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REDLAND SHIRE GREENHOUSE REINVENTORY

MILESTONE 5

June 2007

Cities for Climate Protection™

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................................. 3 2. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 5

2.1 Avoidance, Abatement and Adaptation ................................................................................... 6 3. COUNCIL REINVENTORY AND ANALYSIS................................................................................ 7

3.1 Council’s Corporate Emissions, 2005/06 ................................................................................ 7 3.2 Corporate - Buildings and Facilities....................................................................................... 11 3.3 Corporate - Vehicle Fleet ...................................................................................................... 14 3.4 Corporate - Streetlights ......................................................................................................... 17 3.5 Corporate - Water and Wastewater....................................................................................... 18 3.6 Corporate - Waste ................................................................................................................. 22

4. COMMUNITY REINVENTORY AND ANALYSIS........................................................................ 24 4.1 Redland Shire’s Community Emissions, 2001 ...................................................................... 24 4.2 Community - Residential Sector............................................................................................ 29 4.3 Community - Industrial Sector ............................................................................................... 30 4.4 Community - Commercial Sector .......................................................................................... 31 4.5 Community - Transport.......................................................................................................... 33 4.6 Community - Waste............................................................................................................... 34

5. FUTURE ACTIONS .................................................................................................................... 37

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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report presents an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions in Redland Shire for the Council and separately for the Redland community. It indicates the progress on reduction in emissions achieved under the Redland Shire Local Greenhouse Action Plan 2004. The report is a requirement for achievement of Milestone 5 of the Cities for Climate Protection™ (CCP™) Program. Redland Shire Council is proud of its continued commitment to the CCP™ program, which it joined in 1999. It is a significant achievement for Council to reach Milestone 5 of the CCPTM program. Council’s own corporate target is that by 2010 it will achieve a 25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, in comparison to 1998 emission levels. The target for the Redlands community is a 15% reduction over the same period but is measured against the earlier benchmark date of 1996. Council’s emissions While the Local Greenhouse Action Plan (LGAP) runs to 2010 and commenced in 2004, Council programs to reduce emissions largely commenced in 2003. Our effective plan implementation period is therefore 2003 to 2010, and the data in this reinventory describes the situation just before the half way point. The data on Council emissions available to this report is largely from Council’s own financial year records for 2005-06 and provides an adequate status report on Council emissions. A reasonable target is a 3.6% reduction or more per year, especially in the early years of plan implementation when easier gains are anticipated. At the end of year three of seven, our corporate emissions are expected to be about 10.7% lower than 1998 levels for Council to be on track. This report finds reduction in our corporate emissions is equivalent to expectations. Council’s total emissions in 2005/06 are estimated as 38,418 tonnes CO2e, which is 11.0% lower, than 1998 levels, and represents a saving of 4,733 tonnes CO2e per annum. Council has achieved these reductions with major savings in the energy usage by water and wastewater services, through purchase of green electricity, and by implementing efficiency measures for electricity and fuel use. While efficiency has improved, service growth has expanded, resulting in additional total energy use in the vehicle fleet and buildings, increased waste generation, and increased requirement for provision of street lighting. Community emissions Direct measures of emissions from the community are currently not available. The approach currently used is to make estimates using Australia-wide models for emissions by community sector. These models are developed by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), and are based on data sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The most recent ABS data on Redland community is largely that from the 2001 census, and 2006 census data for regions is not anticipated to be available from the ABS until mid 2008. While this is the best data available and is adequate for broad planning purposes, it is an estimate only of actual greenhouse gas emissions. This report estimates the total greenhouse emissions from the Redland Shire were 1,295,484 tonnes CO2e in 2001, an increase of 285,975 tonnes CO2e or 28.5% since 1996.

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Council’s goal is that by 2010 the community will achieve a 15% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, in comparison to 1996 emission levels. There are mitigating factors for these substantially increased emission estimations:

o The Redlands community has experienced rapid development over the period and continues to do so (population of the Redland Shire is expected to increase from 103,082 in 1996 to 142,758 by 2010, an increase of 38%);

o recent changes in public concern over global warming will not be captured in the data for

2001;

o The impact of avoidance and abatement measures implemented in the last six years will only show up in the analysis of 2006 census data (in mid 2008);

A more meaningful indicator of progress lies in per capita analysis of each sector that takes account of commercial, industrial, and residential growth. However, even on this analysis, between 1996 and 2001, there have been substantial increases in emissions in all sectors rather than reductions. Council has in recent years launched innovative projects to help businesses and residents in the community to achieve emission reductions. Examples include the Redlands EcoBiz programme, the Point of Sale Extension program, and the recently trialled Home Sustainability Audit Program.

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2. INTRODUCTION This report presents an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions in Redland Shire separately for the Council and the Redland community. It indicates the progress on reduction in emissions achieved under the Redland Shire Local Greenhouse Action Plan 2004. The report is a requirement for achievement of Milestone 5 of the Cities for Climate Protection™ (CCP™) Program. Redland Shire Council joined the Cities for Climate Protection (CCPTM) program in June 1999, committing to 5 Milestones: Milestone 1 – Redland Shire’s Baseline and Forecast Emissions Profile Milestone 1 was completed in June 2001 and provided information on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated by Council’s operations and the Redlands community. It also estimated what the emissions would be in the year 2010, if no action was taken. The purpose of the inventory was to provide a ‘snapshot’ of emissions from the various sectors to set priorities, guide future actions, and to measure success of those actions. For Council’s corporate emissions a base year of 1998 was chosen. For Redland Shire’s community emissions a base year of 1996 was chosen, to accord with census information. Greenhouse gas emissions were calculated by collecting and entering data into the CCPTM Software. Milestone 2 – Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Goals Milestone 2 of the CCPTM program involved setting greenhouse gas emission reduction goals for Redland Shire Council and the Redlands community. At Council’s General Meeting on 9th of April 2003 the following reduction goals were adopted:

a 25% reduction in corporate greenhouse gas emissions on 1998 levels by 2010; and a 15% reduction in community greenhouse gas emissions on 1996 levels by 2010.

Milestone 3 – Develop a Local Greenhouse Action Plan Council achieved Milestone 3 on the 21st July 2004, with the official recognition of the Council’s Local Greenhouse Action Plan (LGAP) by ICLEI. This Local Greenhouse Action Plan was developed to detail a list of future actions to be undertaken, trialled or investigated in order for Council to meet the Milestone 2 emission reduction goals. The LGAP also included descriptions of a large number of abatement actions that had been previously implemented or were ongoing at the time. Milestone 4 – Implement the Action Plan Council achieved Milestone 4 on the 30th June 2005, with official recognition by ICLEI of the Council’s work to implement the abatement actions set out in the Local Greenhouse Action Plan. Milestone 4 involved a review of Council’s progress, through a report of actions to ICLEI and an assessment of the emissions abatement achieved. In order for Council to achieve the milestone it had to demonstrate:

Achievement of a 5% emissions reduction Implementation of actions in at least 2 out of the 10 sub-sectors covered in the LGAP Financial commitment to abatement and the CCP program

Milestone 5 – Re-inventory and Implementation Report This report demonstrates Council’s achievement and progress towards the targets set for 2010. It describes how the Council’s and the Redland Shire Community’s levels of greenhouse emissions have changed since the baseline years. The report also describes avoidance and abatement measures implemented.

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The Cities for Climate Protection (CCPTM) program was initiated by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), in response to widespread scientific agreement that the global climate is changing as a result of human induced emissions of greenhouse gas emissions. The program aims to assist local governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their own operations and their communities. Australian local governments have been very pro-active in addressing the greenhouse issue. As at the end of 2006 there were 218 local governments involved in the CCP Australia Program, many participating since before 2000. These local governments represent over 82% of the Australian population. 2.1 Avoidance, Abatement and Adaptation Responses to global warming and climate change generally fall into three categories, summarised in the concept “Avoid, Abate, Adapt”, according to whether an action addresses the cause, the symptom or the effects. Avoid taking actions that produce or increase greenhouse gas emissions Avoidance measures seek to prevent the additional release of carbon and include:

minimising clearance of vegetation; minimising goods or service provision that unnecessarily adds to greenhouse emissions; purchase of long lasting products to avoid contributing to landfill implementing best practice energy efficiency for new buildings or infrastructure

Abate our contribution to greenhouse gas emissions Abatement measures reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of current activities and include:

reducing unnecessary consumption of goods and services; using energy more efficiency or reducing use of fossil fuels; using energy from renewable sources; using more efficient fuels or equipment that contribute less emissions for the same work; re-using and recycling wastes rather than sending them to landfill; burning (flaring) landfill gas to reduce its methane content; planting trees to absorb carbon from the atmosphere; geo-sequestration of carbon underground.

Adapt to unavoidable climate change Adaptation is about responding to the effects and likely risks associated with climate change and includes:

planning to minimise the likely impacts of climate change, for example sea level rise or increased storm surges;

improving building structural requirements, for example to cope with increased wind speeds in storms or cyclones;

protecting and managing wildlife habitats that are most likely to be damaged by climate changes.

