Green Action News - Summer 2008

WORK I N G T O G E T H E R P R O T E C T I N G V I C T O R I A ’ S E N V I R O NM E N T ISSUE 6 Z SUMMER 2008

ConfrontingClimate Change Can Victoria become a global leader in the fight to save the planet?

PLUSThousands Turn Out to Walk Against Warming!

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3Confronting climate

change

5Securing our climate:

one product at a time

6Our vision for

Melbourne’s

water future

7EnviroWatch:

two years on

7Thousands turn up

to Walk Against

Warming

11Families Go Green

in Ballarat

12Mother-of-Three

an eco-model

for the future

13Your River

Gellibrand

14 15Beat climate

change? We can

with your help!

T H I S I S S U E

Andrew Booth:

nature’s ally

Green Action NewsIssue 6, Summer 2008Design 2Fish ProductionsPrint Print BoundContributing writersFraser Brindley, Michele Burton,Daniel Clarke, Leonie Duncan,Vicki Kyriakakis, Juliet Le Feuvre,Sacha Myers, Kelly O’Shanassy,Domenica Settle EditorVicki Kyriakakis (03) 9341 [email protected] sales enquiriesVicki Kyriakakis (03) 9341 [email protected] Membership enquiries Jennifer Jordan (03) 9341 [email protected] enquiriesSacha Myers (03) 9341 [email protected] Green Action News is anEnvironment Victoria publication.For more information, visitwww.environmentvictoria.org.auEnvironment Victoria would like to thank Print Bound for its in-kind support.

This time last year, EnvironmentVictoria was gearing up for amassive 2008. What a year itturned out to be.

THERE HAS BEEN an incredibleexplosion in mainstream awareness onenvironmental issues and we knewthat to meet the new challenges aheadwe would need a new vision.The result has been a year spentspeaking to our supporters and thecommunity, and re-imagining ourfuture. Your feedback has helped us seta path we believe will lead us to agreener and greater Victoria.Next year marks EnvironmentVictoria’s 40th birthday and will

kickstart twelve months of celebration.And we feel we have a lot to celebrate.In this edition of Green Action News,you’ll read about our new report onclimate change (page 3). Developed bythe Nous Consultancy Group andfinanced with the help of generoussupporters like you, the report showsthat we can slash our greenhouse gasemissions by 60 per cent by 2020. If the Walk Against Warming isanything to go by, we have thecommunity will-power to make ithappen. Over 15,000 people turned upto walk in support of real action onclimate change. In the coming yearwe’ll be mobilising this communityappetite for action through thePEOPLE’S ACTION PLAN to slashgreenhouse emissions. We’ll bedemanding that political parties adoptthe community’s plan in the lead up tothe 2010 state election.We’ll also be mobilising the communityto get behind our vision for

Melbourne’s water future (page 6). Wefeel we have the right strategies tosecure our environment for ourchildren and, with your help, we believewe can recreate our future.On behalf of all of us here atEnvironment Victoria, I’d like tosincerely thank you for your supportand ongoing commitment to safeguardour environment.I wish you a prosperous, safe andhappy festive season.

— Kelly O’ShanassyChief Executive Officer

PS. We need to raise another $100,000 todeliver the next stage of our PEOPLE’SACTION PLAN to slash greenhouseemissions. Will you consider helping us out?You can make your donation by using theform on the back of this edition of GreenAction News or just visit us atwww.environmentvictoria.org.au. Thanks for helping us lead the way!

Wishing you a happy festive season

WE’VE ALL HEARD about thecatastrophic threat of climate change.We’ve heard that it is the greatestchallenge facing our generation. Andwe’ve heard what will happen if wefail to act. What we haven’t heardmuch of is what the governmentplans to do to about it. And as thescientific warnings get more dire, theopportunity to act narrows.Enter the Nous Report.Commissioned by EnvironmentVictoria with the help of generousdonations from Environment Victoriasupporters, the report was producedby the Nous Consultancy Group and isthe first of its kind in the country. It considers the crucial question ofwhether it is possible to reduce ourgreenhouse gas emissions to the

point that scientists say we must ifwe’re to avoid the worstconsequences of climate change. Andthe answer appears to be aresounding yes.Using the same modelling toolsemployed by the state government,the report takes the proposition muchfurther than any before it. It showsthat by using a mix of technologiesand policies we can reduce ouremissions by 60 per cent by 2020.Environment Victoria CampaignsDirector, Mark Wakeham said thereduction could transform the statefrom one of the world’s mostpolluting populations (per capita) intoa climate change leader.“The report illustrates what realleadership on this issue could look

like,” Mark said. “As the warningsbecome more urgent, it’s great newsthat we can slash our emissions inline with what scientists say isnecessary.”But he cautioned that there were nomagic bullets. “We’ve got to throweverything we have at climate change,starting right now.”Though it would requiretransformative change, the reportsays the solutions are within ourgrasp. With greater policyintervention from governments,greater community commitment andmore industry investment the reportsuggests that a safe climate future ispossible.Mark said a broad range oftechnologies and polices were needed

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Confronting climate change:Can Victoria become a global leader?

