Both the environment and the local community will benefit from Ventia's latest investment into sustainable innovation, as we introduce six electric mowers to our growing electric fleet. 

The mowers will exclusively service our Mornington Peninsula Shire contract in Victoria, through which we maintain the Shire's open spaces, parklands and buildings in support of the region's 180,000 residents. 

Designed with safety and the environment in mind, the new EcoTeq mowers are Australia's first zero-emission commercial mowers. They also offer quieter mowing, with operational noise reduced by up to 30%, as well as better dust control, and a comfortable ride for the operator. They replace our previous diesel mowers.

Project Director Erin White says that delivering services safely and in a sustainable way is top of mind in all that her team do each day. 

Being able to keep the Shire's green spaces looking beautiful, and doing it using equipment that is environmentally friendly, safe, efficient and reliable is important. 

"It's one way in which we can continue to deliver service excellence to our client and the community," Erin says.

"It's also another way we're embedding innovation and sustainability into the way we operate." 

Erin says she's proud of the way her team have embraced the greener technology, as their support has been key to a smooth transition.

^{Pictured above: Mayor Anthony Marsh, Deputy Mayor Lisa Dixon, Ventia CEO Dean Banks, Group Exceutive Defence and Social Infrastructure Derek Osborn and the Mornington Peninsula Shire team at a launch event for the EV mowers.} 

Improving our sustainability performanance 

Transitioning to an electric fleet, and including equipment such as mowers in that transition, has benefits beyond CO2 emissions, according to Ventia's General Manager Plant, Mitchell Carpenter, and is a priority for us as we look for ways to improve our sustainability performance.

"In addition to zero emissions, the new electric mowers we've introduced on this contract have reduced risk of fuel and oil leaks," Mitchell says. "It's also great to see they're built with a low-carbon footprint manufacturing process and are manufactured from up to 92% recyclable materials." 

Managing climate risk and resilience for our clients is another of our Sustainability Strategy objectives. Through initiatives like this, we can support Mornington Peninsula Shire in their target to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040 under the Shire's Climate Emergency Plan.

Additional electric mowers are being delivered to other contracts in the region. 

^{Pictured above: Mayor Anthony Marsh (back left), Deputy Mayor Lisa Dixon (back right) and Dan Wirth Ventia Team Leader Mowing (front)} 

Whilst we have been steadily phasing out petrol and diesel vehicles and replacing them with hybrid or electric light vehicles, in partnership with SEA Electric we've also delivered the first custom-built, fully electric vehicle (EV) truck for Victoria's arterial road construction and maintenance industry, on behalf of the Netflow Consortium.

Compared to a diesel truck, the SEA Hino 917 EV will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 11 tonnes a year. Emitting no exhaust fumes, it will also improve air quality, which is another key sustainability target. 

The EV truck has already received innovation recognition from the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia as a market transforming opportunity. Read more here.