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City Sustainability Policy
August 2013
mvcc.vic.gov.au – 9243 8888
9 Kellaway Ave - PO Box 126 Moonee Ponds VIC 3039
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Mayors Message
Image of Cr Narelle Sharpe, Moonee Valley Mayor
It is with great pleasure that I present Council’s City Sustainability Policy.
We live in very uncertain times, with changes in technology, lifestyles and most
critically, the climate in which we live. This is having a significant impact on how
Moonee Valley City Council manages and delivers services, designs our city for
the future and leads our community.
Council is committed to reducing the impact it has on the environment and to
ensuring that the things we enjoy today are still around for our children and our
grandchildren.
This City Sustainability Policy highlights many expected future challenges. Our
world is changing as we learn to better share our limited resources, and adapt to
our changing climate. Council commits to finding ways to minimise future impacts
and provide solutions to help us adapt to our new environment.
The policy has been developed through extensive consultation and discussions
with our community and brings together many of our aspirations for a clean,
green and beautiful city. Whilst Council already has a number of great strategies
in place, including our Greenhouse Strategy which works toward a zero net
emissions target by 2020, our Water Strategy and our Waste Strategy, this policy
brings all of those elements together and incorporates sustainability into
everything we do.
You will see the key elements of this policy reflected in the Moonee Valley
Planning Scheme, the Health and Wellbeing Plan and the Council Plan.
The policy provides guidance through the use of four themes which you have told
us are important to you. These are:
Urban Ecology – Greening our City
Living Locally – Designing our City Better
Your Home and Workplace – Lessening the Impact
Valuing our Resources – Ways to lessen our waste
The Policy provides exciting new ways to do business, connect with neighbours,
let our children play and share our valuable resources.
I commend this policy to you and look forward to working with every member of
our community to ensure a safe, clean, green and sustainable city for all of us.
Cr Narelle Sharpe
Moonee Valley Mayor
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Vision
In 2035, Moonee Valley will be a city of clean, green and beautiful, vibrant,
diverse and sustainable community that people experience as friendly and
safe to live in. (MV Next Generation 2035)
Our lifestyles and cities are rapidly changing.
Our City Sustainability Policy takes the environmental knowledge we have gained
over the past ten years, and brings it forward into the design and policy
development for our community.
For leadership in city sustainability, Council’s strategies need to think long term,
find big picture connections and lay the foundations for more specific strategies,
actions and guidelines.
Setting the scene
Listening to the people of Moonee Valley over the past year has emphasised the
importance of community. We held events, seminars and survey throughout 2012
to best understand our needs.
We share wonderful waterways, open space, streetscapes, homes and traditions
which we seek to protect and enhance.
Our world is changing as we learn to better share our limited resources, and
adapt to our changing climate.
Our population is progressively growing, with our current population of 107,000
due to grow another 12,500 by 2031.
To provide for a growing and healthy population, Moonee Valley needs our
homes, streets, and suburbs to encourage wellness for us all.
This City Sustainability Policy seeks to provide for this health and wellbeing by
setting out design, resource and community solutions that improve liveability.
Where the City Sustainability Policy fits
The City Sustainability Policy provides guidance to support change in the best
way possible. It uses the following four themes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Urban Ecology
Living Locally
Your Home
Valuing our Resources
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By exploring these themes, our City Sustainability Policy lays the foundation for
ways our daily living can help ourselves, our community and our planet.
Our City Sustainability Policy:
 takes guidance from MV2035 and Council Plan
 serves as the ‘parent policy’ giving guidance to more detailed strategies
 will inform ‘updates’ of detailed strategies. In the interim time (before
detailed strategies are updated), the City Sustainability Policy takes
precedence where any contradictions arise.
Our environmental progress so far
In 2007, Moonee Valley City Council adopted the Environmental Sustainability
Plan which set out plans to protect our environment.
Image of front cover of Environmental Sustainability Plan which has a picture of a
native grass.
Council has made great progress in this time. We have delivered 95% of the
actions in the plan, helping to meet our targets for:
 Protecting our Natural Assets
 Using Resources Wisely
 Minimising Everyday Environmental Impacts.
We have delivered these commitments and led the way in taking up new
environmental initiatives.
The Environmental Sustainability Plan enabled detailed expansion of
greenhouse, water, and waste strategies and supported the commencement of
climate change, land contamination and urban ecology strategies.
Now that our environmental strategies are well set up, this City Sustainability
Policy offers an opportunity to bring our environmental principles and data up
front into the design of our city.
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Where does this City Sustainability Policy fit in
The following is a flow chart that describes how the City Sustainability Policy fits
in with other key Council documents. Arrows indicate direction of influence.
Moonee Valley Next Generation 2035 Community Vision influences the Council
Plan 2013-17 which then influences the City Sustainability Policy.
The City Sustainability Policy influences and is influenced by other Council
documents including
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Open Space Strategy
Every Young Person is a Citizen
Road Safety Plan
Walking and Cycling Strategy
Community Wellbeing Strategy
Healthy Ageing Strategy
Municipal Parking Strategy
Reconciliation Policy
Housing Strategy
Our Children – Their Journey
Proposed Climate Adaptation Strategy
The City Sustainability Policy influences
 Greenhouse Strategy
 Sustainable Public Lighting Guidelines
 Waste Management Strategy
 Green Purchasing Guidelines
 Water Strategy
 Water Sensitive Urban Design Guidelines
 Proposed Urban Ecology Strategy and Guidelines
 Integrated Transport Plan
 Complete Streets Guidelines
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Urban Ecology – Greening our City
It is true that biodiversity in urban areas is limited, but at the same time it is
everywhere, and there is still so much we don’t know. Flora and fauna can be
found in our parks, streets, building, backyards, waterways, air, soil, groundwater
and clouds.
