Home Local Councils Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale

Local Councils

Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale

Home page: http://www.sjshire.wa.gov.au/
Population: 21,380
Annual Revenue: $26,435,238
No of households: 7,284

Corporate questionnaire


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.   Informally

Q2.   Do Council sustainability staff have input into the Council website layout to ensure that residents can easily locate info on environmental sustainability?
A.  

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

Q4.   Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category? Tell us any of your own initiatives.
A.   Practices and management plans on web.

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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.   • Manager of environmental and sustainability services • Environmental officer • Sustainability officer • Botanist and natural area ecologist • Landscape architect and restoration officer • Natural reserves officer • Water sensitive urban design officer And the council provides wage funding to the SJ Landcare Centre on an annual basis.

Q2.   Does this Council have a Green or Ethical Purchasing Policy in place?
A.   Initial draft Council policy only – currently being updated.

Q3.   Does this Council use a sustainability framework (economic, social, environment, governance) in all its planning, reporting and decision-making processes? Details?
A.   In management plans.

Q4.   Does this Council’s annual report (or similar) explicitly support sustainability using such guidelines as the Global Reporting Initiative?
A.   ILCEI local actions

Q5.   Does this Council provide an annual report to the community on the state of the environment and encourage feedback?
A.   Community sustainability indicators.

Q6.   Does this Council provide sustainability staff the opportunity to liaise with Councillors re sustainability information?
A.  

Q7.   Does this Council provide staff education on sustainability issues?
A.  

Q8.   Does this Council have a ‘green team’ or Sustainability/Environmental advisory group?
A.   Natural Environment Steering Team, green office team, Switched on Staff.

Q9.   Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category?
A.   Reserves improvement process.

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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.   Lower Serpentine catchment management plan.

Q2.   Does this Council have Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan Guidelines?
A.   Lower Serpentine catchment management plan.

Q3.   Does this Council have a Green Plan in action?
A.   Green challenge plan.

Q4.   Does this Council have a Natural Areas/ Bushland Management Plan?
A.   In draft.

Q5.   Does this Council have any policies /strategies for retention of mature trees?
A.   TPS tree preservation clause plus significant tree register.

Q6.   Does this Council have a strategy in place for the control of phytophora dieback?
A.   Dieback management plans in reserves.

Q7.   Does this Council have a strategy in place for the control of environmental weeds?
A.   In above mentioned management plans.

Q8.   Does this Council have a strategy to protect and enhance biodiversity in the local area?
A.   Local Biodiversity Strategy, Biodiversity Planning Policy, Biodiversity Incentives Strategy.

Q9.   Does this Council have any strategies for the development of wildlife corridors?
A.   Included in Local Biodiversity Strategy.

Q10.   Does this Council have a Nutrient/ Irrigation Management Plan?
A.   For specific areas.

Q11.   Does this Council have a Sustainable Landscaping Strategy/Plan/Policy
A.   Biodiversity strateguy, landscape protection policy.

Q12.   Does this Council have a Landowner Biodiversity Incentive Scheme?
A.   Biodiversity Incentives Strategy and Healthy Habitats stewardship program.

Q13.   Does this Council have a Marine/Coastal Management plan, where applicable?
A.  No N/A

Q14.   Does this Council manage a substantial area of bushland? How much?
A.   The amount is variable and not specifically known at this time but includes natural areas which are proposed to be targeted for addition to the Council managed estate in the vicinity of 1690 hectares.

Q15.   Does this Council exert pressure to protect remnant bushland in the face of urban expansion plans?
A.   Pressure is exerted to protect remnant vegetation with the implementation of the Biodiversity Strategy and Biodiversity Planning Policy which require areas of high Biodiversity value come over to the Shire as a condition of subdivision or be managed under a conservation covenant or appropriate zoning and management plan as an alternative.

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.   The specific area of land managed by other agencies is variable, however. Every effort is made to assist where possible with support for proper management of land within the Shire which is managed by other agencies.

Q17.   Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category?
A.  No

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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.  

Q2.   Does this Council own buildings demonstrating outstanding Sustainable Design features, eg earning a Green Star Rating? Details?
A.   SJ Rec centre.

