The federal government has launched a fund to help local councils pay for energy upgrades in community facilities such as aquatic centres, sporting clubs and community centres.
The $100 million Community Energy Upgrades Fund will provide co-funding to councils to unlock $200 million worth of upgrades that will boost the energy efficiency of assets and save on energy bills.
Possible upgrades could include new electric heat pump systems for council-owned pools and solar PV with battery storage for sporting fields, libraries and community centres.
The funding comes from the $1.6 billion Energy Savings Package that Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced in last month’s 2023-024 budget.
“Local councils run many of the sport and public facilities that keep our communities and clubs thriving. We want facilities that Australians know and love, like cricket grounds and local pools, to be able to save on their energy bills and spend more on the things they do best,” Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen said in a statement.
Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy Jenny McAllister pointed out that local councils own and/or operate more than 1000 aquatic centres.
“They’re big energy users and efficiencies can make a real difference on the path to net zero. We want to make every watt count. This fund will help local councils install efficient systems, reduce energy bills and lower emissions.”
Cities Power Partnership director, Dr Portia Odell described council pools as “notorious energy suckers” and said her organisation had been lobbying the Australian Local Government Association for months on the matter.
“Councils all over the country are finding ways to tackle climate change in their communities, but they have the least resources of any level of government to do this work,” she said.