M O B I L I S I N G P E O P L E T O S A F E G U A R D O U R E N V I R O N M E N T ISSUE 24 • SPRING 2015M O B I L I S I N G P E O P L E T O S A F E G U A R D O U R E N V I R O N M E N T ISSUE 24 • SPRING 2015

Turning the debate aroundFrom denial to delivery in climate politics

PLUSDivest your home loan

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THE WORLD IS WAKING UP TO THEclimate crisis. In recent months, the Popecalled for climate action, investmentbanks predicted the structural decline offossil fuel industries, new data showedthere was more investment in cleanenergy than dirty energy globally lastyear, and President Obama announced aplan which will close dozens of coal-firedpower stations in the US.

But the real problem, according to thefederal Coalition government, isn’t theoverheating of the planet at all. No, what’sreally worrying is that environmentalistsare drawing attention to it.

Funding to environment organisationshas been slashed, and now environmentgroups are the subject of a federalgovernment inquiry into our taxdeductible charity status. It seems

that some Coalition parliamentarianswould prefer that environment groupsonly did ‘hands on’ conservation worklike planting trees, and didn’t drawattention to the Coalition’s complete lackof a responsible environment policyagenda.

Now we’re all for tree planting – it’simportant, productive work – butprograms like Landcare would neverhave been founded without advocacyand campaigns.

Our right to ensure that environmentallaws are being upheld is also underthreat. Calling legitimate legal action‘vigilante lawfare’, key Coalition membershave tried to push through legislationthat would remove the rights ofenvironment groups to challenge theapproval of new coal mines or other

damaging projects in the courts. In thecontext of the global calls to action,these attacks look like futile attempts tohold back the tide of history.

Encouragingly, the new Victoriangovernment seems keen to join therenewables revolution that is sweepingthe world. Australians love clean energyand want our governments to beresponsible environmental stewards. Asthe previous state government learnedthe hard way, being out of step withthese community attitudes is not asustainable political strategy.

Perhaps a new Prime Minister will seea change in the Coalition’s federalstrategy. We’ll certainly be workingtowards that. As the days get longer,enjoy this edition of Green Action News,and thanks for your support.

> Mark Wakeham, Chief Executive Officer

Editorial

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Green Action NewsIssue 24, Spring 2015Design 2Fish ProductionsPrint Almar PressContributing writersMark Wakeham, Nick Aberle, Juliet Le Feuvre, JaneStabb, Greg Foyster, Michele Burton, Lena HerreraPiekarski, Cameron Wheatley, Nina Crawley, NickRoberts, Domenica Settle, Adele NealeEditorGreg Foyster(03) 9341 8125 editor@environmentvictoria.org.auMembership enquiries(03) 9341 8100 admin@environmentvictoria.org.au Media enquiries(03) 9341 8127mark.wakeham@environmentvictoria.org.au Green Action News is an Environment Victoria publication. For more information, visitwww.environmentvictoria.org.au

In troubled waters

One big FuturePowered Family

Home planet hub

Turning thedebate around

Countdownto Paris

The first domino

What is yourhome loan made of?

Time for closure on coal

While the rest of the world finally gets the message on globalwarming, our federal government is shooting the messenger.

Authorised by Mark Wakeham, CEO Environment Victoria, 60 Leicester St Carlton.

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THE TRANSITION FROM DIRTY COALto clean energy is inevitable, but withVictoria’s fleet of coal generators beingone of the dirtiest on the planet,accelerating that transition is a key partof tackling climate change. The goodnews is the time for this has never beenbetter.

One reason is reduced electricitydemand. Currently, Victoria has about2000 megawatts (MW) more generationcapacity than it needs. Hazelwoodpower station is 1600 MW, so retiring itcarries no risk of the lights going out –and the same applies to other coalpower stations.

Meanwhile, we’re in a position to rampup the rate at which we’re building cleanrenewable energy. The Victoriangovernment has now announced that bythe end of 2015 we will have our ownstate-based renewable energy target. If

this target is consistent with the publicambition we’ve heard from the AndrewsGovernment, we’ll be able to reduce ourpollution even further.

Unions knows the writing is on thewall. The head of the CFMEU, the unionfor most Latrobe Valley coal workers,backed Bill Shorten’s plan for 50 percentrenewable energy, telling the ABC“renewables are winning the investmentrace”. One of the union’s priorities now is,rightly, protecting the entitlements ofworkers who might lose their jobs andsecuring a transition plan that will createreplacement jobs in the region.

Not only is the energy market readyfor the change, but the mechanism bywhich coal generators could be phased-out is now within reach. The AndrewsGovernment is reviewing both theClimate Change Act and the EnvironmentProtection Authority. It is within the

scope of both of these reviews foremissions performance standards to beimposed on power stations, regulated bythe EPA.

