Green Action News MOBILISING PEOPLE TO SAFEGUARD OUR ENVIRONMENT
Two elections. One big opportunity.
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PLUS Help us replace Hazelwood Power Station. On-the-ground report from Copenhagen.
THIS ISSUE
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It’s time for leadership. Green Action News Issue 10, Autumn 2010 Design 2Fish Productions Print Print Bound Contributing writers Michele Burton, Murray Irwin, Vicki Kyriakakis, Juliet Le Feuvre, Victoria McKenzie-McHarg, Kelly O’Shanassy, Piers Verstegen, Mark Wakeham. Editor Vicki Kyriakakis (03) 9341 8125 editor@environmentvictoria.org.au Advertising sales enquiries Vicki Kyriakakis (03) 9341 8125 editor@environmentvictoria.org.au Membership enquiries (03) 9341 8100 admin@environmentvictoria.org.au Media enquiries Mark Wakeham (03) 9341 8127 mark.wakeham@ environmentvictoria.org.au Green Action News is an Environment Victoria publication. For more information, visit www.environmentvictoria.org.au
BIG YEAR. BIG WINS. 2
GREEN ACTION NEWS | ISSUE 10
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Victorians score a big win against coal.
Civil society resolve stronger than ever.
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The people’s parliament rocks Federation Square.
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Tales from the Loddon River.
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One action. One big result.
40,000 Walk Against Warming.
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Two elections. One big opportunity.
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East-African businesses happy to go green.
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Blackburn and District Tree Preservation Society turns 50.
It’s never easy securing environmental victories, but we reckon we’ve had a pretty good year on the campaign trail. Here are just a handful of our big wins for 2009. 1. 460 billion litres of water can now be returned to the Murray. We worked closely with farmers, water authorities and local government to pressure the state government to remove barriers to water trading in northern Victoria. 460 billion litres of water are now available for the federal government to return the Murray River over the next 5 years.
2. The solar feed-in tariff now applies to businesses and communities. Together with our partner organisations, we convinced the state government to improve the Solar Feed-In Tariff legislation so that businesses and communities can now receive support for solar energy. We also increased the size of the installations eligible for support.
3. Television and computer manufacturers will now have to recycle their goods. We ran a national electronic waste campaign in partnership with the television industry and the Total Environment Centre. Together we convinced the federal government to introduce a national scheme requiring manufacturers of televisions and computers to take back their own products at the end of their lives, drastically reducing the 14 million televisions and computers currently dumped in landfill each year.
4. We forced the state government to back-down on plans to export brown coal. When state government was considering a proposal to allocate billions of tonnes of brown coal, we ran a short, sharp community campaign to force them to back
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Continued page 14
2010
ELECTION
When confusion reigns, it’s time for leadership. > Kelly O’Shanassy, Chief Executive Officer
After a year of many successes, 2009 certainly ended with a resounding thud!
THE DISAPPOINTING OUTCOMES (or lack of them) from the Copenhagen Climate Summit, and the continued stalling of an effective price on carbon, got even the most enthusiastic people down in the dumps. But I have to say, for me and the team at Environment Victoria, it’s done just the opposite. In fact, you might say it’s fired us up. BIG time! Right now, confusion reigns. People don’t know what to think. Is climate change real? Is it really caused by humans? Is it the reason why we’re in drought and our rivers are dying? And, most importantly – if the answer to all those questions is yes (which it is) – why aren’t our politicians taking action? (Good question) Poll after poll, however, tells us that while people may be confused by these issues, between 80 to 90 percent of them think that pollution is bad and that dirty coal is a problem. Most people still want action to safeguard our environment. And they want it now. So this year is ACTION year. More than ever before, this year is when we must cut through the confusion with actions that are so big and powerful, that they really start to swing things in the environment’s favour. That’s why we’re running three HUGE campaigns this year. We’ll be lobbying for actions that most Victorians support because they accept the basic truth that harming our environment is bad. The first will be to replace Hazelwood, one of the developed world’s dirtiest power plants, with energy efficiency, renewables and gas (as a transition fuel) in the next term of government. The second is to save our rivers and wetlands with a river rescue package that could resuscitate every river in the state. And the third is to give every home in Victoria a green makeover by 2020. We know it’s a big ask. But we also know
‘SO THIS YEAR IS ACTION YEAR.’ that it makes a lot of sense – environmentally, economically and socially. So we’re not letting ourselves get mesmerised by political inaction or the climate denialists. And we think you shouldn’t either. We’ve decided to get fired up instead and get Victorians
supporting BIG actions. Right now – this year, this month, this second – we’re working to turn things around. And we need your help. In this election year, you are in the power position. More than any other year, your voice matters. Please stand with us and support our campaigns to safeguard our environment.
