B.9 Ecologically Sustainable Development

Commissioner for Ecologically Sustainable Development

The directorate, through the Environment Protection Authority (EPA), supplied relevant data to the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment to progress the next State of the Environment Report.

The Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment and the EPA had regular meetings in 2017‑18 to discuss and progress environmental issues. The Commissioner accompanied Environment Protection Officers and the Authority for an inspection of water quality and illegal fishing on Lake Burley Griffin on 16 January 2018.

Contribution to Sustainability and the Environment

During the reporting year the directorate updated its Resource Management Plan to incorporate Administrative Arrangement changes, and updated its Action Plan. The Resource Management Plan sets out the key principles of integrating efficient and effective use of resources within our operations, including energy, water, waste and recycling, sustainable transport, procurement and events.

To align to the Carbon Neutral ACT Government Framework target to achieve carbon neutrality in government by 2020, CMTEDD has identified actions and initiatives to improve energy efficiency across priority facilities. The directorate has actively monitored progress against set targets via the Carbon Budget Quarterly Reports provided to the Carbon Neutral Government Implementation Committee, and reporting to the directorate’s Executive Management Group.

Actions to improve ecologically sustainable development performance

Individual business units within the directorate have undertaken a range of activities to support ecologically sustainable development. These activities are summarised below.

Improve energy efficiency

Facility upgrades within the CMTEDD portfolio

• Continued upgrade of existing inefficient light fixtures to LED throughout government and community facilities, including Manuka Oval, GIO Stadium, and Tuggeranong Access Canberra shopfront;
• the upgrades to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) HVAC systems at GIO Stadium to reduce HVAC energy use;
• at the National Arboretum Canberra, a new off-grid solar PV and battery storage system was installed in February 2018 to replace a large diesel generator operated at the Horticulture Works Depot, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by around 28.5 tonnes per annum. The new system was mounted on carport structures which provide additional protection for Arboretum plant, while providing reliable power 24 hours per day versus the intermittent power supply previously available. This project was a partnership between the Arboretum and EPSDD through the Carbon Neutral Government Loan Fund. The Arboretum’s horticulture and maintenance depots now run off reliable, clean energy from the sun;
• feasibility studies into the transition of space heating from natural gas to electric at
  255 Canberra Avenue and National Arboretum Village Centre were conducted in 2017-18;
• further roll out of Activity Based Working (ABW) at 255 Canberra Avenue - ACT Property Group (ACTPG) tenancy and 470 Transact House – level 6 Access Canberra tenancy. This environment is conducive to more efficient use of office space and resources; and
• Winyu House in Gungahlin was built with a 74kW solar PV system which feeds into the base building, and uses an energy efficient intelligent lighting installation which includes zone controls, motion sensors, and timers. Winyu House achieved a NABERS energy rating of 5.5 stars for base building and 5 stars for tenancy area; while the Canberra Nara Centre has achieved a NABERS energy rating 4.5 stars.

Facility upgrades by ACT Property Group

• ACTPG provides accommodation services on behalf of the ACT Government. The agency conducted capital works on ACTPG custodian facilities to improve energy efficiency of major plant and equipment;
• a major upgrade to the HVAC systems at North Building/Canberra Museum and Gallery was completed, which included replacement of traditional gas fired boilers with high efficiency electric heat pumps in line with the Carbon Neutral Government Framework and 100% renewable electricity by 2020 target. Commissioned in 2017-18 the project will save an average of $120,000 and 263 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per annum over the life of the system; and
• new Building Management Systems (BMSs) were installed and commissioned at multiple sites including Shared Services Records and Mail Offices at Mitchell, Woden Library, 255 Canberra Avenue and Mount Rogers Community Centre which will allow more efficient operation of the HVAC systems on site and a subsequent reduction in electricity, gas and associated emissions.

Facility upgrades Access Canberra

• During 2017-18 Access Canberra continued to roll out activity based working (ABW) environments for sites in which Access Canberra staff operate; and
• in September 2017, Access Canberra started the re-furbishing and re-fitting of level 6, TransAct House in Dickson, to accommodate 148 staff members. Work was complete in November 2017. As at 30 June 2018 there were approximately 100 staff permanently located at TransAct house with many more working from there as an ABW workplace.

