Join us for a clean-up paddle or a clean-up walk at Lake Benalla on Sunday 3 March 2019 from 8am sharp until 10am.

Email Helen Repacholi for details. helenrepacholi@hotmail.com
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The BSFG Committee had its first meeting for the year last Wednesday and there are a couple of resolutions to advise you about.

Leading up to Christmas, December is a difficult time for people to attend General Meetings.  January is also a time when people are often away.  The Committee therefore resolved to have only five General Meetings per year.  General Meetings will now be on the 4th Thursday of March, May, July, September and November.

The Committee will continue to meet six times a year on the second Tuesday of February, April, June, August, October and December.

The Committee has been discussing the replies we had to the Newsletter Survey and felt it was time to indicate a deadline for submission of articles for the next newsletter.  Articles of about 200 words about an environmentally themed topic would be suitable for the Newsletter.  Perhaps something you are personally interested in including actions you are taking to live more sustainably.  Your thoughts about major environmental issues which are important to you.  Are we dealing with these issues adequately?  Politics gives plenty of scope for commentary on environmental issues.

The deadline for the next Newsletter is Sunday February 17th.  You can submit articles to Peter Maddock via email peter_maddock@iprimus.com.au  Thank you to members who completed the Newsletter Survey.  There is certainly interest from members in continuing with the Newsletter.

Peter Maddock
Secretary
peter_maddock@iprimus.com.au

Come along to the Benalla Library at 10 am - 11 am on Saturday 23rd February 2019 and hear about the three species of fresh water turtles found in the Benalla Lake.
Download the flyer.

The Benalla Local Food Network is a new BSFG action group where local food growers, retailers, organisations and community members come together to supply the town with healthy food.

It’s time for another local food network catch up! Join us on the Wednesday 6th February 5:15 at the Farmers Basket Café in Benalla (Nunn St).

Benalla Local Food Network Coordinator
Kathryn McQualter
Dietitian
Allied Health
03 5761 4500
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"Happy New Year!

The Climate Council has been putting out some great stuff lately, including New Year's resolutions on climate change; the 8 biggest moments in climate change and 'talking energy' a summer bbq guide.  

8 New Year's resolutions on Climate Change 
https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/8-new-years-resolutions-climate-change/
 
​2018: The 8 Biggest Moments in Climate Change
https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/2018-the-8-biggest-moments-in-climate-change/

Summer Barbecue Guide - Talking Energy
https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/summer-bbq-guide-talking-energy/

Regards,

John Lloyd"

For our final Benalla Sustainable Future Group General Meeting for 2018 we are presenting some videos about e-waste and Permaculture. 

The meeting will be held on Thursday December 13th from 7.30pm until 9.30pm in the Benalla Uniting Church Meeting room, opposite the Coles Car Park in Carrier Street.

The War on Waste has been very much in the news this year.  We are presenting a short 3 minute video on electronic waste which highlights how planned obsolescence seems to be built into the electronic gadgets we buy.  At least 18 states across the US have introduced “Right to Repair” legislation which would require electronics manufacturers to provide independent repair shops with diagnostic equipment and replacement parts to be able to service their products, https://medium.com/citizen-truth/why-e-waste-is-so-dangerous-and-how-the-right-to-repair-will-save-the-environment-ca7987de6fba?

The second 42 minute video is a presentation by David Holmgren about his book Retrosuburbia.  I notice in the presentation that one of David’s slides says “Why garden and urban farming has a strong future in a world of climate chaos, peak energy and economic contraction”.  David sees Retrosuburbia as an important strategy to deal with energy descent and the financial bubble.

If you would like to see David Holmgren talk in person about Retrosuburbia, he is doing a Strathbogie Shire Council supported Retrosuburbia presentation at Violet Town Community Complex on Friday December 7.

Enjoy a festive supper after the meeting.
​
Peter Maddock
0418 135 330
peter_maddock@iprimus.com.au

A reminder about some BSFG events you might be interested in.

