Funds make a difference

Ballarat Courier
Saturday 26/4/2008 Page: 34

THE visual effects of climate change and the drought are arguably best represented by Ballarat's dry Lake Wendouree. A grassroots community campaign to highlight how people can make a difference to the environment at home now has 400 members compared to the 40 who first joined 18 months ago. This week it was announced the Ballarat Renewable Energy and Zero Emissions group had secured $152,767 in funding from the State Government to continue its work. Among some of its initiatives are discounts for members for solar hot water heating, and seminars on the benefits of becoming self-sufficient at home.

BREAZE president Nick Lanyon said the group had grown to the point where paid staff would soon be required. "As a volunteer organisation we have done a lot, given our really limited resources, but we are getting to the stage where we need people in paid positions to really bring forward some of the ideas and initiatives we are trying to get out in the community. "We are also getting inquiries from groups from Ararat, Hamilton and Portland. They are small start-up groups trying to pick our brains and part of the grant will be to sit down and look at what we have done, how we did it and how we can do more." Ballarat East MLA Geoff Howard said the grant would further help BREAZE continue its work. "Community climate change action groups are forming across Victoria as a way for local communities to take action on climate change," he said.