> Vicki Kyriakakis, Communications Officer & Sacha Myers, Media Officer

c l i m a t e s o l u t i o n s

While the threat of climate change looms large, the political will tosolve it often seems non-existent. But what if we had the technologyand knowledge to halve our emissions in just 12 years? Could webecome a global leader in the fight to save the planet? EnvironmentVictoria’s ground-breaking new report lights the way.

“BY ENSURING THEGOODS WE BUY AREDURABLE, RECYCLABLE,NECESSARY AND HAVEA MINIMAL CARBONFOOTPRINT, WE COULDREDUCE EMISSIONS BY12 MILLION TONNESPER YEAR BY 2020.”

Victorians could begin reducing their

ecological footprint immediately, according

to Environment Victoria’s new report.

continued next page >>>


to combat the problem. “For example, ifVictoria’s entire building stock wasgiven a green makeover to improvewater and energy efficiency, we couldcut Victoria’s emissions by more than8.6 million tonnes per year by 2020, aswell as cutting energy bills.”“After energy efficiency we need toclean up our energy supply by replacingcoal-fired power with gas andrenewable energy generation. Witharound 95 per cent of Victoria’selectricity coming from coal, it’s a smartmove to diversify our electricity supply.”He said the surprise finding in thereport was just how much emissionscould be cut by altering how weproduce and consume as a society.“By ensuring the goods we buy aredurable, recyclable, necessary and havea minimal carbon footprint, we couldreduce emissions by 12 million tonnesper year by 2020. This is an area thathas been paid little attention in the pastbut offers so much potential,” he said.The reduction would essentially meanthat Victoria’s population of 5 millionpeople would behave more like apopulation of 4 million, easing thestress on Victoria’s environment. Andthe report identifies several ways thismight be achieved, includingmanufacturing goods more efficientlyand minimising the amount of wasteproduced during the productionprocess. It also measures the savingsto be made from buying goods that useless water and energy to produce andfrom buying more recycled goods.Mark said the combination ofcommunity action and goodgovernment policy in this area couldhelp Victorians live smarter and avoid

waste and single-use products.“Through sustainable production andconsumption, we could reduce ourgreenhouse gas emissions withoutadversely impacting our lifestyle,” he said.And it doesn’t stop there. The reportidentified many different ways in whichgreenhouse gas emissions could beslashed.“Emissions from transport could bereduced by driving more fuel efficientcars, reducing the number of single-person vehicle trips and increasing theuse of public transport. Thesemeasures combined could help us save10 million tonnes of emissions by 2020.”It’s a multi-pronged approach thatMark believes just might help us movepast the negotiations and deadlocksthat have stalled international action onclimate change. “To have any chance of dodging theclimate change bullet, we’re going toneed leaders who are prepared tobreak the impasse of internationalclimate negotiations,” he said. “Victoriacould be that leader.”Environment Victoria CEO, KellyO’Shanassy said the results of the studywere very exciting.

“Our next step will be to engagecommunities and business leaders todevelop the policies we need to deliverthese cuts. We’ll then bring thesetogether in a PEOPLE’S ACTION PLANand use it to put pressure on ourgovernment to show real leadership.We’ll demand that political partiesadopt the policies as part of their 2010state election platform.”Kelly said Environment Victoria’smany years of experience, showedthis community approach could work.“At Walk Against Warming last month,thousands of people came fromacross Victoria to demand a safeclimate for our future. This shows theenormous community appetite for realaction on climate change. Through ourgrassroots community work, we aimto mobilise these communities aroundthe PEOPLE’S ACTION PLAN. This isvital if we’re going to make politiciansserious about tackling the issue.”Kelly said it wouldn’t be possible,however, without the continuedsupport of our donors. “Despite theimportance of our climate changecampaign, we don’t receive anyexternal funding for it other than theincredibly generous donations of oursupporters. We need to raise a further$100,000 to take these incredibleresults and turn them into a plan of action.”“These are critical times for the futureof the planet. Together our actionsnow will determine the extent towhich we secure a safe climate, oralternatively bequeath ourselves andour children to a dangerous andunpredictable future. The time is now.Environment Victoria has a clear planof action to tackle climate change andthe energy and drive to make sure thisplan becomes a reality. We’re the onlydedicated Victorian group working onclimate issues and we believe, thatwith the help of all Victorians, we canrecreate our future and secure thefuture of our planet.”

