Old wharf equipment is keeping Taronga Zoo's animals entertained, and tyres and uniforms are taking on new forms, thanks to just a few of the many initiatives Defence has implemented around its bases as part of its Net Zero Strategy.
As the Australian Government's largest landholder and energy user, Defence is taking practical measures to respond to climate change risks and enhance Defence's energy resilience.
By investing in clean energy, and preparing for future energy needs, Defence will contribute to a cleaner, safer environment and more resilient Australia, without compromising military preparedness or operational requirements.
The initiatives range from energy resilience with large solar farms and upgrade of lighting and heating systems, to recycling used uniforms and tyres into new materials.
In recognising World Environment Day, Celia Perkins, Deputy Secretary Security and Estate and Defence Chief Sustainability Officer, said these projects were a significant step towards the country's efforts to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
"Our initial actions focus on reducing emissions by delivering renewable power and efficiency improvements across the Defence estate," she said.
"These case studies show how Defence is thinking and acting differently to achieve the Government's emissions reduction targets."
Power to the north
Defence is accelerating the transition to clean energy with a focus on northern bases to shore up supply and improve energy security and efficiency through on-site generation.
Northern bases RAAF Base Darwin and Robertson Barracks now have the Defence estate's largest combined solar farm.
RAAF Base Darwin's 3.2-megawatt, 9000-panel solar farm provides about 40 per cent of the base's energy requirements and saves $130,000 a year in electricity costs.
Robertson Barracks' 10-megawatt, 27,000-panel solar farm also supplies up to 40 per cent of the base's needs and saves $409,000 a year in energy costs.
Felix Bowman-Derrick, Assistant Secretary Environment and Engineering, said improving energy resilience had been a large focus within the Net Zero Strategy. Supplementing traditional energy supply with renewable sources assured energy security in regional Australia through on-site generation, and improves energy efficiency and base capability.
Brigadier Douglas Pashley, senior ADF officer at Robertson Barracks, said the solar farm had reduced upfront costs while meeting goals to accelerate Defence's transition to clean energy and energy resilience.
Making light work of cutting power use
Each of Defence's 70 major bases uses tens of thousands of indoor and outdoor lights. In 2023-24, about 80,000 lighting systems for living-in accommodation, office buildings and mess facilities across the Defence estate were replaced with more efficient LEDs. The new LEDs use 90 per cent less electricity.
In total, these lighting upgrades save the equivalent of about 421 Australian households' annual carbon emissions.
Hot water at a fraction of the cost
Upgrading 750 hot water systems to heat pumps across NSW bases has reduced the energy needed to heat water by 86 per cent. This has saved 5240 kilowatts of power and 4520 tonnes of carbon emissions, and reduced the cost of heating 1000 litres from $24 to $3.
Lieutenant Colonel Simon Roeder, senior ADF officer of the Liverpool Military Area, said the installation of heat pumps at Liverpool has cut energy use by 340.8 kilowatts and reduced carbon emissions by 295 tonnes.
"The heat pumps have allowed us to increase the hot water supplies in living-in-accommodation while minimising costs and carbon emissions," Lieutenant Colonel Roeder said.
New service for retired tyres
The Defence fleet goes through more than 77,000 tyres each year. To reduce waste, Defence has collaborated with industry partners to repurpose the tyres into a sustainable and durable surfacing material.
With 100 times more flexibility than regular concrete, and able to take 20 times more strain, the new surfacing material has various applications in construction and paving.
In support of the circular economy, Defence has recycled about 13,300 tyres, equating to 190 cubic metres of sustainable hard surface material.
Wing Commander Pete Ferris, senior ADF officer at RAAF Base East Sale, said: "Repurposing old tyres into new surfacing material similar to concrete, has the benefit of reducing tyre waste with little change to existing installation processes."
"RAAF Base East Sale has used recycled tyre surfacing material to replace old footpaths and building entrances," he said.
Toys for Taronga Zoo
Navy is preventing waste from HMAS Kuttabul at Potts Point, NSW, from going to landfill by donating old wharf fenders and berthing lines to Taronga Zoo as playtime enrichment materials for the animals.
Navy's Captain Rebecca Levitt, senior ADF officer at HMAS Kuttabul, said: "Repurposing the old equipment has brought joy to all involved, while reducing Defence's environmental footprint."
"The team has found an innovative way to reduce landfill and bring toys to the animals of Taronga Zoo, an initiative which has brought happiness to the animals and their visitors," she said.
A uniform approach to reducing waste
Every year, ADF personnel use and wear out thousands of uniforms, which could end up in landfill. Defence is exploring ways to securely recycle these textiles using mechanical, chemical and biofuel methods.
In May and August 2024, two uniform stockpiles, totalling 67 tonnes of camouflage gear, were diverted from landfill and recycled into raw textiles for furnishings and construction industries, and for use as biofuel.
Defence continues to explore ways to securely recycle Defence textiles.
