Federal Government announces new round of funding to help councils upgrade energy systems

The Federal Government is again partnering with local governments to deliver energy upgrades and cost savings for community facilities including aquatic facilities, sporting clubs and community centres through the Community Energy Upgrades Fund.

With round two of the highly popular $100 million program set to open for applications on 4th March, $50 million of funding is available, which has the potential to unlock at least an additional $100 million in high-impact energy upgrades.

This could include upgrades like replacing energy-intensive heating in council pools with heat pumps and energy efficient lighting and battery storage at sporting fields, libraries and community centres.

Local councils own and operate many of the public sporting, community and cultural facilities that Australians use every year.

The highly popular Federal Government initiative saw 58 local government’s awarded funding in Round 1, following 165 applications overall.

Commenting on the program, Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen stated “local councils run many of the sport and public facilities that keep our communities and clubs thriving. We want facilities that Australians know and love, like cricket grounds and local pools, to be able to save on their energy bills and spend more on the things they do best.

“The (Federal) Government is not just providing short term relief on power bills, with our Community Energy Upgrades Fund and Energy Savings Package, it is also making the investments needed to deliver cleaner, cheaper power for the long-term.”

Local councils who missed out in the first round are encouraged to apply again.

Click here for guidelines and more information.

Image: Solar PV system at the Mildura Sporting Precinct.