By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
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GREATER Dandenong Council has a possible $300,000 void in its green light program after the state government shelved its support.
The council had allocated $490,000 towards converting about a quarter of its 11,700 street lamps to more energy-efficient globes in 2012-13. About $300,000 of this was expected to come from government grants.
In the state budget, the government deferred its $20 million election promise to help councils convert to more energy-efficient lights. Among its reasons were “fiscal conditions”, “emerging technologies” and the “unknown impact” of the carbon tax.
The council has applied for a federal grant to support the lights program but they and other councils had also anticipated state government support.
A spokesman for Local Government Minister Jeanette Powell said last week: “Local Government Victoria will continue to work on the unresolved issues that have contributed to the deferral of the grant allocation”.
The pull-out coincides with an anticipated $1 million hit to Greater Dandenong’s costs due to the carbon tax.
Greater Dandenong corporate services director Mick Jaensch said its $700,000 street lights energy bill was expected to rise by 11-26 per cent in 2012-13.
The $3 million program to convert all the council’s street lights would reap net savings of $7 million and 40,000 less tonnes of greenhouse gas waste by 2030.
Municipal Association of Victoria president Bill McArthur slammed the government’s move in reducing the capacity for councils to save money and to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
“For the first time in my experience, we had three sectors of government lined up on one program which had a chance to make a great impact on the carbon output of councils.”
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