ARE YOU IN? Read more about our election campaign plans on pages 8 and 9. Or visit us online at www.environmentvictoria.org.au /2010-election
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APPEAL
One action. Donate $25. One big result. Replace Hazelwood Power Station. IF YOU’RE READING this newsletter, chances are you are already doing your part for our environment. And big or small, every little bit helps. It’s the support of people like you that makes the many things we’ve achieved over the years possible. Things like our People’s Action Plan on climate change; getting the government to back down on its plans to export brown coal; returning billions of litres of water to our rivers; and getting 40,000 people out onto the streets of Melbourne for the Walk Against Warming. Those are accomplishments we can all be proud of. This year, we’re targeting the most polluting power station in the developed world – Hazelwood Power Station. (Not so proud of that). There’s good news though. This year is an election year, which places the average Victorian voter in what you might call a power position. So, if there was ever a time to shut Hazelwood it’s now. The community concern about climate change and the need to reduce our pollution has never been higher. And the inevitable price on carbon will make Hazelwood increasingly unviable. If we join forces to put the pressure on our elected officials and industry leaders right now, we can get them to replace Victoria’s dirty little secret with a modern combination of efficiency initiatives, renewable energy sources, and new efficient gas (as a transition fuel).
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We’ve crunched the numbers and come up with a plan to slash Victoria’s greenhouse emissions by half, and save billions of litres of water in the process. Replacing Hazelwood is the first (and most significant) piece of that plan. It’s one action that can have a very BIG result. Our campaign is ready to go; we just need your help to put into action. Environment Victoria will be spearheading a highly focused community campaign to get our state and federal politicians to commit to replacing Hazelwood with cleaner energy solutions by 2012. We’ll be mobilising people across the state; running letterbox drops and actively building support in key electorates. We’ll publish research that will show how we can replace Hazelwood. And we’ll run a highly visual public awareness campaign to get the community on board. We’ll also be lobbying all the relevant players on your behalf, to make sure they know that you expect them to replace our dirtiest polluter and start the transition to a clean energy future.
It’s as simple as switching OFF… • Dirtiest power station in the developed world • 15 percent of Victoria’s annual greenhouse gas emissions • 27 billion litres of water usage per year • Australia’s #1 emitter of highly dangerous dioxins • Dirty jobs, embarrassing statistics And switching ON… • Energy efficiency, renewable energy, efficient gas (as a transition fuel) • Reduced water usage and healthier rivers • Increased quality of life for thousands of people • Hundreds of secure green jobs • A new reason for Victorians to be proud We’d really love you to be a part of this. Frankly, we really need you. There will never be a better time to pressure our elected officials and industry leaders to replace Hazelwood. So what do you say? Are you in?
HELP US FLIP THE SWITCH. Just send in the donation form at the back of this newsletter or go to www.environmentvictoria.org.au/hazelwood to make your donation.
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GOOD NEWS
Victorians score a big win against big coal > Victoria McKenzie McHarg, Safe Climate and Smart Transport Campaigner
On 10 December last year, Environment Victoria and the Victorian climate community scored a BIG win against a proposal to develop a new export coal industry in the state. IN OCTOBER 2009, The Age ran a report on leaked cabinet documents that showed the Brumby Government was considering offering 13 billion tonnes of brown coal for tender in 2010. The report further claimed that, prior to tenders, Exergen could get the go-ahead for a priority coal allocation of 12 million tonnes of coal every year for 40 years to export to India. The Exergen proposal alone threatened to increase the state’s emissions by a whopping 10 percent. And, if the full 13 billion tonnes of coal was allowed to go to tender, it could result in the equivalent of 20 years worth of Australia’s total emissions. That’s when Environment Victoria stepped in. With the support of the community, Environment Victoria ran an ambitious community campaign to keep the coal in the ground. We wrote to the Premier outlining both our concerns and alternatives for a better, more sustainable future for the Latrobe Valley. And we met with key MPs, making sure that they knew about the community’s concerns. People across the state wrote hundreds of letters, made phone calls to the offices of MPs, met with them face-to-face, and wrote many letters to the editor. Working in partnership with local community groups, we called a rally on the steps of Parliament House. Despite the short notice, over 300 people turned out to tell the government that ‘The World Doesn’t Need Our Dirty Coal’. We also forced the release of a government commissioned report under the Freedom of Information Act that recommended that the Victorian Government not allow any further allocation of coal. And – for now, at least – sanity has prevailed. The government announced in December that no tender process would take place in 2010, and that
Exergen would not be getting any priority allocation of coal. We congratulate the government on this decision and particularly those within the Labor Party who advocated strongly against the proposal. While there is a chance that a tender could be opened following the state election in November, for now the government knows that the Victorian community doesn’t see a future in brown coal. It’s a fantastic outcome, and one that shows what we can achieve as a movement when we work together. We’d like to sincerely thank our supporters, member groups and the community groups who helped us mobilise the community on this issue.
