Tuesday 19 May 2009

On the Road to Sustainability

Council's Senior Sustainability Planner, Bernadette Riad, has been a part of the Sustainability Team at Penrith City Council for many years now. During this time she has seen Council's commitment to sustainability grow and has been impressed by just how far we have managed to come along the road to sustainability.

This video was recorded as part of a symposium on Sustainability in Local Government and presents a short snapshot of the key steps in Penrith's journey towards sustainability. To find out more you can access a copy of our timeline by clicking here, or contact the Sustainability Unit on 4732 8050.


May Edition of Sustainability Street

Download your copy of the May Edition of Sustainability Street! Simply click here.

In this issue, you will find great stories on:

  • Watching Your Waste Line

  • Upcoming Events

  • GaBaToiLaKi

  • Simple Water Saving Tips

  • Rainwater Tanks

  • Water Saving Services
  • The News in Brief

If you would like to be added to our mailing list to receive a copy of the newsletter automatically please email Carmel Hamilton with your name and contact details and specify whether you would like to recieve it electronically or in the mail.


Thursday 14 May 2009

Sustainable Times - Term 2 Edition


The latest edition of the Sustainable Times is now available. Sustainable Times is a newsletter targeted at local schools, however the information will be of use to anyone interested in sustainability.

This issue is jam packed full of information including stories on:
  • Schools take the Earth Hour Challenge

  • 'For a Greener Future' Poster Challenge

  • Plant a Tree for Mum this Mothers Day

  • Activate 2750: Food for Thought

  • 'Memories of Penrith' Creative Writing Competition

  • Get Involved in Schools Tree Day
  • New to Penrith: Farmers and Fine Food Markets

  • Schools Getting Down to Earth

  • Eco Schools Grants

  • How does our Organic Waste become Compost?

If your school has a story for the next edition please email Council by clicking here.

Thursday 7 May 2009

Climate Change on Council’s Agenda



Unfortunately, our past climate is no longer a reliable guide to weather conditions in the future. The impacts of climate change are already being felt across Australia. Here in Penrith it will mean increasingly hotter weather, less rain, and more extreme weather events such as heat waves, intense rainfalls, wind gusts and electrical storms.

Maintaining our infrastructure and services under these changed conditions is set to be a challenge for Council. The decisions we make now can significantly impact on our ability to meet those challenges in the future.

So what should Council be doing do now - and in the years ahead - so that we are better able to cope with the challenges that climate change will bring?

These are the key questions being addressed through an important new project being undertaken, involving a process of climate change risk assessment and adaptation planning.

As part of the project, key staff from across Council will be invited to participate in interviews and workshops to identify, evaluate and rank climate change risks to Council’s infrastructure and services, and then identify and analyse options to treat those risks.

The support and participation of Council staff from across the organisation is critical to the success of this process and the value of its outcomes. Tapping into the knowledge of our staff and their understanding of what it is we do and how we do it, is vital in ensuring we develop effective responses to avoid or minimise the adverse impacts of climate change.


Some of our key external stakeholders have also been involved in providing their input to the risk assessment process.

The outcomes of this process will form the basis for an Adaptation Action Plan. This plan will be incorporated into Council’s existing risk management processes and will provide a strategic framework from which Council can implement actions to minimise climate risk and realise any potential opportunities.

To find out more about this important initiative please contact Council's Senior Strategic Planner, Bernadette Riad, on 4732 7629 or email briad@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au.

Wednesday 6 May 2009

'The Prince and the Frog' Campaign for Climate Change

You might have seen news stories about the latest climate change campaign that has been launched globally. It's attracting a lot of attention due to the appearances made by a number of big name celebrities including Prince Charles, Harrison Ford and Robin Williams.

These eco-concious stars are encouraging viewers of the 90 second film to sign up to support the Princes Rainforest Project's Rainforest SOS campaign. Also starring in the film is a very realistic computer generated frog!



The campaign aims to make the link between the destruction of rainforests across the world and the global impacts of climate change. It's alarming to learn just how enormous the impacts of deforestation have the potential to be.

"What happens in the rainforest has an immediate and powerful effect on our lives," explained actor and long-time environmental campaigner Harrison Ford.

"The air we breathe, the clean air that's required, the services that ecosystems provide are beyond value," he added.

"I believe it is our moral responsibility to protect the environment, to save what we can of the planet's resources for future generations and our children." (BBC News Online, 5 May 2009)



Tuesday 5 May 2009

Are you FoodWise?

Foodwise is a new campaign that has recently been launched by the group 'Do Something' to draw Australia's attention to the huge amount of food that we waste.

Did you know?
  • Australians spend $5 billion a year on food that we buy and then end up throwing away

  • Each Australian throws away the equivalent of 145kg of food, adding up to a massive total of 3 billion tonnes every year

  • Approximately 20% of the food we buy at the supermarket ends up in our bins

These figures are staggering, particularly when you consider the huge number of people across the world who go to sleep each night without enough food. Perhaps it's time we went back to basics to place a real value on our food and just how precious it really is.

The Foodwise Campaign offers simple and practical tips and ideas to save on food wastage including:

  • Write a list before you go shopping and plan to buy only what you need.

  • Check the best before and use by dates of products that you buy, and products at home. Make sure you use your older stock up first.

  • Avoid processed foods. Often these foods are very energy and water intensive and have usually been shipped long distances, adding to the hidden costs of your food.

  • Buy products that are in season and buy locally wherever this is possible.

  • Be smart about your cooking and use your leftovers creatively, for example use leftover cooked meat as the basis of a pasta dish or casserole the following night.

  • Freeze leftovers for quick meals at a later date.

Visit the Foodwise site for tips, information, resources and, if you submit your own tip before May 15, you can go in the running to win a Tupperware prize pack. What are your tips and suggestions for cutting back on food wastage?