Agenda of Sustainability and Emissions Reduction Advisory Committee Meeting

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

What is a “Conflict of Interests” - A conflict of interests can be of two types:

Pecuniary - an interest that a person has in a matter because of a reasonable likelihood or expectation of appreciable financial gain or loss to the person or another person with whom the person is associated.

Non-pecuniary – a private or personal interest that a Council official has that does not amount to a pecuniary interest as defined in the Code of Conduct for Councillors (eg. A friendship, membership of an association, society or trade union or involvement or interest in an activity and may include an interest of a financial nature).

Remoteness – a person does not have a pecuniary interest in a matter if the interest is so remote or insignificant that it could not reasonably be regarded as likely to influence any decision the person might make in relation to a matter or if the interest is of a kind specified in the Code of Conduct for Councillors.

Who has a Pecuniary Interest? - a person has a pecuniary interest in a matter if the pecuniary interest is the interest of the person, or another person with whom the person is associated (see below).

Relatives, Partners - a person is taken to have a pecuniary interest in a matter if:

§ The person’s spouse or de facto partner or a relative of the person has a pecuniary interest in the matter, or

§ The person, or a nominee, partners or employer of the person, is a member of a company or other body that has a pecuniary interest in the matter.

N.B. “Relative”, in relation to a person means any of the following:

(a) the parent, grandparent, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, lineal descends or adopted child of the person or of the person’s spouse;

(b) the spouse or de facto partners of the person or of a person referred to in paragraph (a)

No Interest in the Matter - however, a person is not taken to have a pecuniary interest in a matter:

§ If the person is unaware of the relevant pecuniary interest of the spouse, de facto partner, relative or company or other body, or

§ Just because the person is a member of, or is employed by, the Council.

§ Just because the person is a member of, or a delegate of the Council to, a company or other body that has a pecuniary interest in the matter provided that the person has no beneficial interest in any shares of the company or body.

Disclosure and participation in meetings

§ A Councillor or a member of a Council Committee who has a pecuniary interest in any matter with which the Council is concerned and who is present at a meeting of the Council or Committee at which the matter is being considered must disclose the nature of the interest to the meeting as soon as practicable.

§ The Councillor or member must not be present at, or in sight of, the meeting of the Council or Committee:

(a) at any time during which the matter is being considered or discussed by the Council or Committee, or

(b) at any time during which the Council or Committee is voting on any question in relation to the matter.

No Knowledge - a person does not breach this Clause if the person did not know and could not reasonably be expected to have known that the matter under consideration at the meeting was a matter in which he or she had a pecuniary interest.

Non-pecuniary Interests - Must be disclosed in meetings.

There are a broad range of options available for managing conflicts & the option chosen will depend on an assessment of the circumstances of the matter, the nature of the interest and the significance of the issue being dealt with. Non-pecuniary conflicts of interests must be dealt with in at least one of the following ways:

§ It may be appropriate that no action be taken where the potential for conflict is minimal. However, Councillors should consider providing an explanation of why they consider a conflict does not exist.

§ Limit involvement if practical (eg. Participate in discussion but not in decision making or vice-versa). Care needs to be taken when exercising this option.

§ Remove the source of the conflict (eg. Relinquishing or divesting the personal interest that creates the conflict)

§ Have no involvement by absenting yourself from and not taking part in any debate or voting on the issue as of the provisions in the Code of Conduct (particularly if you have a significant non-pecuniary interest)

RECORDING OF VOTING ON PLANNING MATTERS

Clause 375A of the Local Government Act 1993 – Recording of voting on planning matters

(1) In this section, planning decision means a decision made in the exercise of a function of a council under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979:

(a) including a decision relating to a development application, an environmental planning instrument, a development control plan or a development contribution plan under that Act, but

(b) not including the making of an order under that Act.

(2) The general manager is required to keep a register containing, for each planning decision made at a meeting of the council or a council committee, the names of the councillors who supported the decision and the names of any councillors who opposed (or are taken to have opposed) the decision.

(3) For the purpose of maintaining the register, a division is required to be called whenever a motion for a planning decision is put at a meeting of the council or a council committee.

(4) Each decision recorded in the register is to be described in the register or identified in a manner that enables the description to be obtained from another publicly available document, and is to include the information required by the regulations.