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3. COUNCIL REINVENTORY AND ANALYSIS 3.1 Council’s Corporate Emissions, 2005/06 While the Local Greenhouse Action Plan runs to 2010 and commenced in 2004, Council programs to reduce emissions largely commenced in 2003. Our effective plan implementation period is therefore 2003 to 2010, and in the reinventory year described we are reaching the half way point. The baseline year established by Council for corporate emissions was 1998. The data on Council emissions available to this report is largely from Councils own records for 2005/06 and provides a status report on Council emissions. A reasonable target would be 3.6% reduction or more per year, especially in the early years of plan implementation when easier gains are anticipated. At the end of year three of seven, our corporate emissions should be approximately 10.7% lower for Council to be on track. Compared to the base year, Council's emissions in the reinventory are 11.0% lower; abatement is approximately 11,265 tonnes CO2e.

3.1.1 Current emissions compared to baseline by Council area In line with ICLEI requirements, Council’s greenhouse emissions are presented in five main areas of activity common to a local government business. The major part (57%) of current emissions are due to the provision of water and wastewater services – see Figure 3.1. Following this, energy usage in buildings and facilities contributes 15%, provision of street lighting 15%, disposal of waste 8%, and the vehicle fleet 7% to the total.

Buildings & Facilities

15%

Waste 8%

Streetlights15%

Vehicle Fleet5%

Water & Wastewater

57%

Figure 3.1 - 2005/06 emissions compared by Council area

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In 2005/06, Council’s greenhouse gas emissions were 38,418 tonnes CO2e, which is 4,733 tonnes less than in 1998. Table 3.1 presents greenhouse gas emission equivalents for each area for 2005/06 and the baseline year (1998). Table 3.1 – Changes to Council’s Corporate Greenhouse Gas Emissions by area

Area 1998 2005/06 Change

t CO2e t CO2e t CO2e %

Buildings & Facilities 5,317 5,740 +423 +8.0Vehicle Fleet 1,472 2,010 +538 +36.5Streetlights 4,073 5,707 +1,634 +40.1

Water & Wastewater 28,937 21,106 - 7,831 -27.1

Waste 3,352 3,855#

(4,026) +503 +15.0%

Total 43,15138,418#

(38,589)- 4,733# -11.0

# Emissions after landfill gas flaring - the figure in brackets shows the emissions that would result if landfill gas flaring did not occur. The emissions reduction is based only upon a percentage reduction or emissions from Council’s own waste, not the entire community’s waste. Some changes to the baseline data from previous reports should be noted. ICLEI have updated the technical factors used to estimate waste emissions since the Milestone 3 LGAP report. This means that the data in Table 3.1 for 1998 are different to (more accurate than) those presented in the Milestone 3 LGAP report. In addition to this change, Council has refined the analysis of the components of waste that cause greenhouse emissions. The organic component of waste was overestimated in 1998, as the greater percentage of Council waste (~90%) is inert concrete and hardfill. The Water & Wastewater area was the only area to experience a decrease in greenhouse gas emission despite increase in the total water consumers serviced by reticulation. This is for the most part due to a 27% improvement in energy efficiency in the provision of water and wastewater services. However it may also be due in part to water saving behaviour by consumers during the current extended drought. Significantly for Council, this decrease in the Water & Wastewater area offsets across the board increases in emissions in Council’s other areas of operation. Therefore, despite Council growth and growth in services, Council achieved an 11.0% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions between 1998 and 2006. Increases of emission from the buildings and vehicle fleet sectors are due mainly to increased Council activity since 1998. This includes additional staff, and increases in travel to provide services to the community. The increase in emissions from streetlights is due to urban growth and development in the Shire, and therefore an associated increase in the number of streetlights required. Council has implemented abatement measures across all areas, except street lighting (action is occurring on streetlights at a regional level).

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3.1.2 Use of energy Council’s usage of energy to conduct operations results in greenhouse gas emissions. Data on energy use by type is presented in table 3.2. The emissions resulting do not include those resulting from waste disposal. Table 3.2 – Changes to Council’s Usage of Energy

Energy and Emissions Energy Source 1998 2005/06 % change*

Electricity GJ 124,840 105,077 -15.8*

CO2e 38,258 32,545 -14.9*

GJ - 3,396 Green electricity

CO2e - 0 na

GJ - 2,720 Petrol/ethanol

CO2e - 167 na

GJ 15,294 14,322 Petrol

CO2e 1,045 979 -6.3

GJ 547 411 LPG

CO2e 33 25 -24.2

GJ 6,634 12,176 Diesel

CO2e 462 848 +83.5

GJ 147,315 138,103 - 6.3Total

CO2e 39,798 34,564 - 13.2#

*Please note that ICLEI have determined that the CO2 emissions/GJ from the production of electricity were different in 1998 and in 2005/06. This has not been changed for the directly burnt fuels. # The table excludes the emissions contributed from waste disposal to landfill. Table 3.2 demonstrates an overall reduction by 6.3% in the total energy required for Council operations. This has been achieved through energy efficiency. Council achieved a higher level of emissions reduction than this, through usage of some green electricity and using a 10% petrol/ethanol blend for some fuel. This component of using renewable energy means Council contributed 13.2% less emissions in 2005/06 than in 1998. In 2005/06, 3,668 GJ (2.7%) of Council’s energy usage was from greenhouse neutral sources.

3.1.3 Nett effect of abatement measures Council has achieved an 11.0% reduction in emissions in comparison to 1998, despite corporate growth in order to meet the service requirements of a growing Shire population. Because the Council has grown since 1998, it means that the actual abatement effect of emissions reductions is greater than 11.0%. Estimates of the actual abatements achieved are presented in table 3.3 and in figure 3.2. The estimation is based on comparisons of energy efficiency between 1998 and 2006, data for green electricity purchase, landfill gas flaring and tree planting. Table 3.3 indicates that the total abatement in 2006 was almost twice the 11.0% reduction in emissions in comparison to 1998. The data in this table is based on assumptions described in

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greater detail throughout the report. Figure 3.2 shows what Council’s emissions would be in 2005/06 if abatement measures had not been implemented. Table 3.3 – Estimation of Council abatement of emissions

Measure Description TCO2e

Energy efficiency -15.2% energy use /employee 809Buildings

Green electricity (Total amount) 374

Efficiency -16.6% energy use /kilometre 293Vehicle fleet

Tree planting (Total amount) 3

Efficiency -30.1% energy/Megalitre 8710Water and Wastewater

Green electricity (Total amount) 782

Waste Land fill gas flaring (Total amount) 294

Total abatement achieved in 2005/06 11,265

Reduction compared to 1998 emissions 5,763

38,589

32,363

43,151

1,156

9,812

297

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

1998 (baseline) 2005/06(reinventory)

2010 (target)

Offset (landfillgas flaring andtree planting)

Improvedefficiency (noemissions)

Green power(no emissions)

Emissionsremaining

Figure 3.2 – Actual Council emissions and estimated abatement in 2005/06

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3.2 Corporate - Buildings and Facilities Emissions arising from Council’s buildings and facilities are entirely from electricity usage. Electricity is used for lighting, heating, air-conditioning, ventilation, water heating, and the use of office equipment. Table 3.4 shows usage of electricity at the buildings and facilities has increased by 10.6%. Despite this increase, the actual greenhouse gas emissions have only risen by 8%. This is mainly due to purchase of 5% GreenPower at Council’s larger facilities. Table 3.4 – Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Council’s buildings and facilities 1998 2005/06 % change

Electricity Usage kWh ~4,808,688 5,316,618 +10.6

Tonnes CO2e 5,317 5,743* +8.0

No. of internal employees 648 845 +30.4

kWh / internal employee 7421 6292 -15.2

Tonnes CO2e / internal employee 8.21 6.79 -17.3* The greenhouse emissions associated with conduct of blasting during 2006 at Council’s German Church Quarry were equivalent to 2.95 tonnes CO2e for the year (based on an emission factor of 0.166 tonnes CO2e per tonne of explosive emulsion). It is not possible to register these emissions on the CCPTM website. Buildings and facilities include all Council buildings, sheds, public toilet blocks, public barbeques, and many other miscellaneous structures. The variety of sites and complexity of accounts makes tally of total number of facilities difficult. Buildings are the main energy users and Council’s four largest buildings/facilities account for 67.5% of the total energy purchased for buildings and facilities. Internal employees are defined as those who work mainly inside Council’s buildings. Since 1998 the number of Council staff has increased. Taking into account that additional staff have additional energy needs, it can be seen that emissions per internal employee have improved by 17.3% since 1998.