GET INVOLVED
in our election year campaign and help us keep the coal in the ground. In 2010, both the state and federal governments will be going to the polls. That puts the average Victorian voter in something of a power position. We’re going to be running a comprehensive campaign to make sure that both elections deliver big time for our environment. And we’d love you to get involved. In fact, we really need you to. Read more about our plans on page 8. Then visit us online at www.environmentvictoria.org.au /2010-election.
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S A F E C L I M AT E
40,000
Walk Against Warming > Victoria McKenzie-McHarg, Safe Climate and Smart Transport Campaigner
While Kevin Rudd and other world leaders were continuing to talk the talk on climate action in Copenhagen last year, here in Melbourne over 40,000 Victorians were walking the walk. UP TO 90,000 PEOPLE joined walks across Australia, to coincide with the critical final week of the Copenhagen negotiations. They travelled from all over the state – from Gippsland and the North East, to Ballarat and Central Victoria, even as far away as Portland – to stand side-by-side with us and call for a Safe Climate. 40,000 people walked down Swanston Street in the city and formed a giant human sign spelling out the message: SAFE CLIMATE. DO IT! It was a message that was spread around the country through all the major television stations
and papers. And it seems that message got through, at least in part. The turn-out convinced Prime Minister Kevin Rudd that we were worth listening to. On the back of our success, Piers Verstegen – head of the Conservation Council of WA – was granted a meeting to present the Prime Minister with the attendance and petition figures on behalf of Walks all across Australia. Piers made sure our Prime Minister got the community’s message loud and clear. (You can read his on-the-ground commentary from Copenhagen, on the next page).
While Copenhagen didn’t deliver all that we hoped it might, our efforts here in Victoria achieved two important outcomes. The Australian Government is now in no doubt that the community wants real and immediate action. The movement has also clearly continued to grow. We can look to the 12 months ahead with optimism, knowing that there is a strong and engaged community force on our side. Thank you to all of you who helped make the 2009 Melbourne Walk Against Warming such a huge success. Whether you helped us promote the event, passed on an email, put posters up, made a donation to our appeal, or simply came on the day with your family and friends – your efforts have made all the difference. You’ve given us 40,000 more reasons to believe in a Safe Climate future.
REPORT FROM COPENHAGEN
Climate negotiations fail but civil society resolve is stronger than ever > Piers Verstegen, Director, Conservation Council of WA
Piers Verstegen, Director of the Conservation Council of WA, shares his up-close-and-personal view of the Copenhagen Climate Summit with Green Action News and talks about what’s next for the climate movement in Australia. THE COPENHAGEN CLIMATE negotiations have been the single largest gathering of world leaders in history. Yet they’ve failed to reach an agreement capable of ensuring survival of planet Earth and its inhabitants. Despite the rhetoric, simple brinkmanship between nations and economic vested interests of nations and corporations has again derailed a global response to the greatest ecological, security and humanitarian crisis of our times. During the last week of the summit, in all corners of the globe, we witnessed the greatest coordinated political demonstrations in history. Millions upon millions of people in rich and poor nations took part in hundreds of thousands of actions – all calling for a binding climate treaty to secure a safe climate future and the survival of vulnerable peoples all over the world. By the time the Heads of State arrived at the Summit in the middle of the second week, however, alarm bells were already starting to ring in the NGO community. Negotiations had been bogged down in positional politics, and to make matters worse, most NGO’s were being banned from the Bella Centre where the conference was being held. In the closing days of the conference, out of the 25,000 registered civil society observers, just 500 representatives were allowed access. Half of those were business and industry organisations who do not represent ‘civil society’ at all. If there has ever been a numerical definition of tokenism, that was it. The result is a hollow text with hollow commitments.
“WE CAN SOLVE THIS CLIMATE CRISIS DESPITE THE INCAPACITY OF OUR POLITICAL LEADERS…” Despite this profound failure, however, there has been some progress. We now have over 160 countries committed to an outcome that prevents over 1.5 degrees global warming and 350ppm CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. Developing countries such as China and
Thousands marched towards the Bella Centre in Copenhagen during the Climate Summit on the Global Day of Action. PHOTO: CNPHCH (FLICKR)
India have moved a huge amount in the last six months, placing commitments on the table that would not have been thought of just 12 months ago. There is also a renewed commitment from civil society all over the world to act together in partnership to solve the climate crisis even when our political leaders have so far failed to do so. At a parallel ‘people’s climate forum’ that was held in Copenhagen, an astonishing number of individuals and organisations came together from all over the world to create and agree on a declaration serving as a blueprint for action. This can only gather momentum now. There is now a common understanding and unbreakable bond between civil society organisations all over the world that we can solve the climate crisis despite the incapacity of our political leaders and the inequity of our economic systems.