Energy efficiency and advisory services

ACTPG and EPSDD Carbon Neutral Government team co-hosts energy advisors that focus on providing support to directorates in implementing and managing energy efficiency initiatives. These staff are part of the cross-directorate Carbon Neutral Government team. In 2017-18 the team:

• provided advice on energy efficient initiatives at a number of facilities for various ACT Government directorates, including Canberra Institute of Technology, Community Services Directorate, Cultural Facilities Corporation, Education Directorate, Justice and Community Safety Directorate and Transport Canberra and City Services;
• provided input to the procurement and design briefs of new facilities, including environmental initiatives of the City and Dickson Office Blocks;
• coordinated the reuse of energy efficient gas boiler controls from Macarthur House and The Canberra Hospital for use at CIT Bruce and Capital Linen Service, providing both environmental, operational and capital cost savings while reducing waste;
• provided advice to budget business case submissions and project delivery teams to ensure sustainability and whole of life costs are adequately addressed and considered in major projects;
• provided support to the property management and leasing teams to effectively manage Green Lease Schedules and Building Management Committees in line with the National Green Lease Policy (NGLP). This collaborative approach with landlords works towards more energy efficient outcomes in leased office facilities;
• managed a WoG electricity tariff review with the utility supplier, on behalf of the ACT Government. The tariff review transitioned a significant number of locations across to a new electricity tariff, saving the ACT Government around $450,000 per annum;
• increased the use of and advocated for increased use of the Enterprise Sustainability Platform (ESP) to more effectively manage utility consumption and cost at a range of facilities;
• supported ongoing environmental policy development and review in EPSDD;
• conducted regular consultation with trades staff and service providers to promote best practice maintenance of HVAC systems; and
• conducted or coordinated energy audits and feasibility studies into reducing natural gas consumption at a number of sites across Government including Canberra Theatre Centre,
  255 Canberra Avenue, CIT Fyshwick, Belconnen and Tuggeranong Bus Depots.

Sustainability skill workforce development

• Skills Canberra has supported the development of sustainability skills in the workforce by providing funding for training in skills sets related to photovoltaic systems through the Skilled Capital Initiative.

Supporting sustainable and innovation trade and investment

The Innovation Connect program within Enterprise Canberra supports Canberra-based start-ups to develop innovative products and services. Under the program, a dedicated funding stream supports commercial opportunities within the renewable energy and clean technology sectors. In 2017-18, the directorate provided matched-funding support to five renewable energy companies to a total of $117,000 as follows:

• Inez Estelle P Harker-Schuch trading as Serious Futures – a climate science game, Co2peration, that incorporates a world-first pedagogy for 3D gaming to educate students about climate change;
• Fillearth Pty Ltd – development of a light weight, portable and compact innovative solar cooker that incorporates a sun tracking mechanism and temperature monitoring through a smartphone app;
• Solar Blox Pty Ltd – portable and rugged solar energy blocks that can be clicked together to power equipment in a wide array of industries from disaster relief to developing communities;
• Restart Charging Services Pty Ltd – an on‑demand mobile electric vehicle charging service; and
• Energy Storage Rights Pty Ltd – a hydro energy storage lake pump application powered by a floating solar generator.

Improve water efficiency

• Infrastructure, Finance and Capital Works (IFCW) works in collaboration with directorates to develop construction project briefs that include sustainability criteria. For example, rainwater harvesting, air quality monitoring, and water efficient landscaping;
• the use of soil monitoring systems on the fields of play at Manuka Oval and GIO Stadium to reduce water use;
• the National Arboretum Canberra is working closely with the University of Canberra (UC), as part of the 'Smart Cities and Suburbs Program' on future water efficiency strategies. This includes the use of site specific soil moisture sensors, developed in-house by UC ICT technicians, the sensors will enable accurate automatic irrigation, based on individual tree species requirements. This initiative will both save water, and ensure the improved health of individual tree species;
• the National Arboretum Canberra uses non-potable water to irrigate the collection at the Arboretum; continued to follow mowing regimes that maintain adequate ground cover to reduce erosion and improve the quality of water captured in dams; and maintained the Discovery Garden at the Arboretum to educate and inform the community about managing water use in the home garden; and
• continuous conservation works at Stromlo Forest Park to reduce soil erosion.