But firstly we had a reasonable number of people attend our General Meeting last Thursday for the screening of the short film takayna/Tarkine, with some discussion afterwards of the difficulty of protecting the environment in economies driven by economic growth.

Note that takayna/Tarkine can be freely watched online at https://www.patagonia.com.au/pages/takayna.  After watching takayna there are also some other interesting short films from Patagonia.

Next Wednesday November 7th Kathryn McQualter is having a meeting of her Benalla Local Food Network at the Farmers Basket Café from 5.15pm.  More details at https://www.bsfg.org.au/news/benalla-local-food-network-meeting-wednesday-7th-november-515pm.

As I mentioned in a previous email BSFG will be having a stall at the Benalla Festival Day in the Gardens on Sunday November 7 from 9.00am to 3.00pm.  While we have received offers of assistance from a small number of members a few more would assist staffing the BSFG stall.  If you can spare an hour during the day can you please let me know?


Peter Maddock
Secretary
0418 135 330

The Benalla Local Food Network is a new BSFG action group where local food growers, retailers, organisations and community members come together to supply the town with healthy food.

It’s time for another local food network catch up! Join us on the Wednesday 7th November 5:15 at the Farmers Basket Café in Benalla (Nunn St).

Benalla Local Food Network Coordinator
Kathryn McQualter
Dietitian
Allied Health
03 5761 4500
Download Flyer

The newsletter released this week is the first we have attempted since John Lloyd retired as president at our AGM in June.  We often heard from John the work required to put a Newsletter together and we now appreciate what is involved.  One difficulty that John often mentioned was getting articles.  I notice that the first edition was 4 pages while later editions have been 7 or 8 with one being 9 pages.  This edition is 6 pages.  Thank you to contributors to this edition and Ian Herbert for producing the newsletter.

On behalf of the committee, current BSFG members and previous BSFG supporters I would like to thank  John not only for his diligence in putting the newsletter together over many years, the first edition being on May 2012 but also for his role as president since the Benalla Sustainable Future Group was established in 2010 by local residents who were concerned about the issue of sustainability and the lack of action on climate change both locally and nationally.

John has dedicated himself to many activities related to the environment, sustainability and climate change, promoting the activities of BSFG and contributing to its good standing in both Benalla and the wider community.  John is also the convenor of the Benalla U3A group Towards a Sustainable Future.

Now John is able to devote more time in leading the BSFG action group Renewable Energy Benalla which has the goal of Benalla becoming a zero net energy town by 2028.  I know this role requires considerable work from both John and his group.

Newsletter survey.  At a recent Benalla Sustainable Future Group committee meeting we decided to review the publication of the BSFG Newsletter.  Christine Holmes has therefor developed the attached survey to ascertain what you would like in the newsletter.  Your input will be appreciated by the committee.


Peter Maddock,
Secretary.
0418 135 330

The Benalla Food Co-op is continuing to be a wonderful, healthy organisation.
​
With the four month absence of our long term coordinators, Peter and Christine Holmes and Tanya Walker, the committee took over the mammoth effort of running the food co-op. We were all amazed by the intense work load, which previously had largely fallen on such a small number of shoulders. We welcome Peter, Christine and Tanya back home and are determined that their load will be spread in the future.

Thanks to Wendy Baker for taking over the job of paying the co-op bills in Peter’s absence.
 
Recently I spent time showing our coop to people considering starting a food co-op themselves.

The experience of watching the co-op from the sidelines and explaining how it runs, filled me with pride. The visitors commented on the diversity of our members and the very happy, engaged and friendly atmosphere of the co-op.
 
We are delighted that our food coop continues to expand and fulfil our stated aims, which are ‘to encourage the responsible use of our earth’s resources, reduce packaging and excessive handling of food, support Australian growers where possible, reduce food miles and reduce food costs.
 
