sustainable penrith indicators

• Overview
• Introduction to the Sustainability Indicators
• Annual Report
• Our Vision
• Report Card
• Principles
• Provide a long term vision for cities, based on sustainability; intergenerational, social, economic and political equity; and their individuality.
• Achieve long-term economic and social security
  • City Indicators
    • City Indicators
    • PC1 - Proportion of residents who are satisfied with their level of access to services, information and facilities.
    • PC2 - Proportion of dwellings that are within walking distance of services and facilities
    • PC3 - A variety of local jobs and business opportunities are available
    • PC4 - Proportion of households experiencing housing stress
    • PC5 - Local residents work locally
  • Council Indicators
    • Council Indicators
    • LA4 - Percentage of employees covered by collective bargaining agreements
    • LA5 - Minimum notice period(s) regarding operational changes, including whether it is specified in collective agreements
    • LA8 - Education, training, counselling, prevention, and risk-control programs in place to assist workforce members, their families, or community members regarding serious diseases
• Recognise the intrinsic value of biodiversity and natural ecosystems, and protect and restore them
  • City Indicators
    • City Indicators
    • PC6 - The river and creeks are healthy
    • PC7 - Proportion of residents who are satisfied that the river and creeks are healthy
    • PC8 - Number of days per annum with high, medium and low pollution levels
    • PC9 - Conservation of viable biodiversity-rich habitat lands that form part of the City's 'green web'
  • Council Indicators
    • Council Indicators
    • EN11 - Location and size of land owned, leased, managed in, or adjacent to, protected areas and areas of high biodiversity value outside protected areas
    • EN13 - Habitats protected or restored
    • EN14 - Strategies, current actions, and future plans for managing impacts on biodiversity
    • EN15 - Number of IUCN Red List species and national conservation list species with habitats in areas affected by operations, by level of extinction risk
    • EN23 - Total number and volume of significant spills
• Enable communities to minimise their ecological footprint
  • City Indicators
    • City Indicators
    • PC10 - Reduction in the size of the City's ecological footprint
    • PC11 - Increased use of public transport
    • PC12 - Water and energy consumption per person
    • PC13 - Percentage of domestic waste diverted from landfill
  • Council Indicators
    • Council Indicators
    • EN1 - Materials used by weight or volume
    • EN2 - Percentage of materials used that are recycled input materials
    • EN3 - Direct energy consumption by primary energy source
    • EN4 - Indirect energy consumption by primary source
    • EN8 - Total water withdrawal by source
    • EN10 - Percentage and total volume of water recycled and reused
    • EN16 - Total direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by weight
    • EN17 - Other relevant indirect greenhouse gas emissions by weight
    • EN22 - Total weight of waste by type and disposal method
• Build on the characteristics of ecosystems in the development and nurturing of a healthy and sustainable City
  • City Indicators
    • City Indicators
    • PC14 - A variety of housing types are available
    • PC15 - Proportion of people who feel safe in their community
    • PC16 - Percentage of population undertaking adequate physical activity
    • PC17 - Level of usage of community facilities
    • PC18 - Proportion of residents participating in sporting and recreational activities
  • Council Indicators
    • Council Indicators
    • EC2 - Financial implications and other risks and opportunities for the organisation's activities due to climate change
    • LA6 - Percentage of total workforce represented in formal joint management - worker health and safety committees that help monitor and advise on occupational health and safety programs
    • LA7 - Rates of injury, occupational diseases, lost days, and absenteeism, and number of work-related fatalities by region
    • LA9 - Health and safety topics covered in formal agreements with trade unions
• Recognise and build on the distinctive characteristics of the City, including its human and cultural values, history and natural systems
  • City Indicators
    • City Indicators
    • PC19 - Proportion of residents who value the natural setting of the River/escarpments, the City's rural landscapes, local bushland and creeks, and the City's built heritage
    • PC20 - Proportion of residents participating in cultural activities and events
    • PC21 - Proportion of residents who feel a sense of community in the City and their local neighbourhood
  • Council Indicators
    • Council Indicators
    • HR4 - Total number of incidents of discrimination and actions taken
    • HR9 - Total number of incidents of violations involving rights of indigenous people and actions taken
    • LA1 - Total workforce by employment type, employment contract, and region
    • LA2 - Total number and rate of employee turnover by age group, gender, and region
    • LA3 - Benefits provided to full-time employees that are not provided to temporary or part-time employees, by major operations
    • LA14 - Ratio of basic salary of men to women by employee category
• Empower people and foster participation
  • City Indicators
    • City Indicators
    • PC22 - Proportion of people who are satisfied that they have opportunities to participate in planning for the City's future
    • PC23 - Proportion of residents who are active in community organisations
  • Council Indicators
    • Council Indicators
    • HR3 - Total hours of employee training on policies and procedures concerning aspects of human rights that are relevant to operations, including the percentage of employees trained
    • LA10 - Average hours of training per year per employee by employee category
    • LA11 - Programs for skills management and lifelong learning that support the continued employability of employees and assist them in managing career endings
    • LA12 - Percentage of employees receiving regular performance and career development reviews
    • LA13 - Composition of governance bodies and breakdown of employees per category according to gender, age group, minority group membership, and other indicators of diversity
• Expand and enable cooperative networks to work towards a common, sustainable future
  • City Indicators
    • City Indicators
    • PC24 - Community networks are visible, accessible and expanding
    • PC25 - Proportion of residents attending educational facilities
  • Council Indicators
    • Council Indicators
    • EC4 - Significant financial assistance received from government
    • HR1 - Percentage and total number of significant investment agreements that include human rights clauses or that have undergone human rights screening
    • SO6 - Total value of financial and in-kind contributions to political parties, politicians, and related institutions by country
• Promote sustainable production and consumption, through appropriate use of environmentally sound technologies and effective demand management
  • City Indicators
    • City Indicators
    • PC26 - Proportion of households and businesses who are more sustainable, including using recycled water, green power, and recycling waste
  • Council Indicators
    • Council Indicators
    • EN5 - Energy saved due to conservation and efficiency improvements
    • EN7 - Initiatives to reduce indirect energy consumption and reductions achieved
    • EN18 - Initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reductions achieved
    • EN26 - Initiatives to mitigate environmental impacts of products and services, and extent of impact mitigation
• Enable continual improvement, based on accountability, transparency and good governance
  • City Indicators
    • City Indicators
    • PC27 - Proportion of the City's businesses and organisation that have committed to ethical practices
  • Council Indicators
    • Council Indicators
    • EC1 - Direct economic value generated and distributed, including revenues, operating costs, employee compensation, donations and other community investments, retained earnings, and payments to capital providers and governments
    • EN28 - Monetary value of significant fines and total number of non-monetary sanctions for non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations
    • PR2 - Total number of incidents of non-compliance with regulations and voluntary codes concerning health and safety impacts of products and services during their life cycle, by type of outcomes
    • PR5 - Practices related to customer satisfaction, including results of surveys measuring customer satisfaction
    • PR6 - Programs for adherence to laws, standards, and voluntary codes related to marketing communications, including advertising, promotion, and sponsorship
    • PR8 - Total number of substantiated complaints regarding breaches of customer privacy and losses of customer data.
    • PR9 - Monetary value of significant fines for non-compliance with laws and regulations concerning the provision and use of products and services
  • Council Indicators
    Continued
    • Council Indicators
    • SO2 - Percentage and total number of business units analysed for risks related to corruption
    • SO3 - Percentage of employees trained in organisation's anti-corruption policies and procedures
    • SO4 - Actions taken in response to incidents of corruption
    • SO5 - Public policy positions and participation in public policy development and lobbying
    • SO7 - Total number of legal actions for anti-competitive behaviour, anti-trust, and monopoly practices and their outcomes
    • SO8 - Monetary value of significant fines and total number of non-monetary sanctions for non-compliance with laws and regulations

