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Local Councils

City of Nedlands

Home page: http://www.nedlands.wa.gov.au/
Population: 22,144
Annual Revenue: $26,457,900
No of households: 8,490

Community questionnaire


Access to Information

How easily council displays information about what it is doing for environmental sustainability.

Q1.   Does this Council display eco-sustainability information in its foyer or in other Council-owned buildings?
A.  

Q2.   Does this Council visibly advertise events that support eco-sustainability in the community? (ie hazardous waste collections, living smart courses, etc) Details?
A.   Events are advertised on our Website, in libraries and in the local newspapers.

Q3.   Does this Council website display eco-sustainability information in 1 or 2 clicks from its home page? Please include the link for eco-sustainability information.
A.   http://www.nedlands.wa.gov.au/sustainable-and-living

Q4.   Does this Council train frontline staff to deal with some public requests for eco-info? (vs always switching through to someone else’s messagebank). Details of issues covered by frontline staff?
A.   Switchboard transfers to Sustainability Officer. In the absence of Sustainability Officer the Administration Officer is well-trained for environmental/sustainability/waste/recycling information.

Q5.   Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category?
A.  No

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General Support for Environmental Sustainability

General ways that this council promotes environmental sustainability.

Q1.   Does this Council employ 2+ environmental / sustainability officers (or similar role by a different name)? Please provide job titles, areas of responsibility, and which department they are in.
A.   Sustainability Officer, TravelSmart Officer, BushCare Officer and Waste Minimisation Officer. All in the Sustainable Nedlands department.

Q2.   Does this Council offer eco-sustainability awards to business or industry?
A.   Annual Waterwise Garden Competition is open to businesses.

Q3.   Does this Council offer eco-sustainability awards to residents or schools?
A.   Waterwise Garden Competition is open to schools and residents.

Q4.   Does this Council offer eco-sustainability grants to residents/ schools/ community groups/ businesses? Details?
A.  No

Q5.   Does Council provide funding/assistance for school gardens?
A.   Through WESROC Native Plant Subsidy Scheme

Q6.   Does this Council support any community gardening projects?
A.  No

Q7.   Has this Council hosted a Living Smart course, or similar in 2011/2012? Details?
A.   Supported Living Smart courses through WMRC October 2011 and May 2012, supported Earth Carers Course via WMRC September 2011.

Q8.   Does this Council have any Living Smart courses planned for 2012/2013? Dates, times, venues, booking contact?
A.   May 2013, contact wmrc.wa.gov.au

Q9.   Does this Council work with schools to provide education on eco-sustainability issues?
A.   On request and WMRC Earth Carers provide waste education to schools on behalf of council. For more information please visit: www.earthcarers.org.au

Q10.   Does this Council support Bushcare Friends and/or other environmentally focused community groups? Details?
A.   Friends of Allen Park, Friends of Hollywood Bushland, Friends of Point Resolution, and Swanbourne Coastal Alliance.

Q11.   Does this Council support WA/national/international events to promote sustainability? (eg World Environment Day, Earth Hour, Sustainable September)
A.   Earth Hour, Sustainable September, National Tree Day, Clean Up Australia Day.

Q12.   Does this Council report periodically to the community on the state of the local environment? How often? (include weblink)
A.  No

Q13.   Has this Council declared itself a nuclear-free zone? Symbolic and/or embedded into Town Planning Scheme?
A.  No

Q14.   Has this Council declared itself a GMO/GE free zone? Details?
A.  No

Q15.   Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category?
A.  Unknown

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Protecting and Restoring Nature in Residential Areas.

How this council manages the air, water, land, plants, animals and micro-organisms - and their ecosystems - in its care.

Q1.   Does this Council have any demonstration native gardens? If so, where?
A.   Front garden of the Administration Building 71 Stirling Hwy, and the front garden of the Nedlands Library 60 Stirling Hwy. A third demonstration native/waterwise garden is in the pipeline for 2013.

Q2.   Does this Council use native plants (vs exotics) for verges, traffic islands, around Council buildings, etc? What % of Council plantings?
A.   100% for bushlands and greenway development areas, undetermined percentage of other council plantings. Natives are planted where possible. There are native demonstration gardens at the Administration Building and Nedlands Library, and Montgomery Ave grass verge was replaced with native plantings.

Q3.   Does this Council involve the community in native planting days?
A.   Annual planting day for National Tree Day.

Q4.   Does this Council offer residents free or subsidised native seedlings or plants? Details of when, where & prices?
A.   WESROC Native Plant Subsidy Scheme. During May residents of the western suburbs can go to Apace in North Fremantle with proof of address and buy up to 80 plants at the subsidised rate of $1.50 each.