Even the big energy companies arebacking such a move. In its submissionto the Climate Change Act review, Origincalled for emissions standards “toprogressively phase out brown coal-firedgeneration in Victoria”. AGL andEnergyAustralia have also urgedgovernments to intervene to speed upthe closure of coal power stations.

The clock is ticking and, with eachpassing hour, pressure is building on theAndrews Government to deliver thephase-out of coal power stations somany people are calling for. Afterdecades of campaigning to replace ourdirtiest power stations with cleanerenergy – and cleaner jobs– we’re finallyexpecting some closure.

Time for closure on coalFor a range of reasons, the clock is tickingon Victoria’s ageing coal power stations.

S A F E C L I M AT E

Dr Nicholas Aberle Safe Climate Campaign Manager

Help retire HazelwoodOld photos of Hazelwood power station (pictured left and above)highlight just how outdated it is. Built in the 1960s, Hazelwoodwas scheduled to close in 2005, but has just kept on polluting.Please donate to our campaign to replace it with cleaner energy –and cleaner jobs for the region. See page 15. (PS: Thanks if you’ve already given!)

THE FIRST DOMINO FALLS: read our profile about the recent closure of Anglesea power station on page 11.

Passed in November 2012, the Murray-Darling Basin Plan was supposed to rescueour greatest river system from ecological collapse, but now needs rescuing itself.

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In troubled waters

Hazelwood is one of Australia’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases.

“THE OLD WAY OF MANAGING THEMurray-Darling Basin has reached its useby date,” said then Prime Minister JohnHoward on Australia Day 2007. This greatstatement set in train the developmentof the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, whichwas intended to address over-allocationof water “once and for all”, restoring therivers of northern Victoria to health.

Eight years later, Howard’s legacy is inserious danger. Despite repeatedpromises from both the state and federalgovernments to implement the Plan “ontime and in full” this is looking less andless likely.

The main reason is that bothgovernments suffer from a ‘hard hatmentality’ and believe that engineeringis the way to solve environmentalproblems. They are moving away fromrecovering real water for rivers andwetlands and are instead putting theirfaith in untested engineering solutionsthat deliver water to isolated pockets ofthe floodplain. This approach is great fordelivering emergency water in extremedrought, but is not the answer torestoring river health. To survive andthrive, rivers need more water, not moreconcrete.

The Plan is also under attack fromcommunities who hold it responsible forall the changes that are affectingirrigation businesses, such as risingwater prices and changing crop choices.In fact, because of the Basin Plan, the

federal government is investing$2.5 million per day in irrigationinfrastructure for the next fouryears, probably the biggestinvestment in agriculture inAustralian history.

We’ve been busy bustingthese and other myths, and arecampaigning hard for the Planto deliver real water to ourrivers. We have also clearlycommunicated our concern tonew Victorian Water MinisterLisa Neville that the AndrewsGovernment appears to want torule out further water buybacksin Victoria. Prioritisinginfrastructure over buying backreal water risks blowing thebudget as well as the timeframes of the Basin Plan.

Sadly, after so many years ofcommittees, submissions,lobbying and calls to MPs, theBasin Plan is now criticallyendangered, and we’ll have towork even harder to bring itback from the brink.

H E A L T H Y R I V E R S

Juliet Le FeuvreHealthy Rivers Campaigner

THANK YOU to everyone who signed ourpetition to the AndrewsGovernment to ‘Spend the Cash to Cut the Crap’.

Slow progress on cowsAs part of our ‘Cut the Crap’ campaignto get cows out of rivers, we’ve spentthe last few months on the advisorycommittee for the AndrewsGovernment’s Regional RiparianAction Plan. We were pleased to seethe government commit an extra $10million to improving the condition ofriver banks in the 2015/16 budget,but we are yet to see what theinvestment will be in future years.And we are still waiting to see howambitious the final plan will be.So progress has been a little, shall wesay, bogged down. Meanwhile, as youcan see from the photo above, cowsare facing no such impediments…

Cows in the Ovens River, April 2015

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Environment Victoria has been running sustainable living projects forabout 15 years – and our current Future Powered Families project isreaching more people than we ever have before.

One big Future Powered Family

S U S T A I N A B L E L I V I N G

Domenica SettleFuture Powered FamiliesProject Manager

IF ENVIRONMENT VICTORIA’S FuturePowered Families project had a themesong, it would be Paul Kelly’s “From LittleThings Big Things Grow”. And grow. Andgrow. Originally aiming for 5000participants, the project initially struggledto recruit people. But momentum is keyto any work in the community, and overtime the momentum built up. When theproject is fully delivered in December, it’slikely to have about 7500 participants.

Future Powered Families recruitslow-income parents, trains them tosave energy in the home, and sendsthem out to visit friends and family tosuggest easy ways they could cut theirpower bills. This peer-to-peer approachworks because the energy advisersunderstand the priorities of thehouseholds they’re visiting and speaktheir language. Quite literally – morethan 50 languages are spoken byproject participants.

