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City of Fremantle


Home page:	http://www.freofocus.com.au/main/html/
Population:	28,105
Annual Revenue:	$67,801,000
No of households:	12,613

Community questionnaire Corporate questionnaire

Community questionnaire

Access to Information
General Support for Environmental Sustainability
Protecting and Restoring Nature in Residential Areas.
Sustainable Building and Design
Sustainable Transport / Climate Change
Waste Management
Water Management

Access to Information

How easily council displays information about what it is doing for environmental sustainability.

Q1. Does this Council display eco-sustainability information in its foyer or in other Council-owned buildings?
A.

Q2. Does this Council visibly advertise events that support eco-sustainability in the community? (ie hazardous waste collections, living smart courses, etc) Details?
A. We have a page each week in the local paper which includes this type of information.

Q3. Does this Council website display eco-sustainability information in 1 or 2 clicks from its home page? Please include the link for eco-sustainability information.
A. www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/Sustainability

Q4. Does this Council train frontline staff to deal with some public requests for eco-info? (vs always switching through to someone else’s messagebank). Details of issues covered by frontline staff?
A. Recycling.

Q5. Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category?
A.

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General Support for Environmental Sustainability

General ways that this council promotes environmental sustainability.

Q1. Does this Council employ 2+ environmental / sustainability officers (or similar role by a different name)? Please provide job titles, areas of responsibility, and which department they are in.
A. No 0.8 Sustainability officer (in Planning). 1x Bush regeneration officer (in Parks)

Q2. Does this Council offer eco-sustainability awards to business or industry?
A. No

Q3. Does this Council offer eco-sustainability awards to residents or schools?
A. No

Q4. Does this Council offer eco-sustainability grants to residents/ schools/ community groups/ businesses? Details?
A. No

Q5. Does Council provide funding/assistance for school gardens?
A. We provide some plants to schools each year and are currently running a Cash for Containers program with our local primary schools.

Q6. Does this Council support any community gardening projects?
A.

Q7. Has this Council hosted a Living Smart course, or similar in 2011/2012? Details?
A. Yes, we have hosted 4, including a Facilitators training day.

Q8. Does this Council have any Living Smart courses planned for 2012/2013? Dates, times, venues, booking contact?
A. Courses run throught out the year and will continue on through 2012, 2013 and beyond. To confirm courses in your community please go to www.livingsmart.org.au

Q9. Does this Council work with schools to provide education on eco-sustainability issues?
A. No We do assist South Fremantle SHS with their carbon neutral program, but this is not directly related to the syllabus.

Q10. Does this Council support Bushcare Friends and/or other environmentally focused community groups? Details?
A. Friends of Samson Park.

Q11. Does this Council support WA/national/international events to promote sustainability? (eg World Environment Day, Earth Hour, Sustainable September)
A. - Earth Hour - Sustainable September - Hulbert St Sustainability Fiesta http://thepaintedfish.com.au/learning-about-sustainability/come-and-learn/hulbert-street-sustainability-fiesta-2010/

Q12. Does this Council report periodically to the community on the state of the local environment? How often? (include weblink)
A. No

Q13. Has this Council declared itself a nuclear-free zone? Symbolic and/or embedded into Town Planning Scheme?
A. No Fremantle did have nuclear-free status but it recently lapsed.

Q14. Has this Council declared itself a GMO/GE free zone? Details?
A. No

Q15. Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category?
A.

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Protecting and Restoring Nature in Residential Areas.

How this council manages the air, water, land, plants, animals and micro-organisms - and their ecosystems - in its care.

Q1. Does this Council have any demonstration native gardens? If so, where?
A. No

Q2. Does this Council use native plants (vs exotics) for verges, traffic islands, around Council buildings, etc? What % of Council plantings?
A. ~90%

Q3. Does this Council involve the community in native planting days?
A. Through Friends of Samson Park and through discounted native plants in May each year.

Q4. Does this Council offer residents free or subsidised native seedlings or plants? Details of when, where & prices?
A. These are available through Apace plants with a 50% discount.

Q5. Does this Council provide lists of appropriate local native plants? How are they publicised and distributed?
A. No Apace does however.

Q6. Does this Council warn residents against planting exotic species that may escape into bushland? How?
A. No

Q7. Does this Council encourage residents to convert some of their lawns and/or verges to native gardens? How?
A. Our strategic plan states that we will support native and edible gardens on verges.

Q8. Does this Council award outstanding native gardens?
A. No A competition was held 2 years ago but not since then.