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Two elections. One big opportunity. > Mark Wakeham, Campaigns Director
In 2010, both the state and federal governments will be going to the polls. And we’re going to be working hard to make sure both elections deliver big time for our environment. Environment Victoria’s Campaign Director, Mark Wakeham, outlines our approach in a dual election year.
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ELECTIONS ARE A CRITICAL time for environment campaigns. The vast majority of policy commitments in Australian politics are made during election campaigns. Political parties spend the three months ahead of each election making promises, and then spend the next three or four years delivering – or sometimes, failing to deliver – on those promises. While we know the state election date – 27 November 2010 – the federal election could be held at any time. That makes planning our election work tricky. One way of dealing with the uncertainty is to begin early. So that’s exactly what we’ve done. Last November, we joined forces with The Wilderness Society, Friends of the Earth and the Victorian National Parks Association to outline seven key areas that we think require urgent action by the winning party in this year’s state election. We’ve called it Turning it Around. It contains a clear agenda that you can use as a yardstick by which to
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‘IN THE COMING MONTHS, WE’LL BE CRANKING UP THE PRESSURE.’
GET ELECTION
READY READ OUR TURNING IT AROUND REPORT
measure the policy of all political parties up for election. From mid-year onwards we’ll also be releasing monthly report cards that will help you compare the environmental platforms of each of the parties against a handful of the most important issues in ‘Turning it Around’. In particular, we’ll be focusing on three big campaigns this year: 1. We’ll be running a ‘Rescue our Rivers’ campaign, calling for the introduction of a rivers rescue package; 2. We’ll be asking parties to commit to replacing Hazelwood Power Station with energy saving measures and clean and renewable energy power stations; and 3. We’ll be seeking an overhaul of Victoria’s entire building stock, beginning with a program to retrofit one million Victorian homes for energy and water efficiency. So far the state election is an open race in terms of environment policy. With the exception of a couple of notable highlights – such as the declaration of Red Gum Parks and the introduction of
the energy efficiency target – the Labor Government has moved very slowly on environmental issues. The strength of their upcoming climate change White Paper and Green Jobs plan will also play a large part in determining the environmental legacy the Brumby Government takes into the election. On the other side of Parliament, though the Coalition is yet to release their election environmental policies, they have – at best – been inconsistent on environmental issues. And while the Greens have been strong environmental advocates in Parliament, the question remains on how they will use their growing support in inner city seats to exert an influence on the next government’s environmental agenda. While there are always open-ended questions when it comes to elections, one thing is clear – Environment Victoria is well positioned to influence the agenda in a big way. So, in the coming months, we’ll be cranking up the pressure. In particular, we’ll be: • lobbying all relevant players • setting up listening booths to record your ‘visions for Victoria’ • launching our three big campaigns • preparing a series of You Tube video clips for each of our campaigns • releasing our ‘river health indicator’ which we’ll update every month to raise awareness about the plight of the state’s rivers • undertaking a regional roadshow to highlight our election priorities • running election billboards, tram ads and leafleting key electorates • developing report cards on the environment platforms of each party beginning mid-year And while Environment Victoria doesn’t endorse any political party or candidate, we will be providing public commentary on the environment platforms being presented. As always, though, we’ll leave it up to you to decide who you want to vote for. Our job will be to make it clear to all political aspirants throughout the year that the environment needs to be front and centre of their election campaigns.
Get informed and ready to exercise your vote for our environment. We’ve gotten together with The Wilderness Society, the Victorian National Parks Association and Friends of the Earth to develop our agenda for this election. You’ll find it all in our Turning it Around report online at www.environmentvictoria. org.au/2010-election
FOLLOW OUR 2010 ELECTION BLOG Keep up to date with all the latest news and activities in the lead-up to the 2010 elections with our special election year blog at www.environment victoria.org.au/blog
MAKE A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION TO SUPPORT OUR CAMPAIGN We’ve achieved a lot for our environment over the last forty years. And we’ll be running a strong campaign to put pressure on our politicians in the lead-up to the state and federal elections. Help us make your vote count. Visit us at www.environment victoria.org.au/give to make your donation today.
TALK TO YOUR COMMUNITY Why wait for the state election when you can make your voice heard right now. Talk to your friends and family about your hopes for our environment. Let them know that the state election this year could be a turning point.