While the project isn’t specificallytargeted at migrants and refugees,newly arrived people have beenparticularly interested, from Farsifamilies in Craigieburn to Bangladeshisin Werribee. This has allowedEnvironment Victoria to reach peoplewe don’t usually reach.

The project involves rigorous datacollection coordinated by the CSIRO.We collect information on howparticipants use energy at the start of

the project, and again six to 12 monthslater, to find out not just howbehaviour changed immediately aftertaking part, but which changes stuck.So far we’ve seen a range ofimprovements, from turning downheaters to shortening excessiveshower times. Self-reported data needsto be treated with caution, however,and so the project is also collectingdata from electricity companies onparticipants’ actual electricity use.

Once the final data rolls in, it’ll betime for the big task of numbercrunching. Early analysis suggests thatbehaviour change programs whichwork with the community and localpeople make a real difference, cuttingpower bills and greenhouse gasesalong the way.

So how do we end such a big project– the biggest we’ve ever done? With abig party, of course. It’s planned forOctober, and the 400-plus people whotrained as energy advisors have allbeen invited. We might even playsome Paul Kelly.

Important note: Our federalgovernment funding to run this valuableprogram runs out at the end of this year.We are now talking with the stategovernment about the importance offunding behaviour change programs likethis one as part of their energy andwater efficiency strategies.

Future Powered Families participants from SisterWorks hold up their training course certificates.

Future Powered ProjectOfficer Nina Crawleyshares a story

Nafisa, an Afghan refugee, believeseducation is powerful. When she was livingin Pakistan she kept her school reports toinspire her children to do well at school.Now that she’s in Australia, she’s been veryhappy to educate her community aboutenergy efficiency. “I explain it in their ownlanguage especially about their washingmachine,” she says. Along with being a champion of the coldwash cycle, Nafisa has also transformed hersons into stand-by power defenders whonever miss the chance to turn off a switch.

THANK YOU to all our energy advisors over the years, and see you at the party!

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Home planet hubWe’ve forged some new sustainable living partnerships tohelp Victorians reduce their environmental footprint.

IT’S NO SECRET THAT humans areconsuming more resources than theplanet can replenish. But what you mightnot realise is that Victorians are some ofthe biggest consumers of all, with anenvironmental footprint three timeslarger per person than the worldaverage!

This is why Environment Victoria’scharter has a goal to reduce Victoria’secological footprint by 25 percent by2020. We commissioned our own

research to find out exactly whatcontributes to our giant footprint here inVictoria, and one of the main culprits isour highly polluting energy supply frombrown coal power stations. (No surprisesthere.)

The good news is there’s plenty we cando to fix this. As part of our One PlanetLiving sustainability work, we’re helpingsupporters to switch to a cleaner energycompany (and choose GreenPower),divest their home loans, go solar and

upgrade to LED lights.We have carefully chosen to partner

with companies that share our vision fora safe, healthy and sustainable planet.Plus, every time you make a switch, wereceive a financial contribution from thepartner company (at no cost to you). Soyou’re having double the impact! Notonly do you get to make your homemore planet-friendly, you’re also activelysupporting our campaigns to drive theclean energy revolution here in Victoria.

THANK YOU to everyone who filled out our sustainability partnerships survey in June, or has already switched!

S U S T A I N A B L E L I V I N G

Michele BurtonSustainable Living Manager

4 WAYS TO REDUCE POLLUTION AT HOME

SWITCH TO A CLEANERPOWER COMPANYSince we launched our exciting partnership withPowershop in March, about 400 Environment Victoriasupporters have switched to a cleaner power company!That’s 400 households that are no longer propping upthe profits of dirty energy companies like AGL andOrigin, which were successful in undermining ournational Renewable Energy Target. We also offer a 100percent GreenPower product called EV Power.Want to join them? Make the switch atwww.powershop.com.au/ev

GO SOLARWith the cost of systems dropping significantly, goingsolar has never been cheaper. But finding the solarsystem that best suits your household can be tricky. That’s why Environment Victoria has joined forceswith the independent energy experts at PositiveCharge to offer our supporters solar at a discountedrate through bulk buying. Find out more and register your details atwww.envict.org/solar-bulk-buy

DIVEST YOUR HOME LOANWe’ve partnered with Bank Australia (formerly known asbankmecu) to run a home loan divestment campaign. Bank Australia has never made a loan to the fossil fuelindustry, and its lending policy explicitly says it “has notand will not make any loans to finance coal and coal seamgas projects”. They’re also offering our supporters one ofthe lowest interest rates on the market.For more details head towww.environmentvictoria.org.au/divest

UPGRADE TO LED LIGHTSThe average home has around 25 halogen downlights.That’s 25 energy guzzlers costing you a fortune andwasting precious energy. We’ve teamed up with EnergyMakeovers, who can come to your house and installreplacement LED lights for free! (This is made possibleby the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target, which wesaved from the chopping block last year.) To sign up visit www.environmentvictoria.org.au/led-signup

The difference is stark. While the federal Coalitiongovernment continues its dogmatic defence of old,polluting industries, the Victorian government istalking up the economic benefits of clean energy.“Renewable energy means jobs,” said PremierAndrews, announcing the state government’senergy ‘roadmap’ in August.

