Green Action News MOBILISING PEOPLE TO SAFEGUARD OUR ENVIRONMENT
Unhappy Anniversary for the Baillieu Government PLUS Big Wins – Price on Carbon and Hazelwood
I S S UE U E 16 • S PR I NG/S NG /S UM U MM E R 2 0 1 1
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Unhappy Anniversary for the Baillieu Government
Green Action News
Carbon price set to become law
Issue 16, Spring/Summer 2011 Design 2Fish Productions
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UPDATE: No New Coal Power for Victoria
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The Say Yes Earth Relay
Print Print Bound Contributing writers Alex Merory, Charlie Davie, Domenica Settle, Josie Lee, Juliet Le Feuvre, Kelly O’Shanassy, Nina Bailey, Mark Wakeham, Sarah Dobney, Victoria McKenzie-McHarg Editor Alex Merory (03) 9341 8125 editor@environmentvictoria.org.au Membership enquiries (03) 9341 8100 admin@environmentvictoria.org.au
Environmental news and campaign wins around Australia
Touring the Murray
Media enquiries (03) 9341 8127
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How much water does a river system need?
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Smart buildings, smart residents
mark.wakeham@environmentvictoria.org.au
Green Action News is an Environment Victoria publication. For more information, visit www.environmentvictoria.org.au
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Sharing the green message in Carlton
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GreenTown 2: Communities spreading the message
The best and worst of years Despite the best (or should we say worst) efforts of the new state government, 2011 has given us much to celebrate. The Australian Government is passing law to act on climate change and because of your generous support we’re looking to the future, as a sharper, more independent organisation. > Kelly O’Shanassy, Chief Executive Officer AS 2011 DRAWS to a close, three milestones come to mind that epitomise this year of triumph and tribulation. The first is cause for celebration. On October 10th the lower house of the Australian Parliament passed legislation that will finally make polluters pay for their greenhouse pollution (hopefully the Australian Senate is passing the legislation as you read this). We know this legislation is not enough to guarantee a safe climate but it’s a start and it comes with additional programs that will see clean energy flourish and coal plants close. After a decade of community leadership and campaigning, we should all take a moment to celebrate, rest and gather our energy for the next challenge that we’ll overcome and win for our environment and communities. The second milestone is,
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unfortunately, cause for commiseration. November 27 marks the first anniversary of the Baillieu Government and 12 months of woeful decisions that threaten the health of our environment and delay the growth of new clean industries and jobs. This edition of the Green Action News looks back on the complete failure of the Baillieu Government to safeguard our environment for the people of Victoria, and more importantly it outlines what we are going to do about this. Read more on page three. The third milestone is cause for optimism. The efforts of the Baillieu Government to silence Environment Victoria by slashing our funding, are failing. We’ve sharpened our focus, gotten more targeted in our work and moved to secure funds independent of government to support our campaigns and programs.
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We’ve had an incredible surge of support from our members, old and new. Thanks to people like you who are supporting our work to Stop HRL and Save the Murray, we are securing our financial future and independence and remain a leading voice for our environment. Looking at the year ahead, we’ll be rounding up major, long-term pieces of work. Our work for a price on pollution will continue and we hope to finally get agreement to replace Hazelwood. A decade of campaigning to save the Murray River will come to a head in 2012 and we will also see the conclusion of the precedent-setting legal case to stop HRL and all new coal plants for Victoria. Thank you for your support, your voice, your strength, your passion - we are nothing without you! And we hope you stick around because 2012 is going to be a doozy!
T H E Y E A R T H AT W A S
Unhappy anniversary for the Baillieu Government > Mark Wakeham, Campaigns Director
One year in, and the Baillieu Government’s performance on environment has been abysmal. We’re taking stock of the year that was and looking ahead to how we’re going to turn things around.
TAKE ACTION For 12 months, the Baillieu Government has been taking Victoria backwards on the environment, so we’re marking the occasion of their first year in government with a backwards march. Join us on Sunday, 13 November, 1pm Parliament House, Melbourne.
SUNDAY, 27 NOVEMBER 2011 marks the Baillieu Government’s one year anniversary in government. Looking back on the past year it’s worth remembering that the Coalition won government by just two seats, the slimmest of margins. You would think that a government in this position would be pitching to the mainstream, demonstrating that it has a handle on the big issues, like environment and climate change which poll after poll have shown that Victorians want action on. Yet the first 12 months of the Baillieu Government have been deeply disappointing. Let’s recap what they’ve been up to.