HELP US MAKE SURE THIS PLAN BECOMES A REALITY!Donate to our PEOPLE’S ACTION PLAN online at www.environmentvictoria.org.au orby using the form at the back of this edition of Green Action News.Download a copy of the report, ‘Turning it around: climate solutions for Victoria’ onlineat www.environmentvictoria.org.au. For more information on the study or the PEOPLE’S ACTION PLAN,contact Kelly O’Shanassy on (03) 9341 8119 or Mark Wakeham on (03) 9341 8127.

c l i m a t e s o l u t i o n s

FOR MANY OF US, it’s notnews: we live on a finiteplanet and we’re fastrunning out of resources.What is news, however, isjust how much we stand tosave by changing the waywe produce and consume.And it’s not just our hippockets.Commissioned byEnvironment Victoria, theNous report (see page 3)identifies for the first timethe role that sustainable productionand consumption can play in the fightagainst climate change. It is a role thatcould see our greenhouse gasemissions begin to fall almostimmediately, and at a relatively smallcost to the community. What’s more, itdoesn’t rely on new technologies orinvestments but rather on a communalchange in behaviour.The report found that Victorians couldreduce their greenhouse gas emissionsby 12 million tonnes simply by beingsmarter about the way we manufactureand consume goods. The finding is atthe heart of Environment Victoria’srevitalised Zero Waste campaign.Now called Smart Production, SmartConsumption, the campaign hasshifted its focus upstream, from wherethe waste comes out to where the

goods are actually made and sold. It ishere, the report says, that the deepestand fastest reductions in greenhousegas emissions can be made.Still central to the campaign is theintroduction of extended producerresponsibility (EPR). EnvironmentVictoria is continuing its call for anational EPR scheme for electronicwaste. The scheme would seemanufacturers of products liketelevisions and fluorescent globes takeresponsibility for the recovery andrecycling of their products. It would challenge both manufacturersand consumers alike to consider wheretheir products end up. EnvironmentVictoria believes that by including thecost of disposal in the product price,the quality and lifetime of that productwill become more important.

Other initiatives have also beenidentified in the Nous report and are upfor consideration. These include aneco-labelling program for consumergoods, responsible approaches toadvertising and the promotion ofgreen-procurement.The most obvious strategy, however,remains unstated. By continuing toreduce, recycle and reuse we can learnto live better with less.


s m a r t p r o d u c t i o n , s m a r t c o n s u m p t i o n

Securing our climate,one product at a time

Environment Victoria’s DUMP Awards will be back in early 2009 to report onDamaging and Useless Materials inPackaging. Contestants will be drawn from leading brands and manufacturers,and judged by a panel of design andpackaging experts.

This time around, however, we’re offering acarrot as well as a stick.

To acknowledge manufacturers who aredoing the right thing, we’re launching theKEEP Awards for products that are Kerbingthe Environmental Effects of Packaging.

So the next time you’re shopping, keep asharp look out. If you see any goods thatresemble a pass-the-parcel game or noticea product that is making an effort toreduce its packaging, let us know. If we getenough input, we’ll award People’s ChoiceAwards for both.

Send your suggestions to Fraser Brindleyat [email protected] or viaphone on (03) 9341 8103.

DUMP AWARDS ARE

BACK FOR KEEPS

One of the mostimportant findings ofEnvironment Victoria’snew report, ‘Turning itaround: climatesolutions for Victoria’, isalso one of the mostobvious: the goods weproduce and consumeare a big part of ourclimate changeproblem.

> Fraser Brindley, Production & Consumption Campaigner

Melbourne’s Sustainable

Living Festival in February

2009, will showcase many

sustainable options for

Victorian consumers.

IN A LETTER to The Age early lastmonth, Kirsten had this to say to WaterMinister, Tim Holding: “Water MinisterHolding stated back in September thatretrofitting existing homes withrainwater tanks is of limited use.Having recently fitted two tanks with atotal capacity of 5500 litres to our 80year old house, I’d just like to let theMinister know that it turns out they arepretty useful, even in spring. Both tanksare full to the brim after being in placefor just under six weeks. Stop kiddingyourself Minister Holding, there’s noreason to cut back on tank subsidiesand every reason to increase them —the more households collecting andusing rainwater, year round, the better.”Kirsten and her family aredemonstrating the kind of communityleadership that will help Melbournetransition to what’s been coined a‘water sensitive city’ — the sort of cityEnvironment Victoria envisages for our capital.Such a future would see Melbourne usea more diverse range of water sources

in an integrated way, including urbanstormwater and recycled wastewater,and at a range of scales, fromhousehold to suburb to city-wide. Suchdiversity reduces the vulnerability thatcomes from over-reliance on acentralised water supply.While we worry about dwindling waterstorages, an amount of waterequivalent to Melbourne’s total annualuse falls on the city each year and thenruns away unused through ourstormwater drains.Taking an integrated approach to watermanagement will deliver a wide rangeof benefits, including supply security,flood mitigation and protection of ourcity’s creeks and rivers.And, importantly, it is made up of‘water sensitive communities’ whoprovide the social capital for positivewater-saving decision-making andbehaviours.While the Victorian Governmentcontinues to defend their economicallyand environmentally risky desalinationand pipeline plans for Melbourne,

Environment Victoria has released anew report demonstrating howMelbourne’s water crisis could betackled in a much smarter way.Water Security, Healthy Rivers:Environment Victoria’s Vision forMelbourne is a 10 point action planwhich calls on the government to:• Transition to a ‘water-sensitive city’

by improving stormwatermanagement and dramaticallyimproving the water efficiency of ourbuilding stock and industry.

