As state and national bodies place more focus on net zero, disaster resilience, climate risk and adaptation, and creating a circular economy, there is an important space for this work at a local precinct level. With experience across Australia, including six different planning systems, our highly capable team brings together our deep expertise with councils’ local knowledge to invest in their sustainability journey.

Delivering Sustainable Strategies for Local Councils

pitt&sherry’s Sustainable Energy, Environment and Land Use Planning teams recently combined to carry out a precinct sustainability study for a large Western Sydney Council. Focusing on five pivotal strategic themes, the cross-functional team of planners, engineers and environmental scientists used national and international best-practice examples to demonstrate a holistic future of smart, sustainable and resilient urban infrastructure.

The project began with a detailed study into precinct history, current sustainability measures in place, and the ambition for the region with respect to the corridor strategy.

Expected climate impacts and a literature review of local, state, and federal policies and strategies painted a complete picture of practical successes for the council to consider. Wider review of international case studies in the UK, US and Germany added depth and innovation to the knowledge base.

pitt&sherry recommended several pragmatic precinct strategies and a suite of contemporary statutory planning controls to help manage sustainable growth in a large high-density precinct. In the face of significant population growth and the anticipated impacts of climate change, it is critical for sustainability and resilience to be fully integrated with the precinct’s community, infrastructure, and sense of place.

Key outcomes

The study recommended complementary precinct strategies and planning controls to enable the council to incorporate the sustainability requirements of the corridor strategy. Example measures include:

1. Delivery of a net zero strategy to:

• Encourage energy efficient technology such as smart street lighting
• Electrify fossil fuel assets such as heating
• Map strategic EV charging locations for fleet transition.

2. Prioritising urban greening to:

• Increase canopy cover
• Implement green walls and roofs
• Implement requirements for integrated water-sensitive urban design.

3. Using Circular Economy principles to:

• Decrease volumes of waste generation
• Increase local waste stream recovery
• Decrease overall waste transport needs.

The work highlighted the council’s commitment to holistic urban development and demonstrated their dedication to fostering a vibrant, forward-thinking, and environmentally responsible city.

pitt&sherry was proud to bring an inspired approach to a complex problem. Through the applied skills of pragmatic energy and sustainability engineers, knowledgeable environmental scientists, and meticulous land-use planning specialists we delivered a thought-provoking but practical sustainability strategy for the client.

Ready to discuss your project? Contact Doug Fotheringham, Principal Planner