Farewells
MASG would like to acknowledge Tina Helm and all that she has helped MASG achieve over the past 5 months. We will miss Tina's energy and inspiration and her event management prowess, and we wish her all the best in what comes next in life for her wonderful family.
MASG also congratulates Jay Smith is his new appointment as Mount Alexander Shire Council's Climate Change Coordinator. We are super stoked for Jay, and really happy to see someone as passionate, knowledgeable and action focused as Jay is, in such an important role.
ARENA funding success for MASG’s Community Waste to Energy project
‘Stakeholders meet on site at Coliban Water’s Waste Water Treatment Facility in Castlemaine to discuss next steps.’
L-R Steve Woodman, Don Smallgoods, Mick Lewin, Deputy Chair MASG and Chair Mt Alexander Waste to Energy Steering Committee, Jon Anstey, Coliban Water.
Mount Alexander Sustainability Group’s (MASG)
Waste to Energy project is up and running with the steering committee now able to hit the ground, upon a further exciting funding announcement.
MASG’s Waste to Energy feasibility study is delighted to confirm funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). The Steering Committee comprised of MASG W2E working group members, Don Smallgoods, Coliban Water and The Mount Alexander Shire Council, have begun the process of engaging contractors around the delivery of the next stage of the W2E project, that will see a feasibility study and business case developed for an integrated waste to energy facility.
‘We are now in full system’s go mode, ready to bring MASG’s Waste to Energy project through to the feasibility stage. With our project partners secured, our budget goals attained, and our preparations completed, through the generous support from ARENA, it is now onwards and upwards. This is a major step forward towards realizing our shared vision of zero net emissions for the Shire by 2025’ Says Deane Belfield, MASG’s W2E Project Manager.
‘On behalf of Coliban Water, I am excited to see the W2E project getting off the ground, and grateful to the tireless commitment of the MASG team, who have steered the way. Coliban looks to a time, not too far in the future, where waste water sludge will not be dealt with as waste, but as a resource that can be used.’ Says Jon Anstey, Coliban Water.
‘Don Smallgoods have been partners from the outset, committed to seeing this project through to delivery. With obvious benefits to our operations, through supporting us to better deal with waste, but also with benefits to the broader community, through supported bioenergy technology which will increase renewable energy provision in our town.’ Says Steve Woodman representative for Don Smallgoods.
Read more
here...
An Garden of Earthly Delights packed with pledges for action at the Castlemaine State Festival.
A huge congrats to the team behind the Castlemaine State Festival's Garden of Earthly Delights, which ran for the duration of the festival with over 200 pledges made.
Thanks to Jodi Newcombe from
Carbon Arts, for inviting us to participate in this project alongside
The Hub Foundation,
Connecting Country,
The Growing Adundance Project and
350.org.
Such an amazing amount of good positive action is taking place in our community, and it was great to see all the pledges lined up in the form of a gorgeous digital vine.
We will be following up with Jodi and the other orgs involved to have a look at the pledge data, so we will have some further updates to share soon.
Read more
here...
Whats on.....
An Introduction to BioChar, Sunday 2 April 1.30-4pm
Join local action at Westpac Bendigo, to stop carbon time bomb Adani mine.
Friday 7 April, 12.30pm
When and Where:
Friday 7 April, 12.30pm
Westpac Bank, 49 Mitchell St, Bendigo.
Dear Climate Supporter,
We're gearing up for our first Central Vic climate action for 2017 with a protest on April 7th at the Westpac Bank, 49 Mitchell St, Bendigo. We hope you can join us there at 12.30 in our campaign to stop Westpac from funding the Adani Mine.
2017 is the defining historical moment for the climate movement because of the proposed Adani Mine in Queensland. This carbon time bomb would be the biggest coal mine in the Southern Hemisphere. It is currently being supported by both the Federal Coalition and the Queensland Labor Government, and is seeking finance to go ahead. This mine has been referred to as game-over for a safe climate.
All around the country, people are stepping up and taking action to prevent this from happening. A very effective strategy is to focus on ‘secondary targets’, like the BIG FOUR banks, ANZ, NAB, Westpac and the Commonwealth Bank, who could finance the mine. These banks are referred to as the financial engine room of the fossil fuel industry, lending billions of dollars each year to projects that drive devastating climate change. We need to make it socially unacceptable for any company to be associated with Adani. Banks are extremely vulnerable to public pressure and reputational risk.
We have the Westpac bank in our sights. The Federal Government is frantically lobbying Westpac to fund Adani, and the bank is reported to have already loaned Adani $650 million.
Our first action is at the Westpac Bendigo branch on Friday 7th April. We are meeting there at 12.30pm to occupy the bank. There will be a range of ways you can join this action, so that we can all play a part in the movement. Some of us will occupy the bank, some will remain outside the bank, some will do theatrics, some will contribute to the planning. There are a variety of support roles. Non-violent direct action training will be offered prior to the action. We would love you to join us.
Our demand is that Westpac makes a public declaration to rule out funding the Adani project. Actions like these will continue until this happens.
Building this movement requires mass participation, and we need as many people as possible to turn out in the coming months.
Please rsvp to
centralvicclimateaction@gmail.com to let us know how you would like to be involved:
-"I’m in! See you at the bank!"
-"I’m interested; not sure I can be there at the bank, but wish to remain connected with the movement in some useful way." (You’re welcome to make suggestions, or we can contact you with a few ideas).
-"I wish to attend non-violence training".
Feel free to pass this email onto your friends and networks.
Kind regards,
Susie Burke, Bernard Tonkin, Trevor Scott, Dean Bridgfoot, Tim Read, Lisa Minchin, on behalf of Central Victorian Climate Action, #StopAdani.
Excellent Guardian article for further reading:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jan/14/adani-coalmine-activists-gear-up-to-fight-this-will-dwarf-the-franklin-blockade
Cleaning green - Sustainable Living Workshop Series, Saturday 22 April
Get Behind Your Local Sustainability Group