Q5.   Does this Council provide lists of appropriate local native plants? How are they publicised and distributed?
A.   On the WESROC brochure available at administration centre and at community events. Also available on the City of Nedlands website.

Q6.   Does this Council warn residents against planting exotic species that may escape into bushland? How?
A.   On our website and brochure

Q7.   Does this Council encourage residents to convert some of their lawns and/or verges to native gardens? How?
A.   Annual Waterwise Garden Competition, Annual WESROC Native Plant Subsidy Scheme, and native/water wise gardening workshops.

Q8.   Does this Council award outstanding native gardens?
A.   Annual Waterwise Garden Competition. Entries open in May, judging and awards presented by October.

Q9.   Does this Council offer incentives for owners of big backyards in high density areas to retain these blocks for biodiversity? Details?
A.  No

Q10.   Does this Council have other means of protecting mature trees in residential areas? Details?
A.  No

Q11.   Does this Council act on residents' complaints of cats preying on native fauna? What action is taken? On what % of complaints?
A.  No

Q12.   Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category?
A.  Unknown

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Sustainable Building and Design

How this council supports the community to build sustainably

Q1.   Does this Council have a model Sustainable building or subdivision? Details?
A.  No

Q2.   Does this Council have an interpretive display of sustainable features on any of its buildings?
A.   Nedlands and Mt Claremont Libraries, Administration building, Tresillian Community Centre, and PROCCC have screens summarising the electricity generation and use of PV installations.

Q3.   Does this Council provide support for residents wanting to build sustainable homes?
A.   Information is available on the City’s website or by contacting an Officer at Sustainable Nedlands.

Q4.   Does this Council have measures in place to support businesses and residents to design above the minimum star ratings? Eg Hosting green building design courses etc.
A.   Information is available on the City’s website or by contacting an Officer at Sustainable Nedlands.

Q5.   Does this Council discourage the use of rainforest or old growth timbers and recommend alternatives, when issuing building permits?
A.  No

Q6.   Does this Council require an independent vegetation survey before issuing a building permit and inspection after development to ensure no unauthorised removal?
A.  No

Q7.   Does this Council promote the use of renewable energy sources (eg Photovoltaic cells, wind turbines) to residents and businesses through funding, incentives or otherwise? Details?
A.  No

Q8.   Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category?
A.  Unknown

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Sustainable Transport / Climate Change

Action being taken by this council to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Q1.   Is this Council offering any energy efficiency programs for residents in 2012/2013 (e.g workshops, home energy audits? Details?
A.   Supports Living Smart programs via WMRC. Energy efficiency information available on the City’s website, and promotes energy audits provided by Environment House.

Q2.   Does this Council support businesses to improve their energy efficiency? Details?
A.   Information available on the City’s website or by contacting an Officer at Sustainable Nedlands.

Q3.   Does this Council have measures in place to decrease private car use throughout the municipality? Details?
A.   Travelsmart Officer and City of Nedlands Travel Plan and Actions details measures to reduce private car use.

Q4.   Does this Council promote the use of electric and/or hybrid vehicles? How? (eg providing ev recharge points)
A.  No Not actively.

Q5.   Does this Council provide free cycling/public transport maps to residents? Details?
A.   Yes, maps produced with the Department of Transport and neighbouring LGs are always in stock. Provided in new resident packs, at customer service points and at events. Whole range of printed material is stocked – distribution depends on the content (some is only sent on request, some go to schools, some are put on display at certain times of the year etc).

Q6.   Does this Council contribute to security for bicycles at train & bus stations? Details?
A.  No lockers/bike parking at the local train stations are provided by the Public Transport Authority.

Q7.   Does this Council have a Travel Smart /Sustainable Transport officer? If so, what fraction of a f/t position?
A.   TravelSmart Officer for approximately 0.5 FTE

Q8.   Does this Council provide support for Walking School buses? How? Where?
A.   on a request basis (ie schools must approach the City with a desire to change their behaviour). 2 schools currently run WSBs.

Q9.   Does this Council provide any local public transport additional to Transperth Services? Details
A.  No

Q10.   Does this Council show a comparison of its expenditure on infrastructure for road transport incl. carparks /public transport/cycling/walking?
A.  No

Q11.   Does this Council continue to monitor its community greenhouse gas emissions/ manage climate change?
A.   WESROC Climate Change Risk Assessment and Adaptation Plan 2010. City of Nedlands Climate Change Local Adaption Action Plan: 2012-2017 Draft.