On the negative side of the ledger: • Allowing cattle to graze in our Alpine National Parks • Preventing the development of new wind farms across the state • Walking away from negotiations to replace Hazelwood • Backing away from Victoria’s greenhouse emissions reduction target • Approving a new coal plant for Victoria • Slashing support for solar power by lowering the feed-in tariff • Attempting to dilute plans to save the Murray • Getting rid of Target 155 for water efficiency • Extending the duck hunting season • Campaigning against a price on carbon
• Cutting funding to environment programs including Environment Victoria’s community projects That’s a pretty impressive trail of destruction for less than 12 months, and it can be disheartening to see a number of environmental gains that we’ve worked so hard for come undone. There have been a few positive decisions, for instance the Coalition has increased the Victorian energy efficiency target, landfill levies and some rebates for water-efficient products. We welcome these steps because they will help our environment and help grow green jobs and economies. But unfortunately the negatives seriously outweigh the positives. Continued page 4.
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THE YEAR AHEAD
Continued from page 3
So the question is: what are we going to do to turn their performance around on the environment? It’s good to remember that we’ve been here before and managed to have a big impact. Back in 2008 we were deeply disappointed at the performance of the Brumby Government on environment issues, and highly critical of their support for the HRL coal-fired power station, the desalination plant and a series of smaller poor decisions for the environment. We campaigned hard to convince the state government that it was in the best interest of all Victorians, to protect the environment, and indeed in their own political interest. We showed that Victorians need their government to boost the state’s exposure to the rapidly growing green markets like the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries, and reap jobs and economic growth as a reward. We were solutionsfocused, determined and created clever campaigns. And eventually we got some serious environmental commitments to reduce the state’s greenhouse pollution, start the phase-out of Hazelwood,
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‘WE’RE DEVELOPING A PLAN TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THE COALITION’S ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE TO DATE HAS BEEN UNACCEPTABLE AND TO SHOW THEM THAT VICTORIANS WANT MORE FROM THEIR GOVERNMENT.’
increase landfill levies, support renewable energy, and get water back into the Murray. Now we need to do it again. But we’re not naïve about the scale of the task at
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hand, and the scale of the environmental challenges we face. It will be harder this time. The Coalition has no plan to safeguard our environment or to reduce emissions. They may well be in power in Victoria for at least two terms. And we know that the Coalition is unlikely to take significant action on the environment or climate change unless they are pushed into it by community opinion. We’re developing a plan to highlight that the Coalition’s environmental performance to date has been unacceptable and to show them that Victorians want more from their government. In the short term we’ll be highlighting the one year anniversary of the Baillieu government. We’re keeping track of all decisions, good and bad, on the environment on the EnviroWatch page of our website, www.environment victoria.org.au/envirowatch. At the end of November we’ll release our report card on the government’s performance. We’re also teaming up with The Wilderness Society, VNPA and Friends of the Earth to organise a ‘backwards’ march, highlighting the direction Victoria has been travelling on the environment for the past 12 months. Join us at 1pm on Sunday, 13 November at Parliament House, Melbourne. Looking forward over coming months we will be undertaking communications research that will better inform us of Victorians expectation of their government on environment issues, and give us a better understanding of the best ways to communicate with Victorians who care about the environment, but don’t necessarily identify as environmentalists. It’s these people who live in the suburbs and regional towns, where elections are won and lost, that politicians are most attuned to. We’ll also develop outreach plans to get the message out far and wide about the need for our state government to take Victorians aspirations for their environment seriously. It will be a long road. We’re developing a four year campaign strategy- and we’ll need your help to build networks, engage and re-engage our members, build our supporter and funding base and start winning some gains again at the state level, as we’ve been managing to do this year at the federal level. But we’re up for it. We’ve got a track record of kicking goals, and we’ve got fantastic supporters to help us to get there. That’s you.
S A F E C L I M AT E
UPDATE: No New Coal Power for Victoria campaign having an impact > Victoria McKenzie-McHarg, Safe Climate Campaigner
The pressure’s on to stop the new HRL coal-fired power station from being built in the Latrobe Valley. Our VCAT court case is underway which halts any work on the power station, and thousands of Victorians have signed our petition calling on the federal government to withdraw its $100 million funding.
