Meeting papers

Background:
Noosa Council applied for grant funding under the Federal Government’s Community Batteries for
Household Solar - Delivery of Election Commitments Stream 1, in partnership with Zero Emissions
Noosa Inc (ZEN Inc.) and Yarra Energy Foundation (YEF) for the installation of community battery in
Noosaville. Applications for the grant were open from 30th January until 24th February 2023.

The grant application required the battery technology and proposed project partners to be specified.
Subsequently, Council obtained assistance with its grant application from YEF and identified YEF in
the grant application as a proposed partner for their expertise in the implementation of batteries for
community benefit.

This project is a pilot to consider how a community battery could potentially operate within the Noosa
LGA and provide benefit to the community.

Noosa Council was advised they were successful in their grant application on May 15, 2023 and,
subject to the acceptance of the grant agreement, will be awarded $500,000 for the completion of the
project.

Community batteries are relatively new infrastructure in moving energy transition to renewable supply.
Further to this grant round, The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has recently opened
Expressions of Interest for the remaining 342 batteries under the Federal Government’s commitment
with applications for this closing June 30th 2023. This recently awarded funding for the community
battery in Noosaville will provide a template for further opportunities for Council, or other stakeholders,
in future grant funding rounds or other sources of investment.

1.      DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION

1.1     Definitions

        In this Tender Consideration Plan, unless inconsistent with the context or subject matter:

        (a)     Act means the Local Government Act 2009;

        (b)     Council means Noosa Shire Council;

        (c)     YEF means Yarra Energy Foundation

        (d)     Objectives means the objective set out in Clause 2 of this Tender Consideration
                Plan;

        (e)     Regulation means the Local Government Regulation 2012;

        (f)     Tender Consideration Plan means this tender consideration plan, which Council has
                prepared and adopted pursuant to section 230 of the Regulation.

        (g)     Grant funding means the Community Batteries for Household Solar - Delivery of
                Election Commitments Stream 1 “the grant”

1.2     Interpretation

        In this Tender Consideration Plan, unless inconsistent with the context or subject matter:

        (a)     a reference to a person includes any other legal entity;

        (b)     a reference to a legal entity includes a person;

        (c)     words importing the singular number include the plural number;


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