Q9. Does this Council offer incentives for owners of big backyards in high density areas to retain these blocks for biodiversity? Details?
A. No

Q10. Does this Council have other means of protecting mature trees in residential areas? Details?
A. No However, it is enacting a significant tree register.

Q11. Does this Council act on residents' complaints of cats preying on native fauna? What action is taken? On what % of complaints?
A. We have cat cages, that can be used by residents to capture feral cats.

Q12. Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category?
A.

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Sustainable Building and Design

How this council supports the community to build sustainably

Q1. Does this Council have a model Sustainable building or subdivision? Details?
A. Our Sustainable House is at The Meeting Place. http://www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/sustainability/City_of_Fremantles_sustainable_house

Q2. Does this Council have an interpretive display of sustainable features on any of its buildings?
A. Sustainable House has signage throughout.

Q3. Does this Council provide support for residents wanting to build sustainable homes?
A. We offer an in-house free architectural consultant.

Q4. Does this Council have measures in place to support businesses and residents to design above the minimum star ratings? Eg Hosting green building design courses etc.
A. Sustainable House demonstration and architect consults.

Q5. Does this Council discourage the use of rainforest or old growth timbers and recommend alternatives, when issuing building permits?
A. No Apparently the building industry only uses treated and untreated pine.

Q6. Does this Council require an independent vegetation survey before issuing a building permit and inspection after development to ensure no unauthorised removal?
A. No

Q7. Does this Council promote the use of renewable energy sources (eg Photovoltaic cells, wind turbines) to residents and businesses through funding, incentives or otherwise? Details?
A. We do not require development applications for PVs in certain situations.

Q8. Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category?
A.

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Sustainable Transport / Climate Change

Action being taken by this council to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Q1. Is this Council offering any energy efficiency programs for residents in 2012/2013 (e.g workshops, home energy audits? Details?
A. We engage an architect to visit homes and make personal suggestions.

Q2. Does this Council support businesses to improve their energy efficiency? Details?
A. No We are however investigating setting up a large business cooperation group.

Q3. Does this Council have measures in place to decrease private car use throughout the municipality? Details?
A. We support a CAT bus, provide bike lanes, a free bike share scheme, etc.

Q4. Does this Council promote the use of electric and/or hybrid vehicles? How? (eg providing ev recharge points)
A. We provide free parking and electricity at 2 dedicated EV bays. Plug in hybrids and pure electric cars can use these.

Q5. Does this Council provide free cycling/public transport maps to residents? Details?
A. The Travel Smart map.

Q6. Does this Council contribute to security for bicycles at train & bus stations? Details?
A. No

Q7. Does this Council have a Travel Smart /Sustainable Transport officer? If so, what fraction of a f/t position?
A. No

Q8. Does this Council provide support for Walking School buses? How? Where?
A. No We tried to set one up at East Fremantle PS, but there were not enough volunteer parents to make it sustainable.

Q9. Does this Council provide any local public transport additional to Transperth Services? Details
A. We pay for half of the Fremantle CAT.

Q10. Does this Council show a comparison of its expenditure on infrastructure for road transport incl. carparks /public transport/cycling/walking?
A. Our budget is a public document, but we don’t explicitly highlight this anywhere.

Q11. Does this Council continue to monitor its community greenhouse gas emissions/ manage climate change?
A. We collect information on community greenhouse gas emissions from utility companies.

Q12. Does this Council publish the annual energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions associated with its operations (units of electricity, gas, transport fuel)?
A. As part of our carbon neutral program, we publish our carbon inventory each year.

Q13. Has this Council consulted with the community on ways it is planning to reduce greenhouse emissions? When? How many members of the community attended?
A. The Climate Change Working Group had 5 community members and drafted the Low Carbon City Plan.

Q14. Has this Council consulted with the community on ways it may adapt to climate change? When? How many members of the community attended?
A. We have a Climate Change Working Group with 5 community members.

Q15. Does this Council support community led initiatives for climate change adaptation? (eg Transition Town)
A. We provide venues and some funding to the Hulbert St community to help promote events such as movie nights and the Sustainability Fiesta.

Q16. Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category?
A.

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Waste Management

How this council works towards the goal of zero waste.

Q1. Does this Council have measures in place to prevent plastic bags from entering the environment? eg removal of bags from pollutant traps, plastic bag bylaws, etc
A. We are in the process of passing a local law banning single use plastic shopping bags.