OUR CAMPAIGN TO stop the proposed new coal-fired power station HRL from being built in Victoria is having a big impact. Support for the campaign is flooding in from across the state, with donations and signatures to our MONSTER petition continuing to overwhelm our volunteers. Thank you to those of you who have contributed so far. A month ago, the Prime Minister confirmed that unless HRL get their act together their grant will be reviewed at the end of the year. This is our big opportunity to convince the government to withdraw their funding and put it into renewable energy instead – we just need a few thousand more signatures! We’re heading to VCAT to challenge the EPA’s approval of HRL, and we couldn’t do it without the support we’ve received so far, from you and many, many others.
For fortnightly updates on our legal campaign, sign up for the Safe Climate e-bulletin on our website. www.environmentvictoria.org.au/sign-up
‘THIS IS OUR BIG OPPORTUNITY TO CONVINCE THE GOVERNMENT TO WITHDRAW THEIR FUNDING.’
Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA) is a voluntary organisation of medical doctors working to address local, national and global diseases caused by damage to the environment. They are one of two fantastic groups (the other being climate action group LIVE), along with a Moreland based individual Martin Shields, that are also bringing the HRL case to VCAT. Eugenie Kayak, DEA Victorian Chair, tells us why they have taken on this case. ”There are now renewable alternatives for producing base load power to coalfired plants, that will have less impact on greenhouse gas emissions and less adverse public health effects from the emission of local air pollutants.” “As well as adding to adverse health effects arising from climate change, HRL would contribute to local air pollution.
Particulate matter, oxides of nitrogen, and sulphur dioxide can all have adverse health effects (e.g. worsening of asthma, chronic bronchitis, increased risk of lung cancer and heart disease) often at levels at or below present standards and this coal plant (like all) will emit these compounds.” “All our coal-fired power plants emit mercury into the atmosphere - mercury bio-accumulates in our marine food chain and can potentially affect the developing human nervous system.” “We are past the time when governments should be financing new coal-fuelled power plants. Many of our past coal-fired power plants were developed when the adverse health impacts (globally and locally) may not have been as well appreciated.”
TAKEACTION We’re working to convince the federal government to withdraw their $100 million funding for the new HRL coal-fired power station, and we need your help! We’re coordinating a MONSTER petition to the federal government calling on them to withdraw their support for HRL. We’re aiming for more than 10,000 hardcopy signatures by the end of the year. Please ask your friends, family, colleagues, neighbours, random strangers to sign the petition included in this Green Action News, and send it back. Want more? www.environmentvictoria.org.au/ no-new-coal/petition
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S A F E C L I M AT E
Carbon price set to become law > Mark Wakeham, Campaigns Director
People across Australia are saying yes to action on climate change. The carbon price package is an historic step towards lowering our carbon emissions and contains some significant wins we’ve been working towards for a long time. AS THIS NEWSLETTER arrives in your letterboxes the carbon price legislation is expected to pass through the Senate and become law. It will be an historic occasion, after many years of struggle and delay. From this point forward polluters will have a financial incentive to reduce their pollution. Here at Environment Victoria we’re pleased and relieved about the passage of the legislation. While the package is not perfect, it’s significantly better than Kevin Rudd’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme of 2009. Our focus on the carbon price was ensuring that the package achieved three things: 1) Replacing our most polluting power stations like Hazelwood; 2) Supporting investment in renewable energy; and 3) Ensuring no new coalfired power stations are built in Australia. We’re confident that the first two of these three objectives will be achieved. As Meatloaf once sang (or shrieked at the Grand Final), two out of three ain’t
bad. For those interested in a detailed analysis of the carbon price package, and why we support the package, you can find our briefing at: www.environmentvictoria.org.au/carbon -price-package When it became clear to us that the starting carbon price was unlikely to be high enough to close power stations like Hazelwood, we pulled together a proposal to reduce the amount of compensation coal generators were to receive and use some of that money to pay for power station closure. With your support we then campaigned around this proposal, meeting with key political players from the Prime Minister’s office through to the Greens and the Independents, while maintaining ongoing discussions with affected workers and communities in the Latrobe Valley.
