​Finally, on Thursday 26th November, we will be able to have our first "real" live BSFG meeting for 2020! As this is also our last scheduled meeting date for the year, the committee felt it would be good to have something special, and a little less formal, to end the year.

We have obtained approval to screen a recently released film, "Kiss the Ground", which examines the effects of industrial farming practices on the world's agricultural land, and the potential benefits of regenerative farming techniques, not only to heal the land, but in assisting the drawdown of carbon from the atmosphere, to reduce the effects of climate change.  https://kissthegroundmovie.com/

The film showcases some amazing examples of restoration projects from various parts of the world, and how they have transformed landscapes, and restored hope in the ability of the Earth to heal itself.

As this is a film about the future of the Earth's food production capability, I urge you all to attend, and to invite a friend who may be involved in food production, be it meat, grain, fruit or vegetable.

As usual, we will conclude with a cuppa and something to eat, and a chance to chat about the film, and of course, the year that was!!

We hope to see you all at the John Cooper Hall, Benalla Uniting Church, 7.30pm on the 26th.

As we may have limits on numbers attending, please RSVP to email:  bsfginc@gmail.com  or simply reply  to this email with names attending.
Of course, covid protocols will need to be followed: stay home if unwell, wear facemasks, sanitize hands on arrival, and observe correct social distancing.

New Committee

In September, the new BSFG Committee was elected at our special zoom AGM. The members are as follows:
Peter Holmes - President
David Blore - Vice President
Judy Schwarzman - Secretary
Wendy Baker - Treasurer
Christine Holmes - food Co-op rep
Peter Maddock
Wendy Sherlock
Kevin Smith
Kay Blore

Many thanks to each of these members for agreeing to serve on the committee, and we look forward to achieving some of our (deferred) goals in the very near future.
​
Peter Holmes

The final Meeting of the Benalla Sustainable Future Group for 2019 will be on Thursday November 28th at the Uniting Church, Carrier Street Benalla, opposite the Coles car park.

To finish the year we are screening the film Point Of No Return http://pointofnoreturndoc.com/, the story of the round the world flight by Solar Impulse the solar powered aircraft piloted by Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg who in 2016 succeeded in flying 40,000 km around the world without using a drop of fuel.

This is a free public screening.  All welcome, bring along a friend.

In the words of Bertrand Piccard, Pilot and project initiator “Our goal is not to transport passengers.  Our goal is to transport a message”. And from director Quinn Kanaly, “At its core, this film is about the perseverance and courage it takes to make difficult decisions when everything is on the line. When we look at the daunting challenge of the global climate crisis, this story of innovation and collaboration offers hope.”

The Solar Impulse Foundation is promoting The Solar Impulse Efficient Solution Label which “seeks to bridge the gap between ecology and economy, bringing together protection of the environment and financial viability to show that these solutions are not expensive fixes to problems, but rather opportunities for clean economic growth”, https://solarimpulse.com/.
 
Time: 7.15 for a 7.30 start.  Prior to the film BSFG president Peter Holmes will update the meeting on local initiatives to declare a climate emergency.  The film runs for 1hr 35minutes leaving time for supper after the film.

Although it is not necessary to register your attendance, doing so will assist setting up for the night, in particular the room we use for the screening at the Uniting Church.  Register by contacting Peter by Wednesday November 27th; email peter_maddock@iprimus.com.au or sms 0418 135 330.  Or submit the online form below the Solar Impulse photo below.
Download the flyer.
Peter Maddock
Secretary BSFG Inc.
0418 135 330

​The next General Meeting of the Benalla Sustainable Future Group will be held on Thursday September 26th, 7.30pm until 9.30pm at the Benalla Uniting Church, Carrier Street Benalla.

Our guest speaker is Fiona Roberts, a member of the Hume Renewable Energy Roadmap project team and a program officer in Community and Partnerships, DELWP, based in Benalla.  Fiona will be speaking about the Hume Renewable Energy Roadmap.

The Hume Renewable Energy Roadmap has engaged thousands of people from communities, business and government to hear their views and vision for the future of renewable energy in the region.

The Roadmap identifies regional opportunities for renewable energy in Hume which includes a coalition of community energy groups working to deliver localised energy generation and distribution for community benefit.

Hume also has significant pumped hydro energy storage development potential as well as quality solar resources which have been attracting investment interest. Bioenergy resources are also abundant in Hume with a number of biogas generators operating in the region.

Fiona Roberts has previously worked in the Commonwealth government as a senior policy analyst on a variety of projects including ecological sustainable development and natural resource management for the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Fiona says, "The Hume Renewable Energy Roadmap report brings together what we heard and uncovered and tells our region’s renewable energy story – the past, the exciting things happening now and what the future might hold."

Hear about this Renewable Energy Roadmap and learn about the possibilities for a renewable energy future for our region.

Following the presentation about the Renewable Energy Roadmap there will be a short presentation from John Lloyd about the activities of Renewable Energy Benalla and the role it could play in the energy future for Benalla.

