the next 2 years.

      Actions to make Council more sustainable

      5.1      Increase recycling options available to the Boroondara community and support new recycling options for items such as solar PV panels.

      5.2      Increase the use of recycled materials in our projects and work.

      5.3      Get rid of any non-essential, single-use plastics at events managed and sponsored by Council.

      5.4      Explore opportunities to use FOGO compost in our open spaces and parks.

      5.5      Look for opportunities to expand the FOGO program.

      Partnership actions

      5.6      Deliver workshops and support for:

      -         using more recycled materials

      -         reducing food waste

      -         more composting.

      5.7      Deliver business-focused programs to:

      -         reduce food waste

      -         reduce packaging waste.

      Actions to adapt to climate change

      5.8      Support more home food gardening, as well as community gardening and composting.

      5.9      Explore options for waste disposal other than landfill

      Policy and advocacy actions

      5.10    Develop a Circular Economy Strategy for Boroondara to replace the current Waste Minimisation and Recycling Strategy.

      5.11    Advocate for greater environmental sustainability in the National Construction Code.

      Find out more about the actions we will take over the next 2 years.

      Actions to make Council more sustainable

      6.1      Report every year on our climate action performance.

      6.2      Include climate action education as part of our staff induction.

      6.3      Increase funding for climate action grants as part of our grant program.

      6.4      Promote the actions we take on climate change and the benefits of community actions.

      6.5      Include climate action into staff roles, responsibilities and performance management.

      6.6      Work with other councils to increase our impact.

      6.7      Introduce short-term targets that match the ones set by the Victorian Government and the Federal Government.

      6.8      Consider environmental sustainability in our investment decisions.

      6.9      Look for opportunities to use smart technologies and IOT (Internet of Things) to achieve greater environmental sustainability.

      6.10    Provide training and resources for Councillors about climate change and other sustainability issues relevant to Boroondara.

      Partnership actions

      6.11    Provide workshop programs and sustainability festivals.

      6.12    Provide regular sustainability education and advice through our communication channels, including the Boroondara Bulletin.

      6.13    Support more sustainability measures through the planning permit process. This includes creating a new Environmentally Sustainable Development Planning Officer position at Council.

      6.14    Help develop an Environmentally Sustainable Development policy to include in the Boroondara Planning Scheme. This will be part of our membership in the Council Alliance for a Sustainable Built Environment (CASBE).

      6.15    Provide a program of sustainability support and advice for schools and young people.

      Actions to adapt to climate change

      6.16    Develop options for the use of alternative permeable and/or heat-reducing surfaces in roadways and pathways.

      6.17    Develop a Climate Action Plan and Risk Management Strategy for Boroondara.

      6.18    Implement actions to respond to climate change risks for Boroondara.

      Policy and advocacy actions

      6.19    Update our Procurement Policy and make sure it emphasises more sustainability.

      6.20    Develop a Litter and Pollution Reduction Plan for Boroondara.

      6.21    Consider climate change impacts in relevant reports and decision-making.

      6.22    Include climate action into all our new and revised policies, processes and strategies.

      6.23    Advocate for and support more Environmentally Sustainable Development through the planning scheme.

      6.24    Look for ways to improve air quality in Boroondara, such as anti-idling education around schools.

      6.25    Look for ways to improve how we collect and monitor data for reporting on climate actions and impacts.

      6.26    Advocate to other levels of government and relevant agencies to provide funding for Local Government Authorities and communities to take action to respond to climate change.

      Find out more about the actions we will take over the next 2 years.

      The broad nature and impact of climate change means that it’s not possible to include all actions in a single document.

      The Climate Action Plan will be supported by a range of other specific strategic documents, as outlined below. Some of these strategies already exist. Other strategies will be developed or refreshed as part of the actions of this plan.

      Our Boroondara Community Plan includes the Health and Wellbeing Plan, which must respond to climate change under the Local Government Act 2020.

      Strategic links will include:

      • Urban Forest Strategy (A new strategy as an action of this plan)
      • Open Space Strategy
      • Integrated Water Management Strategy
      • Urban Biodiversity Strategy
      • Sustainable Transport Policy
      • Public Lighting Policy (A refresh of our current policy to better include sustainability)
      • Sustainable Procurement (A refresh of our current policy to better include sustainability)
      • Council Fleet Policy (A refresh of our current policy to better include sustainability)
      • Circular Economy Strategy (A refresh of our Waste Minimisation and Recycling Strategy)
      • Climate Change Adaptation Plan (A new strategy as an action of this plan)

      We will track the progress of our Climate Action Plan to see how well it’s going.

      Our monitoring and reporting each year will include:

      • our greenhouse gas emissions
      • a snapshot of emissions from the community
      • waste, recycling and FOGO data
      • tree planting and renewal data
      • data on our water use and how we are collecting it from other sources
      • our biodiversity actions
      • information on our workshops and community support programs.

      We will review and update the Climate Action Plan in 5 years. We will also review and update the Implementation Plan every 2 years. These updates will include a community check-in survey.

      During our consultation and planning for the Climate Action Plan, we received many ideas and suggestions from the Boroondara community, Council staff and technical experts.

      Not all of these ideas could make it into the plan. We have included some, but others:

      • need more investigation and planning
      • have been tried before
      • are being tried by other Councils
      • aren’t a priority for us right now.
      A woman next to 2 beehives

        Whether these suggestions can be actioned or not, they are all worth recording for us to consider in the future.

        • Adapt infrastructure to climate change
        • Backyard chickens
        • Buying from bulk food shops
        • Buying second-hand
        • Clean up our local waterways
        • Councillors and Council staff should use sustainable transport
        • Declare a climate emergency
        • Divest from fossil fuels
        • Dog poo composting
        • Efficient glazing
        • Energy efficient public lighting
        • Expand FOGO
        • Get rid of all plastic bags
        • Growing our own fruit and vegetables
        • Household batteries
        • Increase permeable surfaces
        • Keep cats inside at night
        • LED lighting
        • Less fast fashion
        • More community gardens
        • More focus on good building design
        • More nesting boxes for biodiversity
        • More sharing, possibly sharing cafes
        • More sustainable planning and building controls
        • Plant appropriate trees for the location
        • Plant native gardens
        • Promote Clean Up Australia Day
        • Reduce air travel
        • Reduce chemical and other pollution
        • Reduce concrete use
        • Reduce meat consumption
        • Reduce the use of gas
        • Repair broken items
        • Simplify recycling
        • Support a container deposit scheme
        • Support bees and insects
        • Support cycling
        • Support edible plants on nature strips
        • Support for apartment dwellers
        • Support for renters
        • Support schools and students
        • Undertake cost benefit analysis before making decisions
        • Use more renewable energy
        • Using grey water
        • Worm farms and home composting