(5) This section extends to a meeting that is closed to the public.

BYRON SHIRE COUNCIL

Staff Reports - Sustainable Environment and Economy 4.1

Staff Reports - Sustainable Environment and Economy

Report No. 4.1 Update on Community Solar Incentive Schemes

Directorate: Sustainable Environment and Economy

Report Author: Rachel Thatcher, Sustainability and Emissions Reduction Officer

Julia Curry, Sustainability and Emissions Reduction Officer

File No: I2019/2139

Summary:

This report provides an update on the community solar incentives discussed at the October 2019 SERAC meeting. This continued investigation is a result of the following two resolutions:

Res 18-231 – to establish a mechanism to offer commercial property owner’s access to Environmental Upgrade Agreements (EUAs) to enable environmental upgrades to commercial premises.

Res 19-596

1. Invite Shay Singh from Sustainable Energy Foundation to present to Council and renewable energy community groups about the potential for commercial EUAs in Byron Shire.

2. Consider a further report on the residential solar program delivery options, including batteries, at the next SERAC meeting.

3. Contact a sample of Byron Shire Primary and Secondary schools to gauge interest and demand for a ‘Solar my School’ program. Communicate outcomes to SERAC and pursue a meeting of school representatives if feedback is positive.

Investigations have been made into the following programs and initiatives:

· Environmental Upgrade Agreements (EUA’s) under the new Better Building Finance model

· Solar Bulk Buy models

· Solar My School program

· Other State and Federal grants and rebate schemes

Research has found that Council’s involvement in the above programs will require extensive financial and administrative planning, staff resources and policy development. As an alternative, the most efficient way Council can support an increase in local renewable energy uptake is to develop communications material and resources that provide guidance on how to navigate the industry, such as checking if your solar installer is appropriately accredited, and available government and non-government initiatives and programs.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Sustainability and Emissions Reduction Advisory Committee note the report and recommend to Council to:

1. Not proceed with Environmental Upgrade Agreements for the Byron Shire, as the effort and potential costs to provide such a program are not equitable to the number of eligible properties.

2. In relation to Res 19-596, Council no longer invite Shay Singh from Sustainable Energy Foundation to present to Council and renewable energy community groups about the potential for commercial EUAs in Byron Shire.

3. Focus efforts towards communicating relevant NSW State and Federal energy efficiency programs and initiatives to the Byron Shire community.

4. Note that Council staff will be available to assist and support community organisations who wish to implement local school and/or residential solar programs.

Attachments:

1 Mornington Peninsula EUA Agreement, E2020/1729 , page 11⇩

REPORT

Environmental Upgrade Agreements (EUA’s)

In the last SERAC meeting it was raised that EUA’s are now being administered under Better Building Finance (BBF) with an updated procedure which may potentially alleviate some of the administrative burden on Councils. After a follow up discussion with Shay Singh, Executive Manager of BBF, the main summary of information regarding the new management is as follows:

· All administrative work is covered by BBF, including customer service

· Role of Council is to administer rates notices for approved EUA’s and follow up late payments as per existing Council procedures

· Council is not financially liable for late or missing payments beyond their statutory powers to issue debt notices to landowners

· There are no fees for Council, there is a fee issued to landowners by BBF

· Council can choose to administer additional fees for any costs incurred to them however majority of participating Councils have not done so thus far

· Official list of Council obligations as sampled from Mornington Peninsula Shire Council’s EUA agreement are listed in Attachment 1 (E2020/1729).

· Investigation into a residential EUA equivalent is currently sitting with Victorian Parliament

Key issues

There are valid concerns from the finance team that the EUA process will increase their workload beyond their current resource capacity. As the new management of EUA’s under BBF has only recently been introduced in NSW there are no case studies from other participating Councils which can be used to help reject or accept the claims made by BBF that there will be minimal to no administrative burden.

After consultation with a number of other Councils who have implemented an EUA in Victoria, some of the factors they have mentioned are as follows:

· The minimum cost of a project in order for it to be feasible is $20,000

· There is quite a substantial amount of administrative and promotional work required in the initial stages of setting up EUA’s which has required staff time and financial consideration

· In the case of Hepburn Shire Council, an IT consultant was required for approximately one week’s work to reconfigure the existing financial system to accommodate for EUA’s

· Once EUA’s are setup, there is generally 15 minutes – one hour worth of work per EUA each month

· In the case of Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, they had to re-write their agreement with BBF to clarify each party’s responsibilities.

