A former landfill site in Shortland has been proposed to house a local solar farm, set to help the city both financially and environmentally.
The 60-hectare parcel of land, on Astra Street, was in operation from 1974 to 1995.
But, since its closure, City of Newcastle (CN) has undertaken extensive environmental remediation to safeguard the water quality of surrounding wetlands, increase biodiversity and promote long-term native plant growth.
Now, council’s unveiled its plans to turn the area into the Astra Street Community Energy Precinct (ASCEP).
The project forms part of the draft Newcastle Climate Action Plan 2026-2030 (also known as CAP 3030), which councillors will vote to place on public exhibition at the next extraordinary meeting on 16 December.
The plan outlines action CN needs to take to achieve net zero emissions from its operations by 2030 and support a Newcastle-wide transition to net zero by 2040.
If the business case for the ASCEP is accepted, the site could feature a large-scale 10-megawatt solar farm and a 20-megawatt Battery Energy Storage System, which will provide heavy electric vehicle charging for CN vehicles and local commercial operators.
Council’s executive manager environment and sustainability Marnie Kikken said it provided a “clear, evidence-based pathway for taking action to address climate change”.
“The CAP 2030 has been developed through extensive community consultation, economic modelling, best-practice research and cost-benefit analysis,” she explained.
“The science-based targets in the CAP 2030 align to the goals of the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit average global temperature increases to 1.5°C, to significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change.
“Australia’s climate has warmed by an average of 1.51°C since national records began in 1910, with eight out of the nine warmest years on record occurring since 2013.
“As our region transitions to clean energy, it’s vital everyone in our community can access affordable, reliable and renewable energy.
“The ultimate goal would be to move beyond net zero and actively remove more carbon from the atmosphere than is produced by leveraging nature-based solutions such as urban greening, tree planting and the restoration of ecosystems, to sequester carbon.”
To implement the CAP 2030, an estimated $42 million of capital investment would be required over the next five years.
CN admitted it planned to seek at least 50% matched funding through grants and commercial partnerships.
If the plan can be fully-implemented, it’s estimated council would see a return of between $3.5 million to $4 million per year by 2030 from the ASCEP.
Strategy and Innovation Strategic Advisory Committee chair Declan Clausen said the draft CAP 2030 featured a range of initiatives to help City of Newcastle achieve its climate goals.
“This includes electrifying our fleet of vehicles, trialling renewable diesel fuel, and phasing out gas installations and heating with electric power,” Cr Clausen stated.
“The plan also includes a new target of net zero emissions from landfill gas by 2040, as well as increasing the utilisation of recovered materials and sustainable product alternatives in CN operations and construction works.”
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