• Implement sustainable alternativesupplies such as purified recycledwater.

• Cease logging in Melbourne’s watercatchments.

• Deliver environmental flows toVictoria’s rivers.

Water Security, Healthy Rivers can bedownloaded from our website atwww.environmentvictoria.org.au. Alternatively, contact Leonie Duncan, HealthyRivers Campaign Manager on (03) 9341 8120or at [email protected] more information.


Water security,healthy rivers:OUR vision forMelbourne

o u r w a t e r f u t u r e

Environment Victoria supporter, Kirsten Blair, is one ofa growing number of people frustrated at the VictorianGovernment’s handling of Melbourne’s water woes.

> Leonie Duncan, Healthy Rivers Campaign Manager

SPEAK UP FOR NORTHERN

VICTORIA!

> Juliet Le Feuvre, Healthy Rivers Campaign Manager

Northern Victoria faces an urgent crisis. Our climateis drying rapidly and the impacts of continuing lowinflows to rivers like the Goulburn and Campaspeare obvious for all to see. In writing a sustainable water strategy for theNorthern Region, the Victorian Government has theopportunity to create a vision for the region’s future.Instead, the Government has drafted a 50 yearstrategy that shores up ‘business-as-usual’ andcondemns the region’s rivers to a waterless future. Afuture that they openly admit will bring death toVictoria’s iconic red gum forests and wetlands. Though the submission period for the draft strategyis now closed, you can still let the Government

know that this is not good enough. We want a morepositive future for northern Victoria!Write to the Minister for Water, Tim Holding, oryour local MP, and tell them you want an integratedapproach to water management across northernVictoria. We need a strategy that will tackle thecurrent over-allocation of water, support regionalcommunities in adjusting to a water-constrainedfuture and provide water for our precious rivers and wetlands.

You can write to the Minister at Level 26, 121Exhibition Street, Melbourne 3000 or via email [email protected].

Almost 40 per cent of the VictorianGovernment’s 2006 election promiseson the environment have been brokenor are at risk of not being delivered by2010, according to an audit released byleading environment groups.

PRODUCED BY ENVIRONMENT VICTORIA,the Australian Conservation Foundation(ACF), Friends of the Earth (FoE), TheWilderness Society (TWS) and the VictorianNational Parks Association (VNPA), the auditassesses the Brumby Government’s progressin meeting the ALP’s 2006 electioncommitments to the environment.Mark Wakeham, Environment Victoria’scampaigns director said findings from thereport, EnviroWatch: Two Years In, show that11 per cent of the government’s electionpromises have been broken, while a further 27 per cent were in jeopardy of notbeing delivered.“While 62 per cent of the electioncommitments have been delivered and therehas been some good news, like the creationof the Cobboboonee National Park, theBrumby Government needs to get crackingon delivering the rest of its electioncommitments,” he said.


t u r n i n g u p t h e h e a t

“Victoria’s environment is in dire straitsand desperately needs environmentalleadership – this starts with delivering on2006 election commitments.” Mark Wakeham, Campaigns Director,Environment Victoria

“With two years left of its term, thegovernment has so far failed to protectour rivers and wetlands. They arepressing ahead with the environmentallydamaging pipeline and desal plant insteadof securing our water supply throughaccelerating efficiency and recyclingprograms.” Paul Sinclair, HealthyEcosystems Program Manager, ACF

“The government promised to immediatelyprotect old growth forest if elected. It’snot too late for the government to protectthese precious National Estate listedforests.” Luke Chamberlain, Forest Campaigner, TWS

“Environment groups [are] looking forwardto the government's announcement on theRiver Red Gum national parks. Westrongly urged the government... todeliver on the promise to protect RedGum forests.” Matt Ruchel, Executive Director, VNPA

“Environment groups strongly urge thegovernment to reconsider theirlegislation on [solar] feed-in tariffsbefore it enters Parliament and makegood on this broken promise.”Cam Walker, Campaigns Coordinator, FoE

Two years in: BrumbyGovernment needs toget cracking > Sacha Myers, Media Officer

ENVIROWATCH: TWO YEARS IN

Highlights include:

• The decleration of new Cobboboonee National Parks• The extension of the 5 star housing standard to

renovations and extensions. • Introduction of the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target• Progress towards meeting Towards Zero Waste

targets.

