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Haystacks Solar Garden
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The Haystacks Solar Garden will enable people without a sunny roof access to the many benefits of rooftop solar – through purchasing a plot in the solar garden. Whether you rent, live in an apartment or have an unsuitable roof for solar, this Solar Garden seeks to unlock the sunny benefits for all.
Grown out of a desire to make renewables accessible for everyone and enabling communities more control over their energy future, the Haystacks Solar Garden is intended to demonstrate that community owned and small scale solar farms are viable, replicable and provide multiple economic and community benefits.
Zero Emissions Byron is very excited to support Haystacks by co-hosting with COREM the free online information session on Monday 9 November at 7pm. This project really is a catalyst to Solar Gardens being developed all over the country.
Please tell any friends or family you know who lament not being able to have solar before now because they rent or have a shady roof or live in an apartment! If you can't make the info session but want more information about this opportunity please contact Kristy Walters at kristy@cpagency.org.au.
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'Fight for Planet A' and Win!
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Announcing our first winners!
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In late September, to capture the momentum created from the ABC TV series, we launched our Fight for Planet A and Win! campaign. On 1 November, we announced our first monthly winners, Alice Forrest and Jo Hoy.
Why are we doing this? The intention is simple. Inspire more locals to act on climate change by facilitating the sharing of actions that have already been taken by locals.
We have been generously supported with fantastic prizes from local businesses who sell carbon-busting products and services.
And we love the idea that winners themselves get to choose from our prize pool, so the prize itself becomes a catalyst for the winner to continue on their carbon reduction journey.
Prizes include a two-day Popcar hire, a complete Subpod composting system, a guided E-bike tour for two, and heaps more! All details can be found here on our website.
It's super easy to enter. Simply email or post directly to our 'Fight For Planet A and Win!' Facebook group a photo with a description of an action you've taken to ACT on climate change. If you need suggestions, you can refer to the 12 actions on our Changes You Can Make & ACT NOW posters on the zerobyron.org website.
If you missed the 3-part ABC series in August you can still catch up here on ABC iview Just watching the series is an action that will give you an entry into the prize draw!
In addition to sharing your story, winners must also have signed up for updates from ZEB - like this one! (Though you can email your entry rather than posting directly to our Facebook group, you must be happy for us to share all details on Facebook.)
The next prize draw will be on 1 December. So join our Facebook group and get your entry in!
One winner is drawn randomly, whilst the other is selected for its outstanding qualities. In our next update, we'll have photos for you of our first winners, Alice and Jo, details of their entries, the prizes they chose - and details on what they plan to do next on their emissions-busting journeys.
For further information about this project please contact our Community Engagement Officer, Sasha Mainsbridge, at community@zerobyron.org.
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RePlant : Drawing-down carbon by planting trees
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RePlant Byron is a project of Zero Emissions Byron. Collaborating with other tree-planting organisations and bush regenerators, our aim is to ensure 1.8 million trees are planted in Byron Shire by 2025. The main purpose of such large-scale tree planting is to drawdown carbon into trees and soil, as well as creating habitat, restoring biodiversity and preventing erosion.
RePlant Byron was launched in October 2019 with a community planting day in Ewingsdale. Since then, RePlant has planted almost 18,000 trees. In September, two further community planting days were held at The Farm and a private property in Bangalow.
The Farm planting, at a highly visible location, attracted planters of all ages to help create Byron’s first community forest, many of whom donated to the campaign to buy a tree.
The Farm's community forest is also supported by grants from the Communities Engagement Fund of the Department of Environment and Energy and the Northern Rivers Community Foundation (NRCF). Over 60 students from Byron Bay High's Year 12 planted the last trees and enjoyed a morning tea generously donated by Three Blue Ducks.
The Bangalow planting was funded by grants from Bank Australia, Stone & Wood’s Ingrained Foundation and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). It joins an earlier planting by RePlant Byron, and will link with a two-year-old planting, creating over 3ha of rainforest.
Donations to support RePlant and all ZEB projects are tax deductible. For more information about this project please contact our RePlant coordinator, Wren McLean, at replant@zerobyron.org.
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RePlant in action!
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Above: At THE FARM planting, these happy faces are (from left) Katrina Shields and Vicki Brooke, from Zero Emissions Byron, MP Justine Elliott, and Emily Berry from NRCF.
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Above: At the Bangalow planting in September.
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To answer your questions about electric vehicles
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If you’re intrigued about electric vehicles - whether cars, bikes, buses, scooters or even PTVs (personal transport vehicles) and lawn mowers – where can you get your questions answered? Contemplating buying an EV, but worried about driving range or charging methods, not to mention cost? Where can you find reliable, trustworthy advice?
The EV Webinars are designed to cover all aspects of EV adoption, from charging, driving range, converting combustion vehicles and other types of electric transport.
The aim is to encourage people to consider converting to an EV car from an ICE car, to reduce carbon emissions and stop using fossil fuels.
Since August this year, four webinars have been staged: Why Electric Vehicles, Making the Switch, Charging Ahead and EV Conversions, attracting interest from all states, and overseas. All are available to view on youtube.
The last webinar for 2020, Going the Distance will be held on Tuesday 1 December from 6-7pm, with Bryce Gaton, from the Australian Electric Vehicle Association (AEVA), and Marty Andrews from Chargefox.
The principal sponsor for the series is Bank Australia, major sponsor is NRMA. Community Sponsors are Enova Community Energy, Light Touch Solar & Electrical and ClubCar.
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Zero Emissions Byron was the first of more than 100 Zero Carbon Communities around Australia which have now committed to reducing their carbon emissions.
Headed by Melbourne climate think tank, Beyond Zero Emissions, an online skill-share session was staged for those communities by BZE mid-October. The idea is for these communities to learn how to implement low carbon solutions, connect with investors and lead effective change.
This is a screenshot of some of the Zero Communities in that session.
For more info, https://zerocarboncommunities.org.au/
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Watch out for the ZEB Street Stalls!
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We look forward to seeing you somewhere soon: online, or on the street.
Best wishes from Sasha Mainsbridge, Christobel Munson and all the ZEB team
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