Abatement Initiatives GreenPower purchase Council utilises 5% GreenPower at four of the largest buildings, which have large single electricity accounts. The facilities include Council Administration, Cleveland Library/Administration, Capalaba Place, and the South Street Depot Administration and Corporate Library. Purchase of GreenPower has resulted in a 5% reduction in emissions for these 4 buildings, equivalent to approximately 374 tonnes CO2e during 2005-06. Building Energy Efficiency Work to improve building energy efficiency has been focused on Council’s five largest facilities. The effect of these abatement measures is shown in table 3.5 below. Overall, the measures implemented have improved Council’s energy efficiency at these five buildings by 5.2%. All these buildings except the Donald Simpson Centre purchase 5% GreenPower which affects the emission calculations. GreenPower purchase further reduced the emissions to a total reduction of 8.5%. The implementation of the energy efficiency programs is described below. Table 3.5 shows that energy efficiency measures were very successful in reducing energy usage at the Council Administration and at the Donald Simpson Centre. At the Cleveland Library and at

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Capalaba Place 3% increases in energy consumption occurred. These energy increases were offset through GreenPower purchase to reduce the resulting final emissions. A 32% increase in energy consumption occurred at the South Street Depot, which was only partially offset by GreenPower purchase. Table 3.5 – Results of Energy Efficiency Measures at Council Facilities

Energy Efficiency Energetics

Energy Audit (2003/2004)

2005/06 % Change

Electricity 2,057,412 1,711,299 -16.82Council Administration

Tonnes CO2e 2,263 1,813 -19.9

Electricity 1,030,080 1,061,569 +3.06Cleveland Library + Administration Tonnes CO2e 1,133 1,124 - 0.8

Electricity 374,590 495,580 +32.3South Street Depot (Office + Library + Workshop + Sheds) Tonnes CO2e 412 530 +28.6

Electricity 392,160 403,883 +3.0Capalaba Place

Tonnes CO2e 431 428 - 0.8

Electricity 132,641 106,224 -19.9Donald Simpson Centre

Tonnes CO2e 146 116.8464 -19.9

Electricity 3,986,883 3,778,555 - 5.2Total

Tonnes CO2e 4,386 4,012 - 8.5Energy usage data is from the Energetics energy audits (year ending April 2004) and is compared to electricity account data from 2005-06. The emission estimates (Tonnes CO2e) are based on the factor utilised by ICLEI, in order to be comparable throughout the report. This means the CO2e figures here are slightly different than those presented in the 2004 Energetics reports. Energy Efficiency Audits and Implementation In 2004, Energy audits were carried out by Energetics consultants1 at Council’s five largest facilities, including: Capalaba Place, Cleveland Library, Council Administration, Donald Simpson Centre, and South Street Depot. The energy audits suggested a range of measures to improve Council building’s energy efficiency. The measures implemented to date have included:

Donald Simpson Centre

o Retrofit to replace globes with Compact Fluorescent Lights o Turning off an underutilised cool room o Replacement of hot water boilers with instantaneous water heaters

Capalaba Place

o Retrofit to replace globes with Compact Fluorescent Lights o Turning off an underutilised cool room

Cleveland Library

o The Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system was modified to change the operating times to better reflect working hours and switch level 1 off on weekends

1 Energetics (2004) “Energy Audit at: Redland Shire Council Chambers / Cleveland Library / Capalaba Place / South Street Depot / Donald Simpson Centre Ref: 105712” by Energetics Pty Ltd for Redland Shire Council, May 2004

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Council Administration

o The Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system was modified to change the operating times to better reflect working hours

o Replacement of hot water boilers with instantaneous water heaters

South Street Depot, Corporate Library, Work and Storage Sheds

o The Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system was modified to change the operating times to better reflect working hours

o Replacement of hot water boilers with instantaneous water heaters

All buildings

o Awareness labelling and education of staff, throughout Council buildings o EcoOffice program to encourage staff to save paper and energy o Energy efficient T5 fluorescent lights are being used to replace old fluorescent lights as

maintenance is required, throughout Council buildings o Timing clocks have been installed to control air-conditioning at Council’s five largest

facilities EcoOffice Council participated in the EcoOffice program during July to November 2005. As a result approximately 580 officers were consulted and invited to participate in the program. The result was as follows:

• 489 (84% of officers with computers) officers joined the program. Of these: o 83% set monitors to turn off after 5 minutes of no work activity. o 47% set hard drive to turn off after 15 minutes of no work activity. o 60% set default to always print double sided. o 54% set default to always print in “economode” (toner saver).

• B&W network printers were set to standby after 15 minutes. • Photocopiers displays were set to turn off after 15 seconds and standby after 15 minutes.

It was estimated that the implementation of these action saved: • $4000 (est.) annual in electricity use. This corresponded to an annual greenhouse emission

reduction of 40 tonnes. • 20% monthly (approx. $3000 annualised) reduction in paper use. Since the rollout of the EcoOffice program in July 2005, there has been no follow up and current levels of energy and paper use are not known. Paper recycling and reduced paper usage Council has improved recycling of office paper, reducing potential greenhouse emissions when paper is sent to landfill. Approximately 90% of waste paper is now collected and removed by a waste contractor directly for paper recycling. Council has reduced total paper usage by moving to an Electronic Data Management System (EDMS) and savings from reduced demand for paper were diverted into purchase of paper with a higher recycled material content. CRT Monitors to LCD Council replaced CRT monitors with LCD monitors in 2002, as these use much less electricity. The 820 LCD screens purchased for the replacement are estimated to have reduced Council’s emissions from computer usage by 205 tonnes CO2e per annum.

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3.3 Corporate - Vehicle Fleet Emissions for Council’s vehicle fleet arise from use of petrol, diesel, and LPG. A description of Council’s total usage of these fuels is shown in Table 3.2. Council has one petrol-electric hybrid vehicle and is currently implementing a diesel/ethanol co-fuel project. A breakdown of emissions for sections of the fleet is provided in Table 3.6. Overall, emissions from the Council’s vehicle fleet have increased by 37%. This is because the kilometres travelled and the total engine hours have increased since 1998. In contrast, fleet emissions per kilometre travelled have fallen by 17% (tonnes of CO2e per 100,000 km). This is testament that Council’s vehicle fleet is now operating more efficiently than it did in 1998. This calculation excludes large yellow plant, as fuel consumption for these units is poorly related to distance travelled. Table 3.6 - Breakdown of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Vehicle Fleet

Category 1998 2005/06 % change Passenger Vehicles (Sedans and Station wagons)

Tonnes CO2e 469 t CO2e 577 t CO2e +23

Number of vehicles 91 vehicles 106 vehicles

Kilometres travelled 1,404,834 km 3,007,944 km +114

Tonnes CO2e per 100,000 kilometre 33.38 19.18 - 43

Commercial vehicles (crewman, single and dual cabs, vans)

Tonnes CO2e 589 t CO2e 748 t CO2e +27

Number of vehicles 112 vehicles 164 vehicles

Kilometres travelled 1,877,220 km 2,723,349 km +45

Tonnes CO2e per 100,000 kilometre 31.38 27.46 -12

Trucks (including one bus)

Tonnes CO2e 347 t CO2e 545 t CO2e +57

Number of vehicles 49 vehicles 57 vehicles

Kilometres travelled 879,246 km 912,775 km +4

Tonnes CO2e per 100,000 kilometre 30.47 59.71 +51

Large Yellow Plant and other

Tonnes CO2e 67 t CO2e 141 t CO2e +110

Number of vehicles 34 vehicles 15 vehicles

Kilometres travelled 21,979 km 40,859 km Na*

TOTALS

Total tonnes CO2e 1,472 t CO2e 2,011 t CO2e +37

Total number of vehicles 286 vehicles 342 vehicles

Total kilometres 4,183,280 km 6,684,920 km +60

Tonnes CO2e per 100,000km

(excluding large yellow plant) 33.76 28.15 -17

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Passenger Vehicle Fleet - this category of Council’s fleet has achieved a 43% improvement in efficiency for emissions per kilometre travelled. Commercial Vehicle Fleet - has achieved a 12% improvement in efficiency, with a good reduction in emissions per kilometre. Truck Fleet - this part of the fleet appears to show 51% increase for emissions. This is actually affected by the types of trucks and the type of work being conducted. Since 1998, Council has greatly increased its work on infrastructure. This has meant that Council has purchased more heavy trucks, and that these trucks are often engaged in short distance work, as well as idling during loading. Large Yellow Plant and Equipment - It is not realistic to utilise the kilometres travelled for these vehicles to make an assessment of fuel efficiency. Total emissions from plant such as excavators, tractors, backhoes have doubled compared to 1998. This is due to increased workloads on these vehicles. Due to a greatly increased workload Council’s fleet’s emissions have increased since 1998. However, the majority of vehicles are more efficient. In order to meet the 2010 reduction targets, further efficiency will be required.

Data comparison issues

Council’s vehicle fleet contains many types of vehicles. Changes in Council’s fleet management system make comparison of specific types of vehicle from the 1998 base year to 2005/06 difficult. Data for 2006 was sourced from the MAXIMO fleet management database. Four categories have been created, shown in table 4.6 for better comparison between the two years. However, some minor issues have remained. The 1998 data included small plant, such as brush cutters, chainsaws, etc. Fuel for small plant is purchased using vehicle fuel cards, and this fuel use is therefore distributed throughout all the vehicle categories in 2006. However, this usage is considered comparatively small and its inclusion in 2005/06 should not influence the data. Another issue is that the asset register for 1998 does not agree with previously recorded CCPTM data, and the implication is that the number of vehicles in each category was overestimated in 1998. Council’s fleet has grown since 1998 and the information has been adjusted for the presentation in Table 3.6.

