The Labor Party's Peter Garrett visited Windy Hill today to announce that Essendon has been selected as a ""high profile Green Precinct"" to be provided funding for demonstration projects that ensure water and energy saving measures are right in the public eye.
 
Essendon recently wrote to both major political parties seeking a commitment, if elected, to fund or assist with funding two key projects (costing around $2 million) to significantly reduce the water and energy used at the Windy Hill precinct. Mr Garrett announced the Labor Party would committ $1 million to the project if elected.
 
Essendon Managing Director, Peter Jackson, welcomed the commitment to match the club dollar-for-dollar to complete the two projects if elected.
 
""These projects are very important and very relevant to the current debate on climate change and the need to conserve water and find clean energy,"" Mr Jackson said.Importantly, the projects will directly benefit the many and various community users of the Windy Hill precinct. 
 
""Essendon has formed a sustainability working party to finalise the best response to the challenges of climate change and ensure we have a minimal impact on the environment.""
 
The two significant projects identified are:

 

Water Sustainability Project (approx $1 million).

 

This project involves three initiatives:

 

·        Rainwater harvesting from the existing grandstands;

 

·        Collecting and re-using water that runs off the oval (from both rain and regular watering) and;

 

·        Ensuring that water efficient assets are used throughout the precinct.

 

Since the precinct incorporates three grandstand roofs, swimming pool roof, bowls club roof and an oval the club wants to maximise the capture of water by installing tanks to hold more than 500,000 litres.

 

Any water captured will be used on the oval, surrounding gardens, bowling greens and possibly for neighbouring schools. Where practical, the captured water would also be used within the building.

 

Preliminary investigations show that capturing this water, combined with using water efficient assets, will cut potable water consumption at Windy Hill in half.

 

Energy Project (approx $800,000)

 

This project involves three initiatives:

 

·        Demand site abatement strategy, involving the use of energy efficient assets throughout the buildings on the precinct;

 

·        Photo Voltaic (PV) Solar power generation; and

 

Essendon can use the massive roof space for the solar panels to reduce its need to tap into the electricity grid. 

 

·        Solar hot water for change room facilities – this can extend to all three change rooms on the precinct (including swimming pool).

 

This system would involve a 3 x 315 litres split system with a total of 9 x collectors.

 

Further investigations can explore heating of the Windy Hill pool with solar hot water.
 
Mr Jackson said Essendon has already spent around $20 million over the past 10-years on the development of the Essendon Recreation Reserve (Windy Hill).Our Club is in a sense unique, as it is a professional sporting organisation that still shares and runs many programs at Windy Hill for the benefit of the community,"" he said. 

The oval is also a public reserve so it is also used by local residents to simply have a kick in the park or to go for a run.
 
Some of the more recent improvements at Windy Hill include: A new bowling clubhouse and bowling green; Removal of the spectator mound; Removal of the Showers Stand due to its poor condition; Upgrade of the oval playing surface, which is used by the Essendon Cricket Club and other community groups from time to time (e.g. Essendon District Football League); Upgrade of Napier Street footpath, which Essendon Football Club now maintains; Increased car parking to protect residents from excessive traffic problems.

 

The Club will also convert the largely redundant Cookson grandstand into a multi-purpose community centre next year. The Victorian Government and AFL have committed to a total of $600,000 and the City of Moonee Valley may $100,000. The Club will contribute around $1 million.