We’re proud to be able to say that our work on this led to the Government’s commitment to retire up to 2000 MW of our most polluting power stations as part of the package. Negotiations with generators have begun and we are likely to see the closure of one large coal-fired power station (probably Hazelwood) and two small power stations (Energy Brix in Morwell and Playford in South Australia) through this process. These power station closures will be the first in Australia’s history for climate change reasons. So to anyone who’s signed one of our carbon price or Hazelwood petitions, donated to our campaign, attended a campaign event or talked about these issues with your friends, thank you for your support and for making a big environmental outcome possible.
6 REASONS TO CELEBRATE THE NEW CARBON PRICE PACKAGE • Creates incentives for industry to cut carbon emissions • 500 Biggest polluters pay • 2000 MW of dirty coal to be replaced (probably including Hazelwood) • $10 Billion fund for new clean energy projects • $1 Billion biodiversity fund • Tax breaks and financial support for middle and low income households
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S A F E C L I M AT E
The Say Yes Earth Relay > Josie Lee, Safe Climate Campaigner
Communities across Australia are showing their support for putting a price on pollution and taking action on climate change. And what better way than a giant blown-up globe? DURING SEPTEMBER AND October this year, Environment Victoria partnered with Victorian Climate Action Groups to organise the Say Yes Earth Relay. In contrast to the negative news stories dominating the media, the Earth Relay shows strong community support for putting a price on pollution and taking action on climate change. Making this community support visible is critical to ensuring that the carbon price legislation is passed, and for persuading politicians to continue to act on climate change in the future. The Say Yes Earth Relay - like the passage of the Olympic flame to the site of the Olympic Games – involves communities across Victoria and NSW passing a huge inflated globe from suburb to suburb and town to town until it reaches Canberra. On October 31 it will arrive at the Climate Action Station, an Earth Dome the size of a house erected on the lawns of Parliament House to coincide with the Carbon Price legislation being debated in the Senate. By November, the Victorian leg of the Earth Relay will have passed through Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Hepburn, Bacchus Marsh, Melbourne, Fitzroy, Werribee, Keilor, Coburg, St Kilda, Canterbury, Ringwood, Nunawading, Boronia, Dandenong Ranges, Traralgon, Sale, Wonthaggi and many more. It’s been a hit, with plenty of stories in local media, show-casing local support for action on climate change. Thank you to all the local Climate Action Groups who helped make the Say Yes Earth Relay a great success!
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1. Latrobe Valley Sustainability Group, 17 October 2. Lighter Footprints Canterbury, 11 October 3. Environment Victoria, 15 September 4. Geelong Sustainability Group, 16 September 5. Ringwood GreenTown, 22 September 6. Yarra Climate Action Now, 28 September 7. Moreland Energy Foundation and Climate Action Moreland, 8 October 7 G R E E N A C T I O N N E W S | I S S U E 1 6 | S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 1 | w w w. e n v i r o n m e n t v i c t o r i a . o r g . a u
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AROUND AUSTRALIA
Environmental news and campaign wins around Australia > Sarah Dobney, Communications Officer
We’re thrilled with the Clean Energy Future Package, particularly about the retirement of 2000 MW of brown coal generation and the $10 billion investment in renewable energy (more on page 6). But we’re also very excited about the announcement of nearly $1 billion to be put towards a Biodiversity Fund. This will support restoration and management of Australia’s biodiverse carbon stores and ecosystems The Lock the Gate campaign is a national alliance of over 90 community groups, industry and environment groups that are concerned about the damage caused by the coal and coal seam gas (CSG) mining industries. The core of its activities has been the refusal of landholders to negotiate access to their properties by resource companies and has become one of the biggest social movements seen for many years. Keep up the good work guys! In August Officeworks took decisive action to save endangered forest species by banning the sale of paper products made by Asian pulp and paper giant, APRIL. The positive move came after it was revealed that the APRIL paper products were being made from forests vital for the survival of the Sumatran tiger. Now, it’s time do to the same for Reflex. Their logging in Victoria’s native forest is pushing Victoria’s Leadbeater’s possum closer to extinction. Sign the pledge not to purchase Reflex Paper at www.ethicalpaper.com.au
In June 2011 the World Heritage Committee inscribed the majestic Ningaloo Coast on the World Heritage List. This listing recognises the value of the area’s diverse and abundant marine life, its amazing cave fauna and the contrast between the colourful underwater scenery and the arid and rugged land of the Cape Range.
