Australia’s Most Sustainable City

As Australia sees the importance of working towards becoming a more sustainable nation, a number of measures have been put in place to help individuals, households, towns and cities get there.

Recently, one organisation and awards program celebrated a city’s success in becoming sustainable. Environmental organisation Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria (KABV) aims to celebrate and encourage the eco friendly actions of communities in Victoria and supports activities that conserve, protect and enhance the local environment.

KABV run volunteer programs and hold annual awards, which have a strong tradition dating back to the 1960s. From its humble beginnings with anti-litter campaigns to its now sophisticated sustainability projects, KABV is making a difference.

KABV held their latest awards on July 26, where the City of Moreland was named as the 2013 Sustainable City of the Year.

“The City of Moreland is a great example of sustainability in action and as a community they are committed to protecting and enhancing their local environment,” said Ryan Smith, minister for environment and climate change.

Programs the City has implemented include Zero Carbon Moreland, which is a ‘behaviour change’ program with over 4,000 participants, and a Clean Energy Solutions program, which is a bulk buying scheme where residents buy affordable solar panels, hot water services and electric bikes. This year, council has even made the significant achievement of carbon neutrality.

How can you be sustainable?

It can be helpful to come together as a community to give each other advice on eco friendly products and practices. However each action you take as an individual can have a significant impact on the world around you – so wherever you are, don’t be discouraged, and take some simple steps to become more environmentally friendly. These steps can be as easy as switching to reusable coffee cups, rather than the disposable version, for your daily coffee fix.