Corporate questionnaire

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Access to Information

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

Q1.   Does this Council train reception staff to deal with sustainability FAQ's from residents? Provide details on method of training and on the issues covered.
A.   Based on specific projects and includes presentations to Customer Service Team meetings.

Q2.   Do Council sustainability staff have input into the Council website layout to ensure that residents can easily locate info on environmental sustainability?
A.   Officers also have responsibility for updating information and content.

Q3.   Do Council sustainability staff ensure that eco-sustainability brochures are prominently displayed in civic centre foyers and ‘satellite’ offices?
A.  Unknown

Q4.   Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category? Tell us any of your own initiatives.
A.   Sustainability information is available for all staff on the City’s Intranet site including announcements and documents.

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General Support for Environmental Sustainability

General ways that this council promotes environmental sustainability.

Q1.   Does this Council employ 2+ f/t or equiv. p/t environmental / sustainability officers (or similar roles by different names?) Please provide details of position, department and areas of responsibility.
A.   Coordinator of Sustainability; TravelSmart Officer; Senior Environmental Officer; Environmental Officer.

Q2.   Does this Council have a Green or Ethical Purchasing Policy in place?
A.   The City’s Procurement Policy notes the consideration of sustainability.

Q3.   Does this Council use a sustainability framework (economic, social, environment, governance) in all its planning, reporting and decision-making processes? Details?
A.   All Council agenda reports note the sustainability Implications of the report.

Q4.   Does this Council’s annual report (or similar) explicitly support sustainability using such guidelines as the Global Reporting Initiative?
A.   Sustainability Annual Report produced annually which adheres to the Global Reporting Initiative.

Q5.   Does this Council provide an annual report to the community on the state of the environment and encourage feedback?
A.   Sustainability Annual Report produced annually and community highlights report. Both encourage feedback and comments through online email address, hard copy tear out feedback sheet, letters, phone calls or emails.

Q6.   Does this Council provide sustainability staff the opportunity to liaise with Councillors re sustainability information?
A.   Via approved methods including weekly update report and workshops.

Q7.   Does this Council provide staff education on sustainability issues?
A.   All staff are invited to community sustainability education events and activities.

Q8.   Does this Council have a ‘green team’ or Sustainability/Environmental advisory group?
A.   Inter-department Sustainability Working Group has been in existence since 2006.

Q9.   Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category?
A.   City has a Sustainability Policy available online and a Sustainable Development Declaration Engineering Capital Works Projects are assessed and prioritised using a “Triple Bottom Line” scoring system to give each project a “Sustainability Score” based on Economic, Environmental and Social impact. Unfortunately, this system has not been accepted at a Corporate Level and is consequently only used for internal Business Unit purposes. Every Council report contains Sustainability Implications section which must be completed.

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Natural Resource Management

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

Q1.   Does this Council have an Integrated Water Management/ Catchment Management/ Stormwater Management Plan/ Food and Agriculture Localisation Plan in action? If so, which of the above?
A.   Integrated Water Cycle Management Plan being developed under the following focus areas (1) Groundwater Conservation, (2) Stormwater Management (3) Prudent Use of Potable Water and (4) Wastewater Reuse

Q2.   Does this Council have Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan Guidelines?
A.  

Q3.   Does this Council have a Green Plan in action?
A.   Green Plan 2 (a Strategy for the Conservation of Urban Bushland) and a Local Biodiversity Strategy, which offers a more holistic approach to management of all natural area including wetland and coastal dunes.

Q4.   Does this Council have a Natural Areas/ Bushland Management Plan?
A.   Green Plan 2 which is a strategy for the conservation of all bushland as well as site specific Environmental Management Plans for regionally significant reserves and Bush Forever sites viz. Carine Regional Open Space, Dianella Regional Open space, Lake Gwelup Reserve and Star Swamp bushland reserve.

Q5.   Does this Council have any policies /strategies for retention of mature trees?
A.   Within conservation reserves all mature trees are retained even after senescing as they offer continued habitat values in death.

Q6.   Does this Council have a strategy in place for the control of phytophora dieback?
A.   The City has a program in place for the interpretation and treatment of dieback. The program includes interpretation and analysis of suspected infected sites, periodic mapping of infected sites and periodic phosphite treatment of infected sites.