There’s been plenty of action on and off the Adelaide Oval recently with the oval set to become one of the world’s truly green venues. By introducing sustainable practices across all areas of the operation, the SA Cricket Association and the Zero Waste SA’s Resource Efficiency Assistance Program aim to lower the ovals environmental footprint by introducing a swag of great initiatives.
South Australia has achieved the outstanding result of meeting their 20% Renewable Energy Target three years ahead of their goal and nine years ahead of the rest of Australia. It’s a milestone for our environment and our economy and demonstrates to the rest of our nation that such a target is achievable and creates many benefits along the way. Well done SA!
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A Northern Territory cattle station is being turned into a conservation zone to be run by Indigenous traditional owners. It’s the first of its kind and its covers a huge area. The 180,000 hectare Fish River Station is home to more than 2,000 buffalo, 2,000 horses, cattle and endangered species. The Pew Environment Group and the Nature Conservancy for led the charge on this historic move.
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Queensland-based Mantle Mining has surrendered to community pressure and announced it will abandon a brown coal exploration application for Victoria’s pristine Otway Ranges. A big congrats to the coalition of community advocates including Otway Ranges Climate Action Group. Here’s hoping it kicks off strong community campaigns right across the country.
Protesters campaigning to stop logging in Toolangi’s Silvia Creek, habitat for the endangered Leadbeater possum, have won an extended injunction from the Supreme Court until February 2012. This is the result of seven weeks of non-stop direct action by local community. If you want to help with the next step, surveying, contact Sarah Rees at info@myenvironment.org.au, (03) 8370 9007.
The Summer floods and cyclone have resulted in a dramatic spike in turtle and dugong deaths in recent months. So in September the Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke announced $5 million to help indigenous groups make inroads into conservation by giving them the resources to monitor animal numbers, patrol local waters and stop illegal poaching.
In September the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments announced $23 million in new funds to protect Cape York Peninsula. The funds include $20 million for the acquisition of properties of natural and cultural significance and $3 million for community consultation with the Indigenous people of Cape York towards a potential future World Heritage listing.
In November 2010 following an extensive campaign from the Wilderness Society and the Save the Williams River coalition, former NSW Premier Kristina Keneally rejected the contentious Tillegra Dam proposal in the Hunter. Tillegra Dam would have destroyed the Williams River, one of the last healthy rivers in NSW and significantly impacted the Hunter Estuary Wetlands.
In response to a chemical leak from Orica’s Kooragang Island at Walsh Point three months ago, the NSW Government introduced legislation to toughen the state’s pollution laws. New laws will require polluters in NSW to notify state agencies within an hour of an incident, and the fine for failing to report in timewill be doubled to $2 million. Out of this the state government is also planning to re-establish the NSW EPA as an independent regulator.
By 2026 the ACT Government wants 30 percent of Canberra journeys to work to be taken by sustainable transport, foot, bicycle or public transport. As part of this initiative, they plan to put an action bus route within five minutes walk of every single home in Canberra.
Hepburn Wind has become the first community organisation to own and operate a wind farm in Australia, generating its first electricity to the grid on June 22. It will provide enough renewable electricity for almost all of the households in Daylesford and Hepburn Springs.
In August after decades of struggle, the federal and Tasmanian Governments signed the Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement. This new agreement protects the environment, shows compassion for workers, restructures a crippled industry and rejuvenates Tasmania’s regional economies. It’s not all roses though. A recent report shows logging activity in native forests slated for protection so more work has to be done to ensure the agreement is honoured.
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W AT E R A N D H E A LT H Y R I V E R S
How much water does a river system need?
PHOTOGRAPH: SANDRA VOLT
This question has been hotly debated throughout the development of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. The current draft plan is going to need significant change if it is to deliver enough water to keep the Murray River from collapse. JULIET LE FEUVRE reports.
