Please see the message below that was posted on the Food Security Network email listserve - an awesome service for project officers, councils, community organisations and others who are addressing food security issues in their local areas in Melbourne. It is to facilitate discussion and the sharing of resources. To join visit http://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/Content.aspx?topicID=151#cs_783.

Environment Victoria has developed a new plan for its future, setting new strategic priorities and ways of operating. We believe very strongly that Victoria’s environment is at great risk and while Environment Victoria has achieved some excellent outcomes over its 40 years, we need to change the way we work to urgently combat climate change and its devastating impacts on our rivers, biodiversity and land.

More information about the plan can be viewed on our website www.environmentvictoria.org.au.

The section below is republished with permission from the Going Solar Transport Newsletter #65, 23 June 2008, compiled by Stephen Ingrouille. Going Solar, www.goingsolar.com.au/transport. This newsletter provides an excellent commentary on local sustainable transport issues in Melbourne.

2008 Banksia Award Finalists
Tindo the Solar Electric Bus (Adelaide)
“The Adelaide City Council has set a new international standard for sustainable commuter transport with the introduction of Tindo – the world’s first solar powered electric bus. Harnessing the power of the sun, Tindo is a carbon neutral vehicle that’s recharged using solar energy generated by a unique solar PV system installed on the roof of the Council’s new Adelaide Central Bus Station. Tindo was built by respected New Zealand bus and coach manufacturer Designline, and operates every day on the Adelaide City Council’s free Connector Bus service, carrying up to 40 passengers in air conditioned comfort. At the heart of Tindo’s cutting edge technology are 11 sodium-nickel chloride Zebra batteries, which are lightweight and virtually maintenance free, are designed for long life, aren’t affected by external temperatures, and deliver an operational range of 200 kilometres between charges. Tindo represents a significant investment by the Adelaide City Council into a sustainable future for the City of Adelaide.”

Inner Northern Busway (Brisbane)
“The Queensland Government’s $333 million, 1.2 km, Inner Northern Busway, stretching from Queen Street to Upper Roma Street (INB), is the critical link in a network of busways that will eventually span Brisbane. The Translink-owned INB will give buses a safe, direct, traffic-free run through the most congested parts of the inner city, help reclaim Brisbane’s heart for pedestrians and cyclists and underpin new ‘walkable’ urban developments. It will also facilitate unparalleled integration of transport services by placing a cycle centre within a busway station and a busway station within a rail station. Nationally, the INB is one of the first heavy, civil infrastructure projects to holistically address sustainability, incorporating carbon-saving measures into the busway’s design, construction and operational plans and setting a new industry benchmark. The INB will offer commuters compelling new reasons to swap their car for the bus each day and join the fight against climate change.”

Metro Transit Awards
“The Metro Awards - created to recognize leaders in the mass transit industry around the world - are used to reward systems that have shown an ‘unparalleled ability to succeed.’ Calgary Transit (Canada) won the Special Merit Award for Contribution to the Environment for its Ride-the-Wind program. The program … uses wind-generated electricity to power the city’s light-rail transit system. It has increased power costs by less than one-half of one per cent per passenger - a cost transit officials argue is nominal considering the benefits to the environment. The award was one of 11 announced by a panel of judges in Copenhagen, Denmark. Others initiatives include: car heaven, which encourages Alberta drivers to turn in their older, polluting vehicles for six months’ worth of transit passes; bus wash water recycling, which uses recycled wastewater; and low-sulphur diesel fuel.”
Ref: Colette Derworiz, Calgary Herald 9/4/08

Greywater system trial

Do you want to be part of a greywater treatment system trial?

Ecowise Pty Ltd are about to undertake a six month trial of their greywater treatment system in order to achieve the relevant national accreditation which will allow it to be sold commercially. They are looking for an eight person household in the eastern or south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, that is willing to be part of the trial. This would involve allowing Ecowise to install the unit in the premise and conduct water testing every six days. Once the trial is over the system will be decommissioned and given to the household free of charge.

Once approval has been granted Ecowise will reconnect the system free of charge giving the homeowners a fully operational treatment system valued at around $8,000 including installation in exchange for participating in the trial.

If you are an eight person household and would like to participate in the trial please contact Brendan Mason for more details on 0448 307 282, or HydroMax Environmental PO Box 6121 Croydon North VIC 3136.

Please view below the invitation to discuss the outcomes of the Health of Melbourne 2030 report with the discussion held by the VLGA. For more information about the background of the report, click here.

While the announcement of Development Assessment Committees took a lot of the public limelight recently, the findings of the Melbourne 2030 Audit Expert Group (AEG) that led to this and other State Government announcements were lost! As part of the first five-yearly review of Melbourne 2030, a group of four independent experts were asked by the Minister for Planning to provide advice on strategic and implementation priorities for the next five years. This included identifying where there is a need to refine policy and implementation initiatives to enhance Melbourne’s liveability.

The AEG has found that there are three essential issues that can and must be resolved for Melbourne 2030 to be successfully implemented:
• clarity of responsibility
• adequate resources, and
• broad-based support.

Come along to the VLGA’s Special Issues Forum, to explore these three essential issues. Speakers will include 2 members of the AEG, Rob Moodie and David Whitney. There will be ample opportunity to ask questions and to participate in a lively Panel Discussion.

7pm, Thursday July 17th (Light dinner and networking at 6pm) at the VLGA, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton.
Limited Numbers—RSVP Essential By Monday July 14th to 03 9349 7999 or vlga @vlga.org. au
Please let us know if you will attend the light dinner and/or networking at 6pm and the Special Issues Forum at 7pm!

