Collaborative Council - Sustainability Fund Partnership (CCSFP) Program

The CCSFP supports councils to collaborate on projects focused on environmental sustainability and improved services.

Through grants, councils can collectively find new ways to:

  1. improve procurement or shared service delivery;
  2. invest in more socially, economically and environmentally and financially sustainable technologies;
  3. reduce waste; and
  4. support innovation in recycling.

The CCSFP supports councils to make an informed investment decision on a collaboration. Councils with less experience in collaborative projects have the opportunity to develop mutually beneficial relationships with neighbouring councils. They can also receive assistance in preparing CCSFP funding submissions.

Applications

Local Government Victoria invites joint applications from groups of councils to undertake a business case, feasibility study or proof-of-concept initiative that may:

  1. provide innovative solutions to procurement or shared service delivery that will improve the social, economic and environmental sustainability of participating councils;
  2. invest in more socially, economically and environmentally sustainable technologies, facilities and services;
  3. support councils to reduce waste and dispose less waste to landfill;
  4. support innovators in the waste management and recycling industry; and
  5. remove logistical and systemic obstacles to recovering commercial value from otherwise abandoned material.

As part of the funding criteria, each application must outline how their project will contribute to either or both of the Sustainability Fund's Objectives. More information on the Sustainability Fund objectives and the Priority Statements is here.

LGV offers project support and may participate in project steering committees. Precise roles and responsibilities are negotiated for individual projects.

Successful projects must provide progress reports and an acquittal report upon completion. Projects should be completed within 12 months. LGV also evaluates project outcomes 6 months after their completion. Completed project reports and materials are shared across the sector to leverage good outcomes and are made publically available below.

How to apply

Joint proposals from groups of councils that meet the program criteria (outlined in the application form) will be funded up to $75,000. This grant is to develop a business case or feasibility study, with the group matching a minimum of 50 per cent of the total proposed project amount by in-kind services or financial contribution. Other parties may form part of project consortia, provided 2 or more councils are involved.

Funding supports business cases or feasibility studies expected to lead to councils investing in project implementation themselves, without additional government support. Proposed business cases or feasibility studies should be fully costed, and include the expected benefits and measurement criteria to support collaboration.

Because eligibility requirements are specific, LGV provides support and advice to local governments considering proposals. This includes examples of past successful projects and provision of materials from the current suite of resources for joint procurement and shared services.

Assessment Criteria:

To complete a new application

or

To access a saved application

Further information

For more information please contact:

Leighton Vivian
Manager, Policy Development, Local Government Victoria
Email: leighton.vivian@delwp.vic.gov.au
Phone: 03 9948 8533

Round one
Round two
Round three
Round four
Round five
Round six
  • Victorian Councils' Supply Chain Sustainability Pathway - City of Whittlesea (lead)

    For more information on the project, go to the Supply Chain Sustainability School website: https://www.supplychainschool.org.au/

Round seven

No projects funded under Round seven

Round eight
  • Lighting the Regions Major Roads Project - Greater Bendigo City Council (lead)

Eighteen Victorian councils partnered to undertake a regional street lighting upgrade from older, inefficient street lights to new LEDs resulting in cost savings, energy savings and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

The project involved planning and design, procurement and project management and finalisation, including project objectives, timelines, roles, technical information and delivery schedule.

More information is available from the CVGA website

  • Main Road Lighting Efficiency Business Case - Wangaratta City Council (lead)

Ten councils across the Goulburn-Broken/Hume region partnered to develop a business case for the replacement of existing major road street lighting assets to energy efficient LED globes and reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

The project provided an overview of current street lighting assets and a financial analysis of available options to deliver LED street light replacements for major road street lights (Category V) and uses scenarios in replacing non-LED residential street lights (Category P).

More information available on request.

  • Charging Gippsland for Future Transport - Electric Vehicle Infrastructure in Gippsland - South Gippsland Shire Council (lead)

Latrobe City and the Shires of Bass Coast, East Gippsland, Baw Baw, Wellington and South Gippsland partnered to design a network of electric vehicle charging infrastructure across Gippsland.

A well-planned and integrated network of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the region, will enable electric vehicle owners to travel within the region with confidence and provide the opportunity for local business to capitalise on electric vehicle tourism traffic that may not otherwise consider or stop in the region.

Electric Vehicle Infrastructure in Gippsland. PDF, 9246.32 KB

  • Carbon Crunching Councils: Resourcing Greenhouse Inventory Management in Rural Victoria - Strathbogie Shire Council (lead)

On the back of the Local Government Energy Saver Program, this project aims to develop a business case for an ongoing shared service that manages Council utilities and greenhouse gas information, management and reporting. The business case will test ‘proof of concept’ for the utility management component of the greenhouse gas emission inventory.

Resourcing Greenhouse Inventory Management in Rural Victoria PDF, 171.14 KB

  • Local Government Climate Change Research-Practice Hub - Hume City Council (lead)

Hosted by RMIT the Climate Change Exchange (CCE) fosters collaboration and innovation by connecting research with communities and organisations that deal with the challenges climate change presents in adaptation, mitigation and transformation.

The Climate Change Exchange is a place to ask questions - small, large, difficult, and complex and be a place of knowledge exchange, research translation, training and capacity building. CCE mobilises improved actions and practices to actively enable long-term community and environmental resilience.

Climate Change Exchange

Round nine
  • Waste collection and management shared services feasibility - Glen Eira City Council (lead)
  • From Waste to Growth - transforming organic waste to usable resource - Swan Hill Rural City Council (lead)
  • Local Government Power Purchasing Agreement Commercial Services Model - Darebin City Council (lead)
  • Sustainable design assessment in the planning process – subdivisions - Wodonga City Council (lead)
  • Development of a Resource Recovery Centre Fire Risk Assessment tool - Mitchell Shire Council (lead)

Local Government Victoria and Collaborating Councils: An Evaluation 2008-16

The Local Government Victoria and Collaborative Councils: An Evaluation 2008-2016 report assesses a selection of LGV and local government collaborative procurement and shared service activities since 2008.  The report examines how far these activities have had a lasting impact on local government operations and their organisations.

This evaluation has informed the design of current collaborative council programs

LGV & Collaborating Councils : An Evaluation 2008-16 PDF, 1130.65 KB
LGV & Collaborating Councils : An Evaluation 2008-16 DOCX, 688.18 KB

Council Resources

Previous collaborative projects

Council resources and templates