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Hi ,
Wow, we are certainly living in unprecedented times. The flooding across the eastern states now impacts 10 million Australians, that’s 40% of our population. The randomness and devastation of extreme weather events is cruel. Some regions have suffered through droughts and the nation’s worst bushfires, then the pandemic and now record flooding. The resilience of affected people and their communities is being tested to the extreme and our hearts go out to them.
Over recent weeks I’ve been watching the Think Resilience video lectures in which Richard Heinberg calmly explains how the the world reached its 4 ‘E’ crises affecting: 1) ecology, 2) energy, 3) economy and 4) equity. We agree with him that its's important for local stakeholders to have real power in decisions that affect them.
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The panel’s decision to elevate and name sexual assault survivor, Grace Tame as the 2021 Australian of the Year has been impactful. Her courage has inspired women around the country to speak up about their own experiences. That women are still fighting for equality in 2021 is a sad reflection on our society’s pretense of a fair go for all. The March for Justice was a clarion call that Enough is Enough! While the Prime Minister seems to be finally listening, meaningful action is required to redress the entrenched inequality and lead cultural change in our society.
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On a happier note, after such a long time, we can reconnect face-to-face again. We’ve got lots to talk about and I hope to see you at our special upcoming events.
Geelong and its people are resilient. Together we can can create an ambitious shared vision that can Decarbonise + Localise + Equalise our economy and lives. Let’s bring on the discussions!
Regards
Vicki Perrett, President
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Date: Wed 31 March, 5.30-7.30pm
Where: Beav’s Bar, 77 Lt Malop St
Presenters: Jennifer Cromarty, CEO of Committee for Geelong and Rebecca Bartel, Deakin Uni
Cost: $5, $3 GS members
Yeah Green Drinks are back! Join us for this community briefing on the recently published research report, Resilient Geelong. Note: as numbers are limited, bookings are required. More info / book
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Date: Wed 21 April, 3pm
Where: online via Zoom
Don’t lay awake worrying about the planet and the lack of political action. Join this friendly, supportive writing group, which meets monthly. You’ll receive lots of briefing notes, links, templates and advice about how to engage with your politicians at local, state and federal levels. Email Karen at kjlamb99@gmail.com and she’ll send you the link. More info
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When: Wed 21 April, 7.00-9.00pm
Where: Geelong West Town Hall
Cost: $4.55 - light supper after Q&A, bookings essential
Energy impacts how we work, live and play. Decisions made today will determine our community’s future health and prosperity. The forum will be opened by The Hon Lily D'Ambrosio MP, Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change followed by an impressive panel of national and local experts: Simon Holmes à Court, Imogen Jubb, Dan Cowdell, Ian Dunlop, Gemma Harrison, Colin Long, Greg Foyster and Rai Miralles. They’ll outline how Geelong can transition to clean, cheap, and reliable energy, while creating new jobs and vibrant industries. Please help us promote this special event by telling friends, sharing the link and distributing fliers and posters in your local area. More info / book
#energyfutures #renewables #GEFF #Geelong
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When: Fri 26 March, 10am-12 noon
Where: City Hall steps
BYO: Pair of shoes & small sign
During Covid shoes replaced people and are now used in their own right to suggest the impact of climate change on refugees, farmers, children. More info
#protect our future from fossil fuels
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Earth Hour 2021
When: Sat 27 March, 4.30-9.30pm
Where: Tuckerberry Hill, 35 Becks RD, Drysdale - map
Take the family to this sustainability-focused market offering recycled, upcycled, home-grown & home-made products. PYO berries - yum! Enjoy the panoramic view over the Bellarine to Port Phillip Bay. We'll be there playing our #RecycleRight game.