Key broken promises:

• Commitment to significantly improve the health ofVictorian rivers by 2010

• Commitment to deliver increased environmentalflows to major stressed rivers

• Commitment to pay a fair price for householders andsmall businesses that feed solar and other renewableenergy into the grid

• Recent logging of Brown Mountain forests, whichhad been scheduled for inclusion as part of thepromised Old Growth walking trail near Goongerahin East Gippsland.


w a l k a g a i n s t w a r m i n g 2 0 0 8

Thousands turn out toWalk Against Warming

SPEAKING TO THE crowd via a pre-recordedmessage from his offices in New York, NASAclimate scientist Dr James Hansen said thepublic was going to have to become involvedif the global warming problem was to besolved. “It’s much easier for government togo along with business as usual, [but] if wedo that it will be disastrous for futuregenerations.”Dr Hansen said the effects of climate changehad already begun and called ongovernments to put a moratorium on new

coal fired power plants. “The real issue iscoal… yet the governments don’t get that. Thepublic is going to have to get involved and it’sgoing to have to draw a line in the sand.”Dr Hansen said he was very glad to hear ofthe Walk Against Warming. “You’ve elected agovernment which says that it understandsthe problem and yet they’re not taking theactions that are needed to solve the problem.I wish you luck in your attempts to make thegovernment understand that small actionswill not solve this problem.”

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Thousands of Victorians flocked to Federation Square to join Environment Victoria’s Walk AgainstWarming on Saturday, November 15, 2008. The event drew over 15,000 people who stepped out todemand immediate action on climate change and send a wake-up call to our political leaders.

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1. Brazilian band Melsamba warms up the crowd asthousands congregate for the Walk Against Warming 2008. (Photo: Jesse Marlow) 2. The crowd finds much to agree with as speakers call forreal action against climate change. (Photo: Jesse Marlow) 3. IPCC Scientist, Dr David Karoly, speaks to the crowdabout the dramatic impacts to come should we fail to act onclimate change. (Photo: Jesse Marlow) 4. Victorians of all ages unite in their call for less talk andmore action from political leaders. (Photo: Tricia Phelan) 5. Melsamba’s dancer points the way. (Photo: Jesse Marlow)6. People power comes to the steps of Parliament. (Photo: Peter Campbell)7. Solutions start at home for a global problem. (Photo: Peter Campbell)

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1. Sending a clear message: urgent climate action now!(Photo: Jesse Marlow)2. Humans are not the only ones who stand to benefit fromquick action against climate change. (Photo: Jesse Marlow) 3. Leader of the Greens Party, Senator Bob Brown, walksthe talk. (Photo: Peter Campbell)4. The countdown begins: will our political leaders heed thewake up call? (Photo: Peter Campbell)5. All we want for Christmas is a safe climate future. (Photo: Jesse Marlow)

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ENVIRONMENT VICTORIA’S FAMILIES

Go Green workshop series targets low-income families in regional areas andhelps them reduce both theirenvironmental impact and their energyand water bills.Nine months later, participants of theprogram came together at the Ballaratswimming pool to share their storiesand tell Program Manager MurrayIrwin of their progress.“Not all the families were able to makeit, but those who did said that not onlyhad they changed their own behaviouras a result of the program, but thatthey’d also started encouraging othersto take action too,” he said.Murray said all the participants had puttheir learnings into practice in the

months after the program. “All of thefamilies have taken on board what theylearnt and implemented at least threeof the actions they had learnt about.Most, however, went further and haveimplemented at least eight to tendifferent initiatives to reduce theirimpact on the planet – everything fromchanging their light globes to startingto compost.” Murray said he wasparticularly impressed by the numberwho had purchased some level ofGreen Power, despite the fact that theycame from low-income communities.He said that if all of the familiesinvolved saved as much as those whocame to the event, then collectively theparticipants of Families Go GreenBallarat would have managed to save

over 1.1 million litres of water annuallywith the water saving showerheadsand shower timers they received aspart of the program. “That’s roughly the same as 11,000 fullbaths.”And the energy they’re saving as a resultof using less hot water has reduced theircarbon dioxide emissions by almost96,868 kg. Together with actions likeusing less plastic bags and switching toGreen Power, the Ballarat families arenow saving 233,303 kg annually. That’sthe equivalent of 4.6 million blackballoons of greenhouse gas.Murray said the results spoke volumesabout what was possible. “If everyVictorian household saved as much asthese Ballarat families, we’d reduceour greenhouse gas emissions by 11million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.That’s 220 billion black balloons! Andwe’d reduce our water use by 12.6 percent. That’s 56,752 million litres thatcould be put back into our ailingrivers.”Murray said this philosophy, of drivingchange from the grassroots up, was atthe heart of Environment Victoria’scommunity work in Sustainable Living. “We believe that if we can help peoplein our regional communities, likethese families in Ballarat, makechanges that help our environmentthen we can convince all 5 millionVictorians to take action. That’s afuture we can’t wait to create.”Families Go Green Ballarat was run byEnvironment Victoria in partnershipwith the YMCA and volunteers fromBallarat. Funding was provided for theprogram from the VictorianGovernment as part of the RegionalSustainable Living program.Environment Victoria will be recruitingfamilies for Families Go Green in Colacin January 2009.

