The delivery of Dubbo Regional Council’s (DRC) first fully electric zero turn mower takes another step towards further sustainability for the community.
In line with a commitment to reducing Council’s carbon footprint, Council aims to lead by example in promoting green initiatives throughout the community.
“By incorporating eco-friendly equipment like this electric mower, Dubbo Regional Council is taking a big step towards achieving our sustainability goals,” Dubbo Regional Council Mayor Mathew Dickerson said.
As part of the 2040 Community Strategic Plan Council is working towards environmental sustainability with a healthy natural environment that is resilient to the impacts of climate change and natural hazards.
“We encourage investment in renewable energy opportunities Council is working towards making buildings and facilities energy efficient, carbon neutral and utilising renewable energy resources,” Clr Dickerson said.
The Mean Green Rival 60 inch is a high performance mower that is cheaper to run compared to conventional mowers and has zero emissions.
The EV mower is more suitable for parks, gardens and high maintenance areas with a fast mowing speed and high cut quality.
“The 7.5 hour continuous running time fits in well with Council’s operational requirements and the reduced noise level is a bonus for both our staff and the wider community,” Manager Greenspace Operations Harry Brennan said.
“While the mower has a more expensive purchase price, the operational costs are reduced considerably making it a viable option for Council in a number of ways.”
The new electric mower represents a milestone in Council’s ongoing efforts to transition to more sustainable and eco-friendly practices.
In December 2022 Council adopted the Zero Emissions Fleet Strategy and Implementation Plan which supports and guides Council in reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with its fleet operations.
Under this strategy Council is purchasing EVs as a portion of their fleet vehicles, with benefits including reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved air quality, less noise and lower running costs than conventional vehicles as a result of decreased fuel and servicing costs.
Transitioning to a zero emissions fleet will assist Council to reduce fleet operating costs over a 10 year period, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions associated with Council’s fleet operations and allow Council to rank highly amongst other leading local governments which are striving to achieve net zero emissions.