Abatement Initiatives A number of abatement initiatives are in progress. Fleet Downsizing The number of six cylinder vehicles has been reduced over recent years in favour of four cylinder vehicles. It is estimated that each such change results in a 10% emissions reduction. About 80% of the passenger vehicles are now four cylinders. Commercial utility vehicles will also be downsized to fewer cylinders. Fuel Council’s fleet has been utilising a 10% ethanol/petrol blend. Burning ethanol results in emissions, but this is offset by the carbon required for the crop from which the ethanol is sourced. In 2005/06 Council utilised 165,895 litres of petrol ethanol blend. Utilising calculations from the CCPTM website, this resulted in an emission of 334 tonnes CO2e, where 100% petrol would have an emission of 388 tonnes CO2e; a reduction of 54 tonnes CO2e.

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Commercial utility vehicles are now to be powered by diesel instead of unleaded petrol (ULP). Utilities account for 90% of the commercial vehicles category (147 vehicles) and almost all are to be diesel powered. Diesel vehicles are more fuel-efficient than ULP vehicles and are also eligible for federal government rebates. The changes are projected to reduce fuel consumption for this part of the fleet by 26%, saving more than $70,000 a year. The fuel reduction should result in an annual saving in emissions of around 126 tonnes CO2e. A trial of LPG gas in a number of Council vehicles similarly found no savings. LPG gas can be more efficient, especially where vehicles travel long distances on average. Maintenance problems caused by ‘cold’ running also proved to be an issue, due to the short, start-stop nature of operational activities in Redland Shire. A trial of ethanol diesel co-fuel injection system in Council’s diesel fleet continues. The results for this are positive and may improve efficiency and emissions from Council’s trucks. The use of ethanol diesel is most effective in large diesel engines. Tree Planting In 2005, 1384 trees were planted in Fellmonger Park specifically to offset Council vehicle fleet greenhouse gas emissions. It is estimated that the planting will remove 100 tonnes of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere over the next thirty years. Until 2035, this equates to an average reduction of 31/3 tonnes CO2e per year.

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3.4 Corporate - Streetlights Greenhouse gas emissions from streetlights result from usage of electricity. Almost all of the Shire’s streetlights are owned and maintained by Energex. There are three categories which include:

Street lighting (for lighting roads and footpaths, suburban areas) Traffic Lights (traffic control) Watchman lights (security lighting for car parks, jetties, malls, in parks)

Other lighting, such as outside lights attached to Council buildings or barbeque areas, is captured in the energy data for buildings and facilities. Table 3.7 shows a 40.1% increase for energy usage to provide public lighting. This is due mainly to an increase in urban development as the Shire’s population has grown. This increase is proportionately double that attributable to the increase in population. Shire population in 1998 was 107,697 and 132,179 (+22.7%) in 2006. Table 3.7 - Breakdown of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Public Lighting

1998 2006

kWh t CO2e kWh t CO2e % Change in

kWh

Street Lighting 3,557,669 3,925 4,819,649 5,374 +36.9

Traffic Lights 59,295 65 195,463 218 +235.4

Watchman Lights 74,717 82 103,038 115 +40.2

Total 3,691,681 4,073 5,118,150 5,707 +40.1

Abatement Initiatives Regional Streetlight Trials The issue of greenhouse emissions from public lighting is being addressed at a regional level by the Energy Efficiency Public Lighting Working Group, of which Energex is a member. The Energy Efficiency Public Lighting Working Group comprises the Queensland Department of Mines and Energy, ENERGEX, Brisbane City Council, Gold Coast City Council, and Maroochy Shire Council. This group has been working on streetlight efficiency for a number of years and have concluded that the best way forward is to conduct a trial of energy efficient bulbs for street lighting. The group commissioned the “Street lighting in South East Queensland: Opportunities for Energy Efficiency and Cost Savings” scoping paper, resulting in the recommendation for this extensive trial to resolve the technical issues identified. The trial is currently in preparation and will commence during 2007 to run for three years. Council anticipates invitation to be involved in the trial.

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3.5 Corporate - Water and Wastewater Emissions from this area of Council operations are presented in Table 3.8 and arise almost entirely from electricity required to pump and to treat water and wastewater. A very small percentage of the emissions arises from diesel and LPG use at backup generators, during power outages. Requirements for both water supply and wastewater treatment have risen since the base inventory year. In 1998/99 Council supplied 14,300 ML of water and treated 9,800 ML of wastewater. This serviced more than 40,000 residential customers (dwellings) and 630 businesses. In 2005/06, 15,107 ML of water were supplied, including 6,000 extra customers, and 10,588 ML of wastewater were treated, including 3,000 additional customers. Despite this increase in demand, Redland Water has achieved a 27.35% reduction in greenhouse emissions – through reduced energy usage, and through purchase of 5% GreenPower. In 2006, water and wastewater treatment and pumping requires, on average, 30.1% less energy per ML of service delivery than in 1998. In 2006 the demand for water and wastewater services was higher than in 1998, yet the energy required was lower. Water use has also declined with the introduction of water restrictions and improved public awareness of the need for water efficiency. Between 2004/05 and 2005/06 water demand fell by 20.58%, despite an increase in the Shire’s population and the number of connections. Reduced public demand for water has helped reduce Council’s total greenhouse emissions for this area of operations. Table 3.8 Water and Wastewater use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

1998/99 2004/05 2005/06

% change 1998/99 to

2005/06

Usage ML 14,300 ML 19,022 ML 15,107 ML +5.64Water

Connections >40,630 46,050 46,657 +14.8

Usage ML 9,800 ML 9,319 ML 10,588 ML +8.0Wastewater

Active services >40,630 42,830 43,537 +7.15

Energy use (GJ) 94,884 - 70,723 -25.5

Pro rata Energy use (GJ/ML)

3.9 - 2.75 -30.1

Water and Wastewater combined

Tonnes CO2e 28,937 - 21,024 -27.35

Shire Population 107,697 130,630 132,179 +22.7

Data issues

There is some uncertainty that electricity usage in 1998 accurately reflects actual usage at the plant. Redland Water advises that in some cases accounts at different treatment plants may have been lumped together. It is not certain whether this was the case in 1998. There is more certainty about the 2005/06 data presented here, which provides a better benchmark going forward. This data issue does not affect the totals presented in table 3.8, but may affect the analysis of efficiency between plants described in section 3.5.1. Another factor that may have affected peak energy requirements is the dry weather during 2005/06. During wet weather large volumes of water must be pumped - due to pipe infiltration and illegal stormwater connections. The energy required to pump for these large volumes over a short

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period of time can be greater than the energy to pump the same volume at a much slower rate. However, it is unknown to what extent this wet weather factor affects the overall energy usage. No calculation has thus far been conducted for direct methane emissions arising from wastewater itself.

Variation in efficiencies between treatment plants Comparison between energy efficiency at wastewater and water treatment plants is presented in Table 3.9 based on an indicator calculated as the annual kilowatt hours divided by the kilolitres pumped. This is an approximate indicator for comparison as each plant varies in its use of energy for activities other than pumping water. Changes in energy efficiency between 1998 and 2005/06 varied among the water treatment plants. The most significant single demand for energy use is at the extraction bores and treatment plant at Herring Lagoon on North Stradbroke Island. The data available shows that the wastewater treatment plants have significantly reduced energy usage since 1998. Only Cleveland and Amity WWTPs appear to be slightly less efficient, and this may be within the error of this indicator. Point Lookout WTP and Dunwich WTP showed improved efficiency and Capalaba WTP showed a very slight increase. Table 3.9 Water and Wastewater Treatment - Breakdown of Energy Efficiency

Year

1998 2005/06 % change 1998-2005/06

Water Treatment Plants kWh 6,169,000 6,011,214 kL 10,656,270 9,485,490 North Stradbroke Island

(Herring Lagoon) kWh/kL 0.58 0.63

+ 9.5%

kWh 218,200 155,002 kL 365,100 318,500 Pt Lookout (+Booster

Pump) kWh/kL 0.60 0.49

- 18.6%

kWh 65,800 66,146 kL 153,800 129,600 Amity Point kWh/kL 0.43 0.51

+19.3%

kWh 150,700 120,778 kL 232,400 293,200 Dunwich kWh/kL 0.65 0.41

- 36.5%

kWh 1,108,000 1,897,176 kL 2,854,910 4,876,480 Capalaba kWh/kL 0.39 0.39

+ 0.2%

Wastewater Treatment Plants kWh 6,278,860 1,848,077 kL 3,027,618 2,304,766 Capalaba kWh/kL 2.07 0.80