Q7.   Does this Council have a strategy in place for the control of environmental weeds?
A.  Unknown The City has an annual weed control program targeting geophytes, annual grasses and woody weeds. The annual program controls weed at different times of the year during the optimum control period. The City of Stirling Engineering Operations department has cyclic weed control programs across the City’s in the road reserves and drainage sumps. Specifically the City of Stirling programs to two cycles of weed control of kerblines, footpaths, brick paving, Public Access Ways (PAW’s), medians, drainage sumps and Right of Ways which is dependant of seasonal factors. All except drainage sumps and PAW’s use herbicides. Notifications of herbicide application are advertised in local papers where residents can contact the City to opt-out of this program, a list of ‘no-spray’ addresses is maintained by the City. Glyphosate 360 (schedule 5 poison) a non-residual herbicide is used for environmental reasons. Glyphosate 360 has low toxicity and is deactivated through contact with soil. Programs are in place for manual weed control in drainage sumps and public access ways through slashing and manual weed removal. The City of Stirling has a mapping and control program for Caltrop (Tribulus terrestris). This weed has been mapped in GIS and is monitored through internal inspections and reports received from the public. Manual removal of this weed is required; the City is currently investigating unique, different environmental and mechanical control methods for effective ongoing treatment of this weed. Guidelines are being developed to advertise and educate the public in effective treatment and prevention methods for this weed.

Q8.   Does this Council have a strategy to protect and enhance biodiversity in the local area?
A.   Biodiversity protection is covered by the local biodiversity strategy. Specific programmes have been developed for key species such as the Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo and Red-tailed cockatoo recovery program, the Cottonwood Crescent Kangaroo Management Plan, the Graceful Sun Moth habitat restoration programme, the Rainbow Bee-eater habitat protection programme and the Recovery Programme for Threatened and Endangered Species.

Q9.   Does this Council have any strategies for the development of wildlife corridors?
A.   The City’s Green Plan 2 identifies ecological linkages within the City. The corridors are maintained and enhanced for the purposes of wildlife and seed movements across the local region.

Q10.   Does this Council have a Nutrient/ Irrigation Management Plan?
A.  Unknown This is has now been incorporated into the Groundwater Conservation Strategy and in the Operational Process Plan for the management of irrigated parkland and sporting areas.

Q11.   Does this Council have a Sustainable Landscaping Strategy/Plan/Policy
A.  

Q12.   Does this Council have a Landowner Biodiversity Incentive Scheme?
A.  No

Q13.   Does this Council have a Marine/Coastal Management plan, where applicable?
A.   The Coastal Foreshore Action Plans part 1 and 2 cover the City’s coastline and its management.

Q14.   Does this Council manage a substantial area of bushland? How much?
A.   Urban Trees Strategy being developed to deal with trees on public and private lands. Under this strategy, the Street Tree Management Plan is nearing completion.

Q15.   Does this Council exert pressure to protect remnant bushland in the face of urban expansion plans?
A.  Unknown

Q16.   Does this Council encourage and support other land management agencies to protect/manage bushland with the LGA (e.g. DEC, FESA, Perth Regional NRM)? What is the area managed by these agencies?
A.  Unknown

Q17.   Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category?
A.  Unknown

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Sustainable Building and Design

How this council promotes and exhibits sustainable building practices

Q1.   Does this Council have a membership with the Green Building Council of Australia?
A.  No

Q2.   Does this Council own buildings demonstrating outstanding Sustainable Design features, eg earning a Green Star Rating? Details?
A.   5 Star Rating for Administration Building at 25 Cedric Street, Stirling.

Q3.   Does this Council actively promote Sustainable Building Design above minimum legal BCA standards?
A.  No

Q4.   Does this Council have a Sustainable Design Policy?
A.  No However, The City does not have a stand-alone Sustainable Design Policy, but has a range of sustainable design requirements integrated into various policies. These policy requirements include a requirement for awnings over all footpaths abutting commercial and mixed use buildings, and water efficient reticulation and high efficiency lighting in Industrial and Private Institution zones. The City’s Renewable Energy Systems policy also provides direction on integrating solar and wind energy systems into developments within residential and non-residential zones.

Q5.   Does this Council reject development applications from individuals or commercial developers that deny solar access (eg solar hot water, PV, sunlight for garden) for the specific property and its neighbours?
A.   Where a proposal seeks to deviate from the acceptable development provisions of the R-Codes relating to overshadowing.

