One of the key strategies in Council’s Community Strategic Plan is to “promote energy and water efficiency, renewable energy sources, and reduced emissions and waste”. Council delivers a range of environmental educational programs and activities to deliver against these strategies, with the intent to engage, inform, and empower our communities so that they can adopt more sustainable practices.

The City of Parramatta Environmental Sustainability Strategy (2017) outlines our key environmental sustainability directions and priorities. Education and community engagement underpin the four pillars of our vision and priorities framework being, to be livable, productive, sustainable and leaders in the community. The provision of environmental education coupled with small financial incentives, work together to ensure our community has the best opportunity to make the necessary behaviour and attitude changes across the environmental sustainability spectrum.

Council has received grant funding for three of the initiatives (the Nappy and Sanitary Rebate, the Water Saving Partnership Subsidy for Business and the School Waste Grants) and administers the funds on behalf of the funding entity under agreed criteria, terms and conditions.

The final four initiatives (the Compost and Worm Farm Rebate, the School Environmental Education Grants, School Kitchen Garden Subsidy and Solar Rebate) are open to eligible households and schools across the LGA and funded from internal approved budgets under the Environmental Education and Domestic Waste Management budgets.

Each initiative addresses a specific area of need around waste and recycling, renewable energy, water and energy efficiency, biodiversity, food security and sustainable transport. These focus areas are identified through Council’s Community Environmental Behaviour Survey which is conducted every 2 years to collect information on attitudes and awareness related to the natural and built environment. Results are used to track community changes through time and to identify opportunities for improvement and future focus areas in Council’s education programs.

Applicants must be local to the City of Parramatta Local Government area and are able to apply for more than one grant or rebate.

All activities with the exception of the Water Saving Partnership program will have an open round public application process, and be promoted widely through Council's communication channels and social media. The Water Saving Partnership program will be an invitation round whereby only specific target businesses that have undertaken a precursor water savings audit will be invited to apply.

Educational activities are implemented through a range of mediums including print collateral, workshops, online tutorials, training, events, facilitated audits, incentive programs and promotions. For example, Council has recently trialled the use of small financial rebates to support our community in switching to reusable nappies and sanitary products with the intent to reduce waste. Funded through the NSW Government Better Waste and Recycling Fund, the trial saw 524 residents apply for the rebate, exhausting the allocated budget in only 4 months. Surveys with rebate recipients also demonstrated positive outcomes, with 64% of respondents stating that prior to the rebate, cost had been a barrier to switching to reusables, and 99% of respondents stating that they are (and would continue) using reusables.

The total cost of delivering these programs within the current 2021/22 financial year would be $155,000 and this will be managed by Council’s Waste & Sustainability team. This includes external funding of $40,000 from the NSW Government Better Waste and Recycling Fund, $30,000 from the SUEZ Waste Contract Education Budget, and $30,000 of funding from Sydney Water through their Water Saving Partnership Program.

The remaining $55,000 is covered within Council’s existing internal Operational Environmental Education and Domestic Waste Management budgets.

The overall financial impact on the current 2021/22 budget is Nil.