- 61.3%

kWh 3,753,550 1,842,859 kL 2,580,365 3,018,539 Thorneside kWh/kL 1.45 0.61

- 58.0%

kWh 2,311,990 2,147,389 Victoria Point kL 1,531,355 2,399,620

- 40.7%

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kWh/kL 1.51 0.89 kWh 1,961,070 1,830,140 kL 2,580,356 2,324,330 Cleveland kWh/kL 0.76 0.79

+ 3.6%

kWh 811,950 332,299 kL 172,024 185,558* Mt Cotton kWh/kL 4.72 na

(less)

kWh 416,290 109,474 kL 120,417 103,006 Point Lookout kWh/kL 3.46 1.06

- 69.3%

kWh No data 111,768 kL No data 51,762 Dunwich kWh/kL No data 2.16

na

Other Wastewater Pumps kWh Incomplete data 2,654,754 naWater Booster Pumps kWh 158,946 Reservoirs kWh 180,440 Irrigation pump kWh

686,418210,759

na

Electricity usage is from 05/06, or if in italics from the nearest 12 months of data (therefore figures in italics are not strictly comparable to the kilolitres pumped but give a reasonable estimation). * Incomplete data for the year Caution should be exercised in interpreting the kWh/kL indicator – this figure is an approximation, as pumping of water is only part of the total activities at each site. Abatement Initiatives GreenPower purchase Redland Water utilises 5% GreenPower at eight of the largest treatment plants, which have large electricity requirements and account for 77.9% (15,282,929 kWh) of the total energy used by the water and wastewater services. The purchase results in a 5% reduction in emissions for these 8 facilities, equivalent to 764,146 kWh or approximately 782 tonnes CO2e during 2005-06. Water efficiency Water savings in response to regional water restrictions contribute to reduction in greenhouse emissions, due to reduced demand to treat and to pump water and wastewater. RWW have encouraged water saving behaviour through education and programs including the:

discount voucher promotion residential retrofit business WaterWise Council internal retrofit

Should the drought lift, permanent gains in efficiency have been achieved through installation of water saving devices. The initial rollout of these programs, to a limited number of residents and businesses, was calculated to have achieved a saving of 24.695ML of water per year. This equates to a reduction of approximately 27 tonnes CO2e per year. WaterWise The Local Government and State Government’s WaterWise program continues in the community. Since the trial phase of residential retrofit, Redland Shire Council has committed to significant financial investment in partnership with the State to ensure a full rollout of this program in the Shire. It is expected that retrofits will occur at close to 5,000 households in the first year.

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It is estimated that retrofit at each property saves approximately 0.021 ML of water per year which translate into greenhouse emission savings from the reduced requirement for energy to pump this water. Internal Retrofit Redland Shire Council is continuing its internal retrofit to save water. The greenhouse emission reductions are captured through reductions in Council water and wastewater energy requirements. Energy Review and Implementation In 2005, Energetics consultants2 carried out an energy review for Council’s water and wastewater operations to identify potential efficiencies. Many of the review’s recommendations have been carried out or are in progress. Initiatives implemented since 1998 have included soft starters and variable speed drives for some pump motors. Soft starting improves energy efficiency by gradually building up to the pump speed required when the motor is activated. Variable speed drives work by matching the pump motor speed to the workload required. Another major change has been to reduce booster pumping of water from North Stradbroke Island to the mainland. This transfer is now mostly achieved through gravitation. The following changes have occurred at sites:

Point Lookout and Booster Pump

o reprogramming of the automatic control of the booster pump – now pumps as required only

Capalaba WTP

o Sludge is now dewatered before centrifuging o A micro-audit of all the pumps is planned

Capalaba WWTP

o AC variable speed drives on the blower o Replacement of the aeration diffusers o Transfer of a percentage of flow to Thorneside

Victoria Plant WWTP

o New plant o Oxidation ditch

Cleveland WWTP

o Oxidation ditch o Improved maintenance and lubrication of aerator bearings o Investigation of tree planting for carbon offset in the irrigation area

2 Energetics (2005) “Energy Reviews for Water and Wastewater Operations. Ref: J/N 105892” carried out by Energetics Pty Ltd for Redland Shire Council, 13 December 2005.

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3.6 Corporate - Waste Council manages waste disposal for the whole community in the Shire. However, the following discussion relates only to wastes produced from Council offices and facilities, and operations that produce greenwaste, construction and demolition waste (such as hardfill building rubble and concrete). Greenhouse gas emissions from Council’s waste arise from the biological breakdown of organic waste sent to landfill. A principal component of these gases is methane which is a powerful greenhouse gas, equivalent to 23 times the global warming potential of CO2. Council has increased the total tonnage of waste since 1998 and Council’s CO2e emissions from waste increased by 15.2% between 1998 and 2005/06. The emissions are slightly reduced by the flaring of landfill gas at Birkdale. The emissions estimate for 1998 has been revised since the LGAP report as emissions were previously over-estimated (discussed further below). In 2005/06, almost 90% of the total weight of Council’s waste was construction and demolition waste (C&D waste). C&D waste does contributes greenhouse gas emissions from only a small percentage of organic material (some timber and greenwaste). The amount of construction and demolition waste varies according to the number of infrastructure projects conducted by Council during the year. Council has increased its scope of infrastructure work since 1998. Council’s greenhouse gas emissions arise from this organic material in C&D waste and from organics in the disposal of domestic waste. Organic components in domestic waste include timber, food waste, greenwaste, and some paper (most is recycled). Council’s office and domestic waste increased by 289 tonnes between 2001/02 and 2005/06. Table 3.10 - Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Council’s Waste

Council generated waste types 19981 2001/02 2005/06 Change %

Office/Domestic/Commercial Waste (tonnes) 816 605 894 +9.6

Construction and demolition (tonnes) 7504 5,561 6,564 -12.5

Total (tonnes) 8,320 6,166 10,013 +20.3

Total emissions tCO2e3 3,345 2,479 3,8552 +15.21 1998 has been recalculated and is an estimate only. The data used is 2001/02 waste stream component data, and 1998 total tonnage data. 2 Actual emissions after landfill gas flaring at Birkdale (based on tonnes disposed at Birkdale only.) Based upon a 171 tCO2e reduction. 3 Figures calculated by the CCPTM website are based on rounded numbers and are less accurate than Council’s own calculations.

Data issues

Problems were encountered in comparing waste information from the 1998 baseline year to 2005/06 data. A discrepancy exists between the analyses of components in the waste streams for the two years. It is uncertain what means were utilised to estimate the waste stream components in 1998, as specific data for this year is now unavailable. The data for 2005/06 includes Council’s construction and demolition waste, and office waste. The 1998 estimations appear similar to that used for a breakdown of purely domestic bin waste. Domestic bin waste contains a high percentage or organic materials. A comparison with data from 2001/02, using the same model as for 2005/06, indicates that the 1998 greenhouse emissions may have been overestimated. Consequently, 1998 baselines were recalculated to better estimate of greenhouse emissions. This was done by applying waste stream percentages from 2001/02 as shown in table 3.11.

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Table 3.11 - Component Analysis of Council’s Waste

Council generated waste types 19981 2001/02 2005/06

% 2.07% 2.07% 1.83% Paper t CO2e 718 532 864 % 3.29% 3.29% 3.00% Food waste t CO2e 404 299 486 % 3.94% 3.94% 3.76% Plant debris t CO2e 457 452 610 % 5.70% 5.70% 5.73% Wood/textiles t CO2e 1,614 1,196 1,943

Total tonnes CO2e3 3,345 2,479 3,8552 1 1998 has been recalculated and is an estimate only. The data used is 2001/02 waste stream component data, and 1998 total tonnage data. 2 Actual emissions after landfill gas flaring at Birkdale (based on tonnes disposed at Birkdale only.) Based upon a 171 tCO2e reduction. 3 Figures calculated by the CCPTM website are based on rounded numbers and are less accurate than Council’s own calculations The variations in waste stream component percentages in the table, for example for paper, do not represent recycling rates. This is because the component analysis is strongly affected by the relative proportion of C&D waste to office and other waste. Improvements in recycling efficiency are discussed in the building and facilities section, and in the community waste section.

Abatement Initiatives Landfill Gas Flaring In order to reduce the impact of methane emissions from the Birkdale landfill, Council participated in development of a landfill gas flaring facility. This facility reduces the effective emissions from waste at the Birkdale landfill by 10.01%. This percentage is applicable also in determining an abatement of emissions from Council’s waste. Of Council’s waste, 894 tonnes was disposed of to Birkdale. This waste has a high organic content and is estimated to have resulted in emissions of 1,714 tonnes CO2e. The reduction of these Council waste emissions by 10% resulted in a saving of 171 tonnes CO2e.

