Driving real change on the Climate Emergency

Published on 18 June 2025

Council is turning commitment into action, making strong strides across all six priority areas of its Climate Emergency Strategy over the past financial year.

In an annual progress report submitted to Council at yesterday’s meeting, key achievements listed include a positive uptake in community education and engagement where nearly 6,500 residents participated in 175 sustainability events. Programs such as My Smart Garden and the Youth Sustainability Summit empowered the community to act on climate.

Another notable gain in Council’s transition to renewables was the securing of $2.5 million in Federal funding to electrify the Maribyrnong Aquatic Centre, which will see a reduction of 1,220 tonnes of carbon emissions annually. Council’s Operations Centre is now fully electric, and all 44 Council buildings currently using gas have been assessed, with transition plans to electric alternatives now underway.

In addition, new public electric vehicle chargers, powered by 100% renewable energy, were installed at the Civic Precinct and Community Hub early this year.

Another action, which proved popular, was the establishment of a Free Hard Rubbish Drop-Off program for hard-to-recycle items. Two events were accessed by nearly 1,200 residents, with 380 tonnes of waste collected, and another event scheduled for later in 2025.

To enhance carbon drawdown and to cool the City, 2,000 new trees were planted through regional partnerships.

Mayor, Cr Pradeep Tiwari noted the actions reflect Council’s ongoing commitment to climate leadership.

“We declared a climate emergency because we understand the urgency. These initiatives demonstrate real, measurable progress in reducing emissions and building a more resilient future for our City,” he said

“From cutting emissions to empowering the community, the results speak for themselves,” Mayor Tiwari continued.

For more information, about how you can also take action on the Climate Emergency, visit our Sustainability page.

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