Rhona Rose 
Committee Member Benalla Food Co-op

​
​It is 5:30am and I’m loading the last of my luggage in the boot of the Volvo. Dawn has not yet broken and I feel like a horse in the field as heavy streams of condensation surge from my mouth in the cold morning air. Last night I turned down going out and instead readied the 1988 blue beast for the journey ahead. I turn on the ignition and she roars to life, breaking the misty silence in the quiet suburban street. Once upon a time I would have rolled out on a Friday night straight after uni, but full-time work takes its toll and I much prefer the early morning starts these days. As I cruise through the town on my way to pick up the crew, I reflect on the week gone. I’ve been feeling good this term and I’m lucky to work in a country with rolling hills and native wildlife greeting me every day on my way into school. Yet, somehow, I need this; I need to be on the road on the early hours of the morning. I need to feel like I am contributing in a substantial way to the future of this planet. I need to know I can push my body so I feel muscles I never knew existed. I need to know there is something out there bigger than me. Some purpose to our existence beyond survival.

The weekend will give me this. All of it.

I turn into my mate’s street and the headlights swipe across the cityscape and something flashes ahead of me. She’s outside and ready, right on 6:00am. I greet Sam with a hug and we catch up while I help her load the luggage. Under the light of the street lamps, Mark emerges from the darkened sidewalk. He has never met Sam before, yet they click instantly. I don’t even pause to consider how incredible this is, the connection that always seems to occur between people committed to a cause beyond themselves. Guess I am just used to it now.

The Volvo hums as it reaches a comfortable speed on the freeway. Our journey has begun. The destination is only two hours from the city, but the time results in shared music, philosophical conversation and appreciation for our surroundings. As we stop in the service station, I happily indulge in a healthy breakfast burrito, a novelty in roadside cuisine but fast becoming the norm. This is one part of the trip that has changed since I’d been in the past; I welcome it, though. After morning coffee, the smiles appear, and we embrace the rays of the morning sun through the windscreen. The chat becomes more exuberant and the music more upbeat.

WELCOME TO BENALLA 

The town sign greets me, and I am pleased to see the entrance has not changed. As we cross the bridge I relax into the day, another year, another great weekend. Turn left at the KFC, my inner voice reminds me, though it is no longer needed. As we pull in to the scout hall, the advance party greets us with cereal and delighted smiles. Lewis, Bianca and Adele seem fresh and ready. I look around to suss out the rest of the crew that has come this year. Good, it seems the university students are still at it, and the Monash Biological Society has turned up. The legacy continues and I’m proud of them. I head straight to the kitchen and pour myself a cuppa. Inevitably, there is someone there to chat with. In such close quarters you are forced to get to know people, and I love it. Mainly because everyone is happy and open, here.

I rock up to the event tent and sign in, admiring the gorgeous scenery around us. Today we’re in Winton Wetlands and we change place according to the year but are always embraced by the beauty that is country Victoria. The system is still the same, the girls behind the fold-up table prefer it that way. Hard copies are easier to maintain in the field. We kit up, it’s a fresh morning and the winds are picking up. Today’s safety brief goes through the conditions and the big man informs us that our healthy and safety is their number one priority. Should the slightest hint of rain come we are to head into the cars and take shelter. It is too windy to risk being out there in the rain. Of course the briefing also includes a few terrible jokes and a warm thank you to everyone who is attending. This site is special, too; we’re working on land that might have cultural artifacts of indigenous and European heritage. We are instructed to leave them should we find any.

I make sure to grab a mattock and head out with the mattock crew. “Aptly named Matt” is introduced as the new Head of the Mattock Team.

“Dig a little bowl around the plants,” he says in a country drawl, “As the summer sets in we’ll be watering, and the bowls will help keep the plants going”

The next General Meeting of Benalla Sustainable Future Group will be held at the Benalla Uniting Church on Thursday the 25th of October from 7.30pm until 9.30pm.

For this meeting we are screening the short film Takayna 2018 from Patagonia Films.

Takayna/Tarkine in north-western Tasmania is home to one of the last tracts of old-growth rainforest in the world, yet it’s currently at the mercy of destructive extraction industries, including logging and mining. This documentary unpacks the complexities of modern conservation and challenges us to consider the importance of our last wild places.