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4. COMMUNITY REINVENTORY AND ANALYSIS 4.1 Redland Shire’s Community Emissions, 2001 Up to date information is not available on emissions from the Redlands community. The most recent data available is from the 2001 census (5 years old), and new data is not anticipated from the 2006 census until early 2008. However, the Local Greenhouse Action Plan target of a 15% reduction of community emissions by 2010, responds to the first inventory which is based on 1996 census data. Therefore, this analysis of 2001 census data provides early trend information on community efforts to reduce emissions. This report finds that compared to 1996, by 2001 annual greenhouse emissions from the Redland Shire increased by 28.5%. This is an increase of 286,975 tonnes CO2e. The baseline year established by Council for community emissions was 1996. Council officially initiated efforts in 2003 to assist the community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Had emissions remained steady the target was to achieve a 2.14% reduction or more each year until 2010. It is now obvious that a much higher rate of reduction will be required to achieve a 15% reduction in the baseline emissions by 2010. There are some positive aspects to this challenge. Firstly, recent changes in public concern over global warming are not represented in the data for 2001. Secondly, the impact of avoidance and abatement measures implemented since 2003 will only show up in the analysis of 2006 census data (projected to be available in mid 2008). It is also noteworthy that a more meaningful indicator of progress lies in per capita analysis of each sector that takes account of commercial, industrial, and residential growth. Despite these mitigating factors, ultimately there have been substantial increases in emissions in all sectors rather than reductions.

4.1.1 Calculating community emissions In line with ICLEI requirements, the community’s greenhouse emissions are presented in five main sectors of activity. In order to calculate the emissions for each sector, ICLEI use Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) census data and Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics (ABARE) research data for:

o demographics o population growth o labour force o employment o motor vehicle use o energy usage by state, industry and fuel type

ICLEI separate the sources of emissions into five main areas of activities in the community:

o The Industrial sector includes agriculture, manufacturers, mining, construction, water and energy supply (does not include the production of energy).

o The Residential sector focuses on energy usage in the home. o The Transportation sector, which is emissions from resident’s vehicles and from

commercial vehicles.

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o The Commercial sector, include wholesalers and retailers, various services, transport and storage.

o Waste disposed of. ICLEI provide the data for the emissions. Only the emissions from waste are directly calculated by Council. The calculations are estimates based on modelled emissions for typical Australian metropolitan areas, modified by the population, business and employment profile of the Redlands, and for trends in energy usage in the sectors. The employment data provided by ICLEI agrees with an independent report to Council detailing employment in 2001 by Shepherd and Lieu3. This means that the emissions in this report are based on Australian averages, and will not precisely reflect local conditions. ICLEI periodically update the technical factors used to calculate emissions, in order to improve the accuracy of the estimations in line with current research. Therefore, 1996 estimates presented in this report are slightly different from those described in the Milestone 3 LGAP report.

4.1.2 Current emissions compared to baseline by area Calculated emissions in the five main areas of activities in the community, are shown in figure 4.1, table 4.1 and 4.2. In 2001, the residential, industrial and transportation sectors contributed approximately similar emissions (22 to 28% each) and the combined commercial and waste sectors the remaining 24%. Figure 4.1 – Redland Shire’s 2001 Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector

Residential26%

Industrial28%

Transportation22%

Commercial14%

Waste10%

Table 4.1 - Changes to Redland Community’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector 3 W. Shepherd, W. & Lieu, L. (2003) “Redland - An Economic Profile: 2001”, prepared by the Griffith University for Redland Shire Council, March 2003

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Sector 1996 2001 Change % Change

t CO2e t CO2e t CO2e

Residential 258,704 332,585 73,881 +28.6

Commercial 133,609 182,494 48,885 +36.6

Industrial 239,009 375,896 136,887 +57.3

Transportation 259,270 280,750 21,480 +8.3

Waste 117,916 123,759 5,843 +5.0

Total 1,008,509 1,295,484 286,975 +28.5 Table 4.1 shows that ICLEI estimate that the community greenhouse emissions grew by 28.5% between 1996 and 2001. Emissions from all sectors increased. The industrial sector showed the largest increase (57.3%). The commercial and residential sectors also showed large increases of 36.6% and 28.6% respectively. The community showed a large increase of emissions between 1996 and 2001. Based on these trends and growth in the population, ICLEI estimate that community emissions will continue to increase by 2010. Figure 4.2 - Community emissions estimation and emission targets

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

1996 2001 2010

tonn

es C

O2e

Current estimate Target

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4.1.3 Per Capita Analysis of Emission Increases A major reason for the increase in emissions is that the Redlands community has experienced rapid development. The population increased by 13.7% between 1996 and 2001. Given that population of the Redland Shire is expected to increase from to 142,758 by 2010, it is not expected that greenhouse emissions will decline without behavioural changes. A second major reason for the increase is that the rate of energy use per employee by Australian businesses increased significantly between 1996 and 2001. The number of commercial and industrial employees in the Shire grew slightly between 1996 and 2001. Table 4.2 shows the relative contribution to the increase by each sector. The table also compares the population and employment growth between 1996 and 2001 to the increases in greenhouse gas emissions. Much of this information is explored in further detail within the sections following. Growth of energy use in the Industrial sector was responsible for almost half (47.7%) of the total increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Per employee, there was a 56.1% increase in industrial emissions. Residents themselves consumed more energy at home, contributing to 25.7% of the total increase in emissions. Each resident contributed 13% more emissions in 2001 than in 1996. The commercial sector followed this, contributing 17.0% to the total increase in emissions. Per employee, there were 22.4% more commercial emissions. Emissions from transport increased slightly along with the increase in population (contributing to 7.5% of the total emissions increase), but vehicle usage in the Shire actually grew more efficient. Per resident, there was a 4.8% reduction in emissions for transportation. Similarly, whilst emissions from waste grew slightly with the increasing population (contributing 2.0% to the total increase), in 2001 each resident produced 7.7% less emissions for waste. Table 4.2 - Breakdown of Changes to Redland’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector Sector 1996 2001 % Change

Shire Population 103,082 117,252

% of contribution to

increase in emissions +13.7%

t CO2e 258,704 332,585 25.7% Residential t CO2e/resident 2.51 2.84 +13.0%

t CO2e 133,609 182,494 17.0% Commercial t CO2e/employee 7.30 8.94 +22.4%

t CO2e 239,009 375,896 47.7% Industrial t CO2e/employee 43.69 68.21 +56.1%

t CO2e 259,270 280,750 7.5% Transportation t CO2e/resident 2.52 2.39 - 4.8%

t CO2e 117,916 123,759 2.0% Waste t CO2e/resident 1.14 1.06 - 7.7%Total t CO2e 1,008,509 1,295,484 na +28.5%

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4.1.4 Changes in Usage of Energy Types Data on energy use for the community is available for 2001, calculated from ICLEI data on Australian energy consumption trends. Overall there has been a 20% increase in energy usage. Energy usage is calculated to have increased for all fuel types. Because this information crosses all the of the community areas, it is not possible to calculate a comparison per capita. This is because growth of energy use by industry and population growth are not precisely related. Table 4.3 – Changes to Community Energy Usage

Energy (GJ) Energy Source

1996 2001 % change

GJ 1,817,285 2,495,314 +37.3*Electricity

CO2e 520,455 747,901 +43.7*

GJ 2,494,157 2,700,790 Petrol

CO2e 170,457 184,579 +8.3

GJ 8,054 17,095 Kerosene/Burning oil

CO2e 559 1,186 +112.2

GJ 90,913 110,102 Heavy fuel oil

CO2e 6,643 8,045 +21.1

GJ 386,371 430,938 LPG

CO2e 23,103 25,768 +11.5

GJ 190,390 266,331 Natural gas

CO2e 9,881 13,823 +39.9

GJ 519,780 687,688 Anthracite

CO2e 46,451 61,457 +32.3

GJ 21,446 23,222 CNG

CO2e 1,101 1,192 +8.3

GJ 1,607,243 1,834,547 Diesel

CO2e 111,943 127,774 +14.1

GJ 7,135,639 8,566,027 +20.1Total

CO2e 1,008,509 1,295,483 +28.5#

*Please note that ICLEI have determined that the CO2 emissions/GJ from the production of electricity were different in 1996 and in 2001. This has not been changed for the directly burnt fuels. There is also a slight discrepancy in all of the % figures, due to rounding of totals on the ICLEI website. # The table excludes the emissions contributed from landfills.

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4.2 Community - Residential Sector Greenhouse emissions for the residential sector are based upon energy consumption for each of the fuel types commonly used in Australian households - electricity, natural gas, kerosene/burning oil, and liquid petroleum gas. Table 4.4 – Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Residential Sector

Residential Energy Use 1996 2001 % Change

Electricity (GJ) 885,186 1,086,359 +23

Natural Gas (GJ) 33,962 47,738 +41

Kerosene/Burning Oil (GJ) 5,557 14,837 +167

LPG (GJ) 50,944 58,060 +14

Tonnes CO2e 258,704 332,585 +28.6

No. Residents 103,082 117,252 +13.7

Average Tonnes CO2e / Resident 2.51 2.84 +13.0

No. Residences 38,031 44,264 +16.4

Average Tonnes CO2e / Residence 6.80 7.51 +10.5 ICLEI estimate that the residential sector contributed 26% of the community’s total greenhouse emissions in 2001 (332,585 tonnes CO2e), an increase of 28.6% over the baseline year (258,704 tonnes CO2e). This is partly due to an increase in the Shire’s resident population, which increased by 13.7%. However in addition to this, average greenhouse emissions per resident are calculated to have increased by 13%, from 2.51 to 2.84 tonnes CO2e. The numbers of dwellings in the Shire increased by 16.4%, slightly more than the 13.7% increase in the population. This means fewer people per residence. Despite this, the average emissions per residence has increased by 10.46%, from 6.80 to 7.51 tonnes CO2e. This again reflects that the average resident is causing significantly more emissions in 2001 than in 1996.