Comment by Manager Finance

The commentary in this report indicates what is happening in Victoria. Given Byron Shire Council is bound by NSW legislation; it needs to be clear that should Council embark on facilitating EUA agreements that any residential ratepayer would not be able to access an EUA. Specifically, section 54F of the Local Government Act 1993 limits EUAs to non-residential buildings predominately used for commercial, industrial or other non-residential purposes. For Council this would mean EUA’s could potentially only be available for 9% of Council’s ratepayers with 93% excluded. EUA’s can also only be applied to existing non-residential buildings and not new buildings.

It is common for non-residential buildings to be leased to tenants and often the potential financial benefits of an EUA will potentially flow to the tenant who would be responsible for outgoings. There would need to be an arrangement between tenants and property owner regarding cost recovery (unless the property owner is generous) and that is something Council should not get involved with. Council does not need to be involved with potential disputes between owners and tenants as Council only issues rate notices to the registered property owner. Council does not issue rate notices to tenants as the property owner is ultimately responsible for rates and charges.

It is suggested some of the points indicated in the report above by Building Better Finance as to the potential simplicity of EUA agreements may be considered with some concern about the simplicity of EUAs. It would be in their commercial interest to sell EUA loans without considering the practical implications to Council to administer these agreements. An article published in the ‘Fifth State’ on 5 November 2019 by Sustainable Australia Fund suggests in an article titled ‘Sustainable Australia Fund launched next generation environmental upgrade loans’.

‘The loans end up tied to the building rather than the owner, and are easily transferred to a new owner when sold’.

This is factually incorrect as rates and charges are a property debt liable to the property owner. It is not possible to tie a property debt to a building.

The City of Sydney has done extensive work on formulating EUAs which has required the development of the following:

· Building upgrade finance policy

· Appropriate fees and charges

· A complex EUA agreement

This information can be found via the following link:

www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/business/build-your-skills-and-knowledge/business-programs/greening-your-business/building-upgrade-finance/application-process-and-policies#page-element-dload

As an example, the City of Sydney charges an administration fee of $3,910 for a 1 year loan and $10,985 for a 15 year loan. If Council were to impose fees on EUA agreements it is suggested these fees could negate the ‘perceived’ financial advantage of an EUA agreement with Council as opposed to a land owner wishing to do an environmental upgrade seeking loan finance themselves directly with a financial institution and bypassing Council completely. This may be compounded by fees imposed by Building Better Finance.

Whilst it is a Council decision whether to proceed with an EUA facility, irrespective of Building Better Finance or Sustainability Australia Fund, Council itself needs to have a policy framework, an agreement framework and fees and charges in place to proceed. At this point none of these things exist and if it is something Council wishes to proceed with despite;

a) it could potentially be caught in future disputes between tenants and property owners,

b) increased costs of administration (unless offset by appropriate fees which would then lessen the potential benefit of an EUA with Council),

c) potential complexities around debt recovery isolating EUA charges

It would only be for something that only 9% of Council’s ratepayers could access.

It is recommended that Council not proceed with Environmental Upgrade Agreements for the Byron Shire, as the effort and potential costs to provide such a program are not equitable to the number of eligible properties.

Solar Bulk Buys

According to the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE), the steps for setting up a bulk-buy program is as follows:

1. Set up the vision and technologies that are procured (e.g., solar PV, inverters, battery storage systems, solar hot water, heat pumps)

2. Negotiate discounts for top-tier quality technologies

3. Establish a panel of preferred suppliers

a. Develop specifications for your project

b. Go to market

c. Evaluate offers

d. Appoint contractor

4. Negotiate standard pricing across preferred suppliers

5. Develop a communications plan on how to advise your community about the opportunity

Additionally, DPIE also provide information about simple, alternative ways to address installation barriers:

· Provide clear definitions of PV systems which do not require Council consent

· Provide a simple guide to the processes required for approval of PV systems which require DAs

· Potentially waive DA fees

· Consider pre‐approved PV types for heritage areas

· Better define elevations from which PV should not be visible in heritage areas, for instance, to allow installations which may be visible from little-used back lanes

Key Issues:

After consultation with a number of Councils which have taken part in solar bulk buys, it is apparent that the term ‘bulk-buy’ gets used in a variety of contexts given that there is no one governing body for this type of scheme. As such, it is difficult to find conclusive information.

