Extended invitation to attend an event on February 11 at the Sustainable Living Festival Australia which is being held in Melbourne from 4-28 February 2017.
The event is “Xiuhtezcatl Martinez: Why I sued the U.S. Government”.
“Displaying a wisdom far beyond his years, Xiuhtezcatl (“Shu-tez-caht”) Martinez has been speaking on behalf of the planet since the tender age of six. Today still just a teenager, his extraordinary eloquence has moved audiences which include world leaders, Hollywood celebrities and other impassioned young people across continents who have joined his Earth Guardians activism movement. Through public speaking and hip-hop, Xiuhtezcatl is spreading his message and shifting human consciousness – and in 2017, his message will reach Australia and New Zealand”.
Article in Benalla Ensign
This event will appeal to anyone interested in Sustainability however BSFG would like to sponsor a group of young people to attend the event. 
Can you nominate and or sponsor a young person interested in attending this event?  $250 was raised from committee members at the BSFG Committee meeting held on January 17, nearly enough for 6 tickets.
There is a limit of 10 tickets per customer and tickets are $42.  Tickets have been held for BSFG until Wednesday February 1st.  There is a possibility of having an extra 10 tickets if necessary.
If sufficient responses are received the group will travel to Melbourne by train on February 11th which will include at least two BSFG members, returning to Benalla on the evening train from Southern Cross Station. Young people will need to pay the train fare.
Please leave a response on the BSFG website Contact page by Wednesday February 1st if you wish to nominate a young person to attend this event or phone 0418 135 330.

The Planning and Development Committee meeting of Benalla Council on Wednesday 25th January approved making a joint application with BSFG to the New Energy Jobs Fund for funding to conduct a feasibility study of renewable energy options for Benalla and the preparation of a Future Energy Plan.

Council also agreed to make a co-contribution of $20,000 if the application is successful.  The financial matter was passed with the support of councillors Barbara Alexander, Peter Davis and Scott Upton.
 
Those two matters were the recommendations from Larissa Montgomery’s very comprehensive report to council.  John Lloyd, BSFG President, would like to thank Larissa for all her work on this and to thank all those members of BSFG who came to the meeting to show their support for Larissa, himself and the Renewable Energy for Benalla project.

Note - If you would like to read Larissa's report you will find it by opening this link to the Agenda for the Meeting starting on page 10.  

Victoria’s broken nature laws:  where to next?, an Environmental Justice Australia workshop is being held in Tatura on  Tuesday 24 January 6.30–8.30pm  (doors open 6.15pm).

"Victoria’s nature protection laws are broken. In 2014, the Andrews Government promised to review Victoria’s main nature protection law – the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act – but to date very little progress has been made towards reviewing and amending that law.

Many Victorian communities are concerned about environmental issues affecting their local community but are unsure about what they can do to try and improve the situation.  

This workshop will:

• build your knowledge about our existing nature protection laws and the protections that they should be providing to our threatened species and native vegetation;
• provide you with the resources to make informed and locally relevant submissions to the Government about the need for reform of Victoria’s nature protection laws; and
• assist the development of stronger community campaigns that influence the future of nature protection laws in Victoria.  

Hosted by:    Goulburn Valley Environment Group

Where:          Tatura Hotel
154 Hogan St
Tatura

FREE – BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL

​Register at:   envirojustice.org.au/nature-laws-shepparton

​This post on innovative sustainable housing in 'urban' Benalla updates an earlier post relating to Sustainable House Day in 2016.
 
Howard and Bernie's Solar Skillion Sleep Out

An energy efficient sleep out has been designed and  attached to the existing house by a covered walkway, forming part of a complex of four buildings.

Buildings are solar oriented and follow golden rules of good design related to sunlight, open space, access and privacy (SOAP).
 
Skillion roofs are oriented to the north which shade the buildings in summer and emit the winter sun.
One building is rented and three are used by the owners as sleep-out, artists studio and house under renovation.  Click on the button below to check out the Sustainable Housing Day's case study - 

What is SOAP?
​
SUNLIGHT

• Maximise sunlight in winter and shade in summer.

OPEN SPACE

• If you have a choice of a house sited in the middle of the block or one set on one side make sure the indoor and outdoor living space has the benefit of a large area on the sunny side of the house.

ACCESS

• Movement from main rooms to the yard and garden should be convenient.
• Access from the street to the site needs to be safe.
• Entry to the house should be secure as well as welcoming.

PRIVACY

• Make sure indoor and outdoor living spaces are private. No overlooking to and from the neighbours living spaces.

 
If you would like to join in the discussion about SOAP House Design you can join Association SOAP House Design Inc. - you will be sent out diary dates for workshops to meet others interested in sharing their knowledge and experience.  Call Howard Bartlett on 0409504420 for  more information.

 Howard and Bernie's sustainable house event on Sustainable House Day, September, 2016.  
For more photos of their solar skillion sleepout, check out the Sustainable House Day website.  

Neil Garrett, an accredited hemp builder who recently built a hemp house and studio as an owner builder, will conduct this workshop. Neil has run a series of workshops whilst building their house and wishes to provide futher training opportunities associated with Hemp Building.

The workshop will include the theory and practice of hemp building using both conventional casting techniques and building with hemp bricks. The participents will be given practical experience in design and construction of a small dwelling and the basics of rendering with lime renders on a hemp wall.

Hemp has many qualities for building construction including

1. good insulation values             (up to R4 for a 250mm wall)
2. high thermal qualities (thermal mass)or thermal inertia
3. good sound attenuation           (noise reduction, acoustic qualities)
4. healthy                                     breathes –no condensation, mould etc
5. vermin resistant                      (mice,rats)Alkaline
6. white ant resistant                   (good)
7. environmental qualities           (natural materials)
8. carbon sequestration              (carbon negative)
9. building friendly                       (lightweight, low skill,able to be moulded, flexible, bendable)
10. beautiful and flexible                (Neil’s view)

The workshops will commence at 9.00am sharp and finish at 4.30pm, morning and afternoon tea together with a healthy light lunch will be provided along with detailed notes on hemp building.

The cost is $150 per person paid in advance.

Violet Town is a small village located on the Hume freeway approx two hours north of Melbourne

Further details contact Neil Garrett on 5798 1522