Roles and Responsibilities

Council's role

The role of local government in Environmental Sustainability includes natural resource management, community education, greenhouse gas abatement, climate change adaptation and strategic land management through the planning system.

A large part of the work we do is managing council-owned land, including many roadside reserves, and reducing Council’s environmental impact through measures such as energy efficiency upgrades and solar panel installation, as well as in the areas of planning and infrastructure works.

Our responsibilities as a land manager and reduction of our environmental impact is achieved through collaboration with a number of agencies and community groups on range of programs:

Ribbons of Remnant Roadside

Ribbons of Remnant Roadside is a collaborative project between Murrindindi Shire Council (MSC), and the Upper Goulburn Landcare Network (UGLN) that showcases rural roadsides for their biodiversity and high conservation value.

The project recognises that roadsides connect habitat across the landscape are a vital place of refuge for many of our local flora and fauna. It aims to educate the community about the value these remnant roadsides provide.

For more information, see UGLN’s web page: ugln.net/ribbons-of-remnant-roadsides

Goulburn Broken Greenhouse Alliance

Murrindindi Shire Council is a proud member of the Goulburn Broken Greenhouse Alliance. 

The Alliance works in partnership with local government, business, community groups and other agencies, and aims to raise the awareness and capacity of the region to mitigate and adapt to climate change. It does this through:

  • Learning and sharing to increase skills of Councillors, Council Management and Officers
  • Communicating to inspire people and organisations to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and think about ways in which they can be more resilient to a changing climate
  • Partnering with other agencies and Councils to plan and deliver projects that can be used as case study examples for how people and organisations can make change happen

Local Government Energy Savers Program

In December 2019, Council installed 49kW of Solar PV and 659 energy-efficient LED lights across 29 Council buildings in a bid to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The upgrades were made to office buildings, service centres and community facilities. Council funded half the project, and the other half came from the Victorian Government through their Local Government Energy Savers’ Program.

This is in addition to the existing solar arrays on a number of council buildings, including the Alexandra Library and Shire Offices, the Alexandra Depot, and the Yea Library, bringing Council’s total renewable generation capacity to more than 120kW.

Dindi Bulk Buy

The Solar PV Bulk Buy was run by Murrindindi Shire Council in partnership with the Yarra Energy Foundation.

The Dindi Bulk Buy provided Murrindindi Shire home, business and farm owners free impartial energy advice on their solar options, and discounted rates on Solar PV systems and installation. A total of 60 homes participated, with many more looking into installation at a later date.

The Bulk Buy avoided approximately 13,932 tonnes of CO2 emissions, the equivalent of taking almost 3000 cars off the road.

Landholders’ and citizens’ roles

Everyone has a responsibility to use resources and manage their land in a way that doesn’t impact negatively on the environment. It is important to consider the environmental and long-term impacts of the decisions we make at home, at our place of business, and in the community.

This is especially true for farmers, as agriculture both affects and depends heavily on the natural environment. Healthy Hectares is a handy booklet that covers ways to work with nature to reduce the impact of farm activities and boost productivity. The Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority also has many resources, and you can connect with locals through your local Landcare group.

We’ve provided a wealth of resources on sustainable practices in the home, garden, and on the farm. Learn more by visiting our Sustainability page.

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