Q6.   Does this Council allow shading devices in front yards? (eg Shade sails, roller shutters etc)?
A.   If they accord with the provisions of the R-Codes or Council Policy as applicable. It is noted that separate approval for roller shutters is not required.

Q7.   Does this Council allow the installation of solar hot water systems and PV cells on north roofs that face onto the street?
A.   Solar panels are exempt from requiring development approval.

Q8.   Does this Council avoid using rainforest or old growth timbers in Council buildings and constructions?
A.  No

Q9.   Does thisi Council use recycled/biodegradable materials in its infrastructure/ construction items?
A.   Recycled plastic used in parks and infrastructure products (bollards, seats, tables). 100% of road construction waste is recycled into other construction projects. Trials of using recycled materials in road base and car parks currently under way.

Q10.   Does this Council have policies and incentives for recycling of construction waste?
A.   The City stockpiles materials extracted from existing works, ie old asphalt profiling(removal) and excavated clean sand for reuse in various other construction activities (for example; road sub base / base course construction, backfill of kerbing, stormwater drainage sump batter reconstruction). The City operations have an established procedure of taking advantage of reusable site material. Trials have been carried out on reusing recycled concrete for road pavement material. This is still being testing and has potential for substantial savings on using new raw materials from a quarry.

Q11.   Does this Council reward sustainable design practices, ideas and construction? What kinds of incentives, bonuses and relaxations in policy are offered to those who undertake such design, construction etc?
A.  No

Q12.   Does this Council have a mechanism to promote and support the application of Water Sensitive Urban Design principles on Council property as well as in the wider community?
A.  No

Q13.   Does this Council have a Renewable Energy Systems Policy?
A.  

Q14.   Does this Council use Renewable Energy sources in any of its buildings? Details?
A.  No Not at this date.

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Sustainable Transport / Climate Change

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

Q1.   Does this Council employ a TravelSmart Officer or similar? If so, for what fraction of time?
A.   Full time permanent.

Q2.   Does this Council purchase government accredited Green Power? If so, what %?
A.   100% GreenPower for Administration Building.

Q3.   Does this Council offset all or some of its vehicle fleet's carbon emissions? What % of vehicle fleet emissions are offset? By what agency are these offsets accredited?
A.   100% of vehicle fleet delivered by Carbon Neutral.

Q4.   Does this Council publish its annual energy consumption and the GHG emissions of its operations (units of electricity, gas, transport fuel)? Details?
A.   Via the Sustainability Annual Report each year. This figure is published according to source see online report at www.stirling.wa.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/5D8DF18E-D4B6-4E96-93CA-CCC9BCEDADC9/0/CoSSustainabilityAnnualReportpart4.pdf

Q5.   Does this Council attempt to reduce employees' solo car travel to the workplace? Details of incentives/support for walking, cycling, public transport, car pooling?
A.   2 weeks free public transport use for staff, SmartRiders avialable for work trips, workplace bike fleet, green travel incentive schemes.

Q6.   Does this Council regularly tally and graph its employees' commuting carbon emissions to motivate efforts to reduce?
A.   Annual travel survey conducted to monitor commuting.

Q7.   Does this Council’s fleet include a majority of fuel-efficient vehicles (<7L/100km) for urban use? No. of vehicles in total fleet? No. of vehicles using <7L/100km?
A.   Council has a Fleet Management Practice document which addresses the environmental strategies to be incorporated in fleet management.

Q8.   Has this Council begun to factor in impacts of climate change across all departments and all areas of governance, especially planning?
A.  No

Q9.   Is this Council addressing peak oil risks and vulnerabilities? How?
A.   Development of a Peak Oil Strategy and Action Plan currently underway.

Q10.   Does this Council continue to monitor its corporate greenhouse gas emissions/ manage climate change following the end of CCP funding? (eg. using WALGA reporting platform, Planet Footprint or other frameworks)
A.   WALGA Greenhouse Reporting Platform.

Q11.   Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category?
A.   Vulnerability assessment of Waterman Bay and Mettams Pool and mitigation measures underway Risk assessment and adaptation responses incorporated into the Scarborough Master Plan Review Biodiversity Strategy 2010 notes implications from climate change and measures necessary

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Waste Management

How this council works towards the goal of zero corporate waste.

Q1.   Does this Council recycle any of its municipal solid waste?
A.  

Q2.   Does this Council have a zero waste to landfill strategy?
A.   It is in the form of a Strategic Waste Minimisation Plan that aims to achieve zero waste to landfill in the future.

