BENDIGO'S council might fail to electrify operations by 2030, elected representatives have warned even as a majority of them vote to give it a crack.
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The City of Greater Bendigo this week adopted the zero emissions plan even as some councillors cautioned some elements may not be possible by decade's end.
They included Cr Matthew Evans, who warned of two potential problems with the new policy.
One is that any attempt to electrify the council's fleet of vehicles will bump up against a dearth of options for heavy machinery like garbage trucks, Cr Evans said.
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"We hope that [market] might evolve by 2030, we just need to be realistic that it may happen beyond that point," he said.
The other is that no-one at council is sure yet whether the new offices rising across the road from the Bendigo Town Hall should count in their carbon footprint, given the site is owned by the state government.
The building will use gas and electricity.
Cr Evans said that even with some questions over the council's ability to hit zero emissions, the ambition was "noble".
"We just need to be realistic about the challenges that we face, in light of budget pressures," he said.
Two councillors voted against the new policy but did not speak at the public meeting. Those representatives - Cr Vaughan Williams and Cr Greg Penna - were approached for comment.
Any emissions the council is still belching out by 2030 will be offset with carbon credits under the new plan.
Cr Jen Alden said that should be a last resort.
"We have a legacy for uncertainty on emissions reductions on scale in this country," she said.
"Unfortunately, we are running out of time for that to continue."
Cr Julie Sloan said the council would need time and the right approach to make sure its infrastructure could catch up with new technology.
"We need to remain bold and brave and committed to identifying local options that are worthwhile and meaningful," she said.
The council has had mixed success hitting carbon reduction deadlines in the past.
It managed to double its carbon footprint in the decade to 2020 despite originally setting out to halve it.
The blowout was blamed largely on Kangaroo Flat's power-intensive Gurri Wanyarra indoor pool, which opened late in the decade.
The council has since hit a host of emissions targets thanks to ideas like green power purchases.
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Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