For more information on Families Go GreenColac, ring Liza Price on (03) 9341 8105.


Ballarat families saved over 1 million

litres of water with the showerheads

and shower timers Environment

Victoria gave them.

Earlier this year, 52 people from Ballarat and their children,came together to find out what they could do to help take care of the environment.

Families go greenin Ballarat > Domenica Settle, Sustainable Living Project Officer

s u s t a i n a b l e l i v i n g


y o u r s t o r i e s

Mother-of-three,an eco-modelfor the future> Michele Burton, Green Town Project Manager

When Maha Abdel Rahmenmigrated to Australia from hernative Cairo, Egypt, over ten yearsago she brought with her a respectfor the world’s natural resources.

“A PART OF our teachings in ourreligion is to appreciate the value ofwater and food,” Maha said.“Respecting our resources is central toour religion. It is why we fast for onemonth a year.” It is a lesson she iseager to pass on with the help ofEnvironment Victoria’s Green Townprogram.The program took 12 members of theArabic and Assyrian Chaldeancommunities through issues insustainability, including how to conducta household audit.

The Environment Victoria programbegan in late October, with training runby the Moreland Energy Foundationand Australian Lebanese WelfareOrganisation.Maha said she was most interested inhearing about the new renewabletechnologies. “I couldn’t believe howpolluting brown coal is,” she said.As a volunteer and leader of a ladiesgroup for the Federation of Australia

LAUNCHING THE BOOK in October thenetwork’s executive officer HedleyThomson said the eight storiescontained in Ballarat’s BushChampions were just a small sampleof the hundreds of similar storiestaking place throughout the region.“These stories show the dedicationpeople in the Ballarat region havetowards looking after their naturalenvironment,” Mr Thomson said.“From Ray Draper’s important workprotecting Victoria’s growling grassfrog from extinction to St FrancisXavier Primary School’s moves to builda wetland, these are stories of hopeand vision at a time when our naturalenvironment needs them most.” Victoria Naturally Alliance biodiversitycampaigner Karen Alexander said thestories reflect what she’s known for

years, that local communities acrossregional Victoria are leading the waywhen it comes to protecting andrestoring the natural environment.“But there’s a limit to how much theycan and should be expected to do ontheir own,” she said.“The Ballarat region alone is home toat least 45 of Australia’s mostthreatened species, including thesouthern brown bandicoot, swift parrotand growling grass frog. We need theState Government to get behind thespirit shown by Ballarat’s bushchampions and commit to massiveboosts in funding for environmentalrestoration.”To celebrate the launch of Ballarat’sBush Champions the Victoria NaturallyAlliance, a coalition of the state’s peakenvironment groups that includes

Environment Victoria, the AustralianConservation Foundation and theVictorian National Parks Association,has five copies of the book to giveaway.

For your chance to win a copy, simply contactEnvironment Victoria on (03) 9341 8125 oremail The Editor at [email protected]. Youcan also read the stories online by going towww.victorianaturally.org.au.

s

Muslim Students and Youth (FAMSY),Maha has already reached over 2000people through her environmentalwork over the years. She is now keento continue spreading her newknowledge through schools such asthe Australian International IslamicAcademy.“I have three children,” Maha said. “Iwant to make sure they have good rolemodels and that we set a standard forthem to maintain a low environmentalfootprint.”Program Manager, Michele Burtonsaid Maha and her fellow assessorsare a huge asset to the community.“They are really helping us foster thewhole-of-community approach that isso crucial to the success of the GreenTown program,” Michele said. She saidEnvironment Victoria planned toreplicate the results with othermulticultural communities.“Eventually, four different Melbournecommunities will benefit from theGreen Town approach,” Michele said. For more information on the Green TownProgram, contact Michele Burton on (03) 9341 8123 or [email protected].

Green Town participant, Maha Abdel

Rahmen, is keen to pass on her

knowledge to members of her

community.

The Victoria Naturally Alliance has joined forces with the BallaratEnvironment Network to create a book celebrating some of Ballarat’s best known bush heroes.

Book celebrates Ballarat’s dinki-di bush champions> John Sampson, Victoria Naturally Alliance

Chris TiplerA chance sighting of a newspaperadvertisement more than 15 years agoled long time Malvern resident ChrisTipler to an Otway Ranges tree changeproperty that would help him get backin touch with nature. But it didn’t takelong for the strategy consultant torealise his piece of Chapple Valeparadise was under major threat. “Within a few months of living here Istarted hearing chainsaws in thedistance. My part-time farm managertook me to a nearby clear felling coupeand I couldn’t believe my eyes.”

