Brimbank council’s marquee project, the Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre, has received a funding boost from the federal government.
The government last week announced it has awarded $1.53 million to help the council build an integrated renewable energy system.
The funding will help the council’s aim of the centre becoming Australia’s first zero emissions indoor leisure and aquatic centre.
The centre is on target to be built to world-leading ‘6 Star Green Star’ rating, and is expected to use up to 80 per cent less energy than traditional aquatic centres.
The centre will have an all-electric heat-pump system for heating and cooling, instead of using traditional boilers.
There will also be a massive hot water storage system and a number of solar panels.
Brimbank mayor Ranka Rasic said the council was aiming for this project to demonstrate the first all-electric aquatic centre in Australia.
“This investment means the Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre will use 100 per cent renewable energy for heating and cooling across the whole centre,“ she said.
“This is an important step towards reaching council’s climate emergency plan 2020-2025 target of net zero emissions for council operations by 2030.
“We are thrilled that this state-of-the-art centre will showcase best practice in sustainable design.“
Federal Victorian Senator Jane Hume, who announced the funding, said improving the energy efficiency of public facilities will help operators save on energy costs and reduce emissions.
“Aquatic centres are one of the most energy-intensive types of public buildings,” Ms Hume said.
“Making these facilities more energy efficient will ensure that operators are paying less for their energy bills while reducing their emissions. It’s a win-win.
“We need to find new and cleaner ways to power the facilities we rely on and this is a great example of how renewable energy technologies can reduce emissions in energy-intensive environments.”
Tara Murray