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S U S TA I N A B L E L I F E S T Y L E S
The People’s Parliament rocks Federation Square Over 130 Victorians got in front of our cameras at this year’s Sustainable Living Festival in Federation Square. Their purpose? To share their vision for Victoria’s environment.
The project was a joint initiative between Environment Victoria and The Sustainable Living Festival. We asked people to let us know what they wanted our political leaders to do for our environment. We also asked them what actions they were taking in their own lives to safeguard our environment. And we’ve captured it all on camera. We’ll now be sending them straight to our political leaders to show them real, visible evidence that Victorians care for their environment and expect real leadership this coming election. We’ll also be adding them to our website, so stay tuned. We’ll let you know when you can get online to watch what they had to say.
Did you miss us as this year’s Sustainable Living Festival? Never fear. It’s not too late to add your voice to ours. Simply visit us online at www.environmentvictoria.org.au/2010-election and get involved in our election campaign. Or you can have your say at www.environmentvictoria.org.au/blog/posts/what’s-your-vision-victoria With thanks to MECU for their kind sponsorship of The People’s Parliament.
Love for country colours Darebin green > Michele Burton, Project Manager, GreenTown
Environment Victoria’s GreenTown program has mobilised people from a diverse range of communities to safeguard our environment. Now, it’s the Darebin Indigenous community’s turn. Green Action News caught up with Aboriginal Elder Janice Muir, to talk about why she thinks the program is so important for her community.
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“I’ve always been aware and wanted to be involved in environmental issues, from an early age,” Janice says. “It’s something my father was also interested in, and he tried to instill in us being aware of looking after Mother Earth. Because you can be connected to the land, but there’s a responsibility that goes with that.” She says it’s this connection to country which makes GreenTown so relevant to Aboriginal people. “In the public arena it seems that we’re not that interested [in sustainability]. But if you talk to every Aboriginal resident in Darebin, they’ll talk to you about the importance of looking after country. If you talk to individual residents, they’ve got their own unique way of greening not only Darebin, but Australia. Because we don’t all come from Melbourne. We all go back home, which for me is along the river.”
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The key, she says, is getting the right information to people. And she says GreenTown will be an avenue to that information. “The knowledge of green and the environment is there, but it’s having access to… what’s available and what resources… I can tap into.” The program will be conducted starting April, with new community consultant Tracey Onus working with the community on the program. Tracey will be supported by our friends at The Aborigines Advancement League, and will be working out of their offices in Thornbury. Training of local Indigenous people in household and business assessments will be starting in April. For more information contact Michele Burton, on (03) 9341 8105 or michele.burton@environmentvictoria.org.au.
S U S TA I N A B L E L I F E S T Y L E S
Participants from our East-African GreenTown program at the Eid Festival last year.
East-African businesses happy to go green > Murray Irwin, Acting Director, Sustainable Living Program
“They’re really happy.” That’s Khalid Mohamed-Mussa’s take on the East African businesses responding to our offers of free sustainability assessments. KHALID IS ONE OF 10 people from the East African communities of Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea who have been trained in household and business assessments as part of Environment Victoria’s GreenTown program. And the new assessors have hit the ground running. They’ve now delivered almost 70 household assessments to East African households in the Flemington area in
Melbourne’s inner north-west, and they’re gearing up to deliver 15 business assessments over the next few months. They’ll be assessing businesses across the community – from restaurants, to cafés and more – and giving advice on how business owners can reduce their environmental impact. Khalid says the assessors are trying to “pass [on] the message that it’s helping the environment… and it’s going to help
your business to save some money.” Nina Bailey, who is project managing the East African part of GreenTown at Environment Victoria, says that engaging the East African community on environmental issues hasn’t been hard: “Even though some of the language and concepts are new, there’s a lot of prior care for the environment and experience of the environment back home, that [the assessors] use for communicating the issue here.” Khalid says engaging businesses in the area has almost been too easy. “I’ve been living in this area for over 10 years,” he explains, “so I know most of the people when they start the businesses.” His connections with local businesses meant that he’s already found more interested businesses than he will have time to assess. He’d started informally advising local businesses before the assessments had even formally started. He’s also been talking to them about saving water because “they use a lot of water, to clean the place”. He’s been talking to them about grey water friendly cleaning products they could use, and about how making changes could save them money. “They are really happy. For some of them, this is the first time they’ve heard this stuff.” Project Manager, Nina Bailey, says the 10 East African assessors also seem pretty happy. “Household sustainability assessment is a booming industry and just one of the new ‘green jobs’ that we want to see more of,” says Nina, “and I think people are excited to be a part of that.” Khalid sees it as an opportunity that he hopes will help shape his future and that of his community. “I’ve been working as a volunteer for different things in the community. But to be with the green [sector] and especially with this kind of project, this is what I want to do in the future. To get a job to help the environment, to help people, to pass messages, to let them know what they need to protect the environment and to live a better life. Not for yourself but for everyone together. Because we’re living in one world, one place, one suburb.” For more information, visit GreenTown online at www.environmentvictoria. org.au/learn/category/campaignfocus/sustainable-lifestyles/green-town
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SMART STUFF
[LESS
WASTE]
Tales from the Late last year, around 40 people gathered on a hot night at the Boort Tennis Club to celebrate their connection to the Loddon River. For them it was an opportunity to connect with other people who care about their river. For Environment Victoria, it was an opportunity to celebrate the last “Your River” and say goodbye to a watershed program. Healthy Rivers Campaigner, Juliet Le Feuvre reports.
