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43Electric small plant
Progress
On time
- Not started
- Planning
- Implementation
- Continuous
OBJECTIVE
IMPACT
MediumSmall plant is included in the estimated 997 tCO2-e between 2021 and 2035 for plant and fleet.
Description
Our Municipal Operations teams are deeply committed to building a sustainable future for our community. Our dedication goes beyond just achieving our Net Zero target, incorporating a comprehensive approach to sustainability that prioritises the wellbeing of staff and our communities.
To support this commitment, we are actively transforming our fleet of small and large plant equipment. Here's how we're doing it:
- Testing Battery-Powered Tools: We are trialing and testing battery-powered tools on a commercial scale.
- Transitioning to Battery Power: Wherever feasible, we are switching to battery-powered, ergonomic tools.
The benefits of this transition are numerous:
- Reduced Environmental Impact: By using battery power, we reduce fuel consumption, landfill waste generation, maintenance requirements, noise pollution, and air pollution.
- Enhanced Safety and Productivity: Battery-powered equipment not only enhances staff safety and productivity, our community also reaps the health benefits from our transition to alternative outdoor working methods.
Traditional petrol garden tools contribute significantly to emissions and air pollution. By embracing battery-powered alternatives, we're mitigating these harmful effects across the shire.
We've already converted over 40% of our small tools to battery alternatives. The batteries of these tools are charged using 100% renewable electricity at Council's depots.
Tasks
What are we doing?
- 06/2035
GOAL - Replace all Small Plant with Battery Powered Alternatives
To align with our Net Zero by 2035 commitment, we are transitioning our small plant to equivalent battery-operated alternatives.
We are starting with small hand tools (e.g. drills, impact drivers, grinders), then moving to target the tools used by our Parks and Gardens, and Tree Services teams (e.g. blowers, pole saws, kombi tools, hedgers, smaller chainsaws).
Once we have moved the smaller tools over, we would look at the more heavy-duty tools used by our Road Maintenance teams (e.g. jackhammers, Wacker plates, drop saws), Tree Services team (e.g. large chainsaws), and our Parks and Gardens teams (e.g. push mowers, brush cutters).
What has been done?
- 30/06/2024
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Parks and Gardens team in Rutherglen.
- 31/05/2024
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Parks and Gardens team in Beechworth and Yackandandah.
This was a part of a targeted replacement of petrol brushcutters within the Parks and Gardens teams. The aim was to remove any unnecessary petrol operated brushcutters and replace them with battery alternatives.
- 31/05/2024
TRIAL - Commercial Electric Zero Turn Mower and Electric Utility Vehicle
Our Parks and Gardens team were asked to re-trial the new Greenworks 80 Volt 'Maximus' Zero Turn commercial electric mower which. This machine had been modified from the last demonstration, in part due to feedback given by our staff.
Our Rutherglen team were fortunate enough to have this machine for a day in May 2024, and provided some really positive feedback to management around the mower's fitness for purpose within our shire.
Our Rutherglen team also got to trial the Greenworks 16kW Utility Vehicle for a fortnight in May 2024. This vehicle could directly be compared to a petrol powered Kubota RTV that we have in our fleet, and some excellent feedback was provided.
Image: Greenworks 16kW Utility Vehicle - 30/04/2024
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Tree Services team.
- 31/03/2024
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Parks and Gardens teams in Beechworth, Chiltern, and Yackandandah, and for the Tree Services team.
This was a part of a targeted replacement of petrol pole saws and kombi tools within the Parks and Gardens, and Tree Services teams. The aim was to remove any unnecessary petrol operated pole saws and kombi tools and replace them with battery alternatives.
- 29/02/2024
PURCHASE - Solar Operated Traffic Lights
Purchased solar operated portable traffic lights for the Road Maintenance team in the East.
- 31/12/2023
TRIAL - Commercial Electric Zero Turn Mower
Trial of the new Greenworks 80 Volt 'Maximus' Zero Turn commercial electric mower by our Parks and Gardens teams. Our teams were fortunate enough to have this machine for a week in Summer 2023, and provided some fantastic feedback to management around the mower's fitness for purpose within our shire.
- 30/11/2023
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Road Maintenance team in the East.
This is our first heavy duty small plant replacement!
We replaced our old petrol jackhammer with a battery operated one. The crew were a big driving force behind this change as they believed the battery operated tool would be fit for purpose, there would be a significant noise reduction, and they wouldn't be dealing with smoke and fumes from a petrol machine.
We love a collaborative team effort when it comes to replacing old tools and meeting our goals!
- 31/10/2023
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Parks and Gardens team in Beechworth.
- 30/09/2023
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Parks and Gardens team in Chiltern.
- 31/07/2023
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Parks and Gardens team in Rutherglen.
- 31/03/2023
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Tree Services team.
These tools are the ones that were trialled earlier in the year!
- 30/03/2023
TRIAL - Battery Powered Pole Saw and Chain Saw
Council trialled the following for our tree crew:
- battery-powered Husqvarna 530iPT5 pole saw
- battery-powered Husqvarna 540i XP chain saw.
- 28/02/2023
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Parks and Gardens team in Rutherglen.
- 30/11/2022
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Parks and Gardens team in Beechworth.
- 30/09/2022
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Parks and Gardens team in Rutherglen.
- 30/06/2022
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Parks and Gardens team in Yackandandah.
- 29/06/2022
TRIAL - Commercial Electric Mower
Trial of the new Ecotech 'Green Machine' commercial electric mower by our Parks and Gardens teams. Our teams were fortunate enough to have this machine for a week in Spring 2022, and provided some fantastic feedback to management around the mower's fitness for purpose within our shire.
- 30/04/2022
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Road Maintenance team in the East, and the Parks and Gardens team in Yackandandah.
- 30/11/2021
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Road Maintenance team in the West.
- 31/10/2021
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Road Maintenance teams in the East and West.
- 31/12/2020
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Road Maintenance team in the East, and Parks and Gardens team in Chiltern.
- 31/10/2020
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Road Maintenance teams in the East and West.
- 31/07/2020
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for all teams across the shire.
- 31/07/2020
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Parks and Gardens team in Beechworth.
- 30/06/2020
PURCHASE - Battery operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Parks and Gardens team in Rutherglen and Chiltern.
- 31/01/2020
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Parks and Gardens team in Rutherglen.
- 30/11/2019
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Parks and Gardens team in Rutherglen, and the Tree Services team.
- 31/10/2019
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Parks and Gardens teams in Yackandandah and Beechworth.
- 30/09/2019
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Parks and Gardens team in Rutherglen.
- 28/02/2019
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Parks and Gardens team in Beechworth.
- 31/01/2019
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Road Maintenance team in the East.
- 30/09/2018
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Parks and Gardens team in Chiltern.
- 31/07/2018
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Road Maintenance team in the West.
- 30/06/2017
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Road Maintenance team in the East.
- 30/04/2013
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tools
Purchased battery operated hand tools for the Tree Services team, and the Road Maintenance teams in the East and West.
- 31/05/2012
PURCHASE - Battery Operated Hand Tool
Council's first battery operated blower purchased for the Parks and Gardens team in Rutherglen.