Reduce waste and recycling

Office locations

• The majority of ongoing CMTEDD locations are ACTSmart Business (recycling) accredited;
• shared general and shared comingled waste bins have been in place within workspaces and kitchens as well as the removal of individual waste bins in the Canberra Nara Centre,
  Winyu House, and all ABW offices;
• CMTEDD offices have a range of recycling options available including:
  • ·    comingle recycling bins;
  • ·    paper and cardboard recycling facilities;
  • ·    organic worm bins;
  • ·    battery recycling stations;
  • ·    mobile phone recycling; and
  • ·    toner recycling.
• all new staff are required to undertake ACTSmart recycling training following the CMTEDD Induction Program.

Events and Venues

• Events ACT participates in the ACTSmart Public Event Recycling Program via a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), working closely with key stakeholders to reduce the generated waste to landfill for all events delivered by the business unit. These events include Floriade, Floriade NightFest, the Canberra Nara Candle Festival, New Year’s Eve, Australia Day, Enlighten Festival, Canberra Day, the Canberra Balloon Spectacular and Reconciliation Day;
• all major and medium scaled events held at Exhibition Park in Canberra participate in the ACTSmart Public event program to recycling facilities are in place, including National Folks Festival, Farmers Market, Canberra Kids Market, Canberra Fashion Market;
• the major venues (Canberra Stadium, Manuka Oval, Exhibition Park in Canberra, and National Arboretum Canberra) are ACTSmart Business members and have recycling bins located around the venues for use by participants and attendees. Additionally event organisers, caterers and the general public are encouraged to reduce waste, recycle, and to use recyclable and reusable packaging;
• all major venues (Exhibition Park in Canberra, GIO Stadium, National Arboretum Canberra, and Stromlo Forest Park) have water bubblers and bottle fill stations installed. In addition to contributing to community health outcomes, this initiative assists in reducing the number of disposable water bottles sold in the ACT;
• to protect the natural environment, site users at Stromlo Forest Park are required to take all rubbish away;
• at GIO Stadium, organic waste now goes to the local worm farm at the Australian Institute of Sport; and
• at the National Arboretum Canberra, green waste is recycled to mulch on site.

Disposal of ICT Assets

• The rate of turnover of ICT assets, (such as obsolete computer and television equipment, old cables and other ICT hardware) presents a significant waste impact. In 2009 Shared Services ICT engaged a vendor (Capital Easy, now trading as Reuse RecycleIT) to manage the resale and disposal of ICT Assets on behalf of the Territory. The method in which the Territory disposes of ICT devices and associated consumables is crucial in minimising our environmental waste footprint;
• since the initial engagement of Reuse Recycle no ICT equipment processed through the directorate has been sent to landfill; and
• the 2017-18 return to consolidated revenue from disposed assets is $238,000.

Reduce office paper consumption

The directorate has taken a number of initiatives to reduce paper use during the reporting period including:

• the launch of Shared Services new website which has moved the Shared Services team and customers onto a digital platform and change the way agencies and staff interact with Shared Services. Since its launch, Shared Services has received over 62,000 digital work requests. This initiative has contributed a significant reduction of paper use across the government;
• the implementation of a WoG ecologically sustainable business improvement to install the PaperCut software program, as part of Shared Services ICTSmart Modern Strategic Procurement Reform Program. PaperCut is a printing system which only prints when staff access the printer using their ACT Government pass;
• digitising many of Access Canberra’s Licensing and Registrations services making a significant effort to reduce the amount of paper it handles, and reduce its environmental footprint;
• introducing the Shared Services WoG Accounts Payable Invoice Automation system (APIAS). The new system enables most supplier invoices to be received, approved for payment, and paid electronically. The APIAS has contributed to a significant reduction of paper use for invoicing and payment;
• many business areas within the directorate are moving to electronic document storage and record keeping. This has significantly reduced printing and use of paper both operationally and for record keeping;
• actively encouraging ACT Revenue Office clients to receive correspondence electronically, and rate payers are given the option to receive their rates notices by email; and
• the use of 100% recycled paper in the directorate’s document printers wherever possible, and printer default settings have been set to print documents as double-sided and in black and white. The recycled content of paper overall has increased to 88.6%.

Reduce transport emission

To reduce transport emission, CMTEDD Corporate has actively worked with all business areas to identify fleet emission reduction opportunities such as replacing existing vehicles with electric or hybrid models, or leasing more fuel efficient vehicles when it is operationally feasible. To encourage staff to use active and sustainable transport options, CMTEDD has a shared electric bike fleet and MyWay bus passes available in major office locations.