That started Chris on a five yearjourney of discovery and politicalwrangling that eventually resulted inthe protection of 150,000 hectares ofOtway Ranges Forest.“I was determined to stop it – for thesake of the Otway forests andGellibrand River.”The 61 year old now sits content withwife Carol on their stunning 130-acreproperty. “The Gellibrand is a beautiful,strong and interesting river. But it can’tpossibly cope with all the demandspeople are putting on it. City peopleneed to reconnect with the land andunderstand where our water and foodcomes from.”

Marina LewisMarina Lewis splits her time on herforested Gellibrand property watchingplatypus forage in the river, bluecranes feeding on the pond andechidnas shuffling through the bush.The social worker sees herself as acaretaker of the biologically diverseland, rather than an owner. “We’re justhere because we love living in thisenvironment and protecting its naturalstate. The Gellibrand River is such apresence because it’s an ever-changing organic wonder.”Marina, who moved to the property fromCanberra 12 years ago, says she haswitnessed first hand how pollution fromcorporate mistakes can lead to massivestress along the Gellibrand River.“Barwon Water recently let a three tofour day sludge down the river. We hadgreat sightings of platypus on the riverduring that period because theycouldn’t forage as usual under thesurface. That sort of environmentallyunaware act horrifies me.”Marina says she feels the need tospeak up for places like hers. “Weneed to stop thinking about ourselvesas the centre of the universe and startto prevent damage.”

Theo BarlowLifetime dairy farmer Theo Barlowsays his 73 years have been governedby the Gellibrand River and that hisforefathers would be shocked by itscurrent condition. “The river is veryimportant to this farm. It fertilises ourflats in the winter time and we usethe water for our garden and thestock. But it’s not the river I grew upon because they’re sucking it dry. Fortwo months of the year we can’t call ita river because it doesn’t flow.”Theo says his whole life has revolvedaround the Gellibrand and each dayhe observes what the river is doing.

He remembers being able to heartrout splashing in the river from 50metres away. “Now you hardly hear amovement and it’s pretty hard to get agood fish. Hopefully the river can stayhealthy and things work out for thebest but I’ve still got a few kicks inme yet.”

‘Reconnect with the land’ river guardians say

> Daniel Clarke, Healthy Rivers Campaign

Those that live along the Gellibrand River can testify to its startling natural beauty. They also know what it meansto try to safeguard a river rapidly diminishing under the stress of overuse. A greater connection with the land,they say, would make us all better caretakers.


y o u r r i v e r

Environment Victoria’s Your RiverProject aims to capture the storiesof the people who care forVictoria’s rivers. For more storiesfrom the Gellibrand River, visitwww.environmentvictoria.org.au.

GAN: Thanks for talking with us todayAndrew! When did you first becomeinterested in nature conservation?Andrew: My interest in natureconservation issues started during myhigh school years in Bendigo, when Iwould often explore the surroundingBox Ironbark forests, and go on hikingtrips to places like the Victorian Alpsand Wilson’s Promontory. At Universityin Melbourne I became activelyinvolved in conservation issues in thelate 1980’s after seeing the destructioncaused by industrial scale clearfellingand woodchipping.

GAN: You’ve been involved in natureconservation for 20 years. What’s changedin that time?Andrew: Community groups andgovernment have paid greaterattention to nature conservation acrossprivate as well as public land, and at awhole catchment level. This is a goodthing and important new reserves havebeen established. However, some ofthe big threats that existed in the1980’s, such as industrial scaleclearfelling and incremental clearingand degradation of remnant vegetation,have still to be tackled. Climate changeis the big new threat on a scale most ofus had not envisaged in the 1980’s.

GAN: In your work as a voluntary activist,what’s the greatest challenge you’ve had to face?Andrew: Trying to generate somepublic awareness and community voiceabout issues such as clearing controls

and Melbourne’s native vegetation, tohelp influence government policy andplanning decisions. Also learning tomost effectively focus my involvementin the different nature conservationissues I’m concerned about, wherethere isn’t an established campaign.

GAN: Many people can feel overwhelmedby the enormity of the issues facing ourenvironment today. How do you deal withit, especially when something doesn’t gothe way you hoped?Andrew: I think it’s important to placethings in perspective. As an individualits good to be part of a team ofconservationists working towards thesame end. As an environmentmovement I guess we need to bepragmatic about stepwise gains thatwe can achieve given the politicalconstraints of the time. Whilst this mayoften fall short of what is needed onthe ground for nature conservation,things would have been much worsewithout community environmentcampaigns.

GAN: What do you think are the majorobstacles facing Victoria’s environment inthe coming years?Andrew: Climate change, inadequateresourcing and commitment bygovernment, and developmentpressures are big challenges for theenvironment movement.

GAN: What advice do you have for peoplewho would like to do something but don’tknow where to start?Andrew: Find out if there is anestablished campaign dealing with theissue or threat that you’re concernedabout, and if so link in with thatcampaign. If not, then link up withother local groups and individuals whoare concerned about the same orsimilar issues and seek advice forexperienced campaigners.Environment Victoria has a role to playin helping this networking betweengroups.