Abatement Initiatives Home Sustainability Audits – Pilot program Council launched the pilot Home Sustainability Audit Program in 2006. The program involved visiting residents at home and conducting an energy audit of the household. The audit was accompanied by energy savings recommendations, and householders had the opportunity to discuss various alternatives. The program received a favourable response from the households visited and a follow-up to the pilot was conducted in 2007 to determine whether participating households achieved energy and water savings. The results were that households participating in the program had reduced electricity usage by a median of 17.6%, reduced water consumption by a median of 52.4%, and reduced greenhouse emissions by a median of 17.4%. Helpful Hints Sheets In 2005, Council officers created a series of twenty Helpful Hints information sheets to enable residents to make informed decisions about achieving energy savings around the home. The

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Helpful Hints information sheets remain available from the Council website, and at locations such as the Council Chambers foyer, the Cleveland Library and the Donald Simpson Centre. 4.3 Community - Industrial Sector Greenhouse emissions for the industrial sector are based upon energy consumption for each of the fuel types commonly used - electricity, natural gas, heavy fuel oil, liquid petroleum gas, diesel, kerosene/burning oil, and anthracite. Table 4.5 – Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Industrial Sector

Industrial 1996 2001 % Change

Electricity (GJ) 475,608 813,144 +71.0

Natural gas (GJ) 141,387 195,209 +38.1

Heavy Fuel Oil (GJ) 90,913 110,102 +21.1

LPG (GJ) 22,700 26,952 +18.7

Diesel (GJ) 586,323 729,047 +24.3

Kerosene/Burning Oil (GJ) 2,497 2,258 -9.6

Anthracite (GJ) 519,780 687,688 +32.3

Tonnes CO2e 239,009 375,896 +57.3

Employees 5,471 5,511 +0.7

Average Tonnes CO2e / employee 43.69 68.21 +56.1 ICLEI estimate that the industrial sector contributed 28% of the community’s total greenhouse emissions in 2001, and industrial emissions increased 57.3% between the base year (239,009 tonnes CO2e) and 2001 (375,896 tonnes CO2e). The increase in emissions was disproportionate to employee growth, which increased less than 1% over the same period. The average greenhouse gas emissions per employee increased by 56.1%. This reflects the Australian trend calculated by ICLEI. Abatement initiatives that have been implemented for the industrial sector are described together with those for the commercial sector following.

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4.4 Community - Commercial Sector Greenhouse emissions for the commercial sector are based upon energy consumption for each of the fuel types commonly used - electricity, natural gas, and liquid petroleum gas. Table 4.6 – Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Commercial Sector

Commercial 1996 2001 % Change

Electricity (GJ) 456,491 595,811 +31

Natural Gas (GJ) 15,041 23,384 +55

LPG (GJ) 35,015 45,206 +29

Tonnes CO2e 133,609 182,494 +36.59

Employees 18,297 20,420 +11.60

Average Tonnes CO2e / employee 7.30 8.94 +22.39 ICLEI estimate that the commercial sector contributed 14% of the community’s total greenhouse emissions in 2001. Commercial greenhouse emissions increased 36.6% between the base year 1996 and 2001; from 133,609 tonnes CO2e to 182,494 tonnes CO2e. The increase in emissions was disproportionate to employee growth (11.6%). The average greenhouse gas emissions per employee increased by 22.4%. This reflects the Australian trend calculated by ICLEI.

Commercial and Industrial Abatement Initiatives ecoBiz The EPA’s Sustainable Industries Division invited Redland Shire Council to pilot their ecoBiz program in 2004. The Council funded and facilitated a six-month (January to June 2005) ecoBiz pilot program as part of its continual commitment to business development and the environment. Redland Shire was the first community in Queensland to implement ecoBiz. This economic development initiative is an innovative eco-efficiency resource management program for businesses. ecoBiz looks specifically at reducing business's consumption of water and energy and the production of waste streams. It is designed as a partnership with businesses to help them work towards sustainable improvements in eco-efficiency. Involvement in the ecoBiz program benefits businesses by:

Helping them to implement an eco-efficiency improvement system into established management systems

Reducing operating costs in areas such as energy, water and waste Improving profitability Reducing the environmental impact of the business and associated risks Enhancing corporate reputation of the businesses Helping them work towards sustainable improvements in eco-efficiency

Seven businesses and a Council business unit participated in the pilot program and are now seen as "ecoBiz Champions" in the community, highlighting their on-going commitment to sustainability. The eight businesses that participated were:

Sirromet Wines Stradbroke Ferries

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Alchemy Cordial Redlands Nursery Sheldon College The Good Guys Darwalla Milling Redland Shire Council (Donald Simpson Centre)

Since the success of the pilot project the Council has continued to support this business initiative and ecoBiz has grown in the Shire. Thirteen additional businesses have since joined the program:

Aust Care Env Services Amity Bungalows Australian Garlic Bread Sea Stradbroke Redland Bay Golf Club Redlands Sporting Club Redlands RSL Rural Press – Bayside Bulletin Grandview Hotel Mater Private Capalaba Sports Club J J Richards Capalaba Place

To maintain membership in the ecoBiz partner program, businesses must show continued improvement and commitment to eco-efficiency. Re-assessments are conducted annually. Further information on ecoBiz can be found at: http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/environmental_management/sustainability/industry/ecobiz_queensland/ POSE program The Point of Sale Extension or POSE program was an initiative developed by Council with support from the EPA. The POSE program extended ecoBiz with a focus on helping businesses to provide information to customers about the sustainability of products. The ‘Good Guys’ in Capalaba participated in the trial of the program. The POSE Program Toolkit was developed to assist businesses to engage in POSE. This toolkit work to assist businesses with:

Calculating the sustainability of products in terms of ongoing energy, gas, or water costs Marketing materials to help customers to evaluate the sustainability of products Educating and training sales staff

A key message of the program was that ‘Energy Efficiency Makes Cents’. The program worked to help customers evaluate the sustainability of products in terms of ongoing costs against the up-front cost, and thereby calculate a payback period. By providing this information POSE helps customers to help the environment, and to save money in the long term; for instance by buying a more expensive but more efficient washing machine, and then saving the cost difference through reduced electricity costs over two years.

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4.5 Community - Transport Greenhouse emissions for the transportation sector are based upon energy consumption for each of the fuel types commonly used – petrol, liquid petroleum gas, diesel, and compressed natural gas. ICLEI’s calculations for transportation are based on Australian averages, which have not been updated between 1996 and 2001 to reflect changes in vehicle fuel efficiency and cleaner fuels. As a consequence, in table 4.7, emissions have risen in direct proportion to the vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT), for all fuel types. Table 4.7 – Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Transportation Sector

Transport 1996 2001 % change

Petrol (GJ) 2,494,157 2,700,790

LPG (GJ) 277,712 300,720

Diesel (GJ) 1,020,919 1,105,500

CNG (GJ) 21,446 23,222

Tonnes CO2e 259,270 280,750

VKT (million kms) 857 928

+ 8.3

No. Residents 103,082 117,252 +13.8

Tonnes CO2e / resident 2.52 2.39 - 4.8 ICLEI estimate that transportation contributed 22% of the community’s total greenhouse emissions in 2001, and increased by 8.3% between the base year 1996 (259,270 tonnes CO2e) and 2001 (280,750 tonnes CO2e). The overall increase in vehicle emissions is proportional to the increase in the Shire’s population. However, ICLEI have calculated from their data that Australians, on average, travelled less vehicle kilometres in 2001 than in 1996, and consequently the emission per resident is calculated to have decreased by 4.8% between 1996 and 2001.

Abatement Initiatives Redlands Transport Plan 2016 The target of the Redlands Transport Plan 2016 is to reduce reliance on the private motor vehicle and encourage alternative travel modes by 2016. The plan includes objectives that contribute toward minimising the effects on the environment from transport. Implementing the actions and strategies contained in the transport plan should result in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. TravelSmart Council conducted the TravelSmart program in 2005. The program was a pilot scheme with the goal of changing travel behaviour and reducing reliance on the family car. As a result, the Redland Community project managed a 12% relative reduction in kilometres travelled by car, estimated at 25 million kilometres per year from private car travel in the Shire. The program was targeted at 10,100 households where 5,279 households in Alexandra Hills, Birkdale, parts of Capalaba, Thorneside and Wellington Point showed interest in receiving TravelSmart information.

