Climate change - what is Council doing?

Sustainability and climate action is a key focus for Council and is fundamental to protect the natural environment, and the liveability and livelihoods of residents and businesses across the Shire.

To do this, we are focusing on the following areas:

• Climate change mitigation – reducing greenhouse gas emissions from our own operations and helping reduce Shire-wide.
• Climate adaptation – helping people, biodiversity and landscapes, and the economy be more resilient to a changing climate.
• Improving resource recovery, upcycling and recycling, and developing a circular economy.
• Nurturing biodiversity across the Shire and safeguarding our precious water resources.

Council unanimously declared a climate emergency in September 2019. The emergency acknowledges that a temperature rise above 1.5°C will lead to major and irreversible damage to ecosystems. Up to one million species face extinction. Locally, climate change will increase fire hazard with an increase in hot days, impact rainfall patterns and increase the likelihood of extreme weather events.

Read the Central Highlands Climate Projections.

What we're doing

Climate mitigation - emissions reduction

Council is working hard to reduce its own carbon footprint through our Sustainable Hepburn strategy(PDF, 15MB) which guides us to a ‘beyond zero emissions’ future as we focus on our corporate emissions and partner with the community to reduce greenhouse gas pollution right across the Shire. Since the commencement of Sustainable Hepburn, we have achieved a 40.4 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases from our own operations - a great result in just a few years and proof that steep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions can be achieved with the right approach.

Having completely eliminated emissions from electricity use and steadily reduced gas heating emissions, now in 2025 over 90 per cent of Council's remaining corporate emissions come from heavy road works vehicle and fleet emissions, and this is a focus for Council in the coming years as market conditions begin to offer alternatives to diesel and petrol powered fleet such as passenger and utility vehicles, trucks and maintenance machinery.

Here are some of the initiatives contributing to climate action in Hepburn Shire:

• Renewable electricity - we have eliminated 100 per cent of our emissions from electricity use through the Victorian Energy Collaboration, which saw an initial 46 Victorian councils bulk buy Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) to procure 100 per cent renewable energy from local Victorian renewable energy projects. Council sources all of its electricity through this PPA and also received more than a 30 per cent reduction in the cost of electricity.
• Renewable generation - installation of rooftop solar photovoltaic (solar PV) systems on Council facilities.
• Battery storage - Council has installed two battery storage power back-up systems at highly-used community facilities, with another to be installed by early 2026. 
• Purchasing electric vehicles (EVs), when fit for purpose and financially viable to drive down transport emissions.
• Installing an EV charging network - Council has installed charging infrastructure for its own EVs while partnering with Hepburn Energy and Chargefox to install public fast-chargers in Daylesford, Hepburn Springs, Creswick and Trentham. 
• Future charging needs - We also completed a study in 2025 in partnership with neighbouring councils which maps the public EV charger network and where future chargers could be placed to maximise benefit and connectivity right across the region.
• Energy efficient lighting - Retrofitting lighting in Council facilities, residential and major road streetlights with energy efficient LEDs.
• Climate friendly facilities - Insulating and draft-proofing Council facilities, replacing outdated appliances with energy efficient alternatives, and addressing unnecessary energy consumption.
• Sustainable procurement - Council is working internally, with regional partners, neighbouring councils and Sustainability Victoria to embed environmentally sustainable procurement practices within all of our procurement processes.
• Sustainable Hepburn Community Grants - Providing grants to local non-profit organisations to reduce emissions, lower operating costs and improve comfort in community facilities.
• Hepburn Z-NET and working with the community on climate action - Council continues to work with Hepburn Energy, Transition Creswick, Transition Clunes, the Trentham Sustainability Group and other community partners to deliver Hepburn Z-NET and the Community Transition Plan to drive down emissions across the whole municipality.