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Produced by the Post Carbon Institute, this video-based online course takes participants on a systems-based journey to understand our global problems and how solving them can deliver benefits for the environment, liveability and our local economy. Surf Coast Energy Group (SCEG) has organised for the course to be delivered for free via SMS over a 12-week period to Surf Coast and Geelong residents. Ideal listening on your morning walk. More info / sign up
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Congratulations to the Victorian government for establishing Australia's first formal truth-telling process as they work towards treaties with Aboriginal communities. Five commissioners will be tasked with laying down an authoritative account of Victoria's history of colonisation, and examine both historic and contemporary injustices. The inquiry will be named the Yoo-rrook Justice Commission, adopting the Wamba Wamba/Wemba Wemba word for "truth". More info
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GS is delighted that the VIC government is investing $3.3m to expand Community Power Hubs across the state with grants from $428,500 to $857,000 per applicant. As a founding member of the Barwon Regional Alliance of Community Energy (BRACE), GS will be lead the application for a Barwon South West (BSW) hub. Applications close on 31 March and announcements are due by 30 April - so tight timelines. BRACE members include: 100% Clean Bellarine, Birregurra Community Group, Colac Otway Sustainability Group, Deans Marsh Community Cottage, Queenscliff Climate Action Group, South West Community Energy, Southern Otways Sustainable and Surf Coast Energy Group. More info
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CoGG’s new Sustainability Advisory Committee
We congratulate the 12 people recently appointed for a 3-year term to the City’s first-ever Sustainability Advisory Committee. They have an important role to play advising Council on sustainability matters especially municipal-wide targets for the region. From a competitive field of 72 applicants, the members were chosen for their expertise across environmental management, social and community planning and financial and risk analysis. They include: Andrea Pape, Annie Woollard, Brad Keating, David Spear, Emma Connan, Dr Jane Stanley, Joe Calafiore, Karen Campbell, Dr Sally Hutchinson, Sanja Van Huet, Simon Reeves and Wayne Pales. More info
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The Victorian Renewable Energy Target (VRET) is 40% by 2025 and 50% by 2030. The Solar PV Institute creates informative maps based on data from the Clean Energy Regulator. You can search by postcode, municipality or state. The data as of 31 December 2020, shows:
- the number of installed (& registered) systems
- the number of dwellings & % with rooftop solar
- the PV potential on all roof types
- the potential annual energy from rooftop PV
Amongst councils in our region, only Golden Plains Shire is on track to achieve the VRET with 32.2% followed by the Borough of Queenscliffe with 21.7% who are narrowly ahead of Surf Coast Shire with 21.4% then Geelong with 19.2% and Colac Otway Shire with 16.1%.
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How is your town tracking to meet the VRET challenge?
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Geelong+ Community Solar Program
Building on the success of our 2018 residential program, GS has selected Mondo and RACV Solar to be its delivery partners. Together with local councils and community groups we’re planning the region’s biggest solar and battery bulk buy program. We’ll be reaching out to households and also businesses across the entire G21 region comprising: Greater Geelong, Surf Coast, Queenscliff, Golden Plains and Colac Otway. The program will be launched after Easter with advertisements ~ look out for it!.
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Ross Garnaut talk at Geelong library
There was a full house at the Geelong library for the annual Fiona Baranowski lecture last Thursday. Esteemed economist and author, Ross Garnaut spoke about his latest book, Reset: Restoring Australia after the Pandemic Recession.
GS acknowledges the strong leadership of Patti Manolis, who’s retiring after many years as CEO of the GRLC. We wish her well on her next adventure.
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We applaud Boral’s significant action in handing back 36,000m2 of land on Ghazeepore Road to its Wadawurrung Traditional Owners. This site is culturally significant as it was previously set aside for Aboriginal people between 1861-1907 when the government banned them from the Geelong township after sunset. Most of us don't realise the significance of Geelong's Boundary Roads. More info on Boral’s reconciliation plan and Wadawurrung’s Healthy Country Plan
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With over half million tonnes of plastic ending up in landfill in Victoria each year there’s a major imperative to solve the soft plastics recycling challenge. A new KitKat wrapper with 30% recycled content has completed a successful trial. The innovation is being led by Licella who has developed the advanced recycling technology plus Coles, Nestle, REDcycle, CurbCycle, iQ Renew, LyondellBasell and Viva Energy.
- Could this new process transform soft plastics into a circular product?
