The federal government is partnering with local government to deliver energy upgrades and bill savings for community facilities such as local pools, sporting clubs and community centres with a new $100 million Community Energy Upgrades Fund.
The Community Energy Upgrades Fund will co-fund upgrades with local councils and has the potential to unlock over $200 million in high-impact energy upgrades to save community facilities on bills over the medium and long term.
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Local councils own and operate many of the public sporting, community and cultural facilities Australians use every year, and we know that 8 million Australians use community sport infrastructure annually.
This new funding will unlock energy saving upgrades for community facilities around the country, and 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.
The $100 million funding boost from the Albanese Government adds to the $1.6 billion Energy Savings Package delivering upgrades for homes and businesses in the 2023-24 Budget.
The guidelines for the fund will be designed in close consultation with key stakeholders, including the Australian Local Government Association.
Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen said, “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 Albanese 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.”
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Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories Kristy McBain said, “Local governments are trusted delivery partners of a range of services communities rely on, which is why we continue to provide them with targeted assistance to help them meet the needs of their local communities.
“We know that every dollar local governments save goes back into their community, which is why the Community Energy Upgrades Fund is great news—it will mean more energy efficient operations and better experiences for communities to enjoy.”