Q3.   Does this Council have a methane reduction plan?
A.   By recycling all organic material the city processes through its residential single bin system and greenwaste verge collections.

Q4.   Does this Council have waste treated by an industrial biological composting system?
A.  No

Q5.   Does this Council have an internal program that aims to reduce the amount of waste generated by Council staff?
A.   All staff are encouraged to recycle all paper/cardboard, mobile phones, ink cartridges, batteries and e-waste and receptacles are provided for this.

Q6.   Does this Council process its own kitchen/lunchroom waste in composting/wormfarming/bokashi system/s?
A.  No

Q7.   Does this Council recycle all of its paper wastes?
A.   The city has a large blue paper/cardboard bin system which is collected weekly.

Q8.   Does this Council recycle all possible plastic, aluminium and glass waste?
A.   Where possible, staff are also encouraged to recycle these items within their own business units.

Q9.   Does this Council recycle all its ink and toner cartridges?
A.  

Q10.   Does this Council predominantly use high % recycled paper? Details?
A.   100% recycled paper for printing.

Q11.   Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category?
A.   Battery recycling, fluorescent globe recycling and mobile phone recycling.

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Water Management

How this council manages its corporate water usage

Q1.   Does this Council plant waterwise vegetation within Council properties, verges, public open space?
A.  

Q2.   Does this Council use Best Practice waterwise irrigation within Council properties, verges, public open space? (eg sub-surface irrigation)
A.   All irrigation systems are designed to best practice and the Water Smart Parks Strategy and operate within the Department of Water groundwater bore licence guidelines.

Q3.   Is this Council a participant in ICLEI’s (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) Water Campaign? Provide details of milestone and achievements.
A.  Unknown Currently completing Milestone One.

Q4.   Has this Council been endorsed as a Waterwise Council or progressing towards endorsement?
A.  No Awaiting completion of Milestones under Water Campaign.

Q5.   Does this Council water its own green spaces between 6pm - 9am as per Water Corporation regulation?
A.   As per the Department of Water groundwater bore licence guide lines.

Q6.   Does this Council have its own Water Conservation Plan to target groundwater consumption?
A.   The DoW licence requires a Water Conservation Strategy to be submitted and a Operating Strategy to be submitted annually.

Q7.   Does this Council have measures in place to ensure that its total bore water use remains within its annual entitlement? What % of bores are metered, and how often are meters read? If not, is such monitoring being planned?
A.   All bore water use is measured, monitored and recorded daily by the Centralised Irrigation Management System.

Q8.   Does this Council keep a schedule of the amount of water applied and when it is applied in its public open spaces?
A.   All bore water irrigation watering programmes, water use and application rates is recorded and controlled by the Centralised Irrigation Management System . The system also enables centralised adjustments required by changing weather conditions.

Q9.   Does this Council turn off its irrigation systems in winter for Council properties using scheme water, as per Water Corporation regulation?
A.  

Q10.   Has this Council conducted a water audit of any of its large water consuming facilities to identify where water savings can be achieved?
A.  No

Q11.   Does this Council have any water conservation or efficiency measures in place at large water consuming facilities such as Aquatic Centres?
A.  

Q12.   Does this Council have a Waterwise Purchasing Policy that mandates Council purchase water efficient appliances and fittings above minimum standard? (eg showerheads, flow restrictors and urinals)
A.  No

Q13.   Does this Council have measures in place to ensure that all Council owned facilities are retrofitted with water efficient appliances and fittings?
A.  No

Q14.   Does this Council reuse any of its own grey water? If so, what % /how much?
A.  No

Q15.   Does this Council undertake staff education campaigns with a focus on water conservation and efficiency (indoor and outdoor)?
A.  No

Q16.   Does this Council monitor its ‘Works Depot’ to ensure hazardous materials are managed properly and contaminants do not enter stormwater drains?
A.  No There is no overall methodology/process for the management of hazardous waste at the depot. Each department handles it in accordance with the individual materials they use or come in contact with. For outside construction and maintenance works the City is following procedures by law and occupational health and safety requirements when in contact or dealing with the hazardous material. There are established process and procedures the City is implementing when dealing or in contact with the hazardous material. In construction/maintenance the risk assessment will prompt what procedure will take place to prevent any contamination and secure safe disposal.

Q17.   Does this Council take any other action for water conservation? Details?
A.  No

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