If you would like to see a full copy of the AEG Report, you can find this at the following link:
http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/ CA256F310024B628 /0/E3FA9C74C4FA6 A22CA25744E00047 19F/$File/Audit+Expert+Group+Report.pdf

Book launch: “Climate code red: the case for emergency action” by David Spratt and Philip Sutton (Scribe $27.95)
To be launched by Professor David de Kretser, A.C., Governor of Victoria
THURSDAY 17 JULY
4.30 for 5.00 pm, Queen´s Hall, Parliament House, Spring Street, Melbourne 3002
All welcome
www.climatecodered.net

Please see the message below that was posted on the Food Security Network email listserve - an awesome service for project officers, councils, community organisations and others who are addressing food security issues in their local areas in Melbourne. It is to facilitate discussion and the sharing of resources. To join visit http://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/Content.aspx?topicID=151#cs_783.

The Garnaut Climate Change Review will release its Draft Report on Friday 4 July 2008. The Draft Report will outline the impacts of climate change and preliminary policy options for Australia to minimise its environmental and economic impacts.

We invite you to attend one of the five public forums being held around Australia between 7 July and 11 July 2008, to hear about and discuss the findings of the Draft Report. Professor Ross Garnaut will host the forums, providing a half hour
presentation, followed by question time. These forums will provide an opportunity for individuals and organisations to discuss the Draft Report with Professor Garnaut ahead of the completion of the Final Report by 30 September 2008.

Wednesday 9 July,10.00-11.30am, Melbourne Town Hall
Attendance is free of charge but registration is required.
To register visit www.garnautreview.org.au.

Information Needed on Port Philip Bay

I’m seeking information on potential cross-bay travel. This could be regular or occasional:

• Commutes to and from work.
• Trips for meetings, conferences, consultations, etc.
• Tourism related travel.
• Travel for family or recreational reasons (eg sport, family reunions, holiday houses, etc).
• Trips where an alternative mode (ie ferry/hovercraft) would be preferred.
• Light freight movements.

We need to know:

• Your starting point (work or home) and your destination point.
• Number of travellers and reason for travel.
• Existing travel mode and reasons why you would prefer to travel by ferry/hovercraft.

Assume:

• Travel cost per person is approximately the same as the prevailing public transport costs.
• Regular ferry/hovercraft trips will connect all parts of Port Phillip Bay from 06:30 to 23:00.

Send information to steve @goingsolar.com.au and please advise if you do not want your name published in the report.

Please find details below about an upcoming Climate Emergency Rally.There’s a long list of environmental agencies supporting this rally - see the list at http://climaterally.blogspot.com/

Climate emergency rally: No desalination plant, No new freeway [tunnel], Stop dredging the bay - Brumby & Rudd get serious! July 5
Renewable Energy not coal power
Public Transport not freeways
No desalination plant

Join the Climate Emergency Rally on July 5 to send a wake up call to state and federal governments. New coal, new freeways and expanding sea freight, and desalination plants all increase our use of fossil fuels at a time when we must cut back dramatically. We must halt these irresponsible projects, and demand real action on climate change. Speakers will start at 1pm (including Senator Bob Brown) before we March to Alexandra Gardens.

We call on all community groups and individuals to join us to send this important message to the government. We are going to form a 140-metre-long human sign to spell the words “CLIMATE EMERGENCY”.

Full details at: http://climaterally.blogspot.com/.

Monique Decortis compiles an excellent fortnightly newsletter for people who are especially interested in climate change related events. The Climate Action Calendar covers local events in the greater area of Melbourne, Melbourne City based events and major events elsewhere in Victoria and other places. If you wish to subscribe to the calendar please email Monique decortis @bigpond.net.au with “subscribe CAC” in the subject bar. Please find below the attached Climate Action Calendar for July.

Climate Action Calendar for July

Topic: The Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation (TREC), and its applicability to the Australian context
Speaker: Stewart Taggart, director Aquasol Infrastructure and Administrator of TREC Australia
Where: Kindness House, 2nd floor, 288 Brunswick St, Fitzroy
When: Monday July 7, 6.30 pm
Link: www.beyondzeroemissions.org/discussiongroup

This month, the Beyond Zero Emissions discussion group will again focus on Concentrated Solar Power, but this time in the context of a bold plan to harness Australia’s solar resource to supply a large portion of our energy needs.

The Trans- Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation (TREC) was formed by the Club of Rome and the Hamburg Climate Protection Foundation in 2003. It promotes the idea of supplying renewable energy to Europe via high voltage direct current transmission lines (HVDC) from the immense solar and wind resources of the deserts in North Africa in the Middle East. The plan has many advantages, including reducing the variability of these energy sources by wide geographic dispersion, and enabling these regions to become exporters of clean energy.

It is supported by the Social Democratic Party of Germany, the German Green Party, the German Physics society, The German Advisory Council on Global Change, Greenpeace and Prince Hassan Bin Al Talal of Jordan. The German Aerospace Centre (DRL) has done several major studies on it’s viability.

Our guest speaker via telephone link-up from Sydney will be Stewart Taggart. Stewart is a director of Acquasol Infrastructure Ltd, a developer of environmentally friendly power and water projects. He is also Australian administrator of TREC Australia, or “Clean Energy From Deserts,” Stewart will give the group an overview of European TREC, and talk about how this concept could be adapted to the Australian context.

Further Reading
For general information on TREC see;

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Mediterranean_Renewable_Energy_Cooperation
• http://www.desertec.org/
• TREC Australia
• Acquasol Infrastructure

discussion-g-flyer-7-july-08.pdf