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Strategies, policies and targets

Discover our ambitious actions for a sustainable Canada Bay

Connected to nature, racing to zero

Our and community and stakeholders want us to lead on climate action. Here's what we are doing.

Our Environmental Strategy 2020 sets our ambitious actions for leadership in Council's operations and a thriving Canada Bay community. 

Key goals and targets

Connected to nature

Kookaburra

Zero waste to landfill

Recycling bins

Net zero emissions

Solar panels

Resilient city

Broughton St cycleway

25% tree canopy cover by 2040.

Swimmable Parramatta River. 

No loss of native species. 

Reducing waste sent to landfill per person by 20% by 2030.

Increasing diversion of landfill from 38% to 60% by 2027.

Organics collection and recycling program diverting waste from landfill by 2026.

All Council facilities and offices to implement recycling by 2021 and a food recovery program by 2023.

100% of Council procurement for civil works, construction and street furniture to include preference for locally sourced recycled content by 2023.

Net zero Council operations by 2030.

Net Zero Canada Bay community by 2050.

Triple the amount of solar PV capacity in Canada Bay by 2025. This means further 17 MW of solar PV capacity across all sectors of the community, as monitored and reported by the Clean Energy Regulator (CER).

25% tree canopy cover by 2040.

5% of trips made by cycling by 2036. 

20% of trips made by walking by 2036. 

Increase EV charge points in LGA. 

30% increase in total km of cycleways. 

Strategic plans:

Strategic plans:

Strategic plans:

Strategic plans:

  • Resilience strategy and targets being developed

    Leadership in Council operations

    Net zero operations

    Corporate emissions target: 61% less than 2017-18 by 2025, net zero by 2030

    Council is implementing the 60+ initiatives to reach net zero emissions by 2030. We've already made huge progress in reducing emissions by tackling electricity, gas and transport fuel use.

    • All Council's facilities run on 100% renewable electricity as part of Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC) contract with Zen Energy, which started on 1 July 2022. 

    • Council is phasing out gas in Council operations from July 2021. Historically council's two swimming pools were 90% of Council's gas use. Cabarita Pool got a new electric heat pump in March 2023, replacing the old gas boiler and cutting Council's overall gas use by 50%. Roof-top solar was also installed at Cabarita pool in 2023. Drummoyne Pool is scheduled to get a heat pump and solar in 2023-24. 

    • 10 Council facilities have rooftop solar: Concord Oval 200kW, Five Dock Leisure Centre 33kW, Drummoyne Oval 40kW plus two batteries, The Connection 99kW, Concord Library 56.4 kW, Civic Centre 52.2 kW, Five Dock Depot 39.6 kW, Cabarita Pool 42kW, Concord Senior Citizens 9.36 kW, Concord Community Centre 5kW. More solar sites are planned for delivery in our capital works program.

    • 50% of Council’s streetlights have been replaced with efficient LEDs. The remaining streetlights are being replaced with LEDs as part of a program with SSROC and Ausgrid. Streetlights are Council's biggest electricity user. Replacing with energy efficient LEDs has helped to significantly reduce our bills and energy use. 

    • Council is implementing an Environmentally Sensitive Design Guide (ESD Guide) setting minimum performance standards for all new and existing Council facilities.

    • Council is preparing a Net Zero Fleet Transition Plan evaluating options to reduce emissions from Council vehicles. 

    Read our Emissions Reduction Action Plan for details how we plan to achieve net zero emissions. 

    Towards zero waste operations

    In 2021, Council released its Resource Recovery and Waste Strategy. Council is implementing services that support our community to reduce waste to landfill and reduce waste from our own operations. 

    • All Council facilities and offices will implement recycling by 2021 and a food recovery program by 2023

    • In 2021 we updated our our Sustainable Procurement Policy and will be implementing this starting FY2021-22

    • 100% of Council procurement for civil works, construction and street furniture to include preference for locally sourced recycled content by 2023

    Find out more about our Waste and Recycling services.

    Water efficient operations

    • Our Water Efficiency Plan sets water efficiency actions and priorities for Council's top 10 water consuming buildings and sporting facilities. 

    • Council's Cintra Water Treatment Plant harvests stormwater to supply water to two golf courses and 15 playing fields. Water storage at each park and golf course ensures each site's daily irrigation needs are met, providing drought resilience and reducing demand for potable water. 

    Climate emergency

    The City of Canada Bay is one of more than 1,000 local governments and jurisdictions worldwide to declare a climate emergency. Our community and stakeholders asked Council to show leadership in emissions reduction and to support Council’s climate emergency declaration.

    Council's Emissions Reduction Action Plan aligns with the C40 (no more than 1.5°C) approach for both the Council and Community targets. C40 is a network of the world’s megacities committed to addressing climate change. Cities that commit to being part of C40 need to have a plan to deliver their contribution towards the goal of constraining global temperature rise to no more than 1.5°C. In Australia, Sydney and Melbourne are members. 

    Find out more about responding to climate change.

    Making it happen

    Our goals and targets are implemented by land use planning policies, services we deliver to the community and how we manage our people, facilities and money.

    Cities Race to Zero

      • From 2022, Council reports annually on our Race to Zero, using the CDP-ICLEI Unified Reporting System. City of Canada Bay joined cities and local governments around the world in the Cities Race to Zero, following a motion approved by Council in September 2021.

      • Council also reports on environmental performance in its Annual Report and as required in the local government integrated for local government Integrated Planning and Reporting.

      • Council is reviewing its climate risk assessment and preparing a Resilience Framework.

      • In 2109, Council declared a climate emergency committed to the 1.5°C goal in its Emissions Reduction Action Plan and a suite of programs to reach Net Zero by 2030 for Council operations and 2050 for the community.

      • Council's Local Strategic Planning Statement and Operations Plan supports our position to tackle climate action.

      • Council gathers and monitors environmental footprint data using our environmental management platform (Council operations) and Resilient Sydney platform (community).