- Could a suitable site for the next stage be located in our region? More info
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Recycled glass paving new roads in Geelong
Repaving works using recycled glass as a replacement for sand in the asphalt mix road base are been trialled in Barwon Heads, Leopold and Lara. Every tonne of this asphalt contains 3% glass, which is the equivalent of 200,000 glass bottles and jars. Road construction company, Fulton Hogan, is crushing the glass into sand sized particles at its facility in Lara. More info
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Repaving works using recycled glass as a replacement for sand in the asphalt mix road base are been trialled in Barwon Heads, Leopold and Lara. Every tonne of this asphalt contains 3% glass, which is the equivalent of 200,000 glass bottles and jars. Road construction company, Fulton Hogan, is crushing the glass into sand sized particles at its facility in Lara. More info
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In this Ted Ideas article, Ros Davidson explains the 7 in-demand green jobs that are key to a fossil fuel-free future. They include: Wind turbine technicians, Solar panel installers, Electric vehicle workers, New plastics designers and engineers, Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists, Urban farmers & Green building retrofitters. More info
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As part of Surf Coast Shire Council’s climate emergency declaration, they are seeking expressions of interest from people interested in becoming community climate mobilisers to co-design the community climate emergency response.
- Training will be provided
- Applications close 31 March. More info
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Have Your Say: BoQ Community Vision and Council Plan
Under Victorian law, all new Council are required to create a Council Plan to guide their priorities and decisions. As a Vision Partner, Geelong Sustainability made a submission last month to CoGG’ new plan. Now the Borough of Queenscliffe is calling on community members to have a say in their plan by completing an online survey by 28 March and/or attending an open day event. More info
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In February we held a very successful Community Information Session about Viva Energy’s proposal to build a gas import terminal into Geelong. Since then, a SECOND floating gas import terminal proposal for Geelong has surfaced. This is proposed to be built off Avalon, with a pipeline likely to cross and/or impact upon highly valuable Ramsar wetlands.
Both proposals assume there’s an impending gas shortage but this is highly contentious. Research from Environment Victoria shows that the Victorian government policy to subsidize householders to replace their gas heaters with efficient electric heaters will sufficiently reduce demand for gas to avoid the alleged “gas shortfall” which proponents use to justify these developments. Gas consumption must fall if we are to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and rapidly transition to cheaper, clean renewable energy.
What can you do?
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HAVE YOUR SAY about the opportunities and challenges associated with neighbourhood scale batteries and the role they can play in Victoria’s energy transition.
Consultation closes 11 April. More info / do short survey
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How households can be part of the climate solution
To make your homes more energy efficient.
- Adjust thermostats to save power across the seasons.
- Add as much insulation as practical to ceilings, walls and underfloor.
- Go all electric by switching heating appliance and hot water systems to heat pump technology and installing induction cooktops.
- Power energy needs with rooftop solar
- Add battery storage so you can use your clean energy after the sun goes down.
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RACV wants your feedback on road safety issues across regional Victoria. Their interactive map identifies locations of fatal and serious injury crashes between 2014-2018. Tell them about your road safety hot spots. More info
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GS runs on people power ie. the passion and commitment of our volunteers. Please consider become a financial member and help support our various campaigns, events and projects Five types are available:
- Student membership (full time) - $10
- Individual membership - $30
- Family membership - $40
- Business membership - $100
- Community partner membership - $30
Join online here
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As there's so much happening, we’ve collated this further reading list of recent important reports and stories. Hope it helps to keep you up-to-date.
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The Environment
Lisa Cox, The Guardian ~ NSW floods: fears for echidnas and wombats trapped underground - link
Extent of devastation wrought on native animals will only become apparent as water recedes.
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Energy - breaking news
AEMC ~ New plan to make room on grid for more home solar and batteries - link
This package of reforms will take some digesting and follows a 9-month process of working with stakeholders as part of ARENA’s Distributed Energy Integration Program.
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Emissions reduction ~ new technology
Adam Morton, The Guardian ~ Doubling uptake of wind and solar power could set up Australia for net zero emissions by 2040 - link
This Australian National University report says green energy transformation will surprise ‘on the upside, not the downside’
Roland Geyer, The Guardian ~ It's unavoidable: we must ban fossil fuels to save our planet. Here's how we do it - link
With a remaining global budget of about 420 Gigatonnes (Gt) of CO2 for a two-thirds chance of limiting warming to 1.5°C; the world keeps emitting over 40 Gt of CO2 per year. As the policy instruments to reduce CO2 emissions aren’t working, it’s time for another approach.
Nick O’Malley, The Age ~ VW boss says ‘embarrassing’ rules stop cheap electric car imports - link
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Sustainable living
Max Breaerley, The Guardian ~ ‘You can smell if something’s going wrong’: life in an eco-friendly goldfish bowl - link
Greenhouse in Melbourne’s Federation Square is forging new ground in low-waste living but what’s it actually like to live in?
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