Weekly News Digest, Friday 3rd October 2008
Posted on 3 October 2008 by e-news
Key dates -summary
Sunday 5th October stall at the Farmers Market
Wednesday 15th October Ride to Work
Thursday 16thOctober Focus on Community
Saturday 18th October Low Energy Solar House Volunteer Training
Sat/Sun 25/26th October Festival of the Wheel
Tuesday 28th October Low Energy Solar House Volunteer Training
Wednesday 29th October Annual General Meeting
Thursday 30th October Challicum Hills Pacific Hydro farm tour
Other MASG News and Events
Final Reminder to renew your membership! Our AGM will be held on Wednesday 29th October and to be eligible to vote, you must be a current financial member. If unsure, just ring 5470 6978 and we will be able to help you.
Solar Installers Strut their Stuff
The Sydney Energy Cooperative is in town installing 20 solar photovoltaic systems over the next two weeks. Maurice and Leroy expect to install two systems per day with the assistance of local electrical contractor, Stephen Breheny. They will then return later in the year to do the remaining 50 or so systems which have been arranged by MASG’s Jayson Burhop on behalf of our members. It’s very exciting to finally have this project up and running. Similar projects are in train in Ballarat, Geelong and Bendigo and in other cities throughout Australia.
Ride2Work (Oct 15th) is aimed at raising awareness about cycling as part of the solution to climate change. The FOW is also MASG’s main fundraiser for 2008. If you would like to help on the MASG Ride to Work Working Group, please contact Jill Gibson on 5472 3098 or jillg@vic.chariot.net.au
Festival of the Wheel – Early Birds People who enter before Monday 13th October go in a draw for a $500 Giant mountain bike. The draw will take place at Cycling’s Big Night Out on the Saturday Night, 25th Oct. As most cyclists leave it very late to enter for events – a few days before in fact – there is a high chance that each Early Bird will have an unusually high chance of winning the bike. So if you are planning to join in the festival, it would be a good idea to be an Early Bird. See the website for further details.
Festival of the wheel – Cycling’s Big Night Out, Sat 25th Oct
As we noted in last week’s e-news, because we have to give preference to Early Bird entrants and we don’t yet know how many of them there will be, we are at this stage calling for expressions of interest to attend this great night. On 14th October we will be able to contact you and offer you tickets. You simply need to hit ‘reply’ , type yes please, let me know about the big night out and hit ‘send’. The night will feature comedians, team henderson and tim hurley, followed by a classic film which will start soon after 8;30pm. Breaking Away won the academy award for ‘best Original screenplay’ and also gained six academy award nominations as well as other awards in the US and Europe. In 2006, the American film Institute members voted it one of the most inspiring sports film of all time. It will be of great interest to a wide range of people who simply love good films.
Volunteers are still needed for Festival of the Wheel, so if you’re available to help either before or during this exciting event, please ring Toni at the FOW office on 5470 6825.
We all need a good dose of worms!
Announcing a joint fundraising venture between MASG and the Damascus College (Ballarat) Energy Breakthrough Team – the current world speed record holders for a solar powered vehicle. The vehicles will be here at the FOW Family event on October 26th. The students manufacture the bins and they come supplied with 2000 fresh and frisky worms just itching to get started! The ‘bin and worm’ package is $135 and most purchasers will be eligible for a $30 government rebate.
Click here for full details or contact Peter Sansom at bundara@netcon.net.au or phone 5474 2403
Seniors week, still spaces for your house to be audited, or for you to watch an audit.
This year’s event ‘Energy Audits for seniors’ will offer five local home owners the opportunity to have their homes assessed for energy efficiency and cost saving reductions. Other seniors are welcome to book in and be visitors to the homes while the audits are being undertaken and will no doubt take home plenty of useful information and tips on how to save energy & money while cutting greenhouse pollution. There are still a few household assessment spaces left and seniors can book in to be a visitor to a house being assessed or to have their place assessed by contacting Dean on 5470 6978 or email
Seniors week on the Radio
Dean was interviewed by Jonathon Ridnell ABC Regional Radio Bendigo on Wednesday 1st at 6.50am. Dean was promoting the Seniors week audits and talked about how assessments can help you identify ways of saving energy, money and the environment, and how important saving energy will be as electricity prices increase and we become more serious about taking real action on climate change.
The Grand MASG Raffle, 2008Raffle tickets are selling quickly so don’t forget to come in to the office and buy your own and/or a book to sell. 1st Prize – a bike of your choice from the Bike Vault, valued at $700.00. 2nd Prize – a mixed dozen bottles of wine valued at $260.00, donated by Sheer Drop wines. 3rd Prize, a solar powered radio, valued at $119.00, donated by the Down to Earth Store.
Focus on Community – Projects that support the community in a creative, meaningful & sustainable way. These are great platforms for informing the community about positive opportunities and messages. Last workshop Thursday 16th October, 9.15 – 1.30pm. Contact facilitator, Deanna on 0428 751 090 or email deanna@focusoncommunity.org
Low Energy Solar Home training sessions on Saturday 18th October between 10am and 3pm and Tuesday 28th October between 7and 9pm.
