Climate Emergency

Council is committed to doing its part to reduce emissions and build resilience and adaptability to climate change. Some of this work includes:

• Maintaining Council’s Climate Active carbon neutral accreditation for corporate operations.
• Continuing to purchase 100% renewable energy for all facilities and streetlights through the Victorian Energy Collaboration.
• Installing electric vehicle chargers at Council facilities.
• Transitioning Council’s fleet to hybrid and electric vehicles.
• Delivering energy efficiency and electrification upgrades to Council facilities to reduce energy consumption and transition away from gas.
• Increasing solar generation and battery storage capacity on Council facilities.
• Reviewing and updating the Sustainable Council Facilities Policy to ensure environmentally sustainable design is embedded in Council facility projects.
• Undertaking climate risk assessments on Council assets, infrastructure and services and embed in Council’s risk management framework.

Council recognises that our community is skilled and well placed to lead localised action on climate change. Alongside this plan, Council commits to playing a role in inspiring, informing, enabling and connecting people so our community and environment can thrive for generations to come. Some of the work Council is doing to support climate action includes:

• Developing a community mobilisation program for 2024 and 2025 to coordinate and strengthen community led climate action.
• Supporting community renewable energy opportunities, including working with the Deans Marsh and District Community to develop an Energy Action Plan.
• Installing public electric vehicle chargers in Anglesea, Aireys Inlet, Lorne and Winchelsea through the Victorian Government Destination Charging Across Victoria program.
• Delivering an annual Youth for Climate program to equip youth with the skills and knowledge to be agents of change.
• Providing information and resources to equip and prepare community members for natural disasters and climate change impacts.

Every year the Climate Emergency Grants provide funding to projects that implement climate action throughout the Surf Coast Shire. The next funding rounds will take place in March 2026. To find out more information head to our Climate Emergency Grants Page.

2026 Successful projects:

$10,000 grant

Geelong Sustainability and Surf Coast Environment Group for hosting of a Community Climate Risk Forum, bringing together residents, businesses, emergency services and community groups to explore impacts of climate change, connect people with practical resources and strengthen adaptive responses.

$5,000 grants

Aleisja Henry, auspiced by the Surfrider Foundation for hosting of a Surf Coast BioBlitz, a one-day community-led citizen science event, engaging residents, volunteers, scientists and Traditional Owners to survey climate-vulnerable grassland ecosystems. The project will help build climate awareness and resilience by improving local knowledge of ecosystem health and climate impacts, strengthening community connections and providing data to inform future restoration work.

Common Ground Project for a Schools for Climate: Regeneration and Climate Action project, enabling up to 250 students from Surf Coast Shire schools to attend 10 climate and regenerative education programs facilitated by Common Ground Project, Freshwater Creek. The programs will help enable students and staff to mobilise, be resilient and act in the face of climate emergency, with reduced climate footprints via climate-safe food choices.

2025 Successful projects:

$10,000 grant

Common Ground Project and Winchelsea Primary School. 'School for Climate: Regeneration and Climate Action in Regional Communities.' This project will enable all students at Winchelsea Primary School to learn about regenerative gardening at Common Ground Project. They will then apply their knowledge to create sustainable gardens at school and home. 

$5,000 grant

Clean Earth Essentials, auspiced by Common Ground Project. To run 'Make your own sustainable detergents at home from recycled oil' workshops to teach the community how to create non-toxic household products.

Danawa at Spring Creek Community Garden. Installation of a solar power system at the Spring Creek Community Garden, to reduce emissions and support sustainable food growing practices.

2024 successful projects:

Common Ground Project and Lorne P-12 College for 'School for Climate: Regeneration and Climate Action in the Garden and Farm'.  This project will see the entire college student community attend and engage with a School for Climate regeneration program at Common Ground Project, providing a tangible example of regeneration and sustainable farming and food systems in the face of climate crisis.

The Brainery and Geelong Regional Library Corporation Arckit Sustainability Studio. The Arckit Sustainability Studio is a dynamic hand-on educational experience.  In groups of up to 30, participants learn essential for promoting sustainable living and addressing climate change within an architectural framework.  Participants will have exciting opportunities to construct models of environmentally safe buildings, parks and communities.