BRIMBANK council hopes to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent and make significant cost savings by replacing 12,000 street lights by June 2016.
From later this month, the council will spend $900,000 changing all its mercury-vapour 80-watt lights to 28-watt globes.
Partially funded through the federal government’s community energy efficiency program, the changeover is expected to take three years.
The council will also spend $1.3 million on sustainability initiatives, including a greenhouse gas emissions reduction program at various municipal buildings and remediation works at Green Gully Reserve and Sunshine Energy Park.
The street light project follows a 2010 online campaign which called on residents to support a council request for government funding.
Resident Anni Ang told the Weekly that the council could save the equivalent emissions of taking 1100 cars off the road for a year.