The question is how these alternative visionswill play out in the political sphere over thenext 12 months. The key themes are deliveryand denial – and, as CEO Mark Wakehamexplains, Environment Victoria has a combinedstrategy to address them.

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C O M M U N I T Y O R G A N I S I N G

Turning the debate aroundFrom denial to delivery in climate politics

Communityconversations andthe power of stories

It’s Victoria’s turn to shine. Here’s how our state can leadthe way to put the environment back on the agenda.

Step Up VictoriaIf you’re a long-time supporter, youknow how this story starts. In 2011, theBaillieu Government began a series ofunprecedented attacks on ourenvironment. They placed arbitraryrestrictions on wind farms, prolongedthe life of our dirtiest power station andallowed cattle to trample the AlpineNational Park.

For Environment Victoria, it wasdecision time. We realised that runningindividual campaigns was no longerenough. We might gain ground on oneissue, but go backwards on a range ofothers, undoing decades of progress.

So we developed the ‘Reclaim Victoria’sEnvironment’ campaign to make theenvironment a critical issue in theelectorates that determine the outcomeof every state and federal election.Working deeply in places like Frankston,Mordialloc, Carrum and Mitcham, wedemonstrated that Victorians in outersuburban marginal seats cared about the

environment and will use their vote toprotect it.

Now, in 2015, we’re embarking on thenext chapter of that story – another four-year strategy to elevate the environmentabove the see-sawing of partisanpolitics. We call it ‘Step Up Victoria’, andit’s a scaled-up version of our successful

state organising work. For the next yearwe have two goals: ensuring that thenew state government delivers on itsenvironmental promises with realambition, and putting the environmenton the agenda at the upcoming federalelection.

DeliveryThe Andrews Labor Government waselected promising to lead on theenvironment and climate change. It’snow our job now to make sure that theydeliver on this ambition. A key way to dothat is by showing them that our on-ground presence in crucial electorates isonly going to get bigger and morepowerful.

The Victorian government is currentlydeveloping its renewable energy, energyefficiency and climate change policies. Itis reviewing the state’s biodiversitystrategy and has undertaken a majorreview of the Environment ProtectionAuthority. There’s been a few promising

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Delivery and denialMark WakehamChief Executive Officer

Volunteers with Victorian MPs SonyaKilkenny (Carrum) and Tim Richardson(Mordialloc) at the Frankston launch ofour Six Steps to Climate Leadership report.

While our Step Up Victoriacampaign seeks to build supportfor the environment in keyelectorates, it’s not aboutlecturing people with facts. It’sabout connecting throughconversations, values andpersonal stories.

Over the last few months, ourvolunteers have been hostingCommunity Conversations, inviting theirfriends, family, neighbours and co-workers into their homes and askingthem big questions about the things thatare important to them – what they careabout and the values that drive them.

Taking part in these conversations, I’veheard the most incredible and movingstories. Let me share just a few.

Tucked into a cosy lounge room on arainy afternoon, a volunteer namedRobin recounted a childhood spenttramping through the bush just outsideCanberra. She felt so lucky to be able to

C O M M U N I T Y O R G A N I S I N G

Jane StabbCommunity Organiser

government announcements along theway, including the extension of theVictorian Energy Efficiency Target (whichwe saved from the chopping block lastyear), some support for renewableenergy and moves to protect ournational parks from cattle grazing anddevelopment.

But, 10 months since the election, weneed to start seeing the big changesthat were promised to put Victoria on asustainable footing. To do this, we’rearticulating what environmental‘leadership’ means through a series ofreports (see page 14 for our recent SixSteps to Climate Leadership report), andthe sort of ambition we’re expectingfrom the Andrews Government.

DenialUnfortunately at the federal level theCoalition government’s record is one ofdenial. Under the leadership of TonyAbbott, we saw denial of the seriousnessof the climate science, denial of therenewable energy revolution sweepingthe globe and denial of the wishes ofmost Australians who want agovernment that takes its environmentalresponsibilities seriously.

Denial of facts has never been asustainable political strategy, and formerprime minister Abbott’s views on cleanenergy and climate change were wayout of step with community attitudes (itremains to be seen if Prime MinisterTurnbull will take a different stance).Recent polls show that 72 percent ofpeople support wind farms, but only 23 percent support coal. Meanwhile,concern about climate change has risenfor three consecutive years, according tothe Lowy Institute.

These are some of the communityissues we’ll be tapping into in key seats.We’ll be working house-by-house, street-by-street over the year in electorates like

Deakin and Dunkley, which will becritical to the federal election outcome.With training, passion and persuasion,our local volunteers will ask Victorians touse their vote for the environment.

