switching on sustainable street lights

report from the roundtable – jun 22

Back in March 2009, Council adopted the Carbon Management Program to support the implementation of our Resource Management Strategy (2007). This program seeks to implement some 17 top priority retrofit actions to reduce council's greenhouse gas emissions.

One of the most significant actions in the program is the replacement of street lighting with more sustainable lights. It plans to replace approx 6,670 street lights in Yarra Ranges using Twin 14W T5 lamps, which use approximately 65% less energy than the existing 80W mercury vapour (80W MV) street lights.

The changeover of street lights will make a huge difference to our corporate greenhouse gas emissions. Not only that it is good for our bottom line with the change to the more energy efficient lighting becoming cash flow positive by 2019.

I was pleased to move the motion to see the changeover of street lighting in Yarra Ranges.

Whilst talking to the motion I reminded councillors of the advocacy campaign we joined in February this year, to pressure the state government to support local government to make the transition to energy efficient street lighting.

If all municipalities in Victoria had energy efficient lighting it would save 1.5million tonnes of Co2 emissions.

Part of the campaign includes an online petition, I encourage you to sign up, the more who sign the more the issue will resonate with government. If you want to know more visit greenlightourstreets.com.au.

help greenlight our streets

Back in February 2010 I moved a motion for Yarra Ranges Council to support a statewide advocacy campaign to compel the state and federal government to take strong action to enable the upgrade to energy efficient streetlights (see
blog). The motion was supported unanimously.

Changing the street lighting to more energy efficient lighting would save over 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions in Victoria alone.

Street lights contribute significantly to emissions of local government but many councils do not have the capacity to change to the more energy efficient lighting. A financial contribution from state government would ease the burden on local government and allow considerable inroads into reducing the state's carbon emissions, there is no doubt this contribution is well overdue.

Part of the campaign includes an online petition. I urge you to support the petition. With the help of many people supporting the campaign we'll bring much more pressure on state and federal government to take some action.

You can support the Greenlight our Streets campaign by clicking here.