If you haven’t already signed up for this fantastic opportunity, please email Fran on fran@masg.org.au as soon as possible. Why not walk or ride past the house and check out the landscaping which is happening right now!
Trades Directory. Keep the information rolling in about good trades people who work in a sustainable way, so that we can develop this community resource for anyone wanting to renovate or build. Email fran@masg.org.au with the details.
Community Wind Park information
MASG has produced the Spring 2008 first edition of our Community Wind Power newsletter which highlights some up and coming events. You can get a copy at the office or download from our website at the Community Wind Power page . The events to note are:
Wind Tours: Thursday October 30th
Following on from our MASG wind farm tour in May we are planning another tour to the Challicum Hills Pacific Hydro farm.
Date Thursday October 30th, leaving Castlemaine at 9.30am and returning at 4pm. For bookings contact Dean on 5470 6978 or email dc@masg.org.au
MASG Information Night on Hepburn Wind
Wednesday Oct 8th, 7.30pm at MASG offices
Find out more about Hepburn Wind and its share offer. Here is our chance to be involved in Australia’s first community owned Wind Park. Hepburn Wind’s Treasurer Phil Hanson will give a brief presentation on the share offer and take questions. The share offer will be open until the end of October and a copy of the offer is available in the MASG office for loan or at the Hepburn Wind website
For bookings contact Dean on 5470 6978 or email dc@masg.org.au
Events organised by other groups
Centre for Sustainability Leadership is running a course on 8th November in Ballarat. Further information can be found at or clsshortcourse@csl.org.au
Hepburn Wind Farm Tour Sunday 12th October
Our sister organization, Hepburn Wind, is repeating its tour of the Challicum Hills wind farm Sunday the 12th of October and MASG supporters are most welcome. The tour is FREE. The tour leaves from the Daylesford Neighborhood House at 10am and returns at 3pm, bring a picnic lunch. Bookings are recommended via David Wait on 8804 3138 or david.wait@hepburnwind.com.au
Box Iron Bark Ecology course, Nagambie 13th -17th October 2008. Brings together leading researchers and experts to share up to date knowledge and thinking about this landscape in change. For further information email: katestothers@dpi.vic.gov.au
Wilderness Bike Ride, Bairnsdale to Orbost in a day, 1st – 3rd November. For further information see the following website.
Bike/Triathlon/MTB Swap Meet on Saturday 15th November 2008 in Laverton, VIC. For further information ring David on 0403 132 965 or email: bikeswapmeet@optusnet.com.au
Interesting Information and Links
Simple summary of the Garnaut Report.
More bicycles on the roads makes them safer
A study by the University of New South Wales shows that the number of collisions decreases as the number of bicycles in traffic increases. It seems that motorists are more likely to drive carefully and respectfully when there are more cyclists on the road. “It’s a virtuous cycle,” says Dr Julie Hatfield. “The likelihood that an individual cyclist will be struck by a motorist falls with increasing rate of bicycling in a community. And the safer cycling is perceived to be, the more people are prepared to cycle.”
The Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Mount Alexander Shire Council are having a free training session in Castlemaine on Friday 10th October in the Ray Bradfield Room, from 11am -1pm. The session will use practical case studies and demonstrate:
* How to access and use ABS information
* How to interpret the 2006 Census data to improve funding applications and to support planning & decision making
Tea & coffee on arrival, complimentary lunch served at 1pm. RSVP to Jacqueline Brodie-Hanns: j.brodie-hanns@mountalexander.vic.gov.au or 5471 1807
Can emissions trading save the planet?When: Thursday 9 October, Time: 6.30pm onwards for a 7pm start
Where: Federation Hall, Victorian College of the Arts, Grant St, Southbank (near St Kilda Rd) How: Book and pay for your ticket prior to the event via ATA webshop shop.ata.org.au or call Wendy on 03 9631 5407. Cost: $15, $10 ATA & TAI members (Includes refreshments)
Green tip:
Now that the days are warmer, it’s nearly time to store your winter woollens. Try using lavender, which is a natural moth repellant rather than naphthalene, which can be toxic when used in large amounts.
Quote of the week:
[In North America] a vegan driving a Hummer contributes less to greenhouse gas emissions than a meat eater riding a bicycle.– Paul Watson, Greenpeace.
A report published by the CSIRO last year, The Balancing Act, concluded that replacing meat with pasta and beans would have the biggest effect on reducing a person’s carbon footprint. Australia’s meat products industry accounts for 91 megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year, according to the report. This compares with the 80.4 megatonnes attributable to the nation’s transport industry.– Sins of the Flesh, The Age, Sept 30 2008
MASG’s E News is currently compiled by Jill Bryan and edited by Neil Barrett. If you would like to advertise an event or comment on any items, please send to:e-news@masg.org.au. Closing time for copy Wednesday 3pm.
If you would like further information, please phone 5470 6978
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