In 2017-18, actions taken during the reporting period by the directorate included:

• the leasing of five electric vehicles, which have no direct greenhouse gas emissions, using no fuel; additionally the directorate leases 12 hybrid vehicles to reduce the amount of fuel used;
• a strategic review of fleet utilisation with a plan to reduce overall number of vehicles in the 2018-19 financial year as lease renewals fall due. In the new vehicle bulk order with SG Fleet, the directorate will continue to consider leasing electric/hybrid vehicles, replace petrol vehicles with hybrid model, and return petrol/diesel vehicles when their leases expire;
• ensuring replaced vehicles are more fuel efficient to reduce emissions, and consider fuel use and carbon emissions in new fleet leases whenever operationally feasible;
• drafting of a WoG fleet policy which incorporates the appropriate level of environmental considerations in leasing decisions, and allows for a weighted criterion of sustainability to be included in value-for-money evaluations before vehicles are leased;
• the installation of electronic logbook systems in most fleet vehicles to more easily monitor distance travelled;
• encouraging staff to use sustainable transport options, including walking and riding e-bikes to travel to close meeting locations, and car pool or use buses to travel to meeting locations served by ACTION buses through the availability of MyWay Cards at most CMTEDD offices;
• participation in the ACT Government e-bike fleet project with two electric pedal assisted bikes (e-bikes) located at Canberra Nara Centre for staff to use for work travel. Over 120 CMTEDD staff have completed e-bike induction training. The directorate has also developed a shared e-bike access arrangement with other agencies in Dickson, 220 Northbourne Avenue;
• the introduction a new e-bike fleet at The Canberra Hospital and progression of  a shared
  e-bike fleet arrangement with ACT Health to encourage staff who are located in Woden to use e‑bikes for short distance travel;
• providing a suite of technology options available to assist staff connecting without the need to travel, this includes Meet-Me phone conferencing and WebEx for use with stakeholders outside the ACT Government, and Jabber, teleconferencing and internet-based video conferencing for use within government. The directorate encourages staff to use teleconferencing where possible thereby firstly reducing vehicle use and consequently engine emissions as well as saving travel time for staff. The directorate also encourages staff to using webcams and internet-based video‑conferencing for meetings on some key projects that saves on interstate travel; and
• end of trip facilities are available in most facilities to encourage staff to ride, walk or run to work.

Sustainable Procurement

• Infrastructure Finance and Capital Works (IFCW) administers a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Implementation Plan to introduce minimum sustainability requirements for capital works;
• IFCW works in collaboration with directorates to develop construction project briefs that include sustainability criteria. For example, buildings may include a number of measures, such as solar passive design, energy efficient building engineering services, solar panels, rainwater harvesting, air quality monitoring, and water efficient landscaping. Briefs for all construction projects include waste management plans. Tenderers are asked to describe what actions they will take to reduce waste, such as disposal methods and using recycled materials. Project briefs seek advice from tenderers regarding ways to decrease the use of potable water; for example, by installing alternative grass mixtures (that use less water) and planting Australian natives or drought tolerant plants; and
• IFCW also works in collaboration with directorates to include ecologically sustainable criteria in both the assessment criteria and product or service specifications in procurement where applicable and possible.

Sustainable Development Performance: Current and Previous Financial Year

Notes:

1.   Organisation change occurred during the reporting year: All ACT Government sportsgrounds and ovals were transferred to TCCS in July 2017, and all Land Development Agency and Urban Renewal sites and assets were transferred to EPSDD in July 2017. Data related to these locations were included in the previous year’s figure. The directorate’s data (for both years’ measures with the exception of FTE and paper usage) include the ACT Insurance Authority as it cannot be readily separated.

2.   For details of FTE figures refer to section B.8 Human Resource Management.

3.   For details of Workplace floor area for office locations refer to section C.4 Asset Management.

4.   Energy and water data was extracted from the Enterprise Sustainability Platform (ESP) on 20 August 2018. Data completeness in the ESP for current year is 99.95% electricity, 100% gas use, and 95.12% water use. For analysis and reporting purpose the ESP dashboard reports ‘accrued’ data, which incorporate estimate missing data in the full year performance.

5.   In some instances data for the prior year has been updated from that previously reported to allow for updates to agency occupancy and historical consumption data and to annual adjustments to the ACT specific electricity emissions factors.

6.   The reduction in electricity consumption is due to the transfer of ACT Government sportsgrounds and ovals to TCCS, the consolidation of office accommodation sites, and various energy efficiency measures applied during the reporting year, including LED lighting upgrade, HVAC and BMS system upgrades.

