Together we have faced many challenges over the past year, culminating in the NSW bushfires, which have attracted further worldwide focus on climate change and emergency action. These bushfires have had a significant effect on our Hawkesbury community and these impacts will continue to be felt in the weeks and months to come.
Our emergency services volunteers are truly amazing and as the Mayor of Hawkesbury, on behalf of our community and personally, I thank you all for your continued efforts. Council has been providing staff and resources to Hawkesbury Rural Fire Service and Council remains committed to supporting the RFS as the fire season continues.
Christmas and the New Year have really highlighted just how much our community members rally to support each other, with families, friends and neighbours doing so much for one another in times of need. Resilience and connection is something that has come through strongly during these difficult times and something we will continue to build upon in 2020. We will be working in association with the Sydney Resilience Plan and residents to create a more connected, resilient community with greater capacity to work together to respond to the threats and effects of flood, fire and extreme heat.
Sustainability is of high importance in many ways, and this year council will continue working with local government and other levels of government to become a net zero emissions organisation as soon as possible. Over the past two years, council has expanded its solar program as well as accelerated its LED Street Lighting program to actively implement emissions reduction strategies and cost savings.
In a positive step towards 100 per cent renewable power, Hawkesbury City Council has now entered into a new electricity supply agreement that will save $2.5 million over the next 10 years, money that council will be able to direct towards other initiatives to benefit the community. It will also reduce the CO2 equivalent emissions of council's operations by approximately 67,000 tonnes.
With the combined initiatives of solar energy, LED street lighting and our new electricity supply agreement, we will reduce our carbon emissions from 18,900 tonnes in 2014 to 10,100 tonnes in 2020.
Community events bring us together and I invite you to come along and connect with each other at our Australia Day free community event on January 26 at Governor Phillip Park. For all details, see www.hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au and Hawkesbury Events Facebook or call 4560 4444.