The film shows Nicole Anderson a rural doctor in Smithton who runs deep into the Tarkine reporting on the hidden logging activities in the region.  Bob Brown appears in the film and activities around the Franklin River are shown.  A short interview with a former timber worker highlights how small communities relying on extractive industries for employment may feel threatened by efforts to protect the Tarkine, particularly when they feel they are sustainably harvesting old growth forests.

We are hoping the film will lead us to a discussion of how we can save our environment from further degradation when our economy is geared to infinite growth.  Some doubt that economic growth is capable of supporting environmental outcomes.  For instance the Centre for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy has recently challenged the top ten environmental NGOs to a debate on the topic, “Is there a conflict between economic growth and environmental protection?”  While in The Guardian on September 26, 2018 George Monbiot has an article titled “While economic growth continues we’ll never kick our fossil fuel habit.”

Quoting George Monbiot “Let’s be embarrassing. Let’s break the silence, however uncomfortable it makes us and others feel. Let’s talk about the great unmentionables: not just climate breakdown, but also growth and consumerism. Let’s create the political space in which well-intentioned parties can act. Let us talk a better world into being.”

Note that Takayna has some coarse language.  We look forward to seeing you at the meeting.  Tea, coffee and biscuits will be available after the film.

Peter Maddock
Secretary
0418 135 330

​Benalla Permaculture is running a Natural Beekeeping course designed for beginners to provide participants with the information they need to start natural beekeeping with confidence.

Natural Beekeeping regards the well being of the bees as no less important than the honey yield. It is simple, low cost and low effort and in tune with nature - perfectly suited for small scale backyard beekeeping and commercial beekeeping alike.

The course will take place over two days with both Theory and Practical sessions. The first day we learn all about the Bees themselves, and the second day we learn how to look after them.

Hands-on sessions will give exposure to beekeeping boxes, equipment and tools and offer demonstrations of typical hive manipulations and some honey tasting. We will also observe some local hives, although they will not be opened so no special clothing or tools will be required.

This course will be led by experienced beekeeper Warwick Bone (Woz) over the weekend of October 20 & 21, 2018.

Times: 10AM - 5:00PM inc tea breaks (provided) and a lunch break (byo lunch to share).

Cost: $150 BP/PcV members, $175 Public.

Location: Swanpool

This course has limited spaces available to offer quality training so early enrolment is recommended. If you wish to attend, please send an email to info@BenallaPermaculture.org for registration and payment details.

​The film Albatross by Chris Jordan was screened at North East Artisans on Saturday 1st August.  A joint initiative of BSFG, Plastic Wise Benalla and NEA, the film was introduced by Wendy Baker from Plastic Wise Benalla and BSFG's Peter Maddock, with the screening followed by discussion and tea/coffee.  .

​Peter's inspiration for screening the film in Benalla is evident from the preamble he wrote prior to its screening...
​
"I spoke to Tim Bowtell at NEA a few years ago about screening a film at NEA.  At the time I was influenced by seeing a recording of Art Climate Ethics: What Role for the Arts? at the Melbourne Sustainable Living Festival 2014.  This presentation featured a number of artists talking about their art and climate change and was presented by Guy Abrahams of CLIMARTE: Arts for a Safe Climate.  One of the featured artists was Chris Jordan director of Albatross who spoke about his making of the film on Midway Island, https://www.albatrossthefilm.com/

Over recent months I have looked up some of Chris Jordan’s work and have come to see how Chris wants to take us beyond the numbers used to describe our impact on the environment.  By showing us the consequences of the cultural choices we make he wants us to feel these impacts, because large numbers such as tons of carbon emissions, the number of species threatened with extinction, etc. doesn’t mean much to us.

Chris Jordan’s website presents some amazing Photographic Arts, in particular some animations titled Running the Numbers: An American Self-Portrait and Running the Numbers II: Portraits of global mass culture, visualising the numbers resulting from our personal consumption.  In his TedX talk 'Midway Journey' Chris describes his artistic work as “visualising and facing the invisible truths of our time”.