Q12.   Does this Council publish the annual energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions associated with its operations (units of electricity, gas, transport fuel)?
A.  No

Q13.   Has this Council consulted with the community on ways it is planning to reduce greenhouse emissions? When? How many members of the community attended?
A.   The Sustainable Nedlands Committee is comprised of seven community members, the Mayor and two councillors. Non members from the community are welcome to attend meetings also.

Q14.   Has this Council consulted with the community on ways it may adapt to climate change? When? How many members of the community attended?
A.  No The Sustainable Nedlands Committee is comprised of 7 community members, the Mayor and 2 councillors. Non members from the community are welcome to attend meetings also.

Q15.   Does this Council support community led initiatives for climate change adaptation? (eg Transition Town)
A.  No

Q16.   Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category?
A.  Unknown Power-Mates are available for loan from the Nedlands and Mt Claremont Libraries for residents to test how much energy, GHG emissions and money is used by their household appliances.

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Waste Management

How this council works towards the goal of zero waste.

Q1.   Does this Council have measures in place to prevent plastic bags from entering the environment? eg removal of bags from pollutant traps, plastic bag bylaws, etc
A.   As part of the City’s ongoing commitment to reduce the waste going to landfill, all plastic bags and plastic containers with number (1-7) are recycled. The City has begun research into possible options and best practice methods for preventing plastic bags entering the environment. This includes reducing use of plastic bags as well as promoting the use of bags meeting the Australian Standard AS 4736 (suitable for composting and microbial treatment).

Q2.   Does this Council provide receptacles just for cigarette butts in public places? Details?
A.  No Although the city supported the Keep Australia Beautiful ‘Bin your Butt’ campaign.

Q3.   Does this Council provide its own local drop-off facilities for recycling of spent fluoro globes & tubes, batteries and mobile phones?
A.   Recycling stations at the Administration centre and libraries allow easy disposal of old mobile phones, compact fluorescent light globes and tubes, printer cartridges and household dry cell batteries.

Q4.   Does this council provide local drop off points for recycling of e-waste? Details?
A.   Residents can recycle for free larger e-waste at the JFR (Jim) McGeough Resource Recovery Facility in Shenton Park. For more information please visit: www.wmrc.wa.gov.au. As part of the City’s bi-annual bulk rubbish collection, e-waste is collected separately to be processed through resource recovery. The City’s diverts approximately 7-9 tonnes of e-waste annually from landfill.

Q5.   Does this Council offer residents financial incentive for reducing their general rubbish? Details?
A.   120L bins are now part of the Standard Bin Service, with residents paying more if they want more rubbish bin capacity. 3-bin recycling system to divert recyclables and greenwaste away from landfill. Free second recycling bin.

Q6.   Does this Council offer businesses incentives to reduce general rubbish? Details?
A.   Free recycling service to commercial properties that utilise the City’s waste services.

Q7.   Does this Council promote recycling within its industrial zone? Details?
A.   Free recycling service to commercial properties that utilise the City’s waste services.

Q8.   Does this Council collect and compost kitchen waste?
A.  No No separate kitchen waste collection occurs. In June 2013 Council waste will be processed through the DiCOM waste processing system at WMRC's Waste Transfer Station in Shenton Park. For more information please visit: www.dicomwesternsuburbs.weebly.com

Q9.   Does this Council offer practical support for household composting and/or worm farming? Details?
A.   Compost bins and wormfarms are provided at cost price to residents. Free composting and worm farming workshops are offered through a partnership with the WMRC Earth Carers programme www.earthcarers.org.au

Q10.   Does this Council participate in Resource Recovery Park or tip shop for residents?
A.  Unknown

Q11.   Does this Council provide local drop-off points or collection days for HHW (Household Hazardous Waste)?
A.  No Residents can drop off Household Hazardous Waste at no charge at WMRC's Waste Transfer Station in Shenton Park. For more information please visit: www.wmrc.wa.gov.au

Q12.   Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category?
A.  No

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Water Management

How this council assists and educates local businesses and community to conserve water resources.

Q1.   Does this Council support residents to improve their water efficiency? (eg waterwise verges, workshops on waterwise gardening/ food production, rebates). Details?
A.   Competition for Waterwise verge/front garden. Native plant subsidy scheme each May. Greywater and rainwater tank workshop in March for residents.

Q2.   Does this Council support businesses to improve their water efficiency? Details?
A.   Competition for Waterwise verge/front garden. Native plant subsidy scheme each May.

Q3.   Does Council support residents to harvest rainwater (e.g. through provision of rebates)? Details?
A.   Free greywater and rainwater tank workshop in March.

Q4.   Does this Council promote and provide support for residents to reuse greywater? How? How many applications from residents have been received?
A.   Free greywater and rainwater tank workshop in March.

Q5.   Does this Council take any other action for water conservation? Details?
A.  Unknown

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