Q2. Does this Council provide receptacles just for cigarette butts in public places? Details?
A. Unknown

Q3. Does this Council provide its own local drop-off facilities for recycling of spent fluoro globes & tubes, batteries and mobile phones?
A. We have battery (Admin building & Depot) and fluoro (Depot) collection sites.

Q4. Does this council provide local drop off points for recycling of e-waste? Details?
A.

Q5. Does this Council offer residents financial incentive for reducing their general rubbish? Details?
A. We provide discounted (50%) larger recycling bins.

Q6. Does this Council offer businesses incentives to reduce general rubbish? Details?
A. We ran a commercial recycling trial in 2011, which may become permanent.

Q7. Does this Council promote recycling within its industrial zone? Details?
A. The commercial recycling trial was in our industrial zone.

Q8. Does this Council collect and compost kitchen waste?
A. Through the SMRC. We also offer discounted compost bins and worm farms to residents.

Q9. Does this Council offer practical support for household composting and/or worm farming? Details?
A. We have a demonstration worm farm at our demonstration Sustainable House.

Q10. Does this Council participate in Resource Recovery Park or tip shop for residents?
A. No

Q11. Does this Council provide local drop-off points or collection days for HHW (Household Hazardous Waste)?
A. Our Depot every weekend.

Q12. Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category?
A.

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Water Management

How this council assists and educates local businesses and community to conserve water resources.

Q1. Does this Council support residents to improve their water efficiency? (eg waterwise verges, workshops on waterwise gardening/ food production, rebates). Details?
A. We have a demonstration Sustainable House with a rain water tank.

Q2. Does this Council support businesses to improve their water efficiency? Details?
A. No

Q3. Does Council support residents to harvest rainwater (e.g. through provision of rebates)? Details?
A. At our Sustainable House. We have Dept of Health approval to provide this as drinking water to the public.

Q4. Does this Council promote and provide support for residents to reuse greywater? How? How many applications from residents have been received?
A. We refund successful application fees.

Q5. Does this Council take any other action for water conservation? Details?
A.

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Corporate questionnaire

Access to Information
General Support for Environmental Sustainability
Natural Resource Management
Sustainable Building and Design
Sustainable Transport / Climate Change
Waste Management
Water Management

Access to Information

How easily council displays information about what it is doing for environmental sustainability.

Q1. Does this Council train reception staff to deal with sustainability FAQ's from residents? Provide details on method of training and on the issues covered.
A. Eg recycling.

Q2. Do Council sustainability staff have input into the Council website layout to ensure that residents can easily locate info on environmental sustainability?
A.

Q3. Do Council sustainability staff ensure that eco-sustainability brochures are prominently displayed in civic centre foyers and ‘satellite’ offices?
A.

Q4. Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category? Tell us any of your own initiatives.
A.

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General Support for Environmental Sustainability

General ways that this council promotes environmental sustainability.

Q1. Does this Council employ 2+ f/t or equiv. p/t environmental / sustainability officers (or similar roles by different names?) Please provide details of position, department and areas of responsibility.
A. No 0.8 Sustainability officer (in Planning). 1 x Bush regeneration officer (in Parks)

Q2. Does this Council have a Green or Ethical Purchasing Policy in place?
A. We have a sustainable procurement policy, which is currently being upgraded to a climate change procurement policy.

Q3. Does this Council use a sustainability framework (economic, social, environment, governance) in all its planning, reporting and decision-making processes? Details?
A. No

Q4. Does this Council’s annual report (or similar) explicitly support sustainability using such guidelines as the Global Reporting Initiative?
A. No

Q5. Does this Council provide an annual report to the community on the state of the environment and encourage feedback?
A. No

Q6. Does this Council provide sustainability staff the opportunity to liaise with Councillors re sustainability information?
A. No

Q7. Does this Council provide staff education on sustainability issues?
A. We run education campaigns about recycling, etc.

Q8. Does this Council have a ‘green team’ or Sustainability/Environmental advisory group?
A. No

Q9. Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category?
A.

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Natural Resource Management

How this council manages the air, water, land, plants, animals and micro-organisms - and their ecosystems - in its care.

Q1. Does this Council have an Integrated Water Management/ Catchment Management/ Stormwater Management Plan/ Food and Agriculture Localisation Plan in action? If so, which of the above?
A. Water Conservation Management Plan

Q2. Does this Council have Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan Guidelines?
A. No

Q3. Does this Council have a Green Plan in action?
A. No It has expired.