Neighbouring LGA’s will often group together to provide the most effective bulk-buy program. In NSW, Farming the Sun is a well known community group and has worked with the New England Councils of Armidale, Tamworth, Liverpool Plains, Gunnedah, Uralla and Walcha to create a bulk-buy program. It has also run a bulk-buy and solar storage program in the northern rivers, not affiliated with council. It is does not currently have any active bulk-buy plans. After consulting with Farming the Sun, some key information to note is as follows:

· 6-12 months administrative and planning work is required to setup a bulk-buy program

· There is a large customer service and administrative workload once the program becomes active

· In order for the discount to be feasible, there must be hundreds of interested households.

It may also be of interest to note that in late 2019, Council assisted DPIE in the promotion of their ‘Solar for Low Income Households Trial’, however there has since been no uptake. This may be an indicator into the current market for low income households who would benefit from a solar bulk-buy program.

It is recommended that Council instead support a local organisation should they wish to run a solar bulk-buy program for the Shire’s residents. Council could potentially run an Expression of Interest to see if there are any interested parties who would run a similar program, and Council could provide in-kind support through communication materials. Alternatively, staff could create a detailed webpage on the Council website directing residents to the various available government rebate programs.

Solar My School

‘Solar My School’ is an initiative jointly founded and run by Randwick, Waverley and Woollahra Councils in Sydney. It aims to help schools reduce their energy bills, educate students and shrink the school’s carbon footprint by using renewable energy. The program provides free independent support and guidance to primary and secondary schools looking to power their buildings with cheap green energy, through following four-stage process:

1. Free Solar Feasibility Report

2. Financing the System

3. Installation of Project

4. Education and Promotion

The sustainability team contacted a sample of Byron Shire Primary and Secondary schools to gauge interest and demand for a ‘Solar my School’ program. Five responses have been received to date with mixed feedback. The majority of local high schools have existing solar PV and are interested in installing more, and most local primary schools do not have significant solar PV systems.

Results indicate that there is appetite for more solar PV systems at local schools. However, as indicated above, there is a substantial amount of administrative and in-kind support required from Council in order to set up ‘Solar My School’ in Byron Shire. Due to the sustainability team’s current work load and budget, it is recommended that Council pause investigations into a solar school program and instead connect local schools with available energy efficiency grants and rebates programs.

Future State and Federal Government Programs

There are several programs coming soon from State and Federal governments. These include, but are not limited to:

· Solar for renters: Due for release in mid-2020, a $24.5 million program aimed at improving the energy efficiency of over 20,000 low-income rental homes across NSW, lowering energy bills for tenants and reducing emissions, while improving the energy performance of the private rental housing sector. This initiative would be much better placed for the Byron Shire residents than the already released ‘Solar for Low Income Households Trial’.

· Energy Efficient Communities Program: This program delivers grants to assist businesses and community organisations to improve energy efficiency practices and technologies, and better manage consumption to reduce their power bills. For community organisations, this includes energy generation and storage projects. Eligible businesses will be able to apply for grants in early 2020. Eligible community organisations will be able to apply for grants to fund energy generation and storage projects from a date to be determined. Applications for grants to fund other equipment upgrades and energy audits will open in early 2020. Grants will be made available to eligible applicants on a first come, first served basis.

It is recommended that staff focus efforts on communicating available grant and rebate programs to local community, and supporting local organisations to take advantage of these opportunities.

Conclusion

Due to the nature and size of Byron Shire’s population, Council is limited in the potential types of in-house programs and resources it can offer to its ratepayers. Through discussions with a number of local and inter-state councils, it has become clear that the proposed initiatives above are best suited to bigger Councils with larger populations. Industry feedback indicates that the most successful initiatives have been run external to council, with council providing in-kind support through communications and promotion.

Therefore, the best way Council can support local community to increase renewable energy uptake is to develop communications resources and provide information that will enable residents to access available government and non-governmental initiatives and programs.

STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS

Community Strategic Plan and Operational Plan

CSP Objective

CSP Strategy

DP Action

OP Activity

Community Objective 3: We protect and enhance our natural environment

3.2

Strive to become a sustainable community

3.2.2

Support community environmental and sustainability projects

3.2.2.1

Provide coastal, environmental and sustainability information and encourage and support community activities and groups

Financial Considerations

Cost of implementing any of the programs mentioned in this report will need to be budgeted for in the 2020/2021 financial year in consultation with the Manager Finance.

Consultation and Engagement

James Brickley – Manager Finance, Corporate and Community Services

Vanessa Adams – Director Corporate and Community Services

Samuel Frisby – Department of Planning, Industry & Environment

Shay Singh – Executive Manager BBF

Madeleine Curotte – City of Darebin

Dominic Murphy – Hepburn Shire Council

Michelle Skett - Moreland City Council

Nicci Tsernjavski - Mornington Peninsula Shire Council

Phil Chan – Australia Energy Foundation

Northern NSW Renewable Energy Blueprint for Local Governments – Department of Planning, Industry and Environment

Mullumbimby High School

Byron Bay High School

Shearwater, the Steiner School, Mullumbimby

Byron Bay Public School

Brunswick Heads Public School

BYRON SHIRE COUNCIL

Staff Reports - Sustainable Environment and Economy 4.2

Report No. 4.2 Sustainability and Emissions Reduction Projects - Update Report

Directorate: Sustainable Environment and Economy

Report Author: Julia Curry, Sustainability and Emissions Reduction Officer

Kim Mallee, Sustainability Officer

File No: I2020/23

Summary:

This report provides a short update on the key sustainability and emissions reduction projects across Council. Project managers will speak to their items.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Sustainability and Emissions Reduction Advisory Committee note the report on key projects.

Attachments:

1 WORKING DRAFT - Net Zero Emissions Action Plan, E2020/2735 , page 17 ⇩

2 Dingo Lane Project Timeline January 2020, E2020/3444 , page 18⇩

REPORT

Utilities Key Projects

Dingo Lane, Myocum Solar Farm project

Community Consultation

· The project has a Stakeholder Engagement Plan, which is focussed on engaging with the local residents, the local farming community and the Arakwal community during this phase of the project. Feedback so far has included support for the project as well as concerns and some objections. Staff met with an Arakwal Corporation’s General Manager on 10 January to commence engagement for this project.

· Broader community consultation has included; media releases, radio interviews and Council’s your-say project page (about to be launched).

· Stakeholder Engagement is continuing with local stakeholder groups and the broader community.

Procurement Progress

So far Council has establish contracts for consultants to complete the following work;

· Project Management

· Specialist Solar Generation Advice

· Flooding and Stormwater Assessment

· Glare and Visual Assessment

· Geotechnical Investigation

· Town Planning

· Electricity Grid Network Modelling

Council is currently running a Public Expression of Interest Tender for the Design & Construct, Operate & Maintain aspect of the project (opened 11 Jan, Closes 13 Feb)

Council is currently preparing public a Public Expression of Interest Tender for the Electricity Retail and Generation aspects of the project.

Progress Update

· The project continues to progress substantially in line with the timeline presented to Council on 28 November – see Attachment 2 for the timeline.

· Notes on current timeline estimate:

o Some extension to D&C,O&M EOI due to Christmas period

o Indicative only, highly sensitive to Council meeting dates

o Essential Energy approval not shown as timelines are still currently unknown (may impact critical path)

o DA approval shown over 3 months (not confirmed)

o Assumes no impact to timeline from OLG submission, assumes OLG capex review will be favourable

Byron Bay Sewage Treatment Plant Bioenergy Facility Project

· Council recently received the final deliverables – a Preliminary Design Report and Business Case Analysis – from the two technology proponent teams for this project, which are Hitachi Zosen Inova Kompogas and Bekon (represented in Australia by Skala).

· Clarifications and final revisions are presently on-going; once completed, this will conclude this design stage of the project.

· An evaluation of the two deliverables packages is presently underway; a report will go to Council 27 Feb 2020 for resolution, with a recommendation to select the preferred proponent for the next stages of planning, design and financial feasibility assessment.

· Work is presently underway to prepare an application for an ARENA Advance Renewables Fund Feasibility Study grant; submission is planned for the May 2020 ARENA grant intake.

