It’s been an exciting few months for net zero in the Hunter region!
In July, we announced that the Hunter JO has committed to a Regional Partnership Agreement with the Cities Power Partnership; an Australian first! In 2021, the Hunter became the first region in Australia to have all Councils become members of the Cities Power Partnership, so it only makes sense that we are also the first region to commit to a partnership.
As part of this partnership, we have adopted four pledges:
This partnership has created a new regional model that can be replicated across the country, and enables collaboration and support on clean energy initiatives toto set the region up for a prosperous future.
We have also kicked off our Landfill Emissions Data Management project which enables us to address a key data and capacity gap for councils when trying to understand their organisation’s emissions. This project is part of a Sustainability Partnership with the EPA and has a focus on collaboration and best practice to drive sustainable change across industries and communities.
Landfill emissions are the largest source of emissions for most Hunter councils, representing between 45% and 75% of their operational emissions footprint. This project represents a unique opportunity to deliver meaningful environmental outcomes and contribute to the realization of statewide climate goals.
The Federal Government has also recently made two announcements that have significant potential benefits for our region:
Hunter Offshore Wind Zone Declared
- The declared area stretches over 1,800 km2 between Swansea and Port Stephens and could generate up to 5GW of wind energy. This is enough to power 4.2 million homes and power local industries into the future.
- The zone will be 20kms from the coast. What will that look like from the shore? See for yourself here.
- This is the first zone declared in NSW, and only the second in Australia (the first declared zone is in the Bass Strait off the coast of Victoria).
Federal Government announces Newcastle Hydrogen Hub
- The federal government has committed to $70 million funding for a 55MW hydrogen electrolyser to be built on Kooragang Island.
- A portion of the hydrogen will replace natural gas usage by one of NSW’s biggest gas users, Orica. The remaining will go to Origin Energy for the transport sector, with a goal to export hydrogen in the future.
Stay up to date on our Net Zero projects and initiatives by contacting Lexi Crouch, lexic@hunterjo.com.au