The Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) which includes Hawkesbury Council is kicking-off a new two-year energy efficiency program this month that could benefit low-income households.
WSROC president and Hawkesbury Mayor, Councillor Barry Calvert, said the group would consider a number of options for its new Energy Efficiency Program, including “expanding energy efficiency upgrades across council-owned facilities, boosting renewable energy investment, and developing an energy affordability program for low-income households”.
The program will involve a “more coordinated approach to energy efficiency”, according to WSROC, and Clr Calvert said it would “build on the success of previous regional initiatives including Light Years Ahead which has delivered savings of $9.5 million and 10,000 tonnes of emissions since its inception in 2014”.
“As we close off on Sydney’s hottest January on record, the need for addressing energy efficiency and sustainability has never been more urgent," Clr Calvert said.
The program will be guided by a steering committee from the eight participating councils - which along with Hawkesbury are Blacktown, Cumberland, Fairfield, The Hills, Lithgow, Liverpool, Parramatta - and coordinated by expert consultancy Ironbark Sustainability.
Since 2014, the WSROC councils have replaced over 20,000 high-emitting street lights with efficient LED technology, and Hawkesbury has commenced a 600-watt solar installation.
“The success of Light Years Ahead demonstrates the benefit of working together as a region to deliver large-scale sustainability programs,” Clr Calvert said.