Vision
Our activities are accountable, responsive, and effective. We will continue to improve by regularly evaluating our progress and ensuring that lessons from past activities and experiences are leveraged to deliver better outcomes in the future.
Directions
Council does not believe that environmental sustainability should be a matter for any single team. To help integrate sustainability principles throughout Council various mechanisms are being employed and investigated to ensure we have continuous improvement and innovation in how we deliver environmental sustainability.
To inform Council’s own development standards we have developed an Environmentally Sustainable Design policy, which sets out guidelines and expectations that will apply to new, replacement and renewal of Council buildings and surrounding assets.
Maroondah became a Council Alliance for a Sustainable Built Environment (CASBE) member, for the first time and BESS subscriber, in 2016/17. The CASBE is an association of Victorian councils committed to the creation of a sustainable built environment within and beyond their municipalities. As a CASBE member, Council and the Maroondah community can access the Built Environment Sustainability Scorecard (BESS) tool to help assess the sustainability of buildings at the design stage. It assists builders and developers to show how a proposed development demonstrates sustainable design.
A number of environmental grants are available through a variety of organisations at different times during each year. These can apply to anything from capital works projects to plantings and community education. Sometimes it is necessary to be an incorporated group to apply, although in some cases you can apply through other incorporated groups if they agree to assist with the grant.
Facts and figures
- The Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority has awarded $1 million to the Living Links Project to transform the Dandenong Creek corridor. This project will undertake a range of on-ground works to enhance and connect green spaces within four high priority sections of the Dandenong Creek corridor totalling 15km between Bayswater North and Dandenong. It will involve an integrated program of weed control, pest animal control, revegetation, litter removal and fencing of sensitive areas. This will increase the extent, quality and connectivity of native vegetation, support more diverse native flora and fauna, boost populations of threatened species and improve water quality in Dandenong Creek (as well as its adjoining billabongs and wetlands) and Port Phillip Bay.
- Council received a $10,000 Walk to School grant from Vic Health to promote walking to school activities amongst primary school children within Maroondah during the month of October. In 2016, 17 schools joined Council in participating in this programme.
Further information
Maroondah City Council’s Sustainability Team on 1300 88 22 33.