ECOLOGISTS LIKE PROF Keith Ward of Adelaide University say that a river needs about two-thirds of its water to remain in healthy condition. But the Murray River is left with about half of its average water after the demands of irrigation are met, even less in dry years. Northern Victorian rivers like the Goulburn suffer a similar fate too so it’s no wonder they are in poor condition. To get the whole Murray-Darling Basin back to health, we need to transfer at least 4,000 billion litres (GL) from consumptive use like irrigation use back to the rivers. Not only would this amount of water have a good chance of restoring the environment, it would also offer the opportunity to put irrigated agriculture on a sustainable footing and give local communities a long term future. After all, there are no jobs on a dead river. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look as if this is what’s going to be in the draft plan due for release in mid-November. The figure confirmed at a recent briefing for environment groups on ‘current thinking’ by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) is 2800 GL, well short of what the rivers need. The MDBA claim that this figure is based on best available science and is a good deal for the Basin’s
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rivers, but their own modelling shows that it will not be enough to sustain the floodplains of the lower Murray, Goulburn or Murrumbidgee. And many other valuable and unique places will remain at risk. This time last year we were excited that the Basin Plan could be a real transformational change with the ability to save the Murray forever. Now a combination of politics, vested interests and seemingly endless delays are in danger of remoulding it into a series of small incremental changes and a continuation of business as usual. Our rivers and the communities that depend on them will be the ones that pay the price.
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SPEAK UP FOR THE MURRAY Go to www.environment victoria.org.au/save-themurray/take-action and add your voice to speak up for our rivers. We’ll keep you up to date and let you know as soon as the plan is out so that you can tell the Murray Darling Basin Authority what the river means to you.
It’s time to gather our energy for the next round. This is a battle that’s far from over and this is where we need to make some noise. We’re going to tell the MDBA in no uncertain terms that their proposed plan is not good enough and our rivers need more than what’s on offer. We’ll be increasing the pressure to get this draft plan changed into one that safeguards the Murray’s future. Once the draft plan is released, you will have the chance to add your voice and tell the MDBA that the river matters to you.
W AT E R A N D H E A LT H Y R I V E R S
Touring the Murray > Domenica Settle, Healthy Rivers Campaigner
We took a trip to the Murray up at beautiful Barmah National Park, and reminded ourselves why this magnificent area is worth protecting.
THE OTHER DAY I was sitting under a red gum on the banks of the Murray… It’s not often that I get to hang out by the Murray, but in late October we took a group of Environment Victoria supporters up to the Barmah National Park to learn about the fight for the Murray and its water first hand. We heard from John Pettigrew, a retired irrigator and a member of the Environmental Farmers’ Network. Despite irrigator lobby groups being up in arms about the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, John’s John is convinced that reducing how much water is taken out of the river for irrigation is essential for the sustainability of both the river and farming communities. We also heard from a park ranger who is a Yorta Yorta woman, and took a boat trip out on the water, past red gums up to their knees in flood waters and teeming with bird life. We arrived back in Melbourne tired but happy, and fired up to make our voices heard on the future of the Murray. We’re now considering more day trips to the Murray. Top: Trip participants enjoying a ride on the Kingfisher boat. Above: John Pettigrew retired irrigator (left) talks about what plan will mean for Northern Victorian communities.
Check www.environmentvictoria.org.au/savethe-murray to see what we’ve got planned, or call Domenica on 9341 8165.
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S U S TA I N A B L E L I F E S T Y L E S
Smart buildings, smart residents, lead to even smarter neighbourhoods > Charlie Davie, Sustainable Living Project Manager
A group of residents in the sustainably designed Carlton Housing Estate are training to become Eco Champions. They’re learning about ways to make the most of the eco-features of their new homes and then spreading the green message to their neighbours. THE CARLTON ECO Neighbourhood project got underway in October when a dozen residents of the new public and private housing development in Carlton came together to learn about the environmental features of their sustainably designed homes. These Eco Champions will complete four sessions of training and then work with Environment Victoria to spread the sustainability message among the residents of the new buildings, and more broadly across the Carlton Housing Estate. New recruit Doug McCann said he was not sure what to expect when he first heard about the project, but he was attracted by the idea of bringing a variety of people together from across the housing estate, and from public and private housing. “I think any way to get people working together and getting to know each other where that would not normally happen is good. And to do that while we are learning about ways to look after the environment is pretty exciting,” Mr. McCann said. Environment Victoria project manager Charlie Davie said that the new buildings include the most environmentally sustainable public housing Melbourne has seen. “What’s great about this project is that residents get the chance to understand the new buildings they’ve moved into. The structures on their own provide significant environmental
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The new face of housing in Carlton. The first stage of the Carlton Housing Redevelopment is the setting for Carlton Eco Neighbourhood project.