GAN: What are your hopes for the future?Andrew: That governments around theworld take big steps to tackle climatechange. I would like to see catchmentand biodiversity strategies which havebeen started in recent years, beingfurther developed and attractinggrowing government and communitysupport rather than sitting on the shelf.Environmental planning controlsshould be better implemented toensure ecologically sustainabledevelopment.

e n v i r o n m e n t a l c h a m p i o n s

Whether its protecting small remnants ofwoodland on private land or fighting tosave Victoria’s forests long-timeEnvironment Victoria volunteer, AndrewBooth, says nature conservation was andalways will be in his blood.


ANDREW BOOTH:Nature’s ally

“I GUESS WE NEEDTO BE PRAGMATICABOUT STEPWISEGAINS THAT WECAN ACHIEVE GIVENTHE POLITICALCONSTRAINTS OFTHE TIME.”

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we were able to conduct

important research that shows how Victoria can become a world

leader in the race to beat climate change.

Our study, “Turning it around: climate solutions for Victoria” is thefirst of its kind in the country. And we found that it is possible to cutVictoria’s emissions by 60 per cent by 2020. That’s a reduction of 70million tonnes in just 12 years! And all with existing technology! (Seepage 3 for more details).However, now the work really begins. We must raise a further$100,000 to deliver the next stage of our PEOPLE’S ACTION PLAN toslash greenhouse emissions.With your generous donation, we will engage communities and

business leaders to develop policies that will deliver the cuts that the‘Turning it around’ report promises. And we’ll bring these together inthe PEOPLE’S ACTION PLAN to slash greenhouse emissions. We’ll then take that plan to communities across Victoria and workwith them to demand that political parties adopt our policies as partof their 2010 state election platform.Without your continued help, we simply will not be able to undertakethe next stage of our work and the people’s voice will continue to beignored. The time is now. We are the only dedicated Victorian group working onclimate issues. And together with your support, we have the potentialrecreate our future.


c h r i s t m a s a p p e a l

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Beat climate change? YES WE CAN!

WHO’S WHO AT

ENVIRONMENT

VICTORIA

Chief Executive Officer Kelly O’ShanassyCampaigns Director Mark Wakeham OPERATIONS

Organisational ServicesManager Ivan KolkerAdministration Helen VineCommunications Officer Vicki KyriakakisMedia Officer Sacha Myers

Fundraising Officer Jennifer JordanFinance Officer Despina Giannakis HEALTHY RIVERS

Healthy Rivers CampaignManagersLeonie Duncan Juliet Le Feuvre SAFE CLIMATE

Climate ChangeCampaigner VictoriaMcKenzie-McHarg

SMART PRODUCTION,

SMART CONSUMPTION

Smart Production &Consumption CampaignerFraser BrindleySUSTAINABLE LIVING PROGRAMDirector Annette SalkeldSenior Project ManagerMurray IrwinProject ManagerMichele BurtonProject Manager Katelyn FryerProject Manager Liza Price

Multicultural LeadersProgram Manager Charlie Davie Project Officer,Domenica SettleGreen Town CommunityCoordinator Natalia Valenzuela

BOARD President Russell FisherVice-President Sue NoyDr Sarah BekessyDoug GimesyPam KeatingJo TennerDavid OsbornElizabeth McKinnonAmanda Nuttall

REGULAR VOLUNTEERSAndrew BoothPeter FlanaganJanet GellieColleen GuggisbergIan HazewinkelPauline NgKeshni PrasadMarion SilverLes SmithThi Truong

n o t i c e t h i s !

With over-consumption eatingaway at the Earth’s precious

resources, you can celebrate thisfestive season the green waywith Environment Victoria’ssustainable Festive Season

Guide. To help you celebrate,our guide includes tips, advice

and inspiration on how to enjoya greener, more relaxing and

enjoyable festive season. And it comes free of cost!

FOR YOUR FREE COPY, VISITwww.environmentvictoria.org.auand download your copy todayor phone Domenica Settle on

(03) 9341 8165 and we’ll send you a copy.

CONTACT USPHONE (03) 9341 8100 FAX (03) 9341 8199EMAIL [email protected]. PO Box 12575 A’Beckett Street, Victoria, 8006www.environmentvictoria.org.au

Celebratethe festive

seasonthe green

way!

Join thousands of people and community groups to form a human circle around Parliament on the first sitting day in 2009. Let’s stand together and

demand urgent action on climate change, for a safe climate future.

OUR CLIMATE.OUR PARLIAMENT.

OUR FUTURE.

Join the finale of Australia’s Climate Action Summit8am Tuesday 3rd Feb 2009

For more info: www.climatesummit.org.au

Documents

Green Action News - Summer 2008