Ride to Work Day's Camberwell Community Breakfast Wednesday 13 Oct 2010

Boroondara Council is providing another community breakfast with all sorts of attractions, including lots of yummy free food and drinks.  Have a massage, get your bike engraved by the police and collect your free ravelSmart map.  It's also a great opportunity to chat to other cyclists, including members of the Boroondara Bicycle Users Group (BBUG).  

If you have any issues with cycling through Boroondara this is your chance to put them on record.  Mark them on the TravelSmart map, write them up and put them in the suggestion box, or just tell the BBUG about them.  

• When: 7.00 to 8.30am on Wednesday, 13 October
• Where: Camberwell Civic Centre, 340 Camberwell Rd. Mel.y 59 J1
• Contact: Julia Blunden: jblunden@bigpond.com

Response to the Boroondara Low Carbon Strategy document

This Response to the Boroondara Low Carbon Strategy document was written and submitted by David Coote, from the Eastern Suburbs Permaculture Group.

a/ Nothing in the strategy detailing what is best practice in this area for local government in Australia and overseas and how the Boroondara strategy compares to best practice. A number of councils in Australia are aiming for cuts of 60% in emissions and some even aiming for zero carbon.

b/ Strategy to list all available grant, rebate etc schemes Council could tap into to defray costs of any proposed measures and if these funding sources are not being used why not.

c/ Strategy to list how gas and electricity are used across each council property and what potential exists at each site for:

• i/ energy efficiency: proposed measures; reduction in required energy; reduction in emissions; indicative cost. This should cover as a minimum energy efficient appliances and IT, energy efficient office and street lighting, natural lighting where possible, insulation, weather-proofing, double glazing in some situations etc
• ii/ Hot water: Potential to use solar hot-water and/or combined heat and power to supply the hot-water (used for process heat, if any, heating, washing, showers etc) ; reduction in gas and electricity; reduction in emissions; indicative cost.
• iii/ Heating. Potential to displace gas or electricity heating required from CHP and/or solar.
• iv/ Residual electricity required after above measures: Potential to use PV's and/or combined heat and power to supply the electricity needed; reduction in emissions; indicative cost.

d/ The current proposals within the strategy are worthy but nowhere near pushing the envelope. Some appraisal of a few more adventurous ideas would be worthwhile. As a suggestion:

• i/ Solar-powered street lighting. As well as saving energy this promotes local resilience through decoupling from the grid. After a number of the hurricanes in America over the last decade or so solar-powered lighting has provided residents with very useful night-time lighting. After Hurricane Andrew many residents used solar-powered lighting to illuminate cooking on barbecues etc
• ii/ Production of ethanol/methanol by fermenting and distilling food waste from local supermarkets and use of the ethanol/methanol in alcohol fuel-cells. The price of alcohol fuel cells has come down dramatically in the last few years. No reason why Council shouldn't have a few kW of alcohol fuel cells on a demonstration site. Perhaps the Eco-Centre?
• iii/ Converting a number of council vehicles to run on 85% ethanol or purchasing new E85 vehicles as vehicles reach end of service life. E85 is available commercially or use ethanol to be produced by Council as discussed above.
• iv/ Council to purchase hybrid vehicles and perhaps a few electric vehicles. If council is producing its own power from cogen plants, PV's etc this drastically reduces the net emissions of running EV's.
• v/ Wind-turbines along the south-eastern freeway. I should say that I don't know how good the wind regime is along the freeway.
• vi/ Biomass powered thermal heating and cogeneration using waste biomass from within Boroondara.
• vii/ Possibility of joint cogeneration in the Camberwell junction area with the electricity and heat powering and heating council properties, commercial premises, police station, residences etc

Suggestions from Julia Thornton

Tighten up on the target emissions. 2006 is not a very aspirational baseline year.

Council to investigate how to set up local area energy grids including looking at legislative impediments.

Allow residents to divert stormwater to water gardens or nature strips.

Develop policy that makes tree retention on private property a net benefit.

Suggestions from Fiona Armstrong

An excellent overview – this would make a great framework for a submission to the strategy.  It is clearly another huge missed opportunity.

Many of these issues could be better addressed if the Boroondara Council would commit, as Moreland and Yarra have done, to establishing a Boroondara Energy Foundation which could help the Council and the community reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

This could this also be included in a submission as a key “ask”.

Boroondara Sustainability Network Meeting Minutes 12 Oct 2010

Time and Date: 7pm Tuesday 12 October

Where:  Blackwood Room, 8 Inglesby Road, Camberwell (Melway 59 J1).

Attendance

Ken Coghill, Carolyn Ingvarson, Heinz Kreutz, Mick Nolan, Liz Burton, Julia Thornton, Paul Fritz, Michael Staindl, Peter Campbell (minutes), David Coote, Richard Webb, Fred Garrecht

Apologies

Svenja Keele 

Member updates on their group projects, activities and upcoming events

Lighter Footprints.  Education and energy measurement in the home project underway (funded by Council).  Kits and video will be available.  Also organising and "Innovation Panel" community meeting with local politicians.

Transition Towns Boroondara food cooperative is now up and running.

More details: http://www.farmgateway.org/transition-kew-food-coop.html

Recycling and waste reduction (Heinz Kreutz) - funding is available for projects. Government revenue has increased by $50m per year from the landfill levy.  $40m to EPA, $40m to Sustainability Victoria, $5m to Melbourne Waste Management Group.

BSN members can send project ideas Heinz.

Eastern Suburbs Permaculture Group (ESPG).  Monthly meetings being held.  Tracking

Eco Living Centre Update

Site selection and design phase in progress

Energy efficiency of new Council buildings and redevelopments

Draft policy document is still being prepared; timeline is for it to be finalised this year.  Community consultation process on the document is uncertain.

Proposals to reduce the energy savings gap

Action: PC to publish previous proposals/suggestions from David Coote on BSN website.

Hays paddock pavilion redevelopment

Community consultation in progress on this project.  Member groups are contributing to get sustainable outcomes, 17 people are on the steering committee.  Redevelopment of the pavilion is favoured.

Sustainability awards

Member groups are advised that nominations are open for Council Sustrainability Awards.  Nomination packs provided by Svenja Keele were distributed at the meeting.

Council budget and priorities for 2010-11

Budgets are currently being drafted within Council, so member groups are advised to make submissions prior to the end of 2010.

East West cycle route

Boroondara Bicycle User Group is requesting that Council prioritise this route and request State Government to undertake study of route alignment along the railway easement.

General business

Incorporation of BSN.  Heinz Kreutz stated that this would be revisited in 2011.

 Action: Peter Campbell to put draft constitution on website.

Next meeting

Tuesday 7 December 2010