The Lighting the Region project was officially launched last Thursday at Hepburn Springs.

Northern Grampians Shire Council is one of the many councils who have signed up to take part in the energy saving initiaitive.

Through the Lighting the Region's project almost 23,000 street lights will be replaced from the old mercury vapour style street lighting to more energy efficient Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).

The project will reduce energy consumption, save 180,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases and provide regional communities with savings of more than $57 million over 20 years in energy costs.

Lighting the Regions Project Chairperson, Cr Ray Kingston, said 16 local governments across north, west and central Victoria have formed this important partnership.

It will result in the implementation of what will be the largest street lighting partnership in Australia.

"Lighting the Regions is the largest partnership of its type ever undertaken in Australia," Cr Kingston said.

"It represents a once in a generation opportunity to engage regional communities and individuals to make positive energy efficiency changes in the home and the workplace.

"This collaborative partnership will yield significant economic and environmental project benefits for the 16 local government councils involved in the project and will pull together the expertise, resourcing and financial resources required to take energy efficiency action together with their communities."

The local government partners in the project are: City of Greater Bendigo, Central Goldfields, Hepburn, Pyrenees, Loddon, Swan Hill, Gannawarra, Mount Alexander, Buloke, Ararat, Northern Grampians, Hindmarsh, Horsham, Yarriambiack, West Wimmera and Mildura.

The City of Greater Bendigo will undertake the role of lead council for the partnership group.

Powercor is the Distribution Network Service Provider for the Lighting the Regions project and maintains and operates the street lighting infrastructure on behalf of the local government partners.

This $11.6 million project, which covers nearly half of regional Victoria, includes $5 million of funding from the Australian Government and will run until June 2016.

The Wimmera Mallee Sustainability Alliance and Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance have been instrumental in establishing the partnership.

Representatives of the various local government partners were in attendance at the launch, which was performed by the Mayor of Hepburn, Cr Don Henderson, acting General Manager Energy Programs Branch Department of Industry, Mr Mal Thorp and project Chairperson Cr Ray Kingston.

The launch also featured key note speaker, former national weatherman and now environmental and sustainability strategist, Rob Gell.