Long Term Planning with Liveable Communities in Mind

Long-term community planning is vital for our liveable cities to prosper. Organisations involved in their community’s infrastructure must be able to look ahead and construct plans where anticipated. Change is not only considered but prepared for in advance. We cannot always know what the future holds, as we have recently discovered through unanticipated change and subsequent adaptation. However, the last few months have not deterred Australians from continuing to practice and strive for the future of the sustainable movement. New bike paths have already been put into future planning, due to increased demand. Transport Secretary Rodd Staples mentioned in an …

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Architectural Design Making a Positive Impact on Sustainability in your Liveable City

If you are faced with the question; “Are you part of a liveable city”, would you know how to answer? Many would consider any city that they live in as a liveable city, but what does that really mean? The answer revolves around a few simple words that some of us are well versed with, while others are not. – sustainability, conservation, environmentally friendly, eco-friendly and carbon friendly (to name a few). Creating a more liveable city comes down to several factors, beginning with residential and commercial designs that offer sustainable features. Modern technology is now proving that there are …

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Seven of Australia’s most Sustainable National Parks

National Parks of Australia – Our Seven Wonders When trying to live a sustainable life and doing the best for the future of our planet, there’s no better way to motivate yourself to stay on the path of conservation and sustainability, than to look directly into Australia’s back yard, and check out some of the National Parks we have. With such a vast land, we are lucky to live in a country that is still able to help sustain the majestic places our motherland has provided for us. This week marks Parks Week 2020, so we thought we would remind you of …

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Seeking leaders in Business Sustainability

The Association for Sustainability in Business Inc is seeking leaders in sustainable business development to speak at our National Conference in March 2017. To be held at the Hotel Grand Chancellor in Brisbane, the Conference Program will involve presentations by Keynote Speakers in addition to oral presentations, panels and interactive forums. The Association invites thought leaders and commentators to speak by registering at http://conference.sustainability.asn.au/submit-abstract/ Topics for the 30 minute oral presentations include renewable energy systems and sources; think local first; innovative business opportunities; the energy market; and trends, policies and strategies. Discussion at the conference is broad, including not only innovation …

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Sydney community solar project: “solar beer”

A City of Sydney-backed community solar project that will put a 30kW PV system on the roof of a craft brewery in the city’s inner west will be opened to local investors this weekend. The project, which will install 120 solar panels at Young henry’s brewery in Newtown, won $40,000 in funding from the City of Sydney in November. The PV system will supply around 25 per cent of the brewery’s total electricity use, with no up-front capital costs. NSW-based community solar group Pingala, which is leading the project, said on Wednesday that it would launch the community investment round …

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Boost to renewable energy target

Renewable Energy: Ross Israel from QIC and Andy Vesey from AGL Energy are the new breed of renewable energy evangelists. They view Australia’s renewable energy target as an opportunity to generate a mainstream discussion about decarbonisation of Australia’s power generation, while at the same time pioneering new methods of financing for large scale solar and wind projects as reported by the Financial Review. Vesey, who is chief executive of AGL, believes Australia is yet to seriously address the fundamental question of how to solve the problem of an oversupplied energy generation market. He takes every opportunity in public forums to …

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Victoria’s largest wind farm approved

Victoria has approved a new $650 million, 96-turbine wind farm as the state bids to become the nation’s renewable energy leader. But that could be hard to do if nothing is done to phase out coal-fired energy, the Greens say. The wind farm, in Dundonnell in the state’s southwest, will save an estimated 700,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year – equivalent to removing 170,000 cars from Victorian roads. The approval of the project means 300 direct and indirect jobs will be created during construction, and the turbines will generate 1000Gwh of clean energy each year. It’s enough to …

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SA Liberals pushing for all new wind farms to be assessed for their impact on the electricity market

All new wind farm projects would have to undergo an assessment to see how they would affect the electricity market before being approved, if changes proposed by the Opposition were adopted as reported by Lauren Novak. The move comes in response to concerns raised last week after major employers warned the State Government they were considering shutdowns because of wild fluctuations in energy prices. The instability was blamed in part on wild storms, demand interstate and delays in upgrading an interconnector with Victoria. Opposition Leader Steven Marshall added that South Australia’s “massive abundance” of renewable energy, such as wind and …

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Building the ‘New Economy’ With Sustainable Social Enterprise

There is a critical need for more diversity in business, and social enterprise could be the answer, writes Alan Greig, from the Social Enterprise Legal Models Working Group. Sustainable social enterprise can go a long way towards introducing the kind of “values” into capitalism that Kevin Rudd once made reference to in 2009 – “the values of equity, sustainability and community”. With the range of “values based” enterprises that are rapidly developing – many of them profiled in Pro Bono Australia News – social enterprise is already setting the pace in this direction. Social enterprise is changing the way we …

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