Sustainable Stirling - Our Natural Environment

Sustainable Stirling Our Natural Environment

Sustainable Stirling 2022–2032 Our Natural Environment

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Our Natural Environment

The City’s Strategic Community Plan has identified environmental sustainability and local area connections as our top priorities. Our community has an appreciation for the natural environment and public open spaces. The City is committed to safeguarding and enhancing these assets and resources now and in the years to come.

This document outlines the Strategic Community Plan priorities, targets, and goals of Our Natural Environment across four key pillars. It also highlights the initiatives the City is implementing to achieve these outcomes and shows how we actively support our community to do the same.

A sustainable City with a local focus

Governance

Our Leadership

Our Natural Environment

Environment

Our Built Environment

Sustainable Stirling

Economic

Our Economy

Social

Our Community

Embedding our values into action for the environment

An energy-smart City

Approachable We engage, listen and work collaboratively towards shared environmental goals.

Transparent We approach our work and environmental responsibilities with integrity, being accountable and ethical, regularly reporting our sustainability successes and challenges to our community.

A waterwise City

Responsive

A biodiverse City

We understand our community’s needs and the environmental constraints, and proactively manage this delicate balance by being adaptive and responsive for holistically sustainable outcomes.

Innovative

A waste-wise City

We embrace continuous improvement, new ideas and different approaches to deliver a more sustainable future and a positive impact for our community.

Energy-smart City

Transition to net zero emissions To combat climate change, our services, facilities, parks, and fleet need to transition to renewable energy sources, as fossil fuels generate carbon emissions. Substantial investment and innovative solutions are required to achieve this transition. Our community uses a large amount of energy and are seeking guidance and support to save money on energy bills, adopt active transport options and better adapt to climate change without increasing their carbon footprint. There is also a need to ensure vulnerable communities benefit from the energy transition and are not left behind.

Our Priorities 1. Improve the City’s energy management and maximise energy efficiency 2. Increase the City’s generation, storage and use of renewable energy supplies 3. Support, engage and guide our community to transition to net zero emissions.

Our Targets and Goals

100 per cent renewable electricity provision for our operations and services by 2030

Reduce our operational emissions by 70 per cent by 2030

For more information see the Sustainable Energy Action Plan (Corporate) 2020 – 2030

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What are we doing to achieve our energy-smart targets and goals?

Leading by example • Installing solar PV • Purchasing renewable electricity • Upgrading facilities for energy efficiency, better comfort and less use of gas • Transitioning our fleet to electric vehicles and hybrids • Installing EV charging infrastructure • Setting energy efficiency and renewable energy criteria for construction and refurbishment projects • Improving our energy monitoring and carbon footprint reporting • Exploring emerging technologies such as batteries and heat pumps • Providing staff end of trip facilities and access to e-bikes.

Supporting our community • Delivering events and workshops to increase community knowledge and capacity • Providing resources and toolkits to assist homeowners to monitor and reduce their energy use • Installing and facilitating public electric vehicle charging stations and active transport infrastructure • Providing access to grant funding for residents and groups to support energy initiatives • Partnering with local action groups to deliver collaborative events and workshops • Engaging, listening and responding to the community to improve and inform our Energy Smart programs • Encouraging energy efficient design through our Design Review Panel.

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Waterwise City Ensure a sustainably managed water supply and a healthy and balanced urban water system Water is a valuable and essential resource. Our sports grounds, green spaces, trees, natural areas, and facilities rely on dependable water sources and effective water management. However, a drying climate and increased water demands continue to place pressure on our declining groundwater sources. Our challenge is to ensure green spaces continue to thrive without impacting groundwater reserves or natural environments. Our community uses large amounts of water in their homes and businesses and need water-dependent green spaces for their health and well-being. Many residents are seeking advice and opportunities to conserve water and adopt waterwise practices.

Our Priorities 1. Maximise the City’s water efficiency and increase use of alternative water supplies 2. Improve water quality monitoring, stormwater management and reduction of water pollutants 3. Support, engage and guide our community to conserve and protect water resources.

Our Targets and Goals

Maintain Gold Waterwise Councils Status / Waterwise Aquatic Centre Status

Keep our annual groundwater use within the licence limits set by State Government

Reduce our annual groundwater consumption by 10 per cent by 2028 (State Government target)

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What are we doing to achieve our water targets and goals?

Leading by example • Securing alternative water supplies to maintain public open space, build climate resilience and save precious groundwater • Redesigning and upgrading parks to be ‘water smart’ for reduced water use and improved amenity • Upgrading aquatic centres, facilities, and parks irrigation for improved water efficiency, including using a centralised irrigation management system • Upgrading stormwater systems, installing biofilters/traps, and improving water quality monitoring systems • Setting waterwise design criteria for construction and refurbishment projects,

Supporting our community • Providing waterwise events, workshops, guides and demonstration signage to increase community awareness and capacity • Providing incentives for waterwise verges • Offering free waterwise plants to residents • Providing access to grant funding to support waterwise projects • Engaging, listening and responding to the community to improve and inform our waterwise programs and water usage on public open spaces • Advocating to State Government agencies for increased funding for local governments taking action • Encouraging sustainable landscape and urban design measures to minimise water use through the City’s Design Review Panel.

covering water efficiency, sourcing, recycling, quality and water sensitive urban design.

