Chasing a green light

By Lia Bichel
GREATER Dandenong council is urging residents to back a petition for energy-efficient lighting.
In June, the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) launched the Give Our Streets the Green Light campaign with the Maribyrnong City Council, in partnership with the City of Greater Dandenong and 39 other Victorian councils.
The campaign encourages the state and federal governments to help councils fund a bulk changeover from old 1980s lighting technology to energy-efficient lighting.
More than 3000 people have signed the community petition, which is in its final week, but residents still have time to support the campaign by signing the online petition at www.greenlightourstreets.org.au.
Greater Dandenong mayor Jim Memeti said he was pleased with the local support.
“We’ve had a good response to the Give Our Streets the Green Light campaign from our community and some local MPs, and we’re pleased to have contributed to the petition numbers,” he said.
“The premier has recently responded to the MAV reaffirming the state’s commitment to progressing the bulk changeover to energy-efficient street lights effectively, at low cost and in the shortest possible timeframe.”
MAV president Cr Bill McArthur said Victoria had an estimated 330,000 local road street lights using old lamps which were typically the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions for local government.
He said it would cost about $120 million to fund the bulk changeover, but new technology fluorescent lights would provide an energy saving of around 70 per cent.
“If the State and Commonwealth fund a quarter to a third of the total upgrade costs, we will achieve a 78,000 tonne greenhouse gas emissions reduction and a $7 million cost saving each year,” he said.
“Over the life of the lights, that equals 31.2 billion black balloons or 341,917 cars off the road for a year.”
Cr Memeti said councils were collectively hoping to achieve more than 5000 petition signatures by the end of September.
In early October, the petition will be presented to the Premier and Opposition Leader ahead of the Premier’s Local Government Climate Change summit; and also to federal party leaders once the outcomes of the elections are resolved.
Cr Memeti urged everyone to sign the online petition to give local streets the green light.
Anyone wanting to support the Give Our Streets the Green Light campaign can visit www.greenlightourstreet.org.au and forward it onto networks, join the facebook group Give Our Street the Green Light or Twitter@GOSTGL, promote the campaign to family and friends, download the online resources (posters, letters) and contact your local federal and state members of parliament to express your support for the campaign.