THOUGH THE LODDON RIVER is much depleted, it has many friends. From olive growers and winemakers, to farmers and conservationists – their lives and businesses are intricately linked to the Loddon River. So they got together with us and shared their stories and their passionate concern about their river’s future. The event was the launch of our final Your River project – Your River: Loddon River. Over the last four years, we’ve profiled 12 rivers across Victoria. We’ve collected stories from rivers as far apart as the Woori Yallock in Melbourne’s backyard, to the mighty Goulburn in our state’s north. We’ve witnessed the fast flowing Ovens rushing down from the Alps and sat by the winding Wimmera, making its way across the flat landscape of western Victoria. And everywhere we went, we found Victorians with a strong sense of connection to their river systems, and a pressing desire to share their stories. We’ve collected over 70 of these stories now – telling the tale of a state and a people who are passionate about their rivers, and concerned by their continuing decline. The Loddon River was no different. Our Loddon River stories demonstrate the great diversity of people who care for their river system. Like other Victorians, Peter and Marlies Eicher, who own an organic olive grove near Boort, are deeply committed to their river. With their sustainable production processes, they make a little water go a long way. So too Ron Snep, who has managed to keep his vines fruitful without any irrigation water. John Baluch and Elaine Jones are both farmers from the lower reaches of the Loddon. They have tales to tell of floods,
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droughts and taking care of a river that is the lifeblood of their businesses. Cathy McCallum from Baringhup believes in the power of educating the young. While Paul Haw passes on his vast store of knowledge of ecology, culture and history to older students. Running through all their stories is the thread of doing more with less water, changing community attitudes, and a strong concern for protecting and reviving the river system. All in all, Environment Victoria’s Your River project has been an enormous success. It has increased awareness and understanding of local river health issues, and engaged people in local initiatives to improve their waterways.
It’s also provided a great opportunity for people to get together and talk about their river. What they’ve discovered, time and time again, is that they are not alone in their concern for our future.
Where to now? Never ones to rest on our laurels, we’re pushing our storytelling tradition in new directions. Environment Victoria is looking for new stories of change and renewal, as part of our River Rescue and Regional Renewal action plan for Northern Victoria. In particular, we’re talking to people who have had to face up to a future drastically altered by climate change. And we’re seeking out those people leading the charge in alternative business practices. Some, like the Eichers, have learnt how to vastly increase the value of what they produce with the water available to them. Others, like Jo and Greg Bear, have moved into other forms of production. Whatever their story, however, we’re working to make sure that the changes they make result in more water for our rivers, and in prosperous and sustainable communities.
YOU CAN GET INVOLVED NOW! Right now, you can start being a part of Victoria’s healthy rivers story. Start by reading all about our River Rescue and Regional Renewal action plan for Northern Victoria. http://www.environmentvictoria.org.au/river-rescue-and-regional-renewal
HAVE A RIVER STORY OF YOUR OWN TO SHARE? We’d love to hear it. Share your passion for our rivers online at: www.environmentvictoria.org.au/share Read all the stories from Your River: Loddon River online: http://www.environmentvictoria.org.au/content/loddon-river
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H E A LT H Y R I V E R S
Loddon River Cathy Elaine McCallum: Jones:
Roy Snep:
Helping youngsters appreciate the Loddon
Mixing delicious drops
For Cathy McCallum – or “Mrs Mac” as the Baringhup Primary School kids call her – it’s all about making environmental education interesting. “It’s got to be fun,” says Cathy, “in my thinking, kids don’t really work and enjoy learning unless it’s fun.” Cathy and her husband Bill moved to Baringhup (about ten minutes drive west of Maldon) a decade ago and reside in a charming little bush hamlet of 50 homes, a short walk from the Loddon River. “About six years ago, we were reading a lot about climate change and thought we had to do something to contribute to people’s understanding of the issues,” Cathy says. “Ninety percent of what we teach and the activities we do, are connected to the Loddon River and its sustainability. Our aim is to enhance the kids’ appreciation of their river and help them understand water and water issues.”