7.   Reduction in gas use in 2017-18 is largely due to the consolidation of Access Canberra office locations, and the closure and decommissioning of Macarthur House and Dickson Motor Vehicle Registry. Gas use for space heating is predominately weather dependent. It is reported that the number of heating degree days (HDDs) in 2017-18 was 4% more than the previous year that has contributed to higher gas use for space heating per location.

8.   Diesel was used for on-site generators at the National Arboretum Canberra work depots. In 2017-18, the Arboretum has installed a solar PV system with battery storage at work depots to replace the on-site generator. Thus no reported diesel use on site in current year.

9.   The net reduction in total vehicle numbers and total distance travelled, relates to the reduction in size of the vehicle fleet and a focus on leasing higher fuel efficiency vehicles including the transition of more vehicles to diesel; and the promotion/update of sustainable transport options.

10. Over 90% of the water use by the directorate in the previous year was to irrigate and maintain ACT Government sportsgrounds and ovals. This function has been transferred to TCCS in 2017-18. This change has contributed to a significant reduction of water use by the directorate.  

11. The decrease in paper use relates to the increased use of Electronic Document Records Management Systems, using email and electronic notices to communicate with clients, the introduction of ‘PaperCut’ printing technology, and transition to Digital Customer Services within Access Canberra and Shared Services. Data related to paper purchased and recycled content for the previous year has been updated to correct the reporting unit in the paper report.

12. The increase in recycled content of paper purchased reflects that most business units have changed their practice to purchase 100% recycled content paper. Monitoring of purchases and communications of the priority of purchasing 100% recycled paper continues.

13. Waste and recycling data has been collected from all CMTEDD locations and has been calculated on a basis of Total (L) = Capacity of bins (L) x No. of bins x No. of times emptied during the reporting years. Data related to locations that have been accredited under the Actsmart Business (Recycling) Program is extracted from the Actsmart scorecards provided by the Actsmart offices at EPSDD. The increase in the amount of recycling materials was mainly due to higher volume of recycling collected in major venues. The amount of waste and recycling material collected in major venues depends on the number and nature of major events that occurred and the number of patrons that attended the events. Reduction of organic recycling in the current year was partly due to the organic food waste in the Canberra Stadium being collected and sent to the worm farm at Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) regularly and not reported in this year’s figure. Data related to the previous year has been updated to adjust identified data errors.

14. Waste and recycling data related to major events held by Events ACT (including the Canberra Nara Candle Festival, New Year’s Eve in the City, Australia Day Fireworks Spectacular, Symphony in the Park, Canberra Day, Canberra Balloon Spectacular, Floriade, and Enlighten) is reported as a separate line item. Events ACT participates the Actsmart Public Events Program and ensures recycling is in place in all major events. Food oil recycling data is excluded in this report.

15. The reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is largely due to the increased proportion of renewable energy purchased by the ACT Government, and the exclusion of Scope 3 emission in 2017-18. Emissions reported for stationary and transport fuels include Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions only. This aligns with the ACT Government’s reporting boundary and commitment to track emissions that are within its operation. Emission factors used to calculate natural gas and fleet fuel are based on the latest National Greenhouse Account (NGA) Factors.

• A factor of 0.667 kilogram (kg) CO2-e/kilowatt hour (kWh) or 0.667 tonnes (t) CO2-e/megawatt hour (MWh) has been used to calculate electricity emissions (Scope 2) for the 2016-17 period. It is based on actual historical data and is a retrospective adjustment of the original 0.525 factor (Scope 2) used for 2016-17 annual reporting.
• A factor of 0.455 kilogram (kg) CO2-e/kilowatt hour (kWh) or 0.55 tonne (t) CO2-e/megawatt hour (MWh) has been used to calculate electricity emissions (Scope 2) for the 2017-18 period.
• The emissions factors include total GreenPower purchases for the ACT is calculated in the third quarter of the respective financial years and are specific to the ACT. The emission factors (Scope 2) reflect the increasing contribution of renewable electricity generated under the ACT’s 100% Renewable Energy Target (RET). Consequently they are lower than those reported in the latest National Greenhouse Accounts (NGA) Factors.

Further information can be obtained from

Robert Wright
Executive Director
Corporate
+ 61 2 6207 0569
Robert.Wright@act.gov.au