Picture: Wayne Stuart (left) talking all things Yass Valley Mens Shed with Federal MP Kristy McBain
Dear Editor,
There appear to be two major items of concern to all in the world these days – COVID19 and Climate Change. The first is an issue for nations and their governments principally and for their citizens to address as best they can given the responses and policies of those governments. Not very much Councillors can do in this space.
Climate Change, on the other hand, while also being an issue that governments have power to address very significantly (although I am not sure if our government has yet noticed that this is not a problem that can be defeated by ideology and point scoring), is one that all levels of government can have policies and programs in place to help chip away at the underlying causes.
I have to say that I have seen not much in the way of policies or programs (so far) from the Yass Valley Council directed at “doing our bit” to fight the good fight in this space. If there are such initiatives being pursued, then it strikes me that the odd Press Release to the Times letting locals know might be well worth the effort. Very expensive glossy brochures are great, but I am sure the Times can report and circulate any good news just as readily.
I have a challenge for all prospective Council Candidates in the September election.
Please tell us what your views on climate change are, what can Council do and what specific initiatives might you bring to Council if elected?
Allow me to raise one fairly simple and obvious proposal. From just driving around the place, it seems that more and more houses are having solar panels installed (I would suggest somewhere between a third and a half of all private homes?) At the same time, I am only aware of one Council owned complex having solar panels installed – namely the 11kWh (32 panels) installation on the Men’s Shed and Community Centre in North Yass. I hasten to add that this installation was donated to the Council by the Yass Valley Men’s Shed directly from a $20,000 grant the Shed obtained from the NSW Coalition Government several years ago. To the best of my knowledge, since that installation was completed, the Council has had no electricity bill to pay on behalf of those two establishments and may, in fact have had a modest offset due to the feed-in tariff opportunity.
It seems to me that Council could adopt a program of progressively installing solar panels on many of its buildings over, say, a 3 to 5 year program of works with a view to reducing the cost of its electricity use and doing Yass Valley’s bit to reduce greenhouse gases. Further, could the design requirements of the new Council precinct development include a specification that the new development be built having regard to energy reduction principles with a view to being energy neutral or even energy producing, so that instead of paying for energy, the building raises income from that source?
I am sure ratepayers would appreciate reductions in rates due to innovative and cost effective programs. We might even then see funds freed up to attack other issues in town like the state of Comur Street?
Wayne Stuart
Yass
