World Environment Day 2009

On World Environment Day, 5 June 2009, Penrith City Council will be presenting a cheque to the winners of the first funding round of the Pratt Foundation ‘Penrith Social Sustainability Grants Program’.

The grants were open to community organisations with deductible gift recipient status that support the vulnerable and disadvantaged in our community, made possible through the Pratt Foundation.

The Pratt Foundation has generously allocated $140,000 to be distributed for community benefit over the next six years, of which $40,000 has been allocated in 2009 to successful receipts in the first round. Council is proud to be the administrator of the local grants on behalf of the Foundation.

The grants will encourage community cohesion and cultural identity through projects that help to provide basic food, shelter and protection from harm, the maintenance of cultural and community identify and social and environmental actions that unite the community.

Three of Penrith’s Principles for a Sustainable City, adopted in 2003, strongly relate to social sustainability, including:

· Achieve long-term economic and social security;
· Empower people and foster participation;
· Expand and enable cooperative networks to work towards a common, sustainable future

The term ‘social sustainability’ is used to describe programs and projects that promote social inclusion, participation, cultural enrichment and connectedness. It also emphasises initiatives which support the vulnerable and disadvantaged in our communities.

Accordingly, the Visy Grants Program provides another important opportunity for Council to put into practice our commitment to social sustainability, and it will directly benefit the local community.

Congratulations to the successful applicants - keep up the great work and I hope this grant makes your job a little easier.

World Environment Day 2009 - Your planet Needs You – Unite to Combat Climate Change

This Friday is an important day for communities worldwide – both present and future. It is World Environment Day.

World Environment Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. Celebrated annually on June 5, World Environment Day is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and attracts political attention and action.

The theme for this years World Environment Day is ‘Your Planet Needs You! Unite to Combat Climate Change’.

On this World Environment Day, people from all walks of life are encouraged to take steps towards making the planet greener and cleaner. Switch off the lights. Take public transport. Recycle. Plant a tree.

Our planet needs more than just action by governments and corporations; it needs action from each and every one of us. Although individual actions may seem small in the face of global threats and trends, when billions of people join forces in common purpose we can make a tremendous difference.

World Environment Day is ‘a people’s day’, which means it is your opportunity to be part of the global action to promote the protection of our planet, the sustainable use of our natural resources, and the adoption of a lifestyle that is friendly to the environment. Be part of the growing voice that calls for all peoples of the world to unite and take positive action to combat climate change.

Remember, whoever you are, wherever you’re from, you can make a difference.

For further details see - http://www.unep.org/wed/2009/english/

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.

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.

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.

'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)

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?

Sustainability Street- April 2009

Click here to view the April edition of Sustainability Street Newsletter!

Stories include:-

- Taps, Toilets & Rainwater Tanks

- Upcoming Street Dates

- One Finger = The Power to Make a Difference

- Tricia's Tips

- Sustainability Streets in Profile- St Clair Holy Spirit Church

- Put a Blanket on Your Home

- 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.

Sustainability Street- March 2009

The latest edition of the Sustainability Street Newsletter for Penrith is out now. Click here to download your copy.

Read for stories on:-

- Continuing the Sustainability Street Journey

- Upcoming Street Dates

- Top Ten Quick Tips for Saving Energy

- Sustainability Streets in Profile - Wallacia-Mulgoa Rotary Club

- News in Brief

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