We are incredibly proud to share that together with Mid North Coast JO (MNCJO), we have been awarded the Local Government NSW Towards Net Zero Emissions Award – Category D (Joint Organisations & ROCs) and named the Overall Winner for 2025! We also had the privilege of being named as a Finalist in the 2025 NSW Sustainability Awards in the Net Zero Action Award category.
This recognition celebrates our collaborative project Powering Tomorrow: Regional Councils NSW Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) — a landmark renewable energy initiative that brings together 13 councils across regional NSW to drive real, measurable climate action.
The project delivered:
- 390+ GWh of electricity for major council operations and streetlighting
- 83% renewable supply from NSW wind and solar projects
- 185,000 tonnes of emissions avoided
- Over $5 million in collective savings for participating councils
- Strengthened governance, regional collaboration, and long-term budget certainty
The PPA demonstrates the power of partnerships and underscores the essential role of Joint Organisations in delivering regional-scale initiatives, strengthening local government capability, and driving shared outcomes for our member councils and their communities across NSW.
Thank you to the Banksia Awards, our member councils, project partners, NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, and the NSW Government’s Sustainable Councils team through the Joint Organisation Net Zero Acceleration (JONZA) Program.
We’re honoured to receive this award, be named as Finalists and are proud to support a cleaner and more resilient future for the Hunter and our communities.
Learn more about our Net Zero Projects: https://hunterjo.nsw.gov.au/projects/hunter-net-zero/