Valuable indigenous flora in Moonee Valley includes the spiny rice flower, pale
swamp everlasting, weeping grass, bulbine lily, and Australian hollyhock. And
valuable local fauna includes golden sun moth, marbled gecko, native rat,
echidna and red wattlebird.
We even have some areas of original habitat remaining, known as remnant
vegetation. This provides great ecological benefit, as well as serving as a ‘living
museum’ for our community.
And as we learn more, we have come to better value our ‘urban ecology’. Our
city ecosystem is heavily populated by introduced flora and fauna (particularly
humans), but it is still an ecosystem that has its own value.
For many years, people felt only native species have value and we now
understand that in a heavily modified inner urban environment exotic species
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may sometimes have more value as they better suit modified environments such
as streetscapes.
More vegetation will help ameliorate extreme temperatures, slows wind speeds,
provide shade and shelter, reduce air pollution and decrease the quantity and
flow rate of stormwater.
These effects are more valued than ever as climate change is likely to result in
more extreme weather events, and a hotter and drier climate for our City.
The moderating influence of vegetation in turn encourages outdoor activity,
reduces respiratory ailments, and enhances the general sense of well-being and
liveability.
This aligns with the Moonee Valley Next Generation 2035 value of Green, Clean
and Beautiful.
Our community tells us they seek
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Improved habitat: Development of habitat corridors on public and private
land, making use of underused spaces such as nature strips and flat roofs.
Improved waterway management: Increased efforts to clean stormwater,
to enhance the ecology of waterways and to restore the lower reaches of
Moonee Ponds Creek.
More Open Space: Maintain current open space despite development
pressures, increase the overall provision of open space, provide more
small parks and more trees for cooling and shading.
What we would like to achieve
Moonee Valley is home to a thriving urban ecology integrating public and private
spaces and providing habitat, food and shelter for flora and fauna, while
improving liveability and wellness of our community.
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Guiding principles – Why this is important
Environment
The City of Moonee Valley is vastly modified from the original pre-European
environment and yet still provides important habitat for all flora and fauna.
We value our responsibilities as custodians of both species and habitats of State
and National significance. Areas of remnant vegetation provide important
ecological services and in a highly urbanised environment, function as a “living
museum” for residents and visitors alike.
Streetscapes, backyards and local parks play an important role in increasing
habitat, shade and amenity, linking isolated remnants, and encouraging the
movement of fauna.
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All vegetation types contribute important ecosystem services by moderating
temperature, increasing humidity, supporting biodiversity, reducing wind speeds,
providing shade, and reducing the quantity and rapid flow of stormwater.
Open space is to be designed for microclimate, in particular wind, rain, solar and
thermal radiation to ensure that it will be used well
Moonee Valley is a water catchment. Integrated Water Cycle Management
ensures that different grades of water (potable water, stormwater, recycled water,
groundwater) are used for their most suitable purpose to support ecosystem
function on land and in water.
Soil provides important habitat both for vegetation and for micro-organisms. Our
soils must be well nurtured as they form the basis of the ecology of the
Municipality.
Contaminated land must be carefully managed to reduce risks to both humans
and vital ecological processes.
Climatic zones, migration patterns, genetic compositions and species lifecycles
are all shifting under climate change.
Research, Management and Planning
A thorough understanding of ecosystem services and the local interactions
between native and introduced species is necessary if we are to value and
manage our urban ecology to best advantage.
Management techniques need to be appropriate to avoid further degradation of
remnants which are already weakened through decades of human-induced
damage.
Plants, animals and waterways do not recognise Council boundaries and are
best managed in co-operation with managers of adjacent land.
Community and Education
Residents make an enormous contribution to maintaining our urban ecology in
many ways including participation in Waterwatch, Friends groups and community
gardens. In turn there are significant social benefits for residents.
The following is a list of Conservation Areas in Moonee Valley.
Conservation Areas in Moonee Valley
Moonee Valley City Council manages conservation areas to protect remnant
vegetation and to support native flora and fauna.
Sites of national significance include:
 Strathnaver Grassland Reserve, Strathmore
 Afton Street Grassland Reserve, Aberfeldie
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Spring Gully Reserve, Avondale Heights
JH Allen Grassland Reserve, Keilor East
Arcade Way Reserve, Keilor East
North Road Reserve, Avondale Heights.
Sites of state significance include:
 Canning Street Escarpment Reserve, Avondale Heights
 Maribyrnong River Regional Parkland, Avondale Heights
 Napier Park Grassy Woodland, Strathmore.
Sites of local significance include:
 Horseshoe Bend Reserve, Strathmore
 Five Mile Creek Reserve, Essendon,
 PA Kirchner Reserve, Niddrie.
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Council policy – How we will deliver a thriving urban
ecology
Environment
1. Green space will be enhanced in Moonee Valley as set out in the Open
Space Strategy (2011) by encouraging vegetation in landscapes,
streetscapes and buildings (green infrastructure).
2. Moonee Valley values all habitat or pollinator links between parks,
waterways, nature reserves, streetscapes and private land.
3. Council harvest, treats and uses water wisely to protect waterway health
(including wetlands, creeks and escarpment shrublands) and passively
irrigate landscapes as set out in the Water Strategy 2011.
4. Risks posed by contaminated land are managed through the
implementation of a Land Contamination Strategy.
5. Council will increase the biodiversity of our open spaces by exploring and
applying a range of development and management approaches. Examples
include no-mow parks, habitat expansion along waterways, supporting
‘novel’ landscapes that respond to new urban and climate scenarios, and
development of pollinator pathways in suburbs.
6. Remnant vegetation is to be managed in accordance with the guidelines
set out in “Approved Conservation Advice for the Natural Temperate
Grassland of the Victorian Volcanic Plain” and implementation of a
municipal Remnant Vegetation Strategy.
