Climate Change
The City has been working to reduce its carbon footprint, and that of its community, since 1999 when it formed the South East Regional Energy Group with the City of Armadale and Serpentine-Jarrahdale Shire.
The Group developed the award-winning Switch Your Thinking program to help the community reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
Accordingly, the City commissioned the design and construction of two buildings whose sustainable development initiatives and notable energy efficiency have set benchmarks for local government capital works.
The Agonis building in the Gosnells Town Centre is a two-storey community facility that houses the Knowledge Centre, Lotteries House, Gosnells Centre for Business Development and a cafe. It was the first Western Australian building project to be the subject of an Australian Building Greenhouse Rating scheme Commitment Agreement.
The City of Gosnells Civic Centre, which houses the City's administrative and Council offices, has achieved its design target of five out of a possible six stars under the Green Star rating program by incorporating innovative technologies such as 'phase change' energy storage bank and parking for small vehicles only in some locations.
Photovoltaic panels
The City has taken proactive steps to reduce its carbon footprint by installing photovoltaic panels at the Civic Centre.
The 156 Canadian Solar 255 watt panels and two inverters produce about 69 megawatts of electricity per year. The system, which cost $45,000 after rebates, saved an estimated $22,000 in electricity costs in its first year.Â