benefits, but when people are fully aware of those sustainable design features we start to see more long-term impacts. There are always habits and actions people can take that will make any technology more effective.” For example, although the units have energy-efficient heating and are well insulated and sealed against draughts, if people close their curtains on a cold night, they can significantly reduce heat loss so that heating may not even be necessary. Similarly, residents have access to full recycling facilities and even composting at the local community garden, but unless they are in the habit of sorting waste and collecting food scraps, the environmental benefits of these facilities will not be realised. “Our community is involved in a huge collective learning process as we face our mounting environmental challenges. Carlton Eco Neighbourhood is an
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‘OUR COMMUNITY IS INVOLVED IN A HUGE COLLECTIVE LEARNING PROCESS AS WE FACE OUR MOUNTING ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES.’
example of a group of people taking the lead, learning together, and then sharing this knowledge with their neighbours,” Charlie said. Environment Victoria is working with City of Melbourne on Carlton Eco Neighbourhood, which forms part of the larger Eco-Carlton project. It will run until March 2012.
S U S TA I N A B L E L I F E S T Y L E S
ROSSANA FUENTES: Sharing the green message in Carlton
The community food garden in the heart of the Carlton Housing Estate is peaceful and productive. Rossana plans to encourage her neighbours to take their food waste to the garden to create compost as part of Carlton Eco-Neighbourhood. > Charlie Davie, Sustainable Living Project Manager
We hear from Carlton Eco Neighbourhood participant Rossana Fuentes about what motivates her to live sustainably and help others to do it too. AS A YOUNG woman in Chile, Rossana Fuentes would travel every year with her family to her father’s beach cottage in El Tabo, near Santiago. “It was there that I first discovered my love of the natural world,” she says. “There was no electricity, so we spent time looking at the stars, and during the day you could spend hours walking through the pine forests and down to the beach. The coastline in Chile is long and beautiful, and you can walk along it forever.” Rossana brought her love of the environment to Australia and is now participating in the Carlton Eco Neighbourhood program. As part of this initiative, she will complete four units of sustainable living training and then use her new knowledge to educate other residents of the Carlton public housing estate. As she trained as a teacher in Chile and has taught both there and here in Australia, we have no doubt she’ll do a great job helping her neighbours green up their lives. Rosanna has lived in Carlton for 17 years, in private houses and now in the public housing estate. “I love Carlton.
I feel safe here. And my neighbours are good, decent people, she explains. “I want to help create an environmental consciousness. We can find ways to work with nature, not control it. I hope that Carlton Eco Neighbourhood can help achieve that.” In the future Rossana hopes to run workshops and activities to help people learn how to make their own lives more comfortable while respecting the natural environment. “Many of these buildings
are quite old, but there are many things we can do to make them pleasant to live in, and better for the environment.” After our chat, Rossana showed me the Community Food Garden and introduced one of the local green thumbs. At the moment there are over 50 garden plots, all producing a profusion of food and flowers. Reflecting, Rossanna said “It’s very peaceful and green here… right in the city.”
Carlton Eco-Neighbourhood is funded by City of Melbourne, and is part of the larger Eco Carlton project.
MULTICULTURAL LEADERS IN SUSTAINABILITY GRADUATE! In early September over 40 people from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Australia came together to celebrate their friends and family being terrific sustainable leaders in our community. On this night, 14 very proud young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds formally graduated from Multicultural Leaders in Sustainability, which was run by Environment Victoria and AMES St Albans. Graduate Samer Ayoob was born in Iraq, and lived in Jordan before arriving in Melbourne less than a year ago. “In Jordan I was involved in a revegetation group, and now I can continue this work here. This program has changed my life. I have seen things around Melbourne, and here in St Albans – plants, birds, life – that I could not see before.” Multicultural Leaders in Sustainability was funded in 2011 by the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, The R.E Ross Trust, City West Water and AMES St Albans and we thank them for their contribution.
