Treasury remains committed to the principles of ecologically sustainable development consistent with relevant Commonwealth, State and Territory environmental legislation, regulations, policies and initiatives. The Treasury Environmental Management Plan sets out our environmental policies and performance action plans, to meet environmental best practice wherever practicable.

In 2019-20, we minimised our impact on the environment in the areas of energy efficiency, waste and water use by:

• installation of new energy efficient Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning (HVAC) plant and machinery by the building owner
• installation of new efficient hand dryers in bathrooms in new office fit-out as part of base building works by the building owner
• installation of new water efficient sensor tapware 4.5L/min, 6 star WELS rating in bathrooms in new office fit-out as part of base building works by the building owner
• reviewing the lighting control system and the introduction of LED lighting in new office fit-out
• reducing paper consumption by defaulting office printers to black-and-white and two-sided printing, and supporting the use of electronic document management and collaboration as well as digital and mobile technology solutions for staff (iPads and laptops)
• using energy saver mode for most office equipment when not in use across all office locations
• using technology such as teleconferencing and videoconferencing to facilitate meetings with interstate and overseas colleagues where appropriate
• purchasing five star energy rated electrical appliances (where available)
• participating in Earth Hour
• encouraging recycling by providing waste recycling stations, segregating waste into approved recycling streams (including waste to landfill, commingled waste and compost): waste management providers are engaged to recycle used paper waste and secure paper materials
• establishing a fit-out and furniture recycling strategy that reuses the department’s existing office fit-out infrastructure, including workstations; and the sourcing of redundant office fit-out and workstations from other government departments to reuse
• recycling of toner cartridges, fluorescent light tubes and batteries
• using water flow restriction controls and water efficient appliances in kitchens and bathrooms to minimise water use across the Treasury building tenancy.