Switch off for Earth Hour 2017

Published on 21 March 2017

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Mildura Rural City Council is encouraging Sunraysia residents to ‘switch off’ as part of Earth Hour 2017 this Saturday night.

Now in its 10th year, Earth Hour was launched by the World Wildlife Fund in Australia in 2007 and is now the world’s largest grassroots environmental movement.

Each year, landmarks and communities switch off their lights for an hour to show their support for the initiative, which aims to reduce electricity consumption – one of the largest contributors of greenhouse gas emissions.

Council has been an Earth Hour member for seven years and will turn off all non-essential lights at its highest energy-consuming buildings – the Alfred Deakin Centre and the Deakin Avenue and Madden Avenue Service Centres – between 8.30pm and 9.30pm this Saturday, 25 March.

Council’s support of the initiative is part of the organisation’s broader push to be more environmentally sustainable.

Portfolio Councillor for Environmental Sustainability Anthony Cirillo said Council’s Energy Management Plan 2012 – 2017 set out to achieve a 30 per cent reduction in energy consumption by 2017, with a 25 per cent reduction already achieved.

“We are on track to achieve these ambitious goals thanks to a number of practical measures undertaken in recent years, such as installing solar hot water systems at pools, community sporting facilities, Council depots and park facilities,” Cr Cirillo said.

“We have also installed solar systems on 17 of our buildings in a bid to further cut down on our energy consumption.

“By reducing our energy usage, we not only help the environment, but reduce the day-to-day running costs of our buildings.”

Earth Hour is now celebrated in more than 170 countries and over 7000 cities, with more than six million Australians (one in four) now taking part.

Council is encouraging Sunraysia residents to join the push by turning off non-essential electrical appliances between 8.30pm and 9.30pm this Saturday in a bid to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted through electricity consumption.

Residents can register their event and support Earth Hour by visiting www.earthhour.org.au. People can also visit the site’s Events page to search for Earth Hour events taking in place in the region.

Alternatively, residents can contact Council’s Environmental Sustainability Officer on (03) 5018 8100.

 

Media enquiries 
Ben Piscioneri
p) (03) 5018 8689 
e) ben.piscioneri@mildura.vic.gov.au 

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