Through the Climate Resilient Councils project, the Alliance has delivered a regional-first approach to supporting remote councils to better understand their energy use, identify cost-saving opportunities and explore practical renewable energy and resilience projects.
Remote councils face growing climate and energy pressures that no single council can solve alone, including increasing disaster events and recovery costs, climate variability, drought risk, rising energy prices, small rate bases, limited technical capacity and large geographic distances.
The Alliance has created a consistent forum for regional collaboration, with councils meeting regularly to share knowledge, project learnings, procurement insights and technical resources. This collaborative approach has helped reduce duplication, build local capability and strengthen collective problem-solving across the RAPAD region.
A key outcome has been improved access to shared energy data and insights. Through tools such as Energy Detective, councils have gained better visibility of energy use, costs and emissions, supporting more informed decision-making around energy efficiency, tariff optimisation, solar, battery storage and future renewable energy opportunities.
The project has also strengthened partnerships with LGAQ, Energy Queensland, the Queensland Decarbonisation Hub and technical experts, helping position Central West Queensland councils for future funding, advocacy and project development.
The RAPAD Climate Alliance will continue to meet and build on this foundation, with a focus on progressing practical energy resilience projects, improving energy planning and asset management, and strengthening the region’s long-term resilience to climate and disaster impacts.
By working together, the seven councils of Central West Queensland are creating a scalable model for remote regional collaboration, supporting financially sustainable councils and stronger, more resilient communities.