Why use this indicator?

Every community and locality has particular characteristics and features which identify it as an attractive, diverse and significant place to live and/or work.

It is important to identify what the community value about an area in order to maintain the character and integrity of those key features.

Identifying the key characteristics also highlights to the community itself, the features which make an area unique and attractive to both residents and tourists alike. Engaging the community in this process enhances the ownership of those features.

Penrith Council has identified the following as its vision;

“Council’s vision is one of a sustainable and prosperous region with a harmony of urban and rural qualities and a strong commitment to environmental protection and enhancement. It would offer both the cosmopolitan and cultural lifestyles of a mature city and the casual character of a rural community.”

It is important to ensure this reflects the community vision and aspirations for the area and in fact captures those characteristics which are considered significant.

This indicator can assist Council in its decision making processes by identifying key community priorities and can guide Council in the development of strategies and visions for the future direction of the City.

What is the current situation?

The 2008 Strategic Community Survey shows there is an increase in the proportion of residents who value the natural elements of the City. Further work is required to gather information on the built heritage component of this Indicator.

This is the first report on this Indicator. Limited survey data and comparability is available. An improved evidence base will be pursued through further surveys and community consultation.

The 2008 Strategic Community Survey indicates that, from the earlier 2002 PLANS survey, there is an increase in people (from 85 to 117) who like:

• the rural atmosphere while close to the city (9.7%)
• close to rural areas / natural bushland / mountains (3.3%)
• beautiful and clean parklands / river (6.2%).

The River is an important element of the City, with an increase in the number of people who said it was one of the things they liked most about Penrith.

A survey of residents undertaken in 2005 (for 'Our City Centres' project) indicated that key elements valued in the community were retaining the rural ambience, preserving the City's built heritage, and protection of environmentally significant features.

There is an increase in the number of people identifying the river, rural atmosphere and natural areas as the things they like most about Penrith. Council will continue to direct strategic actions to ensure the key community values are maintained.

Council's Strategic Plan recognises the unique value and distinctive character of the City's natural settings, including the River/escarpments, rural landscapes, natural areas and built heritage.

Council has a Heritage Advisory Committee and a heritage advisory service which provides advice for both Council and privately owned buildings. This information is provided by Council's heritage consultant and includes:

• cost maintenance plan of all Council owned heritage buildings
• Interpretation signage policy for the whole of the City
• Heritage training for all planning staff.

What is the desired trend?

An increase in the residents who value the environment, rural landscapes and built heritage.

What does this mean for the Sustainability of Penrith City?

It is important that Council identifies those issues which are significant to the community in order to effectively direct the operations of Council to reflect the aspirations of the community and to adequately manage and protect the key features of the City as indicated by the residents.

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