Christmas lights may be turning on across the North Shore, but residential electricity consumption in Willoughby City has fallen by a massive 18.6 per cent since 2006/07.

The decrease is being celebrated by Willoughby Council, along with a 9.8 per cent electricity reduction by the non-residential (small and large businesses) community.

The impressive figures are just some of the findings reported in Council’s Sustainability Report Card, part of the Willoughby City Annual Report, that show the Willoughby community has embraced an environmentally conscious lifestyle.

“This is an incredible effort by our local community. Willoughby Council promotes sustainability to our residents through a raft of initiatives, workshops and programs – but at the end of the day, it is our residents and business owners who have adopted better ways of living and working, and are now making a real difference. Congratulations!” said Willoughby Mayor, Gail Giles-Gidney.

“The two electricity consumption figures combined equate to an overall decrease of 12 per cent, which is extremely close to the ‘aspirational’ target of 15 per cent reduction by 2015, set out in Council’s Sustainability Action Plan.  Let’s make 2015 the year to reduce our energy even further,” Mayor Gail added.

Other key results from the Sustainability Report Card include:

•  Council reducing its own electricity consumption by more than 25 per cent since the last financial year; and
•  Increasing its renewable energy generation by 23 per cent through initiatives like a solar power farm that helps power several Council buildings. The solar farm produced 231,723kWh which is the equivalent of supplying 100 per cent solar power to 28 Willoughby homes for a whole year. It also saved around 250 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and close to a saving of $60,000 in electricity costs.
•  Waste to landfill diversion by residents has improved by 14 per cent (since 2012/13), down to a historic low of 152kgs/person/year.
•  287 Bushcare volunteers provided more than 4,580 hours of assistance to keep Willoughby’s bushland areas in pristine condition in the last year.
•  A further 112 Willoughby businesses joined the Better Business Program in the last year, an initiative run by Willoughby, Lane Cove, North Sydney and Ku-ring-gai Councils to help local businesses improve their sustainability

One area identified as needing improvement is community water consumption, which increased 4.5 per cent in the past year.

Local residents are encouraged to attend one of Council’s many sustainability workshops or events in 2015. Learn how to save energy and water, reuse or recycle waste, reduce household costs, or even keep your own worm farm. Visit www.willoughby.nsw.gov.au for the full list of 2015 workshops or to sign up to the Local Living newsletter.

The full Sustainability Action Plan Report Card and Annual Report can be viewed at www.willoughbynsw.gov.au