​Earlier this year I came across a video of Chris talking about the making of Albatross on Midway Island.  In particular I was taken by his comment that the tragedy unfolding on Midway from our plastic pollution in the Pacific is a bit like global warming, it is largely invisible to us.  Chris’ message is that he wants us to feel the tragedy of our times.  A wakeup call for us to make new choices.

This year Albatross was screened at the Transition Film Festival in Melbourne and has been offered by Chris Jordan as a free public screening to spread the word about the tragedy of plastic pollution in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.  So thank you to Tim and North East Artisans for providing us with the opportunity to screen Albatross at NEA.

A reminder also that Tim Bowtell has in his own way been visualising some of the tragedies of our times.  His mural at Benalla Wall Art this year was “Cornography”, a critique of our modern corporate food chain.  And most recently Tim’s entry in the inaugural Swanpool SCRAP Art Prize, the “Treadmill of Perpetual Happiness” is now situated at the entry to North East Artisans." (Peter Maddock)

People who attended the screening of Albatross at NEA were clearly very moved by it.  NEA member Pamella Francis wrote the following comment on NEA's Facebook page - 

"I attended the free ALBATROSS movie last night, Saturday 1st Sept at NEA.... I was totally aghast at what we, as humans are doing to our beautiful planet and the animals who innocently go about their lives unaware of the dangers that they ingest and pass on to their offspring. The parent bird don't know that they are slowly killing them. As humans we at least have choice and can be aware of the dangers of what we choose to eat and the lifestyles we live in. Whilst there is a minority of people who are trying to do the 'right' thing with plastic, recycling etc etc... the BIG companies need to get on board if real changes can be made! I don't usually say much on FB just "like" what other people post but I can't not say something about this movie on the Albatross. If everyone took the time to watch this move, they would be moved to change".
​

Sustainable House Day 2018 is on Sunday 16 September 2018 https://sustainablehouseday.com/.

Two locations are listed for Benalla on the Sustainable House Day website - Sandy's Tiny House and BSFG Member Howard Bartlett's Solar Skillion Sleep Out.  You will need to register on https://sustainablehouseday.com to get details of the addresses.

If you missed it Howard's Solar Skillion Sleepout last year pop in to have a look and discuss with Howard options for Sustainable Housing.  Entry is free or a gold coin donation which Howard is directing to BSFG.

Howard is asking for assistance from a few BSFG members for his open house by collecting visitor details and gold coin donations.  If you are able to assist could you reply to this email indicating a preferred time from 10.00am to 4.00pm?  A one hour time slot would assist making up a roster.

Peter Maddock
0418 135 330

At the BSFG General Meeting held on August 23, our guest speaker from FRV Services, Development Manager Avantika Basu, provided an update on the 85MW AC Winton Solar Farm. 
 
The first solar farm to be approved for development in the Winton region, Winton Solar Farm will help to establish a sustainable new industry for the region.  Project Developer, FRV Services Australia, is one of the leading solar developers in the country, having now initiated six large-scale solar farms across QLD, NSW, SA and Victoria.    Avantika provided an update on the project concept, its development approval and expected social and environmental benefits and answered a range of questions from the audience.
 
Information about the Winton Solar Farm Project can be viewed at the FRV website, http://wintonsolarfarm.com/, and FRV in Australia, http://frv.com/en/tag/australia/.

This proved to be an excellent opportunity to hear more about this Solar Farm Project for which it is hoped construction will begin in 2019. Engineer Avantika and her team  stayed behind to answer questions and engage with us all about a project about which they are clearly very well informed and passionate. 

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (IAN) has contacted BSFG seeking support for the Nobel Peace Ride 2018.

ICAN was co-founded by Lima East resident Professor Tilman Ruff from Melbourne University.

ICAN are the current Nobel Peace laureate, who were awarded this honour last year for their work on pushing the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, making the greatest weapons of mass destruction illegal and paving the way towards full nuclear disarmament.

