WaterMarc wins $2.3M electrification grant

Published on 03 March 2025

L-R: Hon Chris Bowen MP, Hon Kate Thwaites MP, Mayor Cr Elizabeth Nealy, Deputy Mayor Cr Peter Castaldo

We have secured $2.3 million in Australian Government funding towards switching WaterMarc to 100% renewable energy. The grant from the Community Energy Upgrades Fund was announced by Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen and Jagajaga MP Kate Thwaites at WaterMarc on 20 February.

The funding will help us save more than $400,000 per year on energy bills and significantly lower emissions.

WaterMarc relies on four gas boilers to maintain the temperature of the pool water and hall and the four-storey office building above.

The existing gas boilers at WaterMarc cost over $465,000 to operate each year. The funding will enable us to replace the gas boilers and domestic hot water units with heat pump technology accompanied by upgrades to air handling systems.

The electric replacement heat pumps will remove all emissions from on-site operations and will be up to five times more energy efficient than the gas boilers.

This innovative project will be Australia’s first integrated aquatic and office precinct electrification.

Banyule’s 3 aquatic centres make up 93% of the gas we use across the municipality. We can’t reach zero emissions without electrifying the aquatic centres. As our largest aquatic centre, WaterMarc consumes over three times more gas than either of the other centres.

The funding brings us a big step closer to our zero net emissions target for all of our operations by 2028. With an anticipated 37% reduction in emissions, this project represents our largest emissions reduction opportunity.

The funding is a fantastic result from our advocacy efforts. Only 58 out of 165 applications were successful in this round of funding.