Policy Review Committee Meeting 6
June 2011
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Sustainable Events Policy
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Compiled by: Krystie
Race, Sustainability Research Planner
Bernadette Riad, Sustainability
Coordinator
Sarah Armour, Senior Events
Officer
Authorised
by: Paul
Grimson, Sustainability & Planning Manager
Barbara Magee, Manager - Corporate
Communications & Marketing
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Objective
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We demonstrate leadership, foster resilience and
tenacity, and encourage innovation
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Community Outcome
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A Regional City that provides our jobs, education,
services and entertainment (1)
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Strategic Response
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Demonstrate our leadership, and encourage
innovation (1.1)
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Executive Summary
The purpose of this report is to
seek Council’s endorsement of the draft Sustainable Events Policy. This policy
has been developed in response to funding criteria set by the NSW Government’s
Waste and Sustainability Improvement Payment (WaSIP) Program, which is expected
to provide Council with funding of $1.32 million in 2011-12.
Developed
in collaboration with staff from across Council, the draft Sustainable Events
Policy aligns with international best
practice. The intent of the Policy is to ensure that all events run by Penrith
City Council are conducted in a manner which is environmentally, socially, and
financially responsible.
Background
Penrith City Council has a long
standing commitment to ensuring that the principles of sustainability underpin
all that we do. Building on this commitment, Council has developed a
Sustainable Events Policy to ensure that all Council run events are planned and
delivered in a manner which is environmentally, socially, and financially
responsible.
The development of this Policy
has been driven by the requirements set out by the NSW Government’s Waste and
Sustainability Improvement Payment (WaSIP) program. Part
of the City and Country Environment Restoration Program, the WaSIP
program is a seven year program that will run from 2009-10 to 2015-16, and
provide a total of $256 million to local councils for waste and sustainability
improvement initiatives.
To be eligible to receive funding under WaSIP, councils are
required to meet both the ongoing and current year's WaSIP Standards. These
standards are progressively updated, with the standards for 2010-11 including
the requirement for Councils to have a Sustainable Events Management Policy
adopted by 30 June 2011.
The WaSIP program is an important funding source for Council,
with Council receiving $916,959 in 2010-11, and a further $1.32 million
expected in 2011-12.
The shift towards Sustainable
Events
As thousands of events are staged throughout Australia each
year, it’s easy to forget the range of impacts that these celebrations have on
the local and global environment. Events, large or
small, can consume large quantities of resources and create large volumes of
unnecessary waste. Adopting sustainable event management practices can result
in the conservation of valuable resources (including financial), the avoidance
of unnecessary wastes, and improved community outcomes.
Sustainable
events are becoming more and more
commonplace both locally and globally as community expectations surrounding
issues such as waste, transport, health and sustainability increase. From
showcase international events such as the Olympics, through to business events,
conferences, and community fairs, event patrons expect to be offered at least
basic services in terms of recycling and public transport, and expect event
organisers to demonstrate an awareness of, and adherence to, sustainability
principles.
Locally,
events such as DefQon 1 have highlighted the potential to incorporate
sustainability into all aspects of an event. A major music event with crowds
of 25,000, the event organisers went to considerable lengths to deliver
sustainable outcomes, including sourcing products and materials from local
suppliers, incorporating stages made from recycled materials, and purchasing
carbon offsets.
The
requirement imposed by WaSIP for councils from across NSW to adopt a
Sustainable Event Management Policy further demonstrates the general view that
sustainable event management practices should become standard practice.
Sustainable Events in the
context of Penrith City Council
Council delivers a number of events within the Local
Government Area. These events range in size and scope, from civic events, business functions, community events,
conferences, workshops, public meetings, local community fairs, and open days.
The
adoption of sustainable event management practices in the planning and delivery
of these events would significantly reduce Council’s impact on the local
environment. In addition to this however, through adopting sustainable event
management practices Council is not only delivering on our commitment to
sustainability, but demonstrating leadership to event patrons and the community
as a whole. An attractive by-product of these events is the potential to
inspire and motivate others, from suppliers, event partners, media, and of
course event patrons.
Overview of the Sustainable
Events Policy
Developed
in accordance with international best practice, the intent of the draft
Sustainable Events Policy is to ensure that all events run by Penrith City
Council are conducted in a manner which is environmentally, socially, and
financially responsible.
The
policy will apply to all events run by Penrith City Council, with the term
‘event’ encompassing civic events, business functions, music and cultural
events, community events, conferences,
workshops, public meetings, fairs, and open days.