This will be our biggest-evercommunity organising campaign. At the2014 election in our four key seats werecruited, trained and supported 386local volunteers (and over 1000 acrossthe state). At the federal election we aimto double those numbers. The result, asthe Sunday Age wrote of our 2014 stateelection campaign, is that politicians willignore us at their peril.

But this work is not just aboutelections. Ultimately it’s about building aconstituency to lift the environmentabove politics, so our future is in safehands whoever is in power.

We need all political parties, includingthe Coalition, to develop credibleenvironment policy. Victoria, Australia’smost progressive state, is the place forthat to happen. With your help we’llmake the next federal and stateelections a ‘race to the top’ for the environment.

spend her Sundays on bush rambleswith her parents, appreciating thepreciousness of the silence and peace ofthe natural world.

Her friends told of the magic ofdiscovering discarded cicada shells, andhow they love their local magpies thatvisit every morning to sing in the gumtrees.

A new mum from Ringwood couldn’thold back her tears as she describedhow worried she is for her 18-month-olddaughter and the world we are leavingour kids. She told us how the threat ofclimate change keeps her up at night.

And we have talked about how excitedpeople are to watch new technologysolving problems for us – from new Teslabatteries to clean community energyprojects.

Our Community Conversations havebeen incredibly powerful in bringingpeople together around the things theylove. They remind me of one of myfavourite quotes about the environment

movement – that learning about climatechange can make you pessimistic, butmeeting people who care about theissue leaves you filled with nothing buthope and optimism.

“72% OF PEOPLE SUPPORT WIND FARMS,

ONLY 23% SUPPORT COAL.”

People power doesn’twork without lots ofpeople, so THANKYOU to the hundredsof volunteers who givetheir time to look aftertheir environment.

THANK YOU to all the donors who support our Step Up

Victoria campaign and community organising work.

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EVERY YEAR IN NOVEMBER, WORLDleaders gather to negotiate a globalagreement to cut pollution. With theKyoto Protocol soon to expire, it’s time toagree on post-2020 targets, a decisionthat could mean the difference betweenlife or death for billions of people in thefuture.

This November, the climate talks willbe held in Paris, home of the baguette,the beret and – in a foreboding symbolfor heads of state – the guillotine. Ofcourse, throughout history Paris has alsobeen home to mass demonstrations thattoppled unpopular regimes, a fact thatshouldn’t be lost on leaders anxiousabout the outcome.

As delegates arrive in Paris, Melbournewill kick off a weekend of global climateaction with a People’s Climate March at5:30pm Friday 27 November, meeting atthe State Library in the CBD. This will bethe biggest rally Melbourne has everseen. We will be 100,000 strong and wewill be organised.

Over the next three months, we’ll bepreparing for the rally by buildingrelationships with sectors of the

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C O M M U N I T Y O R G A N I S I N G

Countdown to Paris

As the world gears up for the UNclimate talks in Paris in Novemberand December, we’re gearing upfor the biggest climate rallyMelbourne has ever seen.

Jane StabbCommunity Organiser

Victorian born and bred, I loveour natural places – from themountains to the coast. As a marine biologist I delvedinto the world of beautifulmicroscopic creatures(phytoplankton) that are at riskfrom ocean warming andacidification, and felt compelledto do something about climatechange. I learned about brilliant climatesolutions when I worked atBeyond Zero Emissions, and Isaw that a big roadblock we’vebeen facing is the need forbroad community support. That’s why I decided to joinEnvironment Victoria’scommunity organisingcampaign, and buildcommunity power to ensure allpolitical parties prioritiseprotecting the environment. My focus is Melbourne’s south-east, organising in thecommunity where I live. Seeyou in Frankston!

MEET OUR NEWESTORGANISER, ADELE NEALE

5:30pm Friday 27 November, meeting at the State Library inMelbourne CBD. RSVP at www.environment victoria.org.au/paris-rally

JOINTHE RALLY!

community that have a stake in a safeclimate – workers and unions, businesses,indigenous groups, the health sector, faithgroups and others. We’ll be out on thestreets making sure people get theirinvitation – knocking on doors and makingphone calls, bringing more and morepeople into our movement.

This rally will send a powerful messageto new Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.As US President Barack Obama saidrecently, any leader who refuses to takethis issue seriously – stepping up to meetresponsibilities to cut pollution and haltglobal warming – is not fit to lead. Theseclimate talks will be a chance for Turnbullto differentiate himself from the denierstance of his predecessor, Tony Abbott.

And with 2016 an election year,Environment Victoria is getting organised.Really organised. Our volunteer groups inthe eastern suburbs and the south easternbayside have been training and buildingserious local power in the electorates ofDeakin and Dunkley. Thanks to the help ofour generous supporters, we’re gatheringa force for the environment that isbecoming more powerful by the day.

