Sustainable Business Programs

Resource Efficiency

Resource efficiency is a strategy businesses can use to improve their bottom line and environmental performance at the same time.

What are the benefits of resource efficiency to my business?

Due to the increasing cost of raw materials, energy and waste management and an increasing green consumer awareness, resource efficiency is a necessity for businesses rather than an option. Resource efficiency provides several benefits to businesses including minimising the risk of adverse environmental incidents and reducing operating costs. Less tangible benefits include improved staff morale and better community support.

Current Resource Efficiency Programs

Sustainable Business Energy Savings Program 2009-2010

Holroyd City Council is pleased to announce a new initiative to help your business reduce costs of energy use.

Council has partnered with Global Sustainability Initiatives (GSI) to provide this program to local business. The program will provide access to cost-effective audits and support in sourcing below market rates for high energy use equipment. This will be achieved through bulk purchasing on behalf of a number of businesses and will ultimately provide ongoing savings into the future.

To determine if you qualify for this program please contact Council's Environmental Health Unit on 9840 9840 for a short questionnaire.

Please understand that completing the questionnaire doesn't guarantee your participation in the program. An invitation to join the program is dependent upon an assessment of the potential for your business to implement energy efficiency measures that provide you a satisfactory financial return. This assessment will be made based on the returned questionnaire.

Benefits for participants

• a free business energy assessment.
• access to cost effective audits and support in sourcing below market rates for products in lighting, insulation, air conditioning, heating, refrigeration and other high energy use equipment.
• reduced electricity and gas costs
• access to government funded programs
• free promotion and marketing within Holroyd
• project management on your behalf requiring minimal time commitment.

Staff from Holroyd City Council and GSI would be happy to visit you in person to discuss the Sustainable Business Energy Savings Program in more detail and complete the questionnaire with you. If you would like to take up this offer please complete the registration form and fax it to Council on 9840 9734 or alternatively contact Council's Environmental Health Unit on 9840 9840.

State Government Programs

NSW Sustainability Compacts are built on the concept of partnership. Compacts are voluntary three to five year agreements between the Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW and leading Australian companies that operate in New South Wales.

Sydney Water offers a formalised water saving process for business customers who spend more than $70,000 per year on water and related charges. This amount equates to more than 100 kilolitres of water per day. The Every Drop Counts Business Program process incorporates water management into day to day business operations and at a strategic level.

NABERS is a voluntary environmental rating system for office premises. Building owners and managers will be able to report on those aspects of the environmental performance of the building that are in their control, for example landlord energy use (lifts, air conditioning etc), water consumption etc. Building occupants will report on the environmental performance of the aspects of the building that they control (light and power in their tenancy, transport to and from the building etc).

Industry Programs

Green Stamp Plus is specifically for the automotive industry and can help your business to reduce its environmental impact. Green Stamp Plus is run by the Motor Traders Association of NSW and the program is open to all businesses in the automotive industry. Go to the Green Stamp Plus website for an environmental product and service directory, information guides and sample environmental management plans and policies. The MTA can also visit your workshop for a free and confidential Envirocheck so that you can have peace of mind that your business is on the right track environmentally. Also, the Green Stamp Plus Accreditation program is now available for those businesses that meet a certain criteria. Achieving accreditation is a great way to promote to your community, customers and staff that your business takes its environmental responsibilities seriously.

Holroyd Environmental Assessment Program

The Holroyd Environmental Assessment Program assesses commercial and industrial activities against the requirements of the Protection of the Environment Operations (POEO) Act 1997 and environmental best practice.

The Holroyd Environmental Assessment Program began in 1999 and aims to protect and conserve our local environment from possible potential incidents and to provide information to local businesses to improve their resource efficiency.

What are my responsibilities under the Protection of Environment Operations Act 1997?

Businesses are required to take all reasonable steps to prevent pollution and protect the environment. This includes:

• Showing that all that could have been reasonably done to prevent an incident from occurring has been done
• Ensuring that only clean water flows down the drains on or around the site
• Only industrial waste water for which you have a trade waste agreement to discharge to sewer
• Ensuring your waste is properly stored on your site, and then properly disposed of by a licensed contractor
• Ensuring all employees and subcontractors are aware of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 as you are legally responsible for all pollution that occurs on your premises
• Ensuring that offensive noise does not occur at any time
• Not letting excessive fumes, dust or smoke escape into the air and cause air pollution.

What are the penalties for breaching the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997?

If a Council Officer observes a breach of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997, Council may use special notices to require you to undertake specific works. These notices are a Clean Up Notice or a Prevention Notice. A $320 administration fee accompanies these notices.

A Clean Up Notice may be issued if pollution has occurred or is likely to occur on your site. If you do not comply with the Clean Up Notice, Council may come onto your site and complete the clean up and recover the costs associated from you.

A Prevention Notice is issued in cases where Council notices you or your employees are doing something that could harm the environment. If you disagree with Council, you can appeal against the Prevention Notice in court.

Council Officers are also able to issue on-the-spot fines for the following minor offences.

Past Program - Sustainable Future for Small Business in Western Sydney

In 2007, Council, in conjunction with Auburn and Fairfield Councils received a grant from the NSW Government's Environmental Trust to conduct a program to promote environmentally sustainable practices within small businesses, particularly those with culturally and linguistically diverse proprietors.

Sixty small businesses signed up to the program, including 20 from the Merrylands CBS, with the goal of saving money by reducing water and energy consumption, minimising their waste and improving the marketing of the businesses.

This program consisted of auditing businesses, educational seminars and creating a brand that identifies the business as part of the program.

As a result of the project, the participating businesses have achieved the following outcomes:

• The institution of water saving devices and business practices that reduced the total annual water consumption of the businesses by 658, 280L per year.
• Through the introduction of waste avoidance strategies a 1% reduction in the total volume of waste was achieved, this equates to 16,130.49L of waste per year.
• A reduction in energy use of 78,937.61kWh per year preventing 60,890kg of eCO2 entering the atmosphere each year.
• A total net cost saving of $9,261.91 by implementing the energy and water saving initiatives.

For more information about this project, please contact Council's Environmental Health Unit on 9840 9840.