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Research, Management and Planning
7. Council will support research and advocacy opportunities to help
implement urban ecology. Research will inform local management and
help put a financial value on ecosystems benefits. One such area is
support for environmental rating tools such as iTree.
8. Council will enhance the management and monitoring of remnant
vegetation through regular mapping and surveying of natural assets,
development and implementation of Remnant Vegetation Management
Plans. This will provide the basis for proposed Urban Ecology Strategy
and address the ‘natural heritage’ assessment required under the Heritage
Strategy 2011.
9. Council will pursue the seamless management of indigenous vegetation
and habitat corridors in Melbourne’s North West by developing working
partnerships with fellow managers of such land. This will support the Port
Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority’s Regional
Catchment Strategy.
Community and Education
10. Council will design and link more community engagement programs to
support residents in improving urban ecology in both the public and private
sphere. This will cover the role of remnant, endemic, indigenous, native
and introduced vegetation. This will include such programs as planting
days, guided tours, flyers, My Smart Garden, and Junior Rangers.
11. Council will draw on local knowledge and citizen science for its ongoing
urban ecology program. This includes community led initiatives and crowd
sourced date (for example, bird sitings).
Indicators – What will we see
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Increase in community satisfaction with the quality and diversity of open
space assets (including parklands, conservation areas, streetscapes)
Our current extent of conservation areas will be retained and quality will be
improved
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Living Locally, Designing Better Cities
Historically, humans have lived locally. This has rapidly changed in recent
decades due to changes in technology, transport and attitudes. Global
connections are part of daily life. However for social and environmental reasons
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we need to complement this with access to goods, services and community via
local living.
Our needs as a community change over time and our cities must change too. We
can protect our beautiful old buildings and streets, while adapting to meet the
needs of contemporary communities. Maintaining the quality of our natural
environment will assist conserving, building and adapting our city and as
heritage.
Change and preservation are possible at the same time.
Currently 17 per cent of Moonee Valley residents are within 400 metres of fruit
and vegetables, which is less than 10 minutes walk, helping to encourage
healthier living. In a living locally city, more people will be able to walk to more
such local services.
This aligns with the Moonee Valley Next Generation 2035 value of Friendly and
Safe.
Our community tell us they seek:
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More transport - improved, innovative public transport (shuttles, bike hire,
greater frequency of public transport), strategic bicycle parking, bicycle
paths
More places for people - “Play Streets “ for children; parks developed for
use by all ages including teenagers
Communal food growing - assistance to grow and source food
communally using community gardens, naturestrips, Landshare options
and food swaps
More community activity - including more Men’s Sheds, Women’s Sheds,
and opportunities for older adults to pursue gardening interests.
What we would like to achieve
To meet our daily needs within walking distance in a friendly, diverse and
connected neighbourhood.
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Guiding principles – Why is this important
Strengthening community
Knowing our neighbours and being involved in the community is proven to
increase happiness and extend lives. Neighbourhoods that support mobility,
friendly get-togethers, children’s play, sporting activities and local services help to
maintain physical and mental health.
Diverse housing styles help communities accommodate different needs,
including those of varying cultural backgrounds, abilities, and incomes.
Affordable, sustainable, public and cooperative housing help accommodate a
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diverse range of people.
Housing needs change as we age and many residents wish to remain in the
communities they know and enjoy. Preserving the character of the
neighbourhood is about our people, not just our buildings. Planning for different
housing forms to suit the needs of our grown children, older family members and
new migrants is required.
Designing cities for the needs of children will result in good design for all. Design
for children encourages them to become more active and social. This may
include safety from cars, more meeting points, clear visual lines, and open
spaces which encourage exploration and interest.
Local living
Urban planning incorporating local shops, schools and other facilities encourages
walking and cycling instead of car use. If most of our daily needs could be
reached within a 10 minute walk from home, our roads would be less congested,
our neighbourhoods would be less polluted and our citizens would be healthier in
mind and body.
Living locally reduces the use of fossil fuels, lessens the need for transport
infrastructure and reduces the need for multiple cars per household.
Environmental impacts and resilience
The impacts of climate change will be felt across all parts of the community and
in almost every aspect of our lives. Adaptation to climate change is best
managed holistically across whole organisations.
Both publicly and privately owned infrastructure has limited ability to withstand
the increased incidence of extreme weather events accompanying climate
change. Local services, know-how and co-operation assist us to take on
challenges such as floods, drought, climate change and resource limitations.
We have the knowledge to turn our cities from being a drain on the environment
to being much more positive and productive places by growing our own food,
composting organic waste, generating our own energy, using (and reusing) water
from our own catchment, and recycling many of our goods.
Food security is impacted by many global and local factors including mobility,
income, social connections, environmental constraints and urban design. Local
living addresses several of these concerns.
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Council Policy – how Council will design better cities
that help people live locally
Strengthening community
1. Council supports ‘community group linking’ to better support and connect
the evolving interests and activism of local people in delivering community
benefits. This can be achieved by supporting volunteer groups,
encouraging business links, and designing more places for people to meet
in our neighbourhoods.
2. Council supports the development of businesses, co-operative and shared
services to help encourage localised living. Examples may include
business hubs to support emerging small businesses, land sharing
between citizens, share sheds and community gardens which facilitate
local learning and production. Demonstration projects are supported.
3. Council supports community input for public projects by exploring and
applying new approaches, technology and training. This includes online
tools such as ‘Crowd Spot’.
4. Council supports investigation of shared responsibility opportunities
between the private and the public sector.
Local living
5. The amount and accessibility of quality open space will be increased. This
provides for a diversity of needs and interests, and for people of all ages
and abilities. This is detailed in the Open Space Strategy 2011.
6. Council applies the Complete Street principles of street design to enable
safe, attractive, and comfortable access and travel for all users, including
pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and public transport users of all ages and
abilities. To be progressively applied by adopting the Complete Street
Guidelines for Urban Street Design (IPWEAQ) and piloting ‘shared zones’
in suitable locations.