But in the next few months, the mostpressing task is to build a rally whose callfor climate action echoes around theworld. In 2009, 50,000 people hit thestreets in Melbourne for the Walk AgainstWarming. Six years on, our movement isstronger and more powerful than ever.Help us build on that by coming to thisrally, the biggest we’ve ever seen – wecan’t do it without you.

IT ALL BEGAN SIX YEARS AGO WHENthe students at Anglesea primary wereabout to be moved to a brand newschool. However, the new school wasonly one kilometre from Alcoa’sAnglesea coal mine and power station,and this prompted Jacinta Morahan,along with a group of other localparents, to start asking questions.

Jacinta had lived in Anglesea with herpartner and three kids for a number ofyears. As a medical doctor she was awareof the health impacts of coal mining andburning, but says “like a lot of AustraliansI trusted that government regulationswould be protecting my health”.

But when the parents startedinvestigating, they found some ratherdisturbing facts. The regulations thatthey thought were protecting thecommunity actually allowed toxicpollution to spew into the air every day,including arsenic, lead, mercury, sulphurdioxide (a serious respiratory irritant)and particulates (a recognisedcarcinogen). Rather than being writtento protect health, the group discoveredregulations were “written in order toallow polluters to pollute”.

Deciding they needed to act, the

parents formed local community groupSurf Coast Air Action (SCAA). Jacinta callsthis their “head pulled out of the sandmoment”. Although none of the membershad any previous experience in activism,with the assistance of organisations likeFriends of the Earth, Doctors for theEnvironment and Environment Victoria,they were able to build a strongcommunity-driven campaign.

The key turning point came inFebruary 2014 when Alcoa announced itwas shutting down the Point Henryaluminium smelter. Anglesea powerstation was built in 1969 specifically tosupply electricity to the smelter, butinstead of closing the power station atthe same time, Alcoa wanted to sell it.Some locals weren’t happy. “That’s whenSCAA attracted more people andbecame much more active,” says Jacinta.

In the end Alcoa couldn’t find awilling buyer and decided to close thepower station. While Alcoa claims theshutdown was a “market decision”,Jacinta says it was clearly influencedby SCAA’s campaign. “We pointed outto any buyers that they were going tobuy a dud.”

Jacinta has learned a lot from her

involvement with SCAA. The biggestchallenge, she says, was learning to “stickyour neck out”. “You come up againstsome personal criticism for doingsomething that you believe to be reallybeneficial to the whole community,” sheexplains. “Good friends and anexceptionally understanding partner are essential.”

The power station might have closed,but there’s still a lot to do. Repairing thegreat scar that the mine has left inAnglesea’s heathland will take at leastten years, and SCAA plans to keep awatchful eye on the progress. They’realso keen to be involved in the widertransition away from coal. “We don’twant to see anyone’s backyard pollutedby a massive coal mine and powerstation,” Jacinta says. “People havereferred to Anglesea power station asthe first domino, and I quite like that.”

Concerned about the health impacts of coal, Jacinta Morahan joined local parents in a campaign to close Angleseacoal power station – and won. But, as she tells Green Action News, this historic win could be just the beginning.

CommunityEnvironment AwardsLast year we recognised Surf Coast Air Action’swork with a Community EnvironmentalRecognition Award. Know someone else goingabove and beyond for our environment?Nominate them at www.environmentvictoria.org.au/awards. Applications close Monday 5 October.

G R E E N C H A M P I O N

Cam Wheatley Communications Officer

The first domino

NEXT STEPS: Environment Victoria will continue to work closely with SCAA to ensure the Anglesea power station and mineare properly rehabilitated, and set the standard for future rehabilitation efforts in Victoria.

Jacinta Morahan with the Anglesea coal mine in the background.

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THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to thecampaign to close Anglesea power station. It’s proof that a small group of people, workingtogether, can achieve incredible things.

What are your greatest environmentalconcerns? Global warming and lessening threats toecosystems.

What is your favourite spot in Victoria? Errinundra Plateau, East Gippsland. I waspart of a group of people who did someamazing walks and collected fabulousphotographs that were then put into abook. It was one of the things that helped itbecome a national park.

You have supported Environment Victoriafor over 20 years. Do you remember whyyou started supporting EnvironmentVictoria at the time? I was originally a member of the NativeForest Action Council which eventuallyhelped form Environment Victoria. I becameaware of the native forest issues in the 1970swhile working in Latrobe Valley near theMaryvale Paper Mill and saw the threat

paper and pulp milling posed to nativeforests.

Why do you support Environment Victoria? It appears to be a well-organised,committed, well-connected to thecommunity, innovative and effectiveorganisation, that has been well-led formany years.

Why did you decide to leave a bequest toEnvironment Victoria? I want my legacy to help make this part ofthe world a better place for futuregenerations.