In September the treaty will tour from Melbourne to Canberra by bicycle in an effort to raise awareness among smaller towns and urge our government to sign the treaty as a matter of urgency.

Benalla is a major stop on the tour on Sept 6-7, where there will be an exhibition at BPACC at the request of Mayor Don Firth and MP Cathy McGowan.  All local residents are welcome to attend the exhibition for a chance to share in the campaign.  An event will be held from 6 - 7 pm on Friday 7 September from 6-7 pm (refer poster).  

For support along the way, ICAN are reaching out to community/peace groups and organisations for food and shelter.  Any food donations will go a long way in supporting an altering group of 5-20 riders.

Lavanya Pant is the Project Coordinator for the Nobel Peace Ride 2018 and is organising all the logistics for the ride.  If you are able to offer support or have suggestions please contact Lavanya on 0468490768 or email Lavanya Pant, lavanya@icanw.org.

More details are on the ICAN Facebook Events page,   https://www.facebook.com/events/1246449445492082/.


Peter Maddock
0418 135 330

In collaboration with North East Artisans, Benalla Sustainable Future Group and Plastic Wise Benalla presents a free screening of the film Albatross on Saturday September 1ST at 7:00PM.

On a remote atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, albatross chicks are dying, bodies filled with plastic.
ALBATROSS unflinchingly shows the horror and grief of this tragedy, but ultimately brings us to a deeply felt experience of beauty and love for life on Earth. Stepping outside of traditional documentary film style, ALBATROSS delivers a profound message of reverence and renewal.

Chris Jordan is a multi-media artist based in Seattle. His work explores contemporary mass culture from a variety of photographic and conceptual perspectives, connecting the viewer viscerally to the enormity and power of humanity’s collective unconscious. Jordan’s work edgewalks the lines between beauty and horror, abstraction and representation, and the visible and the invisible, challenging us to look both in-ward and outward at the complex landscapes of our collective choices (www.chrisjordan.com).

Jordan’s work reaches an increasingly broad international audience through his exhibitions, books, web-site, interviews on radio and television, and speaking engagements and school visits all over the world. He is currently involved in an international tour of his first feature film ALBATROSS, bringing to world the awareness and message of plastic pollution’s devastation effect on the albatrosses of Midway island (www.albatrossthefilm.com).

This film is exempt from classification and is restricted to people over 15 years.  People under 15 must be accompanied by an adult.

Running for 97 minutes there will be time for discussion afterwards.

Free screening at NEA, 122 Bridge Street East, Benalla, VIC 3672, Sat Sep 1ST, 6.30pm for 7.00pm Start.  Limited seating. Additional screenings may be possible.

RSVP By 27 August; Phone Peter 0418 135 330 or email peter_maddock@iprimus.com.au.

New, renewable energies are changing the way we get our energy. We are no longer reliant entirely on power from the big energy generators and companies.
We need to make sure that communities benefit from the renewable energy. The Community Energy model gives local towns and regions power over how they generate and consume electricity.
Join us at a Community Energy Forum on Friday 3rd August at BPACC and find out what community energy means for you and our region.
Locally generated renewable energy will create local jobs, cleaner energy and allow the community to control where their energy comes from. It means that towns can create mini-grids, where residents can trade power between themselves – powered by household solar and battery energy. This reduces reliance on the dirty and expensive national energy grid.
A local community energy retailer is currently being developed to allow towns and regions to achieve their renewable energy goals.
Come along and listen to some of Australia's foremost experts in the field explain how we can harness this new form of energy to build a new model of energy.
Three great speakers will outline what community energy is and how we can benefit from it: Simon Corbell, Victorian Renewable Energy Advocate; Nicky Ison, Co-founder of the Community Power Agency; Alison Rowe, Chief Executive Officer of Moreland Energy Foundation.
This is a free event but please RSVP for the Benalla meeting by 3 August at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/benalla-community-energy-forum-tickets-47537010478

Download the Forum Flyer.