Q3.   Does this Council actively promote Sustainable Building Design above minimum legal BCA standards?
A.   We encourage alternative forms of construction – i.e. straw baled etc .We encourage rain water tanks for stormwater management etc.

Q4.   Does this Council have a Sustainable Design Policy?
A.  No

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.  No It is a consideration in assessing applications.

Q6.   Does this Council allow shading devices in front yards? (eg Shade sails, roller shutters etc)?
A.   From a building Services perspective, we have no intrinsic issue with this.

Q7.   Does this Council allow the installation of solar hot water systems and PV cells on north roofs that face onto the street?
A.  

Q8.   Does this Council avoid using rainforest or old growth timbers in Council buildings and constructions?
A.   Where possible.

Q9.   Does thisi Council use recycled/biodegradable materials in its infrastructure/ construction items?
A.   It is always a consideration. Council is always conscious of embodied energy impacts.

Q10.   Does this Council have policies and incentives for recycling of construction waste?
A.  No

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 No formal position as yet. Such measures however are being given serious consideration by Council.

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.   WSUD officer.

Q13.   Does this Council have a Renewable Energy Systems Policy?
A.  No

Q14.   Does this Council use Renewable Energy sources in any of its buildings? Details?
A.  No

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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.  No

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

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.  No

Q4.   Does this Council publish its annual energy consumption and the GHG emissions of its operations (units of electricity, gas, transport fuel)? Details?
A.  Unknown

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.  

Q6.   Does this Council regularly tally and graph its employees' commuting carbon emissions to motivate efforts to reduce?
A.  No

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.  

Q8.   Has this Council begun to factor in impacts of climate change across all departments and all areas of governance, especially planning?
A.   Climate Change Policy in use.

Q9.   Is this Council addressing peak oil risks and vulnerabilities? How?
A.  No

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.   Using WALGA reporting platform, Greensense.

Q11.   Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category?
A.   Draft lighting public lighting policy.

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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.  No

Q3.   Does this Council have a methane reduction plan?
A.  No

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.  

Q6.   Does this Council process its own kitchen/lunchroom waste in composting/wormfarming/bokashi system/s?
A.  

Q7.   Does this Council recycle all of its paper wastes?
A.  

Q8.   Does this Council recycle all possible plastic, aluminium and glass waste?
A.  

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

Q10.   Does this Council predominantly use high % recycled paper? Details?
A.  No Uses some.

Q11.   Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category?
A.  

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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.   Local natives.

Q2.   Does this Council use Best Practice waterwise irrigation within Council properties, verges, public open space? (eg sub-surface irrigation)
A.  

Q3.   Is this Council a participant in ICLEI’s (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) Water Campaign? Provide details of milestone and achievements.
A.   Working towards milestone 4.

Q4.   Has this Council been endorsed as a Waterwise Council or progressing towards endorsement?
A.  

Q5.   Does this Council water its own green spaces between 6pm - 9am as per Water Corporation regulation?
A.  

Q6.   Does this Council have its own Water Conservation Plan to target groundwater consumption?
A.  

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.   Majority of bores are metered and monitored.

Q8.   Does this Council keep a schedule of the amount of water applied and when it is applied in its public open spaces?
A.  

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.  

Q11.   Does this Council have any water conservation or efficiency measures in place at large water consuming facilities such as Aquatic Centres?
A.  No No aquatic centre.

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.  

Q13.   Does this Council have measures in place to ensure that all Council owned facilities are retrofitted with water efficient appliances and fittings?
A.   Through community water grant fittings that have been stockpiled.

Q14.   Does this Council reuse any of its own grey water? If so, what % /how much?
A.   Biomax

Q15.   Does this Council undertake staff education campaigns with a focus on water conservation and efficiency (indoor and outdoor)?
A.  

Q16.   Does this Council monitor its ‘Works Depot’ to ensure hazardous materials are managed properly and contaminants do not enter stormwater drains?
A.  

Q17.   Does this Council take any other action for water conservation? Details?
A.   WSUD policy and water sensitive design policy.

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