7. Council designs for child-friendly cities in our open spaces and
streetscapes. Policies, strategies, guidelines and master plans to reflect
this principle are set out in the Municipal Early Years Plan. Demonstration
projects are supported.
8. Active travel and environmentally sustainable travel are supported through
implementation of the Walking and Cycling Strategy and the Integrated
Transport Plan.
9. Council supports the temporary activation of suitable building and land to
support socially beneficial initiatives.
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10. Council supports local designers and makers in their local business and by
supporting the culture of arts in our streets and neighbourhoods.
Environmental impacts and resilience
11. Council supports a whole-of-Council approach to climate change
adaptation, coordinated via the Strategic Risk Register.
12. Council designs for resilience in our landscape and built form by seeking
multiple uses, and planning for the increased incidence of storms,
droughts and natural disasters which accompany climate change.
13. Council supports urban agriculture and localised food supply within
Moonee Valley.
14. Council supports the continued development, and application, of
sustainability rating tools for precincts and communities.
Indicators – What will we see
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Increase in the proportion of residents that are within a 10 minute (800m)
walk to fresh food, childcare, health services, leisure activities and cultural
infrastructure
Increase in constructed streetscape projects applying the Complete Street
principles.
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Your Home and Workplace, Lessening Its Impact
A home that meets the needs of you and your family can also protect the
environment.
By designing a house to better work with nature, to use more sustainable
materials, and to adapt to different uses over time without needing to rebuild are
just three great ways.
A house that can adapt to changing needs, over time, means that people can
stay in their local neighbourhood for longer and find ways of accommodating
changing number of householders.
This can be complemented by building smaller homes to help meet the growing
trend of one-person households.
Our workplaces can also adapt to change and provide healthier and more
productive places to be.
This aligns with the Moonee Valley Next Generation 2035 value of Sustainable
Living.
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Our community tell us they seek
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Sustainable buildings: More sustainable design of both public and private
buildings, assistance to retrofit older buildings
Diverse housing: Housing styles to cater for all ages including “Apartments
for Life” to cater for changing needs as residents age and cluster housing
with communal open spaces.
More good design - Concerns about medium density development,
particularly at the expense of open space, want medium density
developments to relate well to existing single storey developments
Opportunities to garden - Food growing areas in new developments, use
of flat roofs to grow food and ongoing opportunities to learn about
vegetable gardening and composting.
Communal food growing: assistance to grow and source food communally
using community gardens, naturestrips, Landshare options and food
swaps
What we would like to achieve
For all homes, workplaces and their gardens to evolve into low impact, adaptable
and healthy places for better living.
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Guiding principles – Why this is important
More buildings of good design
Homes and workplaces designed for sustainability help to improve quality of life
by supporting healthier living, diverse living needs, affordability and connection to
nature, people and economy.
We can make better use of our buildings to meet changing needs. This helps to
people to stay in their community while also reducing the demand for scarce
resources.
Homes and workplaces play different roles for individuals, family networks, local
and global communities. Buildings with good design and technology support
provide for these different and vast needs.
A more sustainable house and garden can have a positive impact on global
environmental challenges. All individual efforts help reduce impact, support
market processes and inspire action by others.
Buildings, including residential, commercial and industrial can apply the most
effective environmental design solutions by working to agreed performance
requirements supported by the planning process.
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Gardens
Priority for private open space around all dwelling types will maximise physical
and mental wellbeing in addition to making better use of scarce resources.
Climate change
Climate change will likely impact local homes and workplaces by increasing
intensity of storms which can damage buildings, reducing rainfall which can
impact gardens, and increasing heatwaves (and associated regional power
outages from peak demand for air-conditioning).
Green roofs, walls, carparks and streetscapes when designed well can reduce
energy needs of buildings, support biodiversity and food growth, reduce
stormwater flows.
The following is an explanation of the benefits of higher density housing
Up & Green!
Community consultation tells us that many residents believe higher density
housing will cheapen their neighbourhood and result in a loss of green space.
In fact, evidence shows that our cities can become far more liveable and green
as we increase their density.
The secret is good design. More efficient planning of residential space supports
more greenery, open space, convenience and community living.
Shops, communal facilities and public transport can be provided more effectively
with greater ‘economies of scale’, creating a more desirable and sought-after
residential neighbourhood. This is sometimes known as more ‘European-Style
living’ and with good guidance can increasingly become known as ‘Melbournestyle living’.
Careful planning controls can make more efficient use of residential land,
reducing “dead space” and freeing up more land for open space. A greater
supply of apartment dwellings will expand the diversity of housing stock,
providing housing for our local young adults and older adults.
While traditional housing will always be the mainstay of Moonee Valley, a range
of dwelling styles offers benefits for all.
The following is an explanation of the benefits of adaptable housing.
Ways for homes to meet the needs of everyone
Adapting homes to children’s needs can include easy outdoor play access and
discovery landscapes, more area for bikes, safe non-toxic materials use and
apartment blocks with communal play areas.
Adapting homes to young adult needs can include partitions for more
independent living, apartments and share houses near transport and shops.
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Adapting homes to adult needs can include smart information technology
systems, easy bike storage, waterwise gardens and shade trees.
Adapting homes to older adult needs can include smaller units, water and energy
efficiency, raised ‘self watering’ garden beds, front sitting area that is shaded and
semi-private to engage with neighbours.
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Council Policy – How we will help to lessen the impact
of homes and work places
More buildings of good design
1. New buildings and renovations in Moonee Valley need to support reduced
greenhouse, water, and material impacts across their lifecycle, while
increasing sustainable transport, urban ecology and residential amenity
opportunities. This is to be supported via planning controls, case studies,
and community engagement programs.