What is your hope for the future ofVictoria? A stabilised (probably smaller) populationliving sustainably in balance with a healthyecosystem. A community that sets anexample for others about how to live agood life sustainably.

Philip Sinclair has been a supporter of Environment Victoria right from the beginning.Three years ago, he decided to leave a lasting legacy to Environment Victoria in his Will,helping to create a Victoria that’s Forever Green. Green Action News spoke with him abouthis passion for the environment, native forests and his support for Environment Victoria.

BECOME FOREVER GREENLeaving a bequest to Environment Victoria inyour Will is an exceptional gift to those futureVictorians who will inherit this beautiful statefrom us. It’s a simple change when you next reviewyour Will.The wording below is a guide for your solicitor or trustee: “I GIVE the rest and residue of my estate / OR [insertdescription of specific gift] / OR [insertpercentage]% of my estate free from all debts(secured and unsecured) and all duties and taxes(whether federal or state) payable in respect of myestate to Environment Victoria Inc. (ABN 84 495 053605) (Environment Victoria) for its general purposes,and I DECLARE that the receipt of an authorisedofficer of the said Environment Victoria shall be acomplete and sufficient discharge of this bequest.”Interested in finding out how to leave a lasting legacy? Please contact us on (03) 9341 8100, by emailadmin@environmentvictoria.org.au or visitenvironmentvictoria.org.au/forevergreen

We were deeply saddened to hear thatChristina McCallum (22.08.1944 -09.08.2015) passed away. She was apassionate and graceful advocate fornature and a pivotal supporter ofEnvironment Victoria’s work. Ourthoughts are with her husband John,daughter Kathryn and other familymembers. We also pay our respects to BarbaraBeeson, who passed away earlier thisyear. We thank her for leaving abequest to Environment Victoria tocreate a Victoria that is Forever Green.Our thoughts are with her family.

Forever thankful

Philip Sinclair is FOREVER GREEN

F O R E V E R G R E E N

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AS AN ENVIRONMENT VICTORIAsupporter, you’ve probably done yourbest to make your home as sustainableas possible. But there’s oneenvironmental impact of your home thatyou might have overlooked – your homeloan, and the way your bank invests theprofits from it.

Research from Market Forces showsthat since 2008, ANZ, CommonwealthBank, NAB and Westpac have loanedmore than $19 billion to fund coal andgas projects in Australia. The big fourbanks are essentially using the profitsthey receive from our home loans tobankroll dangerous climate change.

The good news is that if you have ahome loan with one of these banks, youalso have a lot of power. Home loans arevery profitable for the big banks. So byswitching to a bank that doesn’t financefossil fuel projects, you can send them astrong message that investing in coaland gas is not ok.

To help you do exactly that,Environment Victoria has launched anew home loan divestment campaign.We’ve partnered with Bank Australia(formerly bankmecu) to offer our

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S U S T A I N A B L E L I V I N G

Michele BurtonSustainable Living Manager

With solar on the roof,insulation in the ceiling and a water tank out the back, your home might beenvironmentally friendly, butwhat about your home loan?Perhaps it’s time to renovatethat mortgage.

What is yourhome loanmade of?

1. Variable rates correct as at 17/08/2015 however are subject to change at any time. Check bankaust.com.au for the latest rates. Offer available to new and existing borrowers. Excludes investment loans. For existingborrowers the new loan funds must exceed $100,000. 2. The Comparison Rate is based on a loan of $150,000 for 25 years. Fees and charges may be applicable. WARNING: This comparison rate is true only for theexamples given and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate.

Interested in switching your home loan to a bank that doesn’t financefossil fuel projects? Visit www.divest.org.au

supporters who switch their existinghome loan or take out a new home loana special rate of 4.10%p.a.1 (4.11%p.a.2

comparison rate), one of the lowest onthe market.

Bank Australia has never made a loanto the fossil fuel industry, and its lendingpolicy explicitly says it “has not and willnot make any loans to finance coal andcoal seam gas projects”.

Plus, if you shift your home loanthrough us, Environment Victoria willreceive a financial contribution towardsour campaigns to shift Victoria awayfrom fossil fuels. (To be totallytransparent with you, it’s a one-off

payment of 0.40% of the loan value, butit doesn’t affect your interest rate, fees orloan structure in any way.)

We know that a growing number ofAustralians don’t want their moneybeing used to bankroll irresponsible andrisky coal and gas projects. So, as part ofthis campaign, Environment Victoria willalso be working with Market Forces totell the big banks exactly how manyloans – and how much money – they arelosing.

By choosing a responsible home loan,you are sending a signal to the big banksthat the age of “burn what you like,when you like” is over.

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Meanwhile, in the rest of the world…

A R O U N D T H E W O R L D

ONTARIO• First jurisdiction in North

America to phase out all coal.• Emissions reduced to below

1990 levels.• National emissions

performance standards lessthan one-third that ofHazelwood power station inVictoria.