Q4. Does this Council have a Natural Areas/ Bushland Management Plan?
A. No

Q5. Does this Council have any policies /strategies for retention of mature trees?
A. No

Q6. Does this Council have a strategy in place for the control of phytophora dieback?
A. No

Q7. Does this Council have a strategy in place for the control of environmental weeds?
A. No

Q8. Does this Council have a strategy to protect and enhance biodiversity in the local area?
A. No

Q9. Does this Council have any strategies for the development of wildlife corridors?
A. No

Q10. Does this Council have a Nutrient/ Irrigation Management Plan?
A. We have a Water Conservation Plan.

Q11. Does this Council have a Sustainable Landscaping Strategy/Plan/Policy
A. We support native and edible gardens on verges.

Q12. Does this Council have a Landowner Biodiversity Incentive Scheme?
A. No

Q13. Does this Council have a Marine/Coastal Management plan, where applicable?
A. No

Q14. Does this Council manage a substantial area of bushland? How much?
A. No

Q15. Does this Council exert pressure to protect remnant bushland in the face of urban expansion plans?
A. Unknown

Q16. Does this Council encourage and support other land management agencies to protect/manage bushland with the LGA (e.g. DEC, FESA, Perth Regional NRM)? What is the area managed by these agencies?
A. Unknown

Q17. Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category?
A. Unknown

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Sustainable Building and Design

How this council promotes and exhibits sustainable building practices

Q1. Does this Council have a membership with the Green Building Council of Australia?
A.

Q2. Does this Council own buildings demonstrating outstanding Sustainable Design features, eg earning a Green Star Rating? Details?
A. We have a demonstration Sustainable Home.

Q3. Does this Council actively promote Sustainable Building Design above minimum legal BCA standards?
A. We have a policy requiring all commercial buildings to achieve 4 Green star.

Q4. Does this Council have a Sustainable Design Policy?
A.

Q5. Does this Council reject development applications from individuals or commercial developers that deny solar access (eg solar hot water, PV, sunlight for garden) for the specific property and its neighbours?
A. The R codes requires this.

Q6. Does this Council allow shading devices in front yards? (eg Shade sails, roller shutters etc)?
A.

Q7. Does this Council allow the installation of solar hot water systems and PV cells on north roofs that face onto the street?
A.

Q8. Does this Council avoid using rainforest or old growth timbers in Council buildings and constructions?
A. Unknown

Q9. Does thisi Council use recycled/biodegradable materials in its infrastructure/ construction items?
A. No Not as a matter of course.

Q10. Does this Council have policies and incentives for recycling of construction waste?
A. No

Q11. Does this Council reward sustainable design practices, ideas and construction? What kinds of incentives, bonuses and relaxations in policy are offered to those who undertake such design, construction etc?
A. Parts of the City offer a density bonus for meeting a sustainable design policy.

Q12. Does this Council have a mechanism to promote and support the application of Water Sensitive Urban Design principles on Council property as well as in the wider community?
A. No

Q13. Does this Council have a Renewable Energy Systems Policy?
A. No This is built into our town planning scheme.

Q14. Does this Council use Renewable Energy sources in any of its buildings? Details?
A. 30kW of solar PV at the Leisure Centre, 2kW at our Sustainable House, 1kW of wind turbine at our Admin building, 26kW of PV at our Admin building, 10kW of PV at Hilton Community Centre.

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Sustainable Transport / Climate Change

Action being taken by this council to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Q1. Does this Council employ a TravelSmart Officer or similar? If so, for what fraction of time?
A. No

Q2. Does this Council purchase government accredited Green Power? If so, what %?
A. 100%

Q3. Does this Council offset all or some of its vehicle fleet's carbon emissions? What % of vehicle fleet emissions are offset? By what agency are these offsets accredited?
A. 100% using SRMC Greenhouse Friendly offsets.

Q4. Does this Council publish its annual energy consumption and the GHG emissions of its operations (units of electricity, gas, transport fuel)? Details?
A. Emission 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 Diesel 661 670 630 Petrol 184 166 153 LPG 94 82 81 Gas 706 678 769 Electricity 2412 2371 340 Streetlights1964 1620 0 Waste 1492 1492 1492 Business Travel 24 20 3 Paper - - 20

Q5. Does this Council attempt to reduce employees' solo car travel to the workplace? Details of incentives/support for walking, cycling, public transport, car pooling?
A. We provide a cash rebate in lieu of parking.