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S U S TA I N A B L E L I F E S T Y L E S
New communities spreading the sustainability message Left: Idris, Jeremiah and George practicing to become GreenTown Collingwood home sustainability assessors
Ever keen to innovate, we’ve tried something a little different for our second round of GreenTown, NINA BAILEY reports. GREENTOWN ROUND ONE has been incredibly successful, so we’ve kept some approaches consistent for our second GreenTown Program. Again we’re working closely with community organisations and recruiting multi-lingual local leaders to become home sustainability assessors, but this time we’re working with two new types of multicultural communities. In GreenTown Collingwood we’ve engaged a diverse group, representative of the residents of the Collingwood public housing estate. We’re taking the approach of place-based public housing community outreach developed from our Flemington East African GreenTown, and trialling working with people from varied backgrounds. Our ten Assessors are Lebanese-Australian, East and West African, Vietnamese, Chinese and Anglo-Australian. They were highly engaged throughout the training and now they’re aiming to reach 100 estate households with home assessments. The GreenTown Communities from Burma program in Ringwood have just trained 11 Assessors. They’re new to us but also to Australia, as most have arrived here within the last year on refugee visas, making them the most newly-arrived GreenTown community. In our training program we’ve made sustainable living relevant to people settling in to a new country – highlighting issues like saving money on energy bills and learning about local Council recycling services.
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Ahmed and Khalid, GreenTown East African Assessors at SKM Recycling Factory'
GreenTown: Adding it Up We’ve wrapped up our first four GreenTown programs, and the next two are underway. We’re so pleased with the impact this groundbreaking behaviour change program is making with culturally diverse communities across Melbourne. Let’s see what the numbers tell us:
6 59 295 45 2,114 10,365 8,600
Culturally and linguistically diverse communities engaged* Sustainability assessors trained Households assessed Small businesses assessed People attended community workshops and school presentations People reached directly or via media stories, word of mouth and visiting stalls at festivals Energy, water and waste-saving products distributed (including 827 CFL globes, 789 draught sealers, 815 shower timers and 595 showerheads)
Looking at the resources saved from using these products and taking sustainable actions, GreenTown participants are making savings far greater than any sustainable living program we’ve run before. Our evaluation’s not quite finalised but it’s looking like they’re saving at least 3 tonnes of greenhouse gases per participant per year! ** * Arabic-speaking in Moreland, Turkish-speaking in Hume, East African in Flemington, Indigenous in Darebin, Collingwood public housing estate, Communities from Burma in Ringwood. ** For context, the Victorian government’s target for behaviour change program savings is one tonne per participant annually.
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NOTICE THIS!
Join the backwards march For 12 months, the Baillieu Government has been taking Victoria backwards on the environment, so we’re marking the occasion of their first year in government with a backwards march.
WHO’S WHO AT
Chief Executive Officer Kelly O’Shanassy CAMPAIGNS Campaigns Director Mark Wakeham Healthy Rivers Campaigner Juliet Le Feuvre Healthy Rivers Campaigner Domenica Settle Safe Climate Campaigner Victoria McKenzie-McHarg
JOIN US ON SUNDAY, 13 NOVEMBER, 1PM PARLIAMENT HOUSE, MELBOURNE.
Safe Climate Campaigner Tricia Phelan OPERATIONS Organisational Services Manager Ivan Kolker Administration Officer Alice Sainsbury Communications Manager Alex Merory Communications Officer Sarah Dobney Fundraising Manager Amber Sprunt Finance Officer Despina Giannakis Database Officer Tony Cox SUSTAINABLE LIVING PROGRAM Project Manager Michele Burton Project Manager Nina Bailey Program Manager Charlie Davie BOARD President Russell Fisher Vice-President Elizabeth McKinnon
2011 Annual Report In years to come, 2010 will be remembered as a watershed time for Victoria’s environment and for Environment Victoria. It’s been a pretty big year and as always we’ve worked hard to make the most of it. Have a look at our 2011 Annual Report on line to see what we’ve been up to and the great things we’ve achieved in the last twelve months. www.environmentvictoria.org. au/annual-report-2010-2011
Sue Noy Amanda Nuttall James Meldrum Robyn Murphy Simone Zmood Hugh Wareham Alison Rowe Dieter Schadt REGULAR VOLUNTEERS Paul Batey Frank Burden John Egan Fran Henry Polly Hughes Peter Flanagan Janet Gellie Colleen Guggisberg Ian Hazewinkel Lance Lessels Bob Michael Cathryn Ryan Les Smith Talk to us: Phone: (03) 9341 8100 Email: admin@environmentvictoria.org.au Fax: (03) 9341 8199 PO Box 12575 A’Beckett Street, Victoria, 8006 www.environmentvictoria.org.au