40 years of precious memories Thirty-six years ago, in the black of night, the heavens opened and the rains came down, breaking the banks of the Loddon River. It also happened to be the night Elaine Jones and her family of five moved into their farm on the outskirts of Kerang, just near the river. It’s a welcome they’ll never forget. It’s a scene that’s hard to imagine now in the parched paddocks of Elaine’s property. Her late husband, Gyn, was somewhat of a pioneer with the work he did on managing salinity for the Department of Agriculture over 30 years. Their farm gave them an opportunity to put into practice the farm management tools Gyn was promoting through the Department. “Gyn used to say, we are here as stewards of the land, of the earth where you stand. And that’s my motivation,” says Elaine. “It’s our responsibility to leave the land as good as or better than we found it.”
Microbiology, psychiatric nursing and bus driving are all jobs Ron Snep has turned his hand to. That is until 25 years ago when this urban refugee and lover of wine established Welshmans Reef Vineyard – just a stone’s throw from Lake Cairn Curran. “My wife, Julia, and I grew up in Melbourne and had the dream that a lot of people in the city have, which is to go to the country and make a living from the land.” Ron reminisces about sailing his little 12 foot boat across the waters of Lake Cairn Curran and remembers a time when it was filled every year without fail. “You’d always know that you were going to have a great summer down there, with water available to muck around in,” Ron says wistfully. But after years of little rain, Ron’s boat now lies in the shed gathering dust, waiting for the water to return. “One of the things you realise, living on the land and in the country, is that you are custodians of the ground. You don’t really own it; you just manage it for the future.”
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AFFILIATE
GROUPS
Blackburn and District Tree Preservation Society turns 50! When the Blackburn Tree Preservation Society was first formed in November 1959, it worked hard to preserve the local natural environment and protect areas of remnant bush. OVER THE LAST FIFTY YEARS, the group has grown and prospered and they now work across the whole Nunawading municipality, and indeed the state. The Society was actively involved in the Little Desert campaign in 1969, that led to the birth of Environment Victoria, and has been an affiliate member since our inception. Since then, they’ve gone from strength to strength, forming the Urimbirra Cooperative Society and buying a bush block adjacent to Crown Land in the Little Desert. They’ve also purchased a 600 ha block and both have Conservation Covenants administered through the Trust for Nature, providing permanent protection to the land. They’ve produced several publications, including ‘100 Native Plants to Grow in Blackburn Gardens’. They’ve campaigned for planning controls in the treed area of Blackburn, and were successful in setting up a Special Residential Zone, covering 49 streets. For more information, contact Les Smith on (03) 9874 2641 or lwsmith@chariot.com.au.
Environment Victoria volunteer, Les Smith, has been involved with the Blackburn and District Tree Preservation Society for many years.
WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR AFFILIATE GROUPS? Our affiliate groups are out there at the grassroots, safeguarding our environment. And we couldn’t have achieved all we have without them. Visit our Affiliate Directory online for more information: www.environmentvictoria.org.au/?q=content/our-story/our-affiliates.
BIG YEAR. BIG WINS... from page 2 down. That’s 13 billion tonnes of coal will stay in the ground for now, and we plan to keep it that way.
5. Assisted in the creation of new Red Gum Parks While our colleagues at VNPA, The Wilderness Society and Friends of the Earth did most of the legwork, Environment Victoria played a supporting role in the campaign to establish new Red Gum Parks along the Murray River. The National Parks, jointly managed with traditional owners, were proclaimed in November, adding nearly 100,000 hectares to the Parks estate. Now we just need some water for them.
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GREEN ACTION NEWS | ISSUE 10
6. Reached thousands of people through our Sustainable Living programs Thousands of Victorians are living more sustainably thanks to our Sustainable Living programs. Our Green Renters Guide was downloaded 22,500 times online, and 1400 people accessed it via hard copy. We also trained 432 Home and Community Care workers to deliver sustainability audits to nearly 5,200 clients. We couldn’t have done it without your support, though. With your help, we can make 2010 even bigger and better.
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NOTICE THIS!
One Action. Donate $25. One Big Result. Replace Hazelwood Power Station. and industry leaders to replace Hazelwood with a modern combination of efficiency initiatives, renewable energy resources, and new efficient gas (as a transition fuel). Make your contribution of $25 or more below. Let’s convince our leaders to replace Hazelwood with smarter energy alternatives.