2. Council supports a diversity of housing styles to help people to remain
within their neighbourhood as their needs change. This includes mixeduse buildings and precincts to support local living. It also includes housing
design helps support a home business.
3. Council supports homes and workplaces for all ages and abilities by
applying adaptable and sustainable design in strategy, planning, and
community education programs.
4. Council recognises our City’s character is to be retained by respecting the
local heritage via its built and natural form.
5. Council will apply sustainable, innovative, accessible and adaptable
design for its own buildings to show leadership and share knowledge with
the community.
Gardens
6. Gardens are to protect biodiversity with less hard surfaces to support
better soil health and to reduce stormwater eroding and polluting our
waterways, bird friendly gardens with dense shrubs, bird baths and
nesting boxes to encourage pollinator pathways. This is supported by
programs such as My Smart Garden and the development of ESD
guidelines.
7. Council supports apartment buildings that are well designed to cater for
healthy, low impact, local living of residents. ‘Up and green’ will ensure
new apartment buildings result in improved urban ecology outcomes onsite (in addition to helping remove the pressure on valuable urban fringe
land of wider Melbourne).
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8. Council will ensure multi-dwelling developments provide high-quality
private, communal and public space. This includes design solutions such
as car parks or driveways that double as quality safe and connected open
space.
Climate change
9. Homes, workplaces and gardens are to adapt to climate change to cope
with drought, storms, floods and heatwaves. This is to be supported via
planning controls and community engagement programs.
10. Council supports good design of buildings to reduce the need for air
conditioning in summer to reduce peak energy loads and vulnerability of
supply. This includes passive solar design principles for gardens to
maximise their benefits and resilience.
Indicators – what we will see
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Increase in the number of planning applicants incorporating
environmentally sustainable development solutions
Increase in take-up of retrofit programs to assist the community green their
buildings and gardens
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Valuing our Resources, Ways to lessen our waste
We are living in a time and place where we own much more stuff than at any
other time in our history. There are many conscious and unconscious reasons
why this is so including the availability of cheaper goods, new marketing
methods, and often limited options for buying smaller and more relevant items.
However, our planet has the same amount of resources that we started with –
and many more people to share them with. Not to mention sharing with our future
generations.
All of our stuff draws on energy, water and materials in its production. Many
things also draw on nutrients and minerals. Some products can also cause
various types of pollution, both during use and after disposal. In the past, these
'negatives' weren't thought about let alone addressed.
The good news is that we are now learning to make our goods in a way that
causes less damage.
There is now a great opportunity for Council and the community to refine its
design, production, selling, and buying in ways that will lessen our impact on the
planet’s limited resources and improve our wellbeing.
This aligns with Moonee Valley Next Generation 2035 values of Vibrant and
Diverse and Sustainable Living
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Our community tells us they seek:




More sharing - tool shares, communal workshops, opportunities to hire
bicycle trailers
More reuse - returnable containers, reuse of hard rubbish, swap parties,
freecycle
More sustainable purchasing - bulk buying, purchasing of quality products,
reduced packaging
More recycling options - recycling to be made easier (bigger recycling
bins, recycling in public spaces and public housing) and more education
regarding recycling.
What we would like to achieve
Our communities regularly coming together to buy and share in a way the planet
can sustain.
We focus on using only what we need, sharing when we can, selecting our
purchases with the true cost in mind, reusing, repairing and recycling.
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Guiding principles – Why this is important
Limited resources
Planetary resources are limited and many are non-renewable. We need to be
wise, efficient, sharing and cyclical in our use of resources. It is especially
important that non-renewable resources are used to best advantage.
An effective way to stop the unnecessary use of materials is by accurately
valuing everything, accounting for the true economic and environmental cost of
production, use and disposal.
Preventing Waste
Recycling is considered a second last resort, with landfill being the last. We can
avoid recycling by preventing waste in the first place, and then finding ways for
multiple re-use.
Good design reduces waste by making products more durable, repairable,
recyclable and adaptable. New approaches to design and marketing can result in
improved environmental performance whilst maintaining business viability.
New Economy
Customers are increasingly seeking locally sourced products helping to make it
financially viable for businesses to supply them. Businesses are able to find
many of their needs locally thereby supporting other local businesses.
There are many ways our society, business and homes can share resources
conveniently. Access to goods and skills is more important than their ownership.
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It is claimed that there are enough resources to meet our needs: the challenge is
in learning to share them. This is often known as the ‘sharing economy’.
The market is already achieving financial viability for the recycling of some
materials and this will only increase. Burying old appliances and products in
landfill is like burying assets and money.
Government can help create the market by providing room for new technologies
to grow and be applied, education, linking business and community and pricing
environmental factors.
There is a new economy that can rapidly grow based around ‘resource recovery’
from reuse, recycling and upcycling. This is due to growing consumer interest
and because it makes use of previously unvalued items.
Smart cities are rapidly evolving and use information and communication
technologies to be more efficient in the use of resources, saving energy and
money, improving service delivery and quality of life, and reducing our
environmental footprint.
The following is an explanation of the new economy.
The New Economy
There are great new ways for business to thrive whilst saving resources.
Try selling your ‘good’ as a ‘service’ instead:
Photocopying companies do this already. Instead of buying five photocopiers, an
office can purchase a service which includes hire of photocopiers, along with
their on-going maintenance and upgrades. And the photocopier company will be
sure to make their machines last as long as possible so that they don't have to
replace them too often. Did you know you can even hire carpet now? And there
are great micro-entrepreneurial opportunities in the new sharing economy such
as renting out your bedroom to travellers, your car to neighbours, or your
commercial kitchen to a small home-based food business.
Just upgrade a component of your product, not the whole thing:
Instead of needing the whole product replaced, such as a washing machine, just
have some electronic componentry available for upgrade.
