Melbourne’s West - Securing a sustainable environment for the future

The following initiatives will be funded to boost sustainability in the households, local Councils, businesses and industry in Melbourne’s West.

Through Our Environment, Our Future the Victorian Government will:

Invest $2.8 million for visitor amenities at Point Gellibrand Coastal Heritage Park.

Create more parks. Melbourne’s West will share in funding of $10.4 million over 4 years to create parks in Melton and Werribee.

Invest $3 million to upgrade Victoria’s air quality monitoring network in the western suburbs.

Improve take-back and recycling for priority products including electronic and electrical goods, household chemicals and paint tins. Goods will be taken apart, useable resources will be recycled and the residual waste safely disposed of. This includes $2 million for “Byteback” facilities across the State, including Melbourne’s West. These facilities will provide householders with a place to safely dispose of old (and toxic) computer equipment.

Invest $654,000 in the Werribee Plains Sustainability Vision. This project will be delivered in partnership with the Australian Conservation Foundation and will entail the development of a Regional Sustainability Framework to make Werribee Plains an international example of best practice and urban sustainability.

Invest in local projects relevant to Melbourne’s West through the Sustainability Fund:

$70,000 for One Umbrella Australia to construct a centralised model kitchen. This organisation produces meals for 50 charities by collecting discarded food. This new kitchen will increase the capacity for One Umbrella to rescue, produce and distribute food.
$173,460 for City of Melbourne to develop a Building Improvement Partnership Program that will reduce energy and water consumption and waste production in ten existing commercial office buildings.
$380,000 for the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives - Australia/New Zealand to establish The Centre for Public Agency Sustainability Reporting - Incubator Project (The Centre). The Centre aims to improve the environmental sustainability of public agencies. It is a collaboration of the Global Reporting Initiative, Local Governments for Sustainability, the City of Melbourne and the State of Victoria.
$210,000 for Origin Energy to undertake a program of Retail Energy and Water Efficiency at Home. This program will work with approx 20,000 householders to identify simple, practical ways they can live more sustainably, in turn saving energy and water.
$99,000 for RMIT University (Centre for Design) to develop Online Rapid Assessment Tool for Sustainable Product Development. The online tool will assist product designers, engineers and manufacturers consider environmental issues when they are developing a product.

Invest in Neighbourhood Renewal project for Melbourne’s West:

$66,000 to Werribee Neighbourhood Renewal Community and Wyndham City Council to develop a Community ‘Fit Start’ Fitness Circuit for the Heathdale Glen Orden Wetlands. This project will include the creation of 6 fitness stations and signage encouraging physical activity and raising awareness of the local flora and fauna.

Investing in Local Government Sustainability Accord project for Melbourne’s West:

$292,000 for Hobsons Bay City Council for the Kororoit Creek sustainable catchment management implementation program. This project will develop a coordinated approach to the implementation of actions from the Kororoit Creek Regional Strategy 2005 – 2030. It is led by the Council and is a partnership with Melton, Brimbank, and Wyndham, the Department of Sustainability and Environment, Melbourne Water and Parks Victoria.
$88,000 for City of Port Phillip parternship project with Moreland City Council and Darebin City Council to evaluate approaches to, and share information on, sustainability assessment in the Councils’ planning system.