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Assessment of the outcome revealed relative increases as follows:

• 55% increase in walking • 29% increase in cycling • 27% increase in public transport usage

Given the calculations used by ICLEI, this means that in the Redlands, TravelSmart resulted in an abatement of approximately 7,563 tonnes CO2e per annum. The TravelSmart School program further worked to change behaviours of travel to school. The program was conducted at Coolnwynpin, Redland Bay and Victoria Point state schools. The program also helped to reduce VKTs, increased walking and cycling, and usage of public transport. 4.6 Community - Waste Greenhouse gas emissions from community waste result from the biological breakdown of organic wastes sent to landfill. A principal component of these gases is methane which is a powerful greenhouse gas, with 23 times the global warming potential of CO2. Waste disposal was estimated to contribute 10% to the community’s total greenhouse gas emissions in 2001/02. This may in part be due to an increasing population (13.7% increase), but was ameliorated slightly by a reduction in the amount of waste generated per capita (7% decrease per person). The financial year 2001/02 has been used for calculating the community greenhouse emissions as comprehensive data was not available for 2000/01. Data for 2005/06 is also included, because the data is available from within Council. Domestic recycling has improved since 1996, and this has reduced the amount of waste. The tonnages shown in table 4.8 are only for waste actually disposed of to landfill. Table 4.8 – Greenhouse Gas Emissions Resulting from Community Waste Disposed to Landfill (excludes waste diverted for recycling or other processing)

1996* 2001/02 2005/06

% change 1998 to 2001/02

% change 1998 to 2005/06

Total waste to landfill (tonnes) 75,437 77,257 109,742 +2.4 +45.5

Waste stream components (organic)#

Paper products 16.00%* 19.86% 16.74%

Food waste 37.00%* 12.93% 10.31%

Plant debris 15.00%* 12.75% 9.96%

Wood/textiles 0.00%* 9.12% 8.07%

Other waste 32.00%* 45.35% 54.92%

na

Domestic plus Commercial and Industrial (C&I) waste

(relatively high organic content, disposed of at Birkdale)

Unknown* 66,925 78,920 nd

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Construction and demolition waste

(low organic content, disposed of at Giles Road)

10,332 30,822 nd

Emissions (Tonnes CO2e) 117,916* 123,759 146,694 +5.0 +24.4

Emissions (Tonnes CO2e) after Landfill gas flaring “ “ 132,983 “ +12.8

Offset from landfill gas flaring

(tonnes CO2e) - - 13,711 na

Population 103,082 117,252 132,179 13.7 +28.2

Tonnes waste per capita 0.73 0.66 0.83 -9.6 +13.7

Tonnes Domestic + C&I waste per capita - 0.57 0.60 nd

Tonnes CO2e per capita 1.14 1.06 1.11 -7.0 -2.6

Domestic Waste Recycling Rate - 18% 23% na* Estimation of the waste stream components for 1998 is likely to be inaccurate. It is not known how this was calculated. However, as there is no data available for relative amount of C&D waste in 1996, there is no way to recalculate the figure. # The data described in table 4.8 includes estimations of the relative percentages of different waste components. It should be noted that these do not usually vary greatly within waste streams. They are here mostly affected by the relative percentage of construction and demolition waste compared to domestic and C&I waste. The percentage of ‘other waste’ will reflect the percentage of C&D waste, which is mostly inorganic. Data issues An issue exists comparing the greenhouse emissions between 1996 and 2001/02 for waste. This is because a rigorous waste stream analysis was not conducted in 1996. Instead the waste components were estimated using the results of the 1997 BIEC National Recycling Audit and Garbage Bin Analysis. It appears likely that this analysis did not include data to describe the construction and demolition (C&D) waste component which comprises a major percentage of the total tonnes of waste to landfill but a relatively low percentage contribution to the greenhouse emissions. This discrepancy can be seen in the description of 1996 waste components which show a high level of food waste, and no description for timber. The difference makes it difficult to determine whether there was a real difference between 1996 and 2001/02 in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. There was only a slight increase in the tonnes of total waste. Given that there is no description of the relative tonnes of C&D waste compared the original calculation for 1996 has been allowed to stand.

Abatement Initiatives Landfill gas flaring Because landfill gas is primarily methane, burning the gas reduces the potential for global warming. This currently occurs at Birkdale landfill. The greenhouse gas reduction achieved through methane flaring at the Birkdale landfill during 2005/06 was 13,711 tonnes CO2e, which is a reduction of 10.01% in emissions at the Birkdale landfill, and represents a 9.3% reduction in the total emissions from community waste. As of end September 2006, the facility had flared 6,890,916 m3 of landfill gas since its inception. The methane composition of the landfill gas varies, but averages 53.5% (the usual range is

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between 50% and 55%). Since commissioning, landfill gas flaring has reduced greenhouse emissions by a total of approximately 53,400 tonnes CO2e. Power generation from the flaring of the methane is being implemented, which will reduce the community’s dependence on non-renewable energy. Green waste diversion In 2005-06, some 30,823 tonnes of green waste received at Council’s landfill and transfer stations was transported to the Rocky Point Sugar Mill and burnt to produce power. This prevents methane resulting from decomposition of this waste. The process provides power to the grid, reducing the need to burn fossil fuels for electricity. In 2005/06 green waste diversion resulted in an emissions abatement of 36,988 tonnes CO2e for the year, using a factor of 1.2 tonnes CO2e per tonne of green waste added to landfill. The power generated at the mill from this green waste varies according to the moisture content, but was equivalent to approximately 26,420 MW. Recycling – Abating Global emissions Recycling of materials helps to reduce the requirement to produce the materials anew. The Australian Greenhouse Office has standard factors based on estimates of energy required to produce materials from extracted resources, and thereby the emissions associated. Based on tonnages recycled of paper, glass, plastic, aluminium and steel in the Shire it is estimated that in 2006/07 there was a reduction of 31,244 tonnes CO2e required globally to produce these materials anew.

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5. FUTURE ACTIONS In conclusion, the Council has taken actions which have reduced the total greenhouse gas emissions from its operations by 11%. All areas of Council, except streetlights, have improved the efficiency of energy usage. In practical terms though, corporate growth has meant that only Redland Water actually reduced its total emissions in comparison to 1998. The Redland community has grown since 1996 and consequently, by 2001, greenhouse gas emissions increased. The reporting period has not captured recently growing concern about global warming. It is expected in future years that the community will become more involved in actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Completion of Milestone 5 means that the Council’s involvement in the CCPTM program has come full circle. Milestone 1 established the baseline inventory. The inventory provided a basis upon which Council was able set targets, define priorities, plan and take actions (Milestones 2 to 4). Milestone 5 has assessed the Council’s and the community’s progress as a result of the actions implemented. Because Milestone 5 is a reinventory, it will form a basis for another round of targets, prioritisation, planning and action. The report sets out a clear statement of the Council’s and the community’s current level of greenhouse gas emissions. This information can then be used as the basis for Council debate to determine the best way forward. Council currently looks forward to participating in the Milestone Plus standard in the CCPTM program. The Milestone Plus standard simply means continuing the process of planning and working to reduce greenhouse emissions, and periodically reassessing progress through re-inventories.

Greenhouse Reduction Targets Reassessment of the targets set during Milestone 2 may be required. This is because Council will experience a major change with the State Government taking over Redland Water. This will have a large effect on how Council can report its progress in comparison to 1998. Whilst energy and abatement measures have been implemented throughout Council, it is only at Redland Water that actual emissions reductions have been shown. Council’s other departments all demonstrate increased greenhouse emissions since 1998. If Redland Water is not included, between 1998 and 2006 Council’s emissions changed from 14,214 tCO2e to 17,312 tCO2e, which is an increase of 21.8%. Council may determine that it is appropriate to establish targets further than the current 2010 goals. When targets for greenhouse reduction were set in 2002 the long term commitment required to stop global warming was not widely understood. It is now commonly accepted by scientists that human society will have to achieve reductions of 60% by 2020 to hold climate change to a minimum risk scenario by 2050. In order to achieve this across society many organisations will have to achieve complete carbon neutrality.

Local Greenhouse Action Plan In order for Council to continue to reduce greenhouse gas emissions the Local Greenhouse Action Plan (LGAP) will need to be refreshed. The LGAP set a list of actions to be investigated and undertaken in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Many of these actions are either ongoing or have been completed. Some ideas were investigated but were found to be impractical. Given that carbon trading and increasing electricity costs have changed payback periods, reassessment of some of the investigations may be worthwhile.

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Progress towards further reduction of greenhouse gas emissions may move forward in a slightly different way. Implementing energy efficiency saves greenhouse emissions and money over time. However, given current technology, there is only so much energy use that can be saved through efficiency. Most of the actions which were easy to undertake with short financial payback times have already been implemented. For Council to move towards carbon neutrality there will be a point where ongoing financial investment will have to accompany greenhouse emissions reduction. The LGAP will therefore require a decision matrix to prioritise financial investments to achieve greenhouse reductions. In future years it is likely that the environmental cost of greenhouse gas emissions will be formalised financially. This will be achieved through national or local carbon trading schemes, or other means of investing in carbon offsets and renewable energy infrastructure. Many business organisations are positioning themselves to be in ready for the accompanying changes in market forces.