· To further support the Project, Council is also working to identify other potential grant opportunities.

Brunswick Valley Sustainability Centre Project – Brunswick Valley STP site at Vallances Road

· The Visioning and Chartering Workshop is planned for Feb.21, 2020 with Councillors, the Executive Team and relevant Council staff. This workshop will define Council objectives for the site, validate (or refute, as the case may be) project elements defined to date, define desired outcomes for the broad site, and set governance guidelines for the overall project.

· In preparation for the Visioning and Chartering Workshop, Council’s communications consultant conducted stakeholder consultation interviews in December 2020 with the Executive Team and some Council staff.

· The private contract is nearly complete for the nursery cleaning and rehabilitation work.

· The detailed Project Execution Plan and Project Timeline would then be prepared based on the outcomes of the Visioning exercise.

Solar PV at 3 x Sewage Treatment Plants

· All three solar PV systems at Bangalow, Byron Bay and Brunswick STPs have been installed and are now operational.

Sustainability Team Key Projects

Mullumbimby Administration Building Solar Carpark

· After much consultation with the communications and IT teams, the sustainability team has been unable to link the live solar interface with the Council website. The sustainability team and communications team are working together to formulate a plan to promote Council’s solar generation and emissions reductions on a regular basis.

Annual Emissions Inventory Report

· The annual emission inventory report was presented to Council at the final December 2019 ordinary meeting.

· It was agreed that Council become Carbon Neutral Certified under the National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS) commencing in the 2025/26 financial year. Staff can now commence a staged approach to adjusting data collection methods to meet certification requirements.

o The Federal government has recently rebranded the NCOS – it is now called ‘Climate Active’ however the requirements of the certification remain the same.

· A Councillor and staff workshop will be organised in the 2020/21 financial year in order to fully understand the scope of carbon offsetting and that the workshop report will form the foundation for an offsetting policy and procedure as identified in the Net Zero Emissions Strategy.

Net Zero Emissions Strategy – Action Plan

· In accordance with the Operational Plan, the sustainability team is developing an action plan to accompany the Net Zero Emissions Strategy for Council Operations 2025. It will communicate objectives, measurable goals and practical actions that will be annually reported to Council.

· This action plan will enable staff, SERAC and Councillors to track Council’s emissions reduction progress, as well as aid in the communication of Council’s goals and progress with the wider community.

· Workshops will be organised with managers and SERAC members in February, followed by a draft Action Plan going to the Executive Team for endorsement in April 2020. A workshop with SERAC members is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday 18 February. (All Thursdays already fully booked for Councillors.)

Energy Matrix

· As recommended, the sustainability team has removed the Energy Matrix from the SERAC reports. It will be replaced by the Net Zero Emissions Action Plan. This new plan will enable SERAC to track Council’s progress against agreed actions. See Attachment 1 for a sample of the proposed layout of the new plan.

Reducing Streetlight Use

· In the December 2019 Council meeting a report was presented on the practicalities of selectively switching off streetlights. Until LED streetlights are rolled out across the Shire, it is not possible to perform this action.

· Council resolved:

o That Council not move to turn off streetlights as an energy saving measure at this time as the existing infrastructure does not have the ability to be isolated and managed for this purpose.

o That Council request a cost benefit analysis from Essential Energy regarding the bulk roll out of LED street lighting to the remaining applicable streetlights in the Byron Shire.

STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS

Community Strategic Plan and Operational Plan

CSP Objective		L2	CSP Strategy		L3		DP Action		L4	OP Activity
Community Objective 1: We have infrastructure, transport and services which meet our expectations	1.5			Provide continuous urban water and sewerage services within the Shire		1.5.1		Increase the energy efficiency of Sewerage treatment Plants	1.5.1.1	Expand solar farms at Bangalow; Byron and Brunswick Valley Sewage Treatment plants
Community Objective 3: We protect and enhance our natural environment	3.2			Strive to become a sustainable community		3.2.1		Work towards Council's zero-emissions target	3.2.1.1	Prepare Emissions Reduction Strategy
Community Objective 3: We protect and enhance our natural environment	3.2			Strive to become a sustainable community		3.2.1		Work towards Council's zero-emissions target	3.2.1.2	Prepare Bioenergy Project Plan
Community Objective 3: We protect and enhance our natural environment	3.2			Strive to become a sustainable community		3.2.1		Work towards Council's zero-emissions target	3.2.1.3	Build community Solar Farms at Brunswick Valley STP
Community Objective 3: We protect and enhance our natural environment	3.2			Strive to become a sustainable community		3.2.1		Work towards Council's zero-emissions target	3.2.1.4	Implement actions to achieve zero emissions by 2025
Community Objective 3: We protect and enhance our natural environment	3.2			Strive to become a sustainable community		3.2.2		Support community environmental and sustainability projects	3.2.2.1	Provide environmental and sustainability information

