Welcome to Hunter Net Zero
Learn all about how the Hunter JO is working to decarbonise local government and accelerate net zero in the Hunter region and beyond.
How did we get here?
The solution to the climate crisis is clear: together we must rapidly reduce emissions and embrace our renewable energy future. Recognising the urgency of the climate crisis, the Australian Government, NSW Government, and a rapidly growing number of councils and businesses across the country are making commitments to reach net zero emissions. ‘Net Zero’ means reducing emissions as close to zero as possible and offsetting any remaining emissions by removing carbon from the atmosphere.
The Hunter JO has a strategic objective to support our region to be on the path to net zero emissions. We are striving to take leadership and drive best regional practice in climate action.
The Joint Organisation Net Zero Acceleration program
The Hunter JO is part of the NSW Government’s Joint Organisation Net Zero Acceleration (JONZA) program, delivered by the Sustainable Councils team within the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
The $1.4 million pilot program funded the embodiment of Net Zero Coordinators in nine Joint Organisations for 12 months.
Now in its third year, the program continues to work with regional councils to accelerate net zero outcomes in line with the NSW Government’s legislated net zero targets.
Through JONZA, we are supporting the 11 councils across the Hunter, Central Coast and MidCoast to reduce their operational emissions. Read on to learn how we are achieving this!
Hunter JO’s Net Zero projects
We are currently working on a range of projects and activities to accelerate action towards net zero councils.
Hunter Net Zero Network
The Hunter Net Zero Network was established to bring councils together to communicate, collaborate, and share knowledge on net zero. Meeting bi-monthly, the Network provides an opportunity for councils to collaborate on regional initiatives, learn from leading industry bodies and share project updates on their path to net zero targets.
EV Funded Projects
Under the JONZA program, Hunter JO received additional funding from the DCCEEW Net Zero Transport team to deliver resources to progress Electric Vehicle (EV) uptake and EV charging infrastructure in the regions. With collaboration from Northern Rivers and Canberra Region JOs, Hunter JO led the project to produce a suite of EV focused educational videos for councils and community.
Electric Vehicles and Charging
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Other projects to be delivered under this funding include EV related policy and guidance documents for councils, EV Infrastructure video for businesses, EV Tourism Map for regional NSW and a web-based landing page which will host all of the EV resources listed above and more!
Fleet transition planning for councils
Hunter JO will support councils to develop fleet transition plans to decarbonise their fleets. Recognising that councils across the region are at different stages along their EV journeys, transition planning needs to be strategic to be relevant to a council’s individual needs and capacity. Working closely with councils, Hunter JO will identify opportunities for uptake of EVs and grant funding as well as areas for collaboration across the region.
Completed Net Zero Projects
Here is a summary of the work we have completed so far:
Hunter JO: Leading the Shift to Net Zero
The Hunter JO, Regional Procurement and Local Government Legal now purchase 100% GreenPower renewable energy for its offices. We are proud to be purchasing independently accredited renewable energy from entirely renewable sources.
We’ve also installed a 39.6kW rooftop solar system on our office building along with two 22kW electric vehicle (EV) chargers in our car park.
The project, which was supported with a grant from the NSW Government’s Community Building Partnership 2023 round, is helping the organisation avoid an estimated 46 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (t-CO2-e) and save more than $6,000 on annual electricity bills. Plus, with the transitioning of two of our fleet to electric vehicles, we are reaping the benefits of solar power to charge our vehicles.
Council Net Zero Accelerator
The Hunter JO partnered with the NSW Government and Accelerate Zero to design and deliver the state’s first net zero course designed for local government.
The four-month capacity building program provided councils with expert, best practice knowledge on how to achieve net zero operational emissions. Councils learnt about carbon accounting, setting net zero targets, identifying, prioritising, and implementing emissions reduction opportunities, modelling net zero pathways, developing net zero strategies, how to effectively engage stakeholders, and more.
Over 80 employees from councils across NSW participated in the program, which was subsidised by the NSW Government.
Powering Tomorrow: Regional Councils NSW Power Purchasing Agreement
The Hunter JO and Mid North Coast JO facilitated a Power Purchasing Agreement (PPA) buyers’ group to support regional NSW councils to procure renewable energy. A PPA is long term agreement between a renewable energy power generator and a consumer/s for the purchase of clean electricity at a stable and predictable price. The long-term nature of the agreement protects organisations against the risk of price fluctuations in the electricity market, providing budget certainty and resilience.
It is also a simple and affordable way for councils to significantly reduce their emissions. Hundreds of councils across Australia are participating in renewable energy PPAs, and this number is increasing every year. A PPA buyer’s group shares resources, workload, and up-front consultant fees that can otherwise be a barrier for individual councils. Groups also bring increased scale, leveraging collective buying power for a better deal.
Landfill Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Landfill emissions are the largest single source of emissions for several Hunter JO member councils and this is often the case for any council that operates its own landfills. However, measuring greenhouse gas emissions from landfill is complicated, time consuming and confusing.
To address this complexity, the Hunter Joint Organisation partnered with the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) through the Sustainability Partnerships 2023 program to develop a range of resources to help councils measure and report greenhouse gas emissions associated with landfills.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the Landfill Emissions project and access the resources.
Plugging into the Future: Electrifying Council Fleets
More than 60 council representatives from across the Hunter and surrounding regions attended Hunter JO’s ‘Plugging into the Future: Electrifying Council Fleets’ event on 30 November 2023. Councils heard from expert speakers about how best to navigate the essential aspects of transitioning to electric vehicle fleets, including total cost of ownership, charging and planning.
The attendees test drove a range of EVs and browsed the electric trucks and outdoor equipment on display, such as electric ride on mowers and BBQs. The event was delivered in partnership with the Cities Power Partnership.
Expanding EV charging networks in the Hunter
With funding support from the NSW Government, an assessment of the feasibility of implementing electric vehicle charging infrastructure across our region was completed. The feasibility assessments have assisted councils in successfully applying for grant funding to expand the existing charging network in the Hunter.
Net Zero Pools
The NSW Government has also funded feasibility assessments for eligible Hunter councils to transition their aquatic centres from gas to net zero. The assessments provide councils with shovel ready projects for grant funding opportunities.
Keen to get involved?
As we work towards our net zero goals, we value collaboration, communication, and knowledge sharing.
You can connect with our Net Zero Coordinator Janine Chandler, to learn more about our initiatives and how you can get involved.
We invite Hunter council employees to join the Hunter Net Zero Network. The Hunter Net Zero Network meets every two months to connect and stay up to date on what is happening across the region in net zero. The main purpose of the network is collaboration between the 11 councils in the Hunter and Central Coast regions. It also provides an opportunity for consultation and advice on the net zero work being delivered by the Hunter JO.
The Joint Organisation Net Zero Acceleration program is funded by the NSW Government.