Hazelwood Power Station is the dirtiest power station in the developed world. That’s the bad news. This year, however, is an election year. That’s the good news! That puts the average Victorian voter in what you might call a power position. Help us put pressure on our elected officials
YES! I want to flip the switch on Hazelwood! I would like to donate:
n $25 n $50 n $100 n $250 n $500 n My own amount $ ___________ Please find enclosed a: n Cheque or n Money Order (payable to Environment Victoria INC.) or please debit my card: n Amex n Mastercard n Visa Cardholder’s name: ________________________________________Expiry date: __ __ / __ __ Signature: ___________________________ Card number: | _ _ | _ _ | _ _ | _ _ | – | _ _ | _ _ | _ _ | _ _ | – | _ _ | _ _ | _ _ | _ _ | – | _ _ | _ _ | _ _ | _ _ |
PERSONAL DETAILS Title:
First Name:
Family Name:
Address: Suburb:
State:
Postcode:
Email: Tel: (BH)
(AH)
n Please send all future correspondence by email Help us to help you by telling us a little bit more about yourself. (All information will be kept strictly confidential). Date of Birth: D_______/ M_______/ Y_______ Occupation: _____________________________________________________ ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES YOU CARE MOST ABOUT
n All
n Biodiversity
n Healthy Rivers
n Safe Climate n Sustainable Lifestyles n Smart Stuff (Less Waste)
Please complete this form, tear off this page and return it to Reply Paid 12575, A’Beckett Street, Melbourne, VIC 8006 or visit www.environmentvictoria.org.au/give and make your donation online. G R E E N A C T I O N N E W S | I S S U E 1 0 | A U T U M N 2 0 1 0 | 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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PHOTOGRAPH: KEITH WARD
PHOTOGRAPH: IAN PENROSE
Environment Victoria invites you to
Join us at the
Rescue Our Rivers 2010 is an election year and what better time to ensure that both elections deliver big time for our environment. But we can’t do it without your help Jump on board and paddle upstream to find out about Environment Victoria’s campaign priorities at Rescue Our Rivers. Here, our River
Rescue Our Rivers campaign briefing
and supporter evening WHAT? Hear from Environment Victoria campaigners about the strength and history of our rivers work. Learn about our plans for the year and register your interest to join us in ensuring our rivers get a drink too. Refreshments will be provided on the evening so together we can campaign to refresh our rivers! WHEN? Thursday, 25 March, 5:45pm for 6.00pm - 7:30pm WHERE? Meeting Room, Green Building, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton COST? Admission free
Champions will be granted a sneak peek of
PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU’RE COMING
our plans and the opportunity to be involved
RSVP to Healthy Rivers Campaigner Amelia Young on (03) 9341 8120 or email her at amelia.young@environmentvictoria.org.au
in helping us deliver campaign success.
WHO’S WHO AT ENVIRONMENT VICTORIA Chief Executive Officer Kelly O’Shanassy Campaigns Director Mark Wakeham A/Director Sustainable Living Murray Irwin OPERATIONS Organisational Services Manager Ivan Kolker Administration Coordinator Helen Vine Administration Assistant Trier Murphy Communications Manager Vicki Kyriakakis
Communications Officer Sarah Dobney Finance Officer Despina Giannakis WATER & HEALTHY RIVERS Healthy Rivers Campaigner Amelia Young Healthy Rivers Campaign Manager Juliet Le Feuvre SAFE CLIMATE Safe Climate and Smart Transport Campaigner Victoria McKenzie-McHarg
SUSTAINABLE LIVING PROGRAM Project Manager Michele Burton Project Manager Katelyn Fryer Project Manager Nina Bailey Program Manager Charlie Davie Project Officer Domenica Settle Project Officer Kate Senko
Communications Officer Jo Argent Green Town Community Coordinator Natalia Valenzuela BOARD President Russell Fisher Vice-President Sue Noy Doug Gimesy David Osborn Elizabeth McKinnon Amanda Nuttall Jeana Vithoulkas James Meldrum
REGULAR VOLUNTEERS Andrew Booth Peter Flanagan Janet Gellie Colleen Guggisberg Ian Hazewinkel Pauline Ng Keshni Prasad Marion Silver Les Smith Thi Truong
CONTACT US: Phone: (03) 9341 8100 admin@ environmentvictoria.org.au Fax: (03) 9341 8199 PO Box 12575 A’Beckett Street, Victoria, 8006
www.environmentvictoria.org.au
Green Action News MOBILISING PEOPLE TO SAFEGUARD OUR ENVIRONMENT
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2010.
Our greatest opportunity for change.
PLUS Help us replace Hazelwood Power Station. On-the-ground report from Copenhagen.