Or use biodegradability as the new ‘built-in-obsolescence’ for ongoing revenue. If
towels and kettles start to biodegrade after say twelve years, then this is a better
reason to replace from an environment perspective.
Provide long-lasting durable options too:
One can invest more in structure than finish. For example, more in smart pipe
connections and less in glossy tapware.
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Council Policy – how we will create an economy where
resources are valued
Limited resources
1. Council will help the community reduce its energy and water use and
reduce its own use as set out in the Greenhouse Strategy 2010 and the
Water Strategy 2011.
2. Council supports sustainable purchasing through progressive
implementation in its own operations, and through communications,
connections, advocacy and innovation support for our community.
3. Council supports knowledge, program and advocacy development for
resource recycling. This includes minerals, nutrients, and made-products
for their best use.
Preventing waste
4. Council supports programs and partnership to prevent waste are needed,
not just managing the waste once it is generated. This includes reduced
packaging, more reuse and market innovation.
5. Waste to landfill will be reduced through education and more
comprehensive recycling services that are convenient for community as
set out in the Waste Management Strategy 2008.
6. Engagement and education for our residents will help prevent waste and
support sustainable goods and services.
New economy
7. Local businesses are supported through Think Local and World Class
Locally program.
8. Council supports new green business, products and services.
9. Council supports the sharing (collaborative consumption) economy
through communications, connections, advocacy and innovation support.
10. Smart City philosophy is supported as a means to open up business
opportunities, customer connections, market research, more effective
infrastructure management and knowledge sharing that helps start ups,
existing businesses and residents.
11. Council models its investment in waste prevention on financial impacts of
reduced levies, taxes and resale of products.
Indicators – What will we see


Annual increase of businesses will be offering ‘green’ products or services
Annual increase in sustainable purchasing by Council
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Page 17
Connection to other Council strategies
Strategies and guidelines will be updated to reflect the principles and policies in
the City Sustainability Policy.
Updates (and consolidation) will occur during the next scheduled review of the
listed strategies and guidelines.
Table key:
(S) Future needs are designated as short term (1 to 2 years)
(M) Future needs are designated as short term (3 to 5 years)
(L) Future needs are designated as short term (more than 5 years)
MVCC Strategy
MVCC Guidelines
(policy and action
plans)
(to aid implementation)
Greenhouse
Greenhouse Strategy Sustainable Public
Community
Lighting Guidelines
Also supported by:
Also supported by:
 Greenhouse
 Carbon Offsets
Action Plan
Guidelines
 Council
Additional guidance
Greenhouse
needed:
Plan
 ESD in Council
 Sustainable
Buildings (S)
Public Lighting
Action Plan
 ESD in Planning
Applications (S)
 Smart City (L)
 Sequestration (L)
In Summary
Moonee Valley City Council is
committed to reducing
greenhouse emissions joining worldwide efforts to
prevent climate change.
The Greenhouse Strategy
2010 sets guiding principles to
achieve Council and
community greenhouse
reduction targets. These
principles apply: avoid,
reduce, switch, sequester and
offset.
Council emissions have
reduced by 31% since 2007 to
10,800 tonnes in 2012 by
undertaking works on our
buildings, public lighting, fleet,
waste and water operations.
Community emissions (from
residential, commercial,
transport and waste) have
reduced by 6% in 2001 to 1.4
million tonnes in 2006 (new
data pending). The community
target is outside of Council’s
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MVCC Strategy
MVCC Guidelines
(policy and action
plans)
(to aid implementation)
In Summary
direct control and is set as an
aspirational target for which to
plan, advocate and monitor.
The City Sustainability Policy
will update the Greenhouse
Strategy by applying additional
principles and policies of
complete streets, smart cities
and planning scheme
requirements to reduce
greenhouse emissions and
adapt to climate change.
The Greenhouse Strategy is
scheduled for review by 2014.
Targets:
 Zero net emissions by
2020 from Council
operations
 Zero net emissions by
2020 from community
activities
Water
Water Strategy
Also supported by:
 Water Supply
Plan
 Flood
Management
Plan
 Drainage
Strategy
Additional strategic
direction needed:
 Litter (S)
WSUD Guidelines
Additional guidance
needed:
 Groundwater (L)
Moonee Valley City Council is
committed to managing its
own ‘city as a catchment’ to
save potable water, and
protect waterways in a time of
climate change.
The Water Strategy 2010 sets
guiding principles and applies
a sustainable water hierarchy
to support liveability, public
health and good city
management. The Water
Sensitive Urban Design
Guidelines guide developers,
residents, business and
Council.
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MVCC Strategy
MVCC Guidelines
(policy and action
plans)
(to aid implementation)
In Summary
Council has reduced its
potable water consumption by
53 per cent since 2001. Most
of these savings have been
due to water restrictions to the
detriment of long term healthy
landscapes. We need to
provide more alternative water
for our landscapes, and keep
finding efficiencies in buildings
and systems.
Our residents and businesses
have reduced their water
consumption by 37 per cent
since 2008/09 maintaining
their reductions even with the
lifting of water restrictions.
Our stormwater pollutants
have reduced by 10 per cent
for suspended solids, 7 per
cent for phosphorus and 4 per
cent for nitrogen since 2008.
This City Sustainability Policy
aligns with the principles and
policies set out in the Water
Strategy. The Strategy is
scheduled for review by 2015.
Targets:
 50 per cent reduction in
potable water use by
2020 (from 2001)
 20 per cent best
practice stormwater
quality by 2020 (from
2008)
Waste Prevention
Waste Management
Strategy
Sustainable
Procurement Guidelines
Moonee Valley City Council is
committed to achieving best
practice waste management,
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MVCC Strategy
MVCC Guidelines
(policy and action
plans)
(to aid implementation)
Also supported by:
 Sustainable
Procurement
Policy
 Asbestos
Removal
Policy
Also supported by:
 Sustainable
Events
Guidelines
Additional strategic
direction needed:
 Waste
Prevention (S)
 Green
Business (M)
Additional guidance
needed:
 Precinct Waste
Solutions (M)
 Waste to Energy
(L)
 Packaging (L)
In Summary
and working with State
Government to deliver
innovative solutions to
minimise landfill and to make
informed purchasing
decisions.
