ENERGY

How the West reaches its Best:

  • Drive the cost-effective adoption of low energy consuming LED streetlights in the Western Power and Horizon Power service areas
  • Replace all old technology streetlights with LED luminaires to reduce carbon emissions and deliver a broader range of economic and social benefits to the community

Replacing WA’s current fleet of old technology street light globes is an important way to reduce emissions and assist on the path to net zero.

Currently, the 288,000 standard streetlights operated by Western Power contribute over 90,000 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions annually, making them the second-largest emission source for the utility. This is largely due to the large number of inefficient mercury vapour globes still in use, which constitute an estimated 38% of WA’s street lighting network.

Western Power plans to convert all existing streetlights to LED technology, utilising both screw-in LED globes and purpose-built LED luminaires by 2029. This is expected to deliver a 50 to 60% reduction in CO2 emissions and electricity consumption. Integrating smart lighting systems could yield even greater energy savings.

The approach Western Power has taken to date is to replace existing streetlights with LED globes if the old luminaire is still serviceable and to only install an LED luminaire if the old luminaire has failed. This compromise will likely result in higher maintenance costs over the network.

To realise the benefits of readily available, proven lighting technology sooner, the State Government should fund a program to replace all streetlights with LED luminaires.

This will deliver a range of economic and social benefits for the State, including:

  • Significant reductions in lifecycle and maintenance costs, with maintenance expenses expected to drop by more than 50%.
  • Reduction in the approximately 40,000 calls per year attended by Western Power address reported faulty streetlights.
  • Improved service reliability due to the extended lifespan of LEDs, minimising outages and ensuring consistent lighting for communities.
  • Improved lighting levels, which supports social outcomes such as reduced accidents in poorly lit areas and increased security by deterring nighttime crime.
CURRENTLY, THE 288,000 STANDARD STREETLIGHTS OPERATED BY WESTERN POWER CONTRIBUTE OVER 9O,OOO TONNES OF CO2-EQUIVALENT EMISSIONS ANNUALLY

TRANSPORT: PUBLIC EV CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE

How the West reaches its Best:

  • Ensure all residents, regardless of their living situation, have access to convenient and reliable Electric Vehicle charging
  • Expand the Electric Vehicle charging network in highly developed areas without off-street parking and in multi-residential unit developments where on-site charging isn’t available
  • Review and amend Regulation 49 of the WA Electrical Requirements under the Western Australian Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991 to facilitate kerbside Electric Vehicle charging in a safe way and provide guidance on locating and managing Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure in road reserves

The transition to Electric Vehicles (EVs) is a crucial part of the strategy for achieving a low-carbon economy, as the transport sector accounts for 18% of WA’s emissions, mostly from road transport.

The State Electric Vehicle Strategy and the Sectoral Emissions Reduction Strategy for WA highlight the significant benefits of EVs in reducing emissions and improving air quality. Beyond environmental gains, EVs reduce the State’s reliance on imported fossil fuels. Light vehicles, like cars, are expected to lead the switch to electric due to the well-developed and rapidly advancing technology. The number of EVs in WA is growing rapidly, with over 15,000 on the road by December 2023. To ensure this growth continues, we must eliminate barriers to EV adoption.

A critical step is to ensure there is adequate charging infrastructure. The State Government has invested $23 million in the WA EV Network, providing fast charging stations on major routes and at tourist destinations. The Charge Up Grant Scheme also supports Local Governments by funding half the cost of installing EV chargers at selected destinations. These grants are available for both AC chargers (7 to 22kW) and DC chargers (25 to 350kW).

A focus should include expanding the network to provide charging opportunities for those living in highly developed areas without off-street parking and in multi-residential unit developments where on-site charging isn’t available. Suburbs like Highgate, North Perth, Leederville, Fremantle, and South Fremantle are missing from the top 25 postcodes for EV registrations despite having similar socio-economic and demographic profiles to neighbouring areas with higher EV numbers. These higher density neighbourhoods often lack off-street parking, making charging difficult.

Other Australian capital cities are starting to address the lack of kerbside charging, which is common practice in European cities. The NSW Climate and Energy Action’s Electric Vehicle Kerbside Charging Grants provide a valuable model, covering up to 80% of installation costs, up to $10,000 per charger, and supporting EV charger software costs.

To make this happen in WA, we need to address regulatory issues that prevent kerbside chargers from being installed in safe, high-demand locations. Compliance with the WA Electrical Requirements (WAER) is mandatory under Regulation 49 of the Western Australian Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991. It is not clear whether installing EV chargers in the road reserve may be in conflict with application of section 9.7 of the WAER. To address this issue the WAER should be reviewed and amended to facilitate kerbside EV charging in a safe way. The provision of guidance regarding locating and managing EV charging infrastructure located in road reserves will also be necessary.

State Government funding for the installation of EV chargers will also be crucial. A $2 million investment could fund 200 to 300 kerbside chargers, significantly enhancing charging options in parts of Perth without off-street parking. This will ensure all residents, regardless of their location, have access to convenient and reliable EV charging.

THE TRANSPORT SECTOR ACCOUNTS FOR 18% OF WA’S EMISSIONS, MOSTlY FROM ROAD TRANSPORT

WASTE

How the West reaches its Best:

  • Include wine and spirit bottles in the Container Deposit Scheme to boost recycling rates and reduce litter across WA
  • Direct all revenue from the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery (WARR) Levy towards initiatives that enhance waste management practices, ensuring funds are used for their intended purpose to tackle our State’s waste challenges
  • Collaborate with other States to implement product stewardship schemes for electronic waste, tyres, mattresses, and packaging, to promote responsible disposal and recycling of these materials
  • Develop and fund a comprehensive Waste Infrastructure Strategy tailored for regional WA, to improve waste management facilities and services in regional areas and improve waste management Statewide

Expand the Container Deposit Scheme

The WA Container Deposit Scheme has proven to be a success, more than doubling the number of containers recovered across the State. It has generated over 800 jobs, significantly reduced litter, and provided valuable opportunities for charities, social enterprises, and individuals.

Expanding the Scheme to include a broader range of containers (at a minimum, wine and spirit bottles) will increase these benefits. As well as creating additional jobs and further encouraging community recycling efforts, broadening the range of eligible containers is expected to lead to:

  • Higher diversion rates of glass from kerbside recycling bins, resulting in cleaner streams of separated materials for processing.
  • Reduced cost to households, given that glass is among the heaviest and most challenging materials to collect through kerbside recycling.
  • Reduced community confusion about which items are accepted.

Expanding the Scheme is also expected to significantly increase material recovery in regional areas. WA’s vast geography and the large distances between transport hubs means that it is often cost prohibitive to provide kerbside recycling services to regional and remote communities. There are currently 36 Local Governments in WA – primarily in the Wheatbelt, Goldfields-Esperance, Kimberley, Pilbara, Midwest, and Gascoyne regions – where domestic kerbside recycling isn’t available.

However, 23 of these Local Governments have access to a Containers for Change collection point within their boundaries. The Scheme’s minimum network standards require refund points to be within a maximum distance of 200km from townsites in remote and very remote areas.

By expanding the Scheme to accept a wider range of beverage containers we can leverage the existing network and provide consumers with a greater incentive to recycle.

EXPANDING THE CONTAINER DEPOSIT SCHEME WILL SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE MATERIAL RECOVERY IN REGIONAL AREAS AS WELL AS CREATING MORE JOBS
Use all of the Waste Levy for waste initiatives focussed on avoidance and maximising resource recovery

Investing more in waste management is an important way to help the State reach its net-zero goal by 2050 and accelerate the transition to a circular economy.

The Review of the Waste and Resource Recovery (WARR) Strategy acknowledges the positive impact of WARR Levy funding and signals a need for further investment in waste avoidance, commercial and industrial waste, and support for regional and remote areas.

We need more resources to invest in these important areas.

The WARR Levy is a key source of funding and should be used for its intended purpose—funding waste management initiatives, especially waste avoidance and resource recovery. All WARR Levy revenue should go towards waste management, however, this is not currently the case.

The WARR Levy generates around $80 million annually. However, only 25% of this goes to waste-related activities, with the majority covering the Department of Water and Environmental Regulations (DWER) operating costs. Out of the $20 million allocated to waste-related activities, 40% is provided for departmental staffing, leaving $12 million for waste management projects and activities.

This situation will become even more pressing once the Kwinana and Rockingham Waste to Energy Facilities start operating in late 2025, as lower levels of waste going to landfills will reduce the revenue collected from the WARR Levy. This expected fall in revenue will mean that a thorough review of funding for waste management and DWER will be needed.

Redirecting the entire WARR Levy revenue could fund a range of important activities to improve waste management and accelerate the transition to a circular economy, such as:

  • Funding to cover Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) implementation costs for all Local Governments.
  • Household food waste avoidance programs to empower communities to reduce waste and costs.
  • Investment in regional waste management planning and infrastructure to meet better practice standards by 2030.
  • Upgrades to Material Recovery Facility infrastructure for better kerbside bin recovery.
  • Increased funding for WasteSorted Bin Tagging Programs to educate and engage communities in resource recovery.
  • Creation of a Commercial and Industrial Waste Program to assist businesses to reduce waste.
  • Continuation of existing programs like the Household Hazardous Waste Program and waste education.

USE 100% OF THE WASTE LEVY FOR WASTE INITIATIVE, NOT 25%

Comprehensive product stewardship to ensure end of life costs don’t fall to Local Government

Comprehensive product stewardship schemes are needed to reduce waste management costs and promote a sustainable, circular economy.

Product stewardship makes sure that producers have financial or physical responsibility for their products at the end of their life, which provides an incentive for products to be designed in a way that minimises waste generation and facilitates end-of-life recovery.

The State Government should work collaboratively with its counterparts in other States to encourage the Australian Government to implement effective product stewardship schemes for priority products. In the absence of any Australian Government scheme, the State Government should legislate for product stewardship.

The priority materials that need a product stewardship scheme include electronic waste, tyres, mattresses, and packaging. The current voluntary or co-regulatory product stewardship schemes for these materials do not adequately cover recycling costs, particularly in regional areas where transport costs are high. These products are often illegally dumped, causing environmental, social, and economic harm.

Funding and Support for Regional Waste Management

People who live in the regions often don’t have the same opportunities to reduce waste as those in metropolitan areas. For instance, in some regional towns, there may be only one shop, limiting options for low-waste choices like bulk purchasing without packaging.

To achieve better waste outcomes for regional and remote communities, a regional waste infrastructure plan should be developed that includes all waste streams and focuses on local solutions. Dedicated funding to support the strategy will also be needed to improve basic waste management and offer communities opportunities to reduce, recycle, and reuse materials.

When developing waste reduction initiatives, it’s crucial to assess the feasibility of the choices available to consumers within the current system. Effective waste reduction initiatives should not only educate the community on how to change their behaviour but also provide access to the resources and infrastructure to make those changes possible.

INDUSTRIES OF THE FUTURE

How the West reaches its Best:

  • Establish a comprehensive, Statewide strategy to facilitate the development of large-scale renewable energy projects across WA, to manage the impacts and maximise the benefits of renewable energy for the State’s communities, economy and environment

The push towards net zero emissions targets and policies for economic diversification are driving significant changes in our economy.

Project proponents are actively pursuing opportunities in many rural, remote, and regional areas, focusing on renewable energy projects such as wind and solar farms, tree planting for carbon offsets and biodiversity, and biofuel production.

However, planning and policy aren’t keeping pace, resulting in projects being considered on an ad-hoc basis. There is no coordinated approach to integrating these investments into existing communities and industries, leaving individual Local Governments and their communities to ‘reinvent the wheel’ in their efforts to achieve the best outcomes for their communities.

We need a Statewide strategy to ensure that local communities benefit from these changes and that the industry maintains its social licence to operate.

A key issue arising from the transition is conflict over land use between renewable energy projects and agricultural land. Addressing this is crucial to ensure a smooth transition towards our goal of net zero emissions by 2050 and to deliver positive outcomes for communities, the economy, and the environment.

The existing WA Planning Commission 2020 Position Statement for Renewable Energy Facilities is not adequate to guide the management and placement of these facilities. The Statement should be amended and elevated to a State Planning Policy to provide better guidance to Local Government, proponents and require local engagement and realisation of community benefits from the development of these facilities.

Local Governments are actively involved in the development, approval and regulation of major renewable energy projects, and must be part of this strategy to ensure both communities and the environment benefit from the energy transition.