Legal/Statutory/Policy Considerations

Net Zero Emissions Strategy for Council Operations 2025

Financial Considerations

This is a project update report only. Financial considerations for individual projects have been or will be considered on a case by case basis. Sustainability and emissions reduction projects have the potential to either cost or save Council money.

Consultation and Engagement

Manager Utilities, Infrastructure Services

Process Consultant, Infrastructure Services

Senior Project Manager, Infrastructure Services

Senior Project Manager Dingo Lane Solar Farm, Infrastructure Services

Wed and Digital Content Officer, Communications Team, General Manager

Minutes of the Sustainability and Emissions Reduction Advisory Committee Meeting held on Thursday, 31 October 2019

File No: Error! Unknown document property name.

PRESENT: Cr S Richardson, Cr S Ndiaye

Staff: Sharyn French (Manager Environmental and Economic Planning)

Tania Crosbie (Economy and Sustainability Coordinator)

Julia Curry (Sustainability and Emissions Reduction Officer)

Cameron Clark (Manager Utilities)

Rachel Thatcher (Sustainability and Emissions Reduction Officer)

Community: Chris Sanderson

John Taberner (ZEP representative)

Anthony Pangallo

Cr Richardson (Chair) opened the meeting at 11.35am and acknowledged that the meeting was being held on Bundjalung Country.

Apologies:

Cr M Lyon

Cr C Coorey

Luke McConell

Dave Rawlins

Declarations of Interest – Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary

There were no declarations of interest.

Adoption of Minutes from Previous Meetings

Committee Recommendation:

That the minutes of the Sustainability and Emissions Reduction Advisory Committee Meeting held on 8 August 2019 be confirmed.

(Ndiaye/Taberner)

The recommendation was put to the vote and declared carried.

Business Arising from Previous Minutes

There was no business arising from previous minutes.

Staff Reports - Sustainable Environment and Economy

Report No. 4.1 Sustainability and Emissions Reduction Projects - Update Report

File No: I2019/1628

Committee Recommendation:

That the Sustainability and Emissions Reduction Advisory Committee note the report on key projects.

(Richardson/Ndiaye)

The recommendation was put to the vote and declared carried.

Report No. 4.2 Environmental Upgrade Agreements (EUAs) and Solar Bulk Buy Options - Update

File No: I2019/1629

Committee Recommendation:

That the Sustainability and Emissions Reduction Advisory Committee note the report and recommend to Council to:

1. Invite Shay Singh from Sustainable Energy Foundation to present to Council and renewable energy community groups about the potential for commercial EUAs in Byron Shire.

2. Consider a further report on the residential solar program delivery options, including batteries, at the next SERAC meeting.

(Taberner/Pangallo)

The recommendation was put to the vote and declared carried.

Report No. 4.3 Updates from Zero Emissions Byron, COREM and the Climate Emergency Working Group

File No: I2019/1694

Committee Recommendation:

That the Sustainability and Emissions Reduction Advisory Committee note the updates from Zero Emissions Byron.

(Richardson/Ndiaye)

The recommendation was put to the vote and declared carried.

Report No. 4.4 Minutes of previous meeting held 8 August 2019

File No: I2019/1698

Committee Recommendation:

That the Sustainability and Emissions Reduction Advisory Committee note the minutes of the 8 August 2019 meeting.

(Ndiaye/Taberner)

The recommendation was put to the vote and declared carried.

There being no further business the meeting concluded at 1.37pm.

Venue	Conference Room, Station Street, Mullumbimby
Date	Thursday, 30 January 2020
Time	2.00pm

Venue	Conference Room, Station Street, Mullumbimby
Date	Thursday, 31 October 2019
Time	11.30am