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Biodiverse City Support biodiversity in our natural and urban

environment with connected, healthy ecosystems Trees and plants are essential for creating cool, shady, healthy neighbourhoods that benefit both people and wildlife. Unfortunately, local bushlands, natural areas, and urban tree canopies are becoming increasingly fragmented and vulnerable due to urban development and climate change pressures. As Stirling grows and faces increased pressure from climate change, our challenge is to integrate, preserve and support local biodiversity within future urban developments. Our community values biodiversity, with increasing interest in initiatives that help to restore and conserve natural areas and green our neighbourhoods.

Our Priorities 1. Undertake conservation, protection and enhancement of natural ecosystems and biodiversity 2. Increase tree planting and retention of trees across the City 3. Plan and adapt to climate change impacts 4. Support, engage and guide our community to connect with nature and improve biodiversity.

Our Targets and Goals

Plant an average of 6,000 trees per year on City land

Increase tree canopy cover to 18% City-wide and 30% on City-managed land by 2040

Manage 1780 hectares of bushland, parks and reserves

Conserve and support wildlife throughout the City

For more information see the Urban Forest Plan

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What are we doing to achieve our biodiversity targets and goals? Leading by example • Planting trees on streets and reserves, and improving tree care on City-managed land • Protecting, restoring and connecting natural areas through planting programs, fencing, weed and pest control, disease management and wildlife initiatives • Better consideration and management of trees in our projects via our environmentally sustainable design criteria and City Trees Policy • Improving adaptation to climate change impacts through activities such as Coastal Hazard Mapping, bushfire risk reduction and more resilient species selection for planting • Monitoring City-wide vegetation to report annual status, identifying key trends and using data for better decision making. Supporting our community • Partnering with environmental volunteer groups for local bushland restoration projects • Delivering biodiversity events and workshops to increase awareness and community capacity • Enabling community action via community planting days • Offering free trees to residents • Supporting community-led greening projects including community gardens and ‘green’ laneway projects • Providing access to grant funding for residents and groups to support biodiversity initiatives • Engaging, listening and responding to the community to improve and inform our Biodiverse City programs • Advocating to State Government agencies for better consideration of bushlands, trees, and increased funding for local governments taking action.

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Waste-wise City

Support a low-waste circular economy that protects our environment from the impacts of waste Our facilities, services, and projects generate diverse waste streams. With landfill sites nearing capacity, our challenge is to foster a low waste circular economy and find ways to reduce waste generation, recover more resources, and minimise the environmental impacts of waste. Our community also generates a large volume of waste and is seeking guidance to adopt more sustainable practices, including avoiding waste and increasing recycling efforts. Across the City, we need a collective effort in managing and avoiding waste, including in the design, production, consumption and end of life treatment of everyday goods and services.

Our Priorities 1. Increase the City’s use of recycled and recyclable materials 2. Reduce the City’s waste generation 3. Improve resource recovery for all waste streams across the City 4. Support, engage and guide our community to avoid waste and divert waste from landfill.

Our Targets and Goals

20 per cent reduction in waste generation per capita

Increase resource recovery to 75 per cent

All waste is managed and/or disposed of using better practice approaches and facilities

No more than 15 per cent of waste generated is sent to landfill

In-line with Western Australia’s Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030.

For more information see Western Australia’s Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030

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What are we doing to achieve our waste targets and goals?

Leading by example • Recovering construction and demolition waste and green waste from City projects • Undertaking innovative trials including using recycled asphalt road base and recycling/ upcycling City uniforms • Developing programs to monitor and avoid facility/office waste and increase resource recovery • Exploring opportunities to use recycled and recyclable materials in facilities and projects • Incorporating and advocating for sustainable procurement processes across City projects, facilities and offices • Advocating to government and industry for advancing product stewardship programs. Supporting our community • Collecting and recovering municipal waste and hazardous waste from our community to maximise resource recovery • Providing convenient on-demand collection services for bulk waste and hard to recycle items, like mattresses and e-waste • Providing local drop-off points for household

hazardous waste (HHW) and alternative recycling programs

• Supporting residents, community groups and schools to avoid waste and be an active part of the circular economy, through events such as clothes swaps and workshops • Developing initiatives to help residents avoid single-use products, for example offering subsidies for sanitary products and modern cloth nappies • Partnering with community groups, businesses, charitable organisations and government departments to deliver waste avoidance initiatives such as Plastic Free July and National Recycling Week • Collaborating with government departments and WALGA to maintain consistent waste messaging and communications, as well as participating in programs such as bin tagging and other Waste Sorted programs • Engaging, listening and responding to the community to improve and inform our Waste wise programs and increase resource recovery • Exploring opportunities to recover food waste and divert it from landfill and other emerging resource recovery initiatives.

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Living Green

Our Living Green program provides opportunities for the community to build knowledge, connect to the environment, live sustainably, and get involved through participation.

Key programs and initiatives include: 9 Free tree and plant giveaways 9 Living Green Education Series

9 Support for environmental and sustainability projects through the Community Grant Program 9 School holiday educational activities 9 Community planting days 9 Providing incentives for waterwise verges.

To be the first to know when these events and programs are released, subscribe to Living Green News – our monthly electronic newsletter focused on local area sustainability.

Administration Centre 25 Cedric Street Stirling WA 6021

This information is available in alternative formats on request. Please contact the Customer Contact Centre on (08) 9205 8555. Telephone (08) 9205 8555 | Enquiries www.stirling.wa.gov.au/enquiries | Web www.stirling.wa.gov.au | /citystirlingwa