SCOTLAND • 42% emissions reduction

target on 1990 levels by 2020• Achieved 50% renewable

energy in 2014, and is on trackto a target of 100% by 2020.

• Five-fold growth in renewableenergy since 2004.

Nick RobertsCampaigns Director

November 2013, Ontario Premier KathleenWynne and Al Gore announce plans for theprovince to go 100% coal free.FLICKR CC, ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE CANADA.

An electric bus purchased through theScottish government’s Green Bus Fund.FLICKR CC, STUART MONTGOMERY.

CALIFORNIA • 40% emission reduction target

on 1990 levels by 2030, and80% by 2050.

• The ‘Go Solar California’program has delivered 2300megawatts (MW) of solarpanels, with a target of3000MW by 2016.

Former Californian Governor ArnoldSchwarzenegger tours the NextEra HarperLake solar power station in Hinkley, California.FLICKR CC, US DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR.

AT A TIME WHEN THE POLITICALwill to protect our environment is ascarce resource, it’s refreshing to seethe Andrews Government stepping upand expressing its intention to lead.But the question remains: What doesleadership actually look like?

Our recently released Six Steps toClimate Leadership (www.envict.org/six-steps-climate) is the first in a series

of reports designed to answer this veryquestion. By outlining howgovernments around the world arealready acting to restore and protectnature and our climate, we can seewhat Victoria, and the AndrewsGovernment, should be aiming for.

There are plenty of governments,both in Australia and around theworld, that are taking the lead on

climate change. Jurisdictions likeCalifornia, Ontario and Scotland areturning away from dirty energy whiledeveloping clean industries andcreating jobs. What these examplesshow is that decisive action to rein inour emissions is not controversial. It’ssimply good economic andenvironmental policy, and enjoysstrong community support.

Our next leadership report will be on water and rivers. Whetherit is the lack of environmental flows for Victoria’s northernrivers, or the health of the Yarra, we know our supporters caredeeply about Victoria’s waterways. Ten years after the last majorwater policy reforms in Victoria, the Andrews Government hasindicated it is time to look at water again. We want to make surethat restoring environmental flows and repairing our degradedrivers, streams and wetlands is at the forefront of any reform.This task is brought into sharp focus by the strengthening ElNino, which is promising a tough year with little rainfall for ouralready stressed rivers, lakes, wetlands and streams.Our third report will be on energy efficiency across housing

and commercial buildings. Energy efficiency measures are anall-round winner. They help reduce carbon pollution fromenergy generation, lower household power bills, make ourhomes and workplaces more comfortable and create jobs. Andyet, as I recently wrote in an opinion piece for The Age, toomany Australian houses are like glorified tents in winter, lackingeven decent insulation. We want to make sure the AndrewsGovernment takes the necessary steps to change this.

More leadership reports to come

THANK YOU to everyone who donated to our safeclimate campaign or switched to Powershop – yourcontribution helped fund this climate leadership report.

The Andrews Government has said it intends to lead on theenvironment. What might that look like? We’ve pulledtogether some inspiring examples from around the globe.

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Dear Mark,I want to help retire dirty coal and replace it with clean energy.

Please accept my donation of:

■■ $50 ■■ $100 ■■ $250 ■■ $500 ■■ $1000 ■■ Your choice $ _______________

■■ Please make this a regular monthly gift by credit card

Please find enclosed: ■■ Cheque or ■■ Money Order (payable to Environment Victoria Inc.)

Or please debit my credit card: ■■ Visa ■■ MasterCard ■■ Amex

Cardholder’s name: ________________________________Expiry date: __ __ / __ __ Signature: __________________________

Card number:

■■ Please send me information about how I can remember Environment Victoria in my Will.

■■ I have already included Environment Victoria in my Will.

Are your personal details correct on your letter? Or are you moving soon? Please update your personal information here if necessary.

PERSONAL DETAILS

Title: First name: Family name:

Address:

Suburb: State: Postcode:

Email:

Mobile: Home:

TIME FOR AUSTRALIA’S DIRTIESTPOWER STATION TO RETIRE.

Please complete this form, tear off this page and return it to Reply Paid 12575, A’Beckett Street, Melbourne, VIC 8006 or visit www.environmentvictoria.org.au/retire-hazelwood and make your donation online. Thank you for your generosity!

Chief Executive OfficerMark Wakeham

CAMPAIGNS & PROGRAMSCampaign DirectorNick RobertsHealthy Rivers Campaigner Juliet Le FeuvreSafe Climate Campaign Manager Nicholas AberleOne Million Homes Campaigner Anne Martinelli Sustainable Living Manager Michele BurtonFuture Powered Families ProjectManagerDomenica Settle Future Powered Families Project Officers Robyn ErwinAmy YangWendy HopkinsNina CrawleyFuture Powered FamiliesAdministration AssistantMonique Edwards

Administration AssistantShannan CourtenayCommunity Organiser Jