Environmental Sustainability Strategy - Warringah Council - NSW ...

Sustainable transport
In 2009 we resolved to develop a ‘Sustainable Transport
Strategy’ for the community and staff. The aim of the strategy
was to reduce private vehicle use and encourage public
transport and alternative transport, such as walking and
cycling, when travelling in Warringah. This will complement
existing measures and programs such as the SHOROC Shaping
our Sustainable Future Action Plan, Warringah Bike Plan,
Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan and the Bus Shelters
Program.
Water consumption
In 2009/10 Warringah residents and businesses consumed 11,963,629 kilolitres of
water. 7 This was slightly above consumption recorded for the previous year but
consistent with a trend of declining water consumption over the previous decade.
Effective and long-term water management is vital for the continued health and
wellbeing of our eco-systems and community. With additional pressures on water
resources associated with a growing population and changes in weather conditions, we
must look at transforming our traditional water management approach to ensure a
safe, reliable and diverse water supply while improving water quality. To this end, we
have prepared a draft Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategic Plan to enhance
water management outcomes and ultimately improve water security and waterway
health, both locally and regionally.
We commissioned the Strategic Planning for Integrated Water Cycle Management
project in 2010 with the aim of enhancing our organisational and institutional capacity
to deliver economically, socially and ecologically sustainable environmental and
stormwater management outcomes. The project will trial, test and implement
Integrated Water Cycle Management in Warringah and is intended to deliver a new
strategic operational model and policy, leading to integrated and consistent water
cycle decision-making.
Sustainable procurement
Council procures a wide range of products and services. By making informed
purchasing decisions, we can dramatically reduce water and energy consumption, as
well as the amount of pollution, waste and greenhouse gas emissions we generate. In
many cases, long-term cost savings are also possible.
We will also strengthen our supply-chain partnerships so that the products and
services of our suppliers become more sustainable and that staff can make purchasing
decisions based on an understanding of the upstream and downstream environmental
impacts of their decisions.
7 SHOROC State of the Environment Report 2009/10
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