The objectives of the draft policy are to:
· ensure
the sustainable use of resources
· minimise waste to landfill
· minimise
greenhouse gas emissions
· contribute to
the social and economic wellbeing of the Penrith Local Government Area.
The
policy requires event organisers to consider the social, economic and
environmental impacts throughout all stages of event planning and delivery and
is formatted so as to align with the various aspects of organising an event
(purchasing, catering, access and transport, waste storage and collection, and
general management practices) so that they can easily be incorporated into the
event planning processes.
In particular, the draft policy requires appropriate
consideration for:
· waste avoidance
· the use of recycled and/or recyclable materials
· the use of local suppliers
· the provision of healthy food options
· improved accessibility
· the promotion of public and active transport
· resource management (waste and recycling, energy and water
efficiency)
· litter prevention
· protecting the local environment
· health and safety of event patrons.
The draft Policy also requires that Council
staff responsible for the organisation and delivery of Council events complete
a ‘Sustainable Event Management Plan’ (SEMP) outlining how they address each of
the matters listed above. The use of this plan will ensure that Council
has a record of sustainability initiatives employed in the delivery of Council
run events and can report on the outcomes achieved as required under WaSIP.
It should be noted that while the
policy does not cover externally run events, external events supported or
sponsored by Council will be encouraged to adopt sustainable practices through
the use of a ‘How To’ guide. It is also envisaged that the scope of this
policy may be extended to include externally run events in future years.
Development of the Policy
The
draft Sustainable Events Policy has been developed as a collaborative project
between Council’s Sustainability and Events Teams, and has been guided by best
practice in sustainable event management as outlined in the Local Government
and Shires Association’s ‘Principles and Guidelines for Event Sustainability’.
In
developing this draft policy, the project team engaged with members of staff
from across Council who are involved in the planning and delivery of Council
run events and external events, so as to ensure that the policy was both
meaningful and achievable.
To this
end, Council’s Events Team trialled the draft policy in the planning and
delivery of Council’s 2011 Australia Day Event. Council worked in conjunction
with venue management at the Sydney International Regatta Centre to deliver a
sustainable event in line with the draft policy. This trial proved a success
with the event purchasing green power and streamlining its waste management
procedures. The success of this trial demonstrated that the implementation of
this policy can be applied to Council run events in the future.
Implementation of Sustainable
Events Policy
Primary responsibility for the administration of the
Sustainable Events Policy will reside with Council’s Events Team, with
specialist support provided by the Sustainability Team.
Due to the breadth of Council events, the implementation of
the policy will involve all Council staff responsible for the planning or
delivery of Council run events.
To aid with the implementation of this policy across
Council, the Events and Sustainability Teams will deliver training to all staff
involved with the delivery of events on the policy and its requirements.
Further to this, a ‘How To’ guide will be developed to assist both Council
staff and external event organisers involved in the planning and delivery of
events within the Penrith Local Government Area.
Ongoing monitoring of the policy will be undertaken by
Council’s Events Team, who will conduct periodic audits of completed
sustainable event management plans. The outcomes of these audits will be used
to guide further training and drive improvements to the conduct of Council
events.
Resourcing and Cost
Implications
The adoption of this policy should
not place significant burden on the resources of Council. While it is recognised
that the draft policy’s requirement for Council to provide adequate waste and
recycling bins at all Council run events will impose some additional cost, this
cost will not be significant.
Council’s existing waste service
contracts include provisions for garbage and recycling bins for events.
The recycling bins and hoods are provided free of charge and this includes the
collection of recycling from the bins. The garbage bins are provided at a
cost of $7 per bin and this includes collection of waste from the bins.
Should the bins require emptying on the weekends or during the course of an
event, additional charges will be incurred to cover staffing, truck and fuel
use.
Conclusion
The
WaSIP requirement to develop a Sustainable Events Management Policy
reflects the important role of local government in
facilitating both community and corporate events and the opportunity this
affords to showcase sustainable practices.
The adoption of this Policy provides an excellent
opportunity for Council to demonstrate its commitment to sustainable outcomes
and will help showcase the principles of sustainability to the wider community.
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RECOMMENDATION
That:
1. The information contained in
the report on Sustainable Events Policy be received.
2. The Draft Sustainable Events
Policy be adopted.
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ATTACHMENTS/APPENDICES
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1.
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Draft
Sustainable Events Policy
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5 Pages
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Appendix
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2.
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Sustainable
Event Management Plan Template
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4 Pages
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Appendix
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