The Waste Management
Strategy 2008 applies a waste
management hierarchy
emphasising waste avoidance
as the most sustainable
action.
The amount of kerbside waste
that Council has diverted from
landfill to recycling has
increased from 15 per cent in
2003/04 to 50 per cent in
2010/11.
This City Sustainability Policy
will update the Waste
Management Strategy by
applying additional principles
and policies for waste
prevention, resource recovery,
sustainable purchasing,
precinct waste prevention, and
green business potential.
The Waste Management
Strategy is due to be updated
in 2014 and can provide
additional guidance and detail
for these ‘upstream’ resource
management concepts.
Targets:
 65 per cent of municipal
waste diverted to landfill
by 2014
Urban Ecology
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MVCC Strategy
MVCC Guidelines
(policy and action
plans)
(to aid implementation)
Urban Ecology
Strategy (not yet
developed)
Land Contamination
Guidelines
Also supported by:
 Tree Planting
Strategy
 Remnant
Vegetation
Strategy
 Weed
Management
Strategy
Additional strategic
direction needed:
 Land
contamination
strategy
Additional guidance
needed:
 Biodiversity
Offsets (M)
 Tree Retention
and Removal (M)
In Summary
Moonee Valley City Council is
committed to improving
biodiversity as set out in the
Environment Sustainability
Plan 2007.
Biodiversity is recognised as
having benefits for the
economy, environment and
society with a long-term target
set for a ‘net gain in habitat
value across Moonee Valley’.
Since 2007, Council has
increased its conservation
areas from 4 sites totalling 3.5
hectares to 12 sites totalling
17 hectares. Our primary area
of conservation value is along
our waterways, however
valuable indigenous habitat is
also located in more
residential areas.
Council is planting an
additional 3000 trees each
year in accordance with the
Street Planting Strategy.
Support for the ongoing health
and maintenance of the trees
is growing, with Council being
a leader is supporting national
urban forestry initiatives that
better reflect the true value of
trees for our community.
This City Sustainability Policy
will guide the principles and
policy commitments in the
upcoming Urban Ecology
Strategy due by 2014.
Urban Design
City Design Strategy
(not yet developed)
Complete Street
Moonee Valley City Council is
Guidelines
committed to a linked,
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MVCC Strategy
MVCC Guidelines
(policy and action
plans)
(to aid implementation)
Also supported by:
 Open Space
Strategy
 Leisure
Strategy
 Arts and
Culture
Strategy
 Playspace
Plan
Also supported by:
 Urban Design
Technical Notes
and Details
Additional guidance
needed
 Community
Gardens (M)
In Summary
sustainable and accessible
system of quality open space
used by its diverse community.
The Moonee Valley Open
Space Strategy emphasises
planning for climate change,
sustainability and habitat by
setting out design guidelines.
In 2008, there were
approximately 220 open space
reserves in Moonee Valley
covering 528 hectares which
equates to 12.5 per cent of the
municipality. This ranges from
sporting reserves, nature
reserves, urban plaza’s and
small links.
Additional strategic
direction needed:
 Naturestrip (S)
Since 2009, Council has
increased its open space area
by 0.5ha. and progressively
upgraded its open space to
better meet local needs.
The City Sustainability Policy
will help guide the principles
and policy commitments in the
upcoming City Design
Strategy.
Transport
Integrated Transport
Plan
Supported by:
 Walking and
Cycling
Strategy
 Road Safety
Plan
 Municipal
Parking
Strategy
Complete Street
Guidelines
Additional guidance
needed:
 Car Share (L)
 Setting up Bike
Hubs (L)
Moonee Valley City Council is
committed to transforming the
way that people travel in and
around the City.
The Integrated Transport Plan
addresses ways we can
provide quality transport
networks while meeting the
future challenges of population
growth, congestion and freight,
fuel costs, peak oil, climate
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MVCC Strategy
MVCC Guidelines
(policy and action
plans)
(to aid implementation)
Additional strategic
direction needed:
 Air Pollution
(L)
In Summary
change, an ageing population
and health issues.
This is supported by the vision
to make ‘walking and cycling
the easiest, healthiest and
enjoyable way to do our daily
trips’ as set out in Walking and
Cycling Strategy.
Walking and cycling to work
has increased from 2.9 per
cent to 3.8 per cent from 2001
to 2011. Public transport to
work has grown to 17.5 per
cent from 15.2 per cent in
2006. Unfortunately, car use to
work is also growing.
The City Sustainability Policy
updates the Integrated
Transport Plan by including
the Complete Streets
philosophy.
Targets:
 By 2020, 50% of trips to
and from school will be
by sustainable
transport.
Economic Development
Economic
Sustainable Business
Development
Checklists
Strategy
Also supported by:
Additional strategic
 ‘Buy Green’
direction needed:
Business List
 Green
Business (M)
Moonee Valley City Council is
committed to enhancing the
economic potential of Moonee
Valley as a premier location
for business and investment
growth.
The
‘energise.connect.prosper’
Economic Development
Strategy seeks to research
and support potential
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MVCC Strategy
MVCC Guidelines
(policy and action
plans)
(to aid implementation)
In Summary
investors. It recognises the
role of sustainable operations
and buying locally.
In 2011, businesses providing
‘green’ goods and services in
Moonee Valley numbered 44.
The City Sustainability Policy
updates the Economic
Development Strategy by
supporting the sharing
economy, smart cities to better
help Moonee Valley
businesses take advantage of
new business opportunities,
efficiencies, and local market
connections.