The minutes of our previous meeting held on Thursday July 25th 2019 are attached below.

Supper will be available after the meeting.

Peter Maddock
Secretary
0418 135 330

The next General Meeting of the Benalla Sustainable Future Group will be held on Thursday July 25th, 7.30pm until 9.30pm at the Benalla Uniting Church, Carrier Street Benalla, opposite the Coles Car Park. 
Our Guest speaker is Bruce Walker who will be presenting information on Queensland Fruit Fly. 
Fruit flies are a significant threat to Victoria’s horticulture industry, affecting production and disrupting trade worldwide.  Species such as Queensland fruit fly, are present in Victoria and need effective management to reduce the impact on production and trade opportunities.  If we grow fruit and vegetables susceptible to fruit fly we can all play a part in controlling fruit fly.
Topics Bruce will cover include;
Why manage QFF?
* Area wide approach
* Know your enemy
* Options for home gardeners
* Traps in detail
* Orchard and garden hygiene
Bruce is immediate past President of Benalla Rotary. He previously was an agricultural scientist at Rutherglen Research Institute for many years.

We are also hoping to find and screen a suitable short film on food waste.

The meeting will finish with supper, providing an opportunity for further discussion.

Peter Maddock
Secretary
0418 135 330

Download the Flyer

The next General Meeting of Benalla Sustainable Future Group will be on Thursday March 28 from 7.30pm until 9.30pm at the Benalla Uniting Church Meeting Room Carrier Street Benalla, opposite the Coles car park.

Our guest speaker is Warrenbayne local Serenity Hill whose topic is ‘Food, unincorporated’.  ‘Sometimes the best way to fix the system is to start a new one’, https://openfoodnetwork.org.au/.

The Open Food Network was founded by Serenity Hill and Kirsten Larsen in 2012 as part of the Open Food Foundation. It is a platform that supports a food system that is open and fair, where producers and community based enterprises can sell local, seasonal produce online to their community. It has now grown to a global movement.  The meeting will be a good opportunity to learn more about this home grown initiative which has now spread to the UK, Scandinavia, Canada, and France, with South Africa, India and the USA coming soon.

Thank you to Kathryn McQualter of our Benalla Local Food Network for arranging with Serenity to speak to us.

After the business of the meeting and hearing about the Open Food Network from Serenity there will be a light supper.

We look forward to seeing you there.
Regards,
Peter Maddock,
Secretary,
0418 135 330

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

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

The next General Meeting of BSFG is on Thursday the 26th of October at 7.30pm in the Meeting room, The Benalla Uniting Church, Carrier Street Benalla, opposite the Coles carpark.

Our guest speaker is Carole Hammond who is the Team Leader Sustainable Development at Strathbogie Shire.  Carole is engaged in building the smart growth of a 21st century economy and environment for the Shire of Strathbogie. This includes programs across native vegetation and biodiversity, regional stewardship projects, working with Landcare, as well as a range of sustainability, and climate change adaptation projects, such as the ‘Bogie Bulk Buy’, that will contribute to a strong, resilient Shire of the future.

Carole is also the creator of Coolth Sustainability, a multidisciplinary sustainability practice. The consultancy offers accredited thermal performance assessments under the National Housing Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS), and specialist input into environmentally sustainable residential design.

We look forward to hearing from Carole who will speak after the business of the meeting.  A light supper will be served at the end of the meeting.

Peter Maddock
Secretary
0418 135 330

The next meeting of Benalla Sustainable Future Group will be held on Thursday 24th August at 7:30pm in the meeting room at the Uniting Church, Carrier Street, Benalla.

The guest speaker will be Michael Staindl from Beyond Zero Emissions whose topic will be ‘Climate Change: the Bad the Good and You.’ Michael, who has degrees in Nuclear Physics, Computing and Biomedical Instrumentation, considers himself a 'tech-head', and when he had his OMG moment about climate change some years ago he initially thought the problem could be solved through exciting new technologies. However he quickly realised that while we had the technical technologies to solve the problem we didn't have the 'soft' technologies - the attitudes and thinking capability.

Michael's presentation will cover the reality of where we are with Climate Change, touch on some of the positive efforts to address it, then introduce concepts such as cognitive dissonance and wicked problems to try to understand why we are not facing this existential crisis.

​Michael now works full time on climate action and is a producer of the Beyond Zero Emissions community radio program. 

The next General Meeting of BSFG will be held on Thursday October 22nd at 7.30 pm at the Uniting Church, Carrier Street Benalla.
After the meeting we are screening a 40 minute documentary from the Lock the Gate Alliance called ‘Fractured Country: an Unconventional Invasion' about the risks to communities from invasive gas fields.
We also have a 4 1/2 minute video animation from the Climate Institute called ‘What the Paris climate negotiations mean’.
And the BSFG website subcommittee will be presenting this new BSFG website.
Anyone interested in the environment welcome to attend.