Q6. Does this Council regularly tally and graph its employees' commuting carbon emissions to motivate efforts to reduce?
A. We measure this at least annually.

Q7. Does this Council’s fleet include a majority of fuel-efficient vehicles (<7L/100km) for urban use? No. of vehicles in total fleet? No. of vehicles using <7L/100km?
A.

Q8. Has this Council begun to factor in impacts of climate change across all departments and all areas of governance, especially planning?
A. Our adaptation plan is out for comment at the time of writing.

Q9. Is this Council addressing peak oil risks and vulnerabilities? How?
A. No We are part way through a Peak Oil study.

Q10. Does this Council continue to monitor its corporate greenhouse gas emissions/ manage climate change following the end of CCP funding? (eg. using WALGA reporting platform, Planet Footprint or other frameworks)
A. We use our financial accounting system.

Q11. Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category?
A. We are Carbon Neutral.

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Waste Management

How this council works towards the goal of zero corporate waste.

Q1. Does this Council recycle any of its municipal solid waste?
A.

Q2. Does this Council have a zero waste to landfill strategy?
A. No

Q3. Does this Council have a methane reduction plan?
A. We are Carbon Neutral.

Q4. Does this Council have waste treated by an industrial biological composting system?
A. SMRC.

Q5. Does this Council have an internal program that aims to reduce the amount of waste generated by Council staff?
A. No

Q6. Does this Council process its own kitchen/lunchroom waste in composting/wormfarming/bokashi system/s?
A. Our Sustainable Home has a worm farm and compost bin. Some other facilities send their waste to SMRC.

Q7. Does this Council recycle all of its paper wastes?
A.

Q8. Does this Council recycle all possible plastic, aluminium and glass waste?
A. No

Q9. Does this Council recycle all its ink and toner cartridges?
A.

Q10. Does this Council predominantly use high % recycled paper? Details?
A. No We use FSC certified (from mixed sources), carbon neutral paper.

Q11. Does this Council have other policies/practices in this category?
A.

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Water Management

How this council manages its corporate water usage

Q1. Does this Council plant waterwise vegetation within Council properties, verges, public open space?
A. ~90%

Q2. Does this Council use Best Practice waterwise irrigation within Council properties, verges, public open space? (eg sub-surface irrigation)
A. No We have a water management plan, which details how we are going to improve our reticulation.

Q3. Is this Council a participant in ICLEI’s (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) Water Campaign? Provide details of milestone and achievements.
A. We have signed up, but have not completed Milestone 1.

Q4. Has this Council been endorsed as a Waterwise Council or progressing towards endorsement?
A. No

Q5. Does this Council water its own green spaces between 6pm - 9am as per Water Corporation regulation?
A.

Q6. Does this Council have its own Water Conservation Plan to target groundwater consumption?
A.

Q7. Does this Council have measures in place to ensure that its total bore water use remains within its annual entitlement? What % of bores are metered, and how often are meters read? If not, is such monitoring being planned?
A. All bores are metered.

Q8. Does this Council keep a schedule of the amount of water applied and when it is applied in its public open spaces?
A. We record when our reticulation runs.

Q9. Does this Council turn off its irrigation systems in winter for Council properties using scheme water, as per Water Corporation regulation?
A.

Q10. Has this Council conducted a water audit of any of its large water consuming facilities to identify where water savings can be achieved?
A. This resulted in the showers being changed at the Leisure Centre, saving 1ML of water each year.

Q11. Does this Council have any water conservation or efficiency measures in place at large water consuming facilities such as Aquatic Centres?
A. No Not as yet.

Q12. Does this Council have a Waterwise Purchasing Policy that mandates Council purchase water efficient appliances and fittings above minimum standard? (eg showerheads, flow restrictors and urinals)
A. Our climate change purchasing policy will provide minimum standards for ‘domestic’ water appliances.

Q13. Does this Council have measures in place to ensure that all Council owned facilities are retrofitted with water efficient appliances and fittings?
A. We audit one major facility per year.

Q14. Does this Council reuse any of its own grey water? If so, what % /how much?
A. No

Q15. Does this Council undertake staff education campaigns with a focus on water conservation and efficiency (indoor and outdoor)?
A. No

Q16. Does this Council monitor its ‘Works Depot’ to ensure hazardous materials are managed properly and contaminants do not enter stormwater drains?
A.

Q17. Does this Council take any other action for water conservation? Details?
A.

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