The Economic Development
Strategy is due to be updated
in 2014
Climate Change Adaptation
Climate Adaptation
WAGA Regional
Strategy (not yet
Climate Change Risk
developed)
Assessment
Also supported by:
 Heatwave
Strategic
Response
Plan
Also supported by:
 Emergency
Management
Plan
 Strategic Risk
Register
Council has investigated its
climate change risks in
partnership with other local
governments in Melbourne’s
west via the Western Alliance
for Greenhouse Action
(WAGA). This Climate Change
Risk Assessment identified 90
risks across the region and set
out priority actions for Council
to address.
The City Sustainability Policy
adopts the recommendations
of the Climate Change Risk
Assessment which requires
Council to address risk using a
Council-wide priority. The
future Climate Adaptation
Strategy will address ways to
adapt to the changes in
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MVCC Strategy
MVCC Guidelines
(policy and action
plans)
(to aid implementation)
In Summary
climate, and ways to be
resilient for ongoing climate
variability.
Page 20
Advocacy
City development, liveability and sustainability are dependent on united and
holistic planning and implementation by all levels of government.
Council’s policy positions set out our commitment. To keep stretching to meet our
guiding principles we need more information, better planning, demonstrations
projects and leadership to do things differently.
There are still many traditional old governance structures in place that prevent
great city development taking place. Advocacy allows these structures to
accommodate our rapidly changing world and priorities
Communication
Communication is central to connecting and engaging with people. It will ensure
the success of our policies and help enable great ideas, knowledge and
opportunities.
Council is committed to ongoing communication with its community and
stakeholders as a priority means of meeting our targets.
Monitoring
Council will provide an annual update on City Sustainability Progress via its
Annual Plan prepared each year.
Page 21
Definitions
Business – Green: Business with goods/services that measure, prevent, limit,
minimise of correct environmental damage; e.g. an accountant selling carbon
offset products
Business – Sustainable: Business that has substantially reduced the
environmental impact of its operations; e.g. an accountant operating a ‘carbon
neutral’ office.
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Climate Change Adaptation: Taking action to respond to consequences of hotter,
drier and more extreme climate.
Child-Friendly Cities: City with design and governance that meets childrens
needs for involvement, safety, services, health and ability to enjoy healthy
environment and society.
Collaborative Consumption: Economic model based on sharing, swapping,
bartering, trading or renting access to products as opposed to ownership.
Community Based Urbanism: Also known as Tactical Urbanism, Guerilla
Urbanism, Pop-Up Urbanism, DIY Urbanism. Small-scale community driven
efforts to improve the liveability of local streets. Ranges from informal bike
parking, to food carts, median strip gardening, de-paving, pop-up parks and
more.
Community Group Linking: Connecting community groups with each other, with
community and with agencies to unite on common ground
Complete Streets: A philosophy of designing streets where they provide more
than just motor vehicle access to fulfil their ever increasing role in quality
neighbourhoods. Also known as ‘right-sizing’ a street to better match a broader
community use.
Ecosystem Services: The benefits of healthy ecosystems. Includes provisioning,
such as the production of food; regulating, such as the control of climate and
disease; supporting, such as water cycles, nutrient cycles and crop pollination;
and cultural, such as spiritual and recreational benefits.
Green Infrastructure: Network of vegetation across parks, reserves, streetscapes,
building and homes to sustain a healthy environment.
Living Locally: Where daily needs are met within walking distance from the home.
Provides social, environmental and economic benefits. Provides community wellbeing and resilience.
Microclimate: The climate of a very small area which may vary significantly from
the climate of the larger surrounding area. Urban microclimates may be
influenced by buildings, pavements, vegetation etc.
Novel Ecosystems/Landscapes: Ecosystems which contain new combinations of
species brought about through human agency.
Placemaking: Making a public space a living space. Drawing on local knowledge
and finding more solutions to connect people.
Plants – Introduced (or exotic): A plant species which is growing outside of its
naturally occurring area of distribution.
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Plants – Native: A plant species which is growing within its country of origin (eg
“Australian native plants”)
Plants – Indigenous: A native plant species when it is growing within the specific
part of Australia in which it naturally occurred.
Play Streets: Also known as Shared Zones. Repurposing a space used primarily
for vehicles, to have a shared use. This is by slowing cars down to walking pace,
enabling safe childrens play and people gathering. Can be temporary or
permanent.
Resource Recovery: The process of converting municipal solid waste to energy
and/or recovering materials for recycling.
Sharing Economy: New and growing business opportunities available by
transforming idle assets. For example, renting out spare bed or drill. Enabled by
social media and trust.
Smart City: Use of information and communication technologies in cities to be
more efficient in the use of resources, saving energy and money, improving
service delivery and quality of life, and reducing our environmental footprint.
Streetscape: The elements of a street, including road, footpaths, adjoining
buildings, street furniture and infrastructure, nature strips, trees and other
vegetation.
Sustainable Purchasing: Goods and services that are (a) less environmentally
damaging than previous purchases (b) perform an environmental function such
as saving water or energy.
Urban Agriculture: Growing of food within cities in a way that integrates with the
urban and economic systems. Includes household food growing, community
gardens, gardens on and in buildings.
Urban Ecology: The biological and environmental processes occurring within an
urban environment. Urban ecosystems can be enhanced to maximise the
benefits for human populations.
Vegetation – Remnant: Patches of the original, indigenous vegetation, which
remain after the surrounding areas have been developed or disturbed for another
purpose.
Waste Prevention: All measures to avoid the creation of waste. This includes the
avoidance of creating products, more efficient design, multiple uses, and
recycling.
Waste Management: All measures to deal with ‘waste’ once it has been created.
This includes composting, resource recovery, recycling and landfill.
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