Clocktower’s electric dreams

The stately Clocktower Centre, which overlooks the heart of Moonee Ponds junction, has undergone several changes in its 146-year history.

The latest is an energy transformation to bring it into the 21st century.

Originally built as the Essendon and Flemington Mechanics Institute, and later serving as the Essendon Town Hall, the building is now a dynamic arts and culture hub.

Mayor of Moonee Valley, Councillor Dr Rose Iser, said despite the many changes in use over the years, the building had maintained both its character and historical significance.

“As the custodians of this beloved community building, any work we do to improve or maintain the asset must be respectful of its presence and value,” Cr Iser said.

“We also take the sustainable planning for the future of Moonee Valley seriously and have worked directly with our community to understand their vision for our city and community.

“This has helped us establish a set of principles to guide how we plan, invest in, maintain and, sometimes, dispose of our infrastructure to meet current and future community needs.”

In this latest project, Council has installed new electric heat pumps to replace a 30-year-old gas boiler.

The Clocktower Centre is one of 139 buildings and structures in the City of Moonee Valley that supports the delivery of community services.

“Council’s electricity is now sourced from 100% renewable energy through our electricity contract, which means our electricity use is zero emissions,” Cr Iser explained.

“So, we are ‘electrifying’ our facilities and their equipment off fossil gas energy to reduce our emissions.

“We are also taking the same action to convert our Fleet vehicles, moving from petrol/diesel to battery electric.

“The result is a responsible, sustainable and transparent management of community assets.”