We are excited to have Cumberland Council onboard the @ HOME, a practical, community-focused initiative designed to help residents reduce energy use, improve thermal comfort, and feel more supported in the face of everyday climate and cost-of-living pressures.

Why Cumberland Is a Great Fit

Cumberland is a highly diverse and vibrant area, home to young families, recent migrants, and a broad mix of apartment and house dwellers. It’s located in the heart of Sydney, and for many, it’s their first home in Australia. With over half the population born overseas, Cumberland’s cultural richness is one of its biggest strengths, and also a key consideration when designing inclusive community engagement.



Council has already shown strong leadership through its Sustainability Action Plan, and joining @ HOME is a natural next step to build on that work in a way that’s accessible, data-informed, and scalable.

How @ HOME Builds on Council’s Existing Work

Cumberland’s Sustainability Action Plan outlines a wide range of goals, from cutting emissions and reducing waste, to enhancing green space, supporting climate adaptation, and engaging with culturally diverse communities.

“Within the environmental management team, we wanted to join the program in order to get back to more sustainability, energy efficiency programs as we have been generally focussing more on biodiversity initiatives. We also recognise that the @ Home Program can also free our team up to work on other programs and key events throughout our calendar”. - Victor

@ HOME strengthens these efforts by:



• Providing practical support free for residents to reduce household energy use and bills
• Sharing clear, culturally aware resources that support CALD and multilingual communities
• Offering scalable, co-branded workshops and webinars that align with council priorities
• Supporting engagement in high-density and rental households
• Helping track participation and behaviour change over time

This partnership allows the council to amplify its impact with proven tools and expert-led content, while ensuring consistent messaging that supports community wellbeing and environmental goals.

Focus Areas Identified by Council

Through onboarding, Cumberland highlighted a few key focus areas where @ HOME can add value:

• Language and cultural barriers to sustainability engagement
• Urban heat and thermal comfort challenges in dense living environments
• Cost-of-living pressures that make saving on energy a priority
• Opportunities to support and amplify local champions like Voices for Power
  
  

Council is also interested in tracking participation to help understand the impact and improve future planning.

@ HOME isn’t about reinventing the wheel, it’s about helping councils amplify what’s already working. In Cumberland’s case, that means:

• Aligning with the council’s sustainability goals
• Providing practical, trusted support on everyday issues
• Engaging CALD communities in meaningful and accessible ways
• Engaging renters and apartment residents in thermal comfort and energy use
• Building resilience to extreme heat and climate-related events
• Leveraging local community leaders like Voices for Power as trusted messengers

By integrating @ HOME into its broader strategy, Cumberland can strengthen its existing work while offering added value to residents through practical, hands-on support.

We’re looking forward to working closely with Cumberland Council and its community to build on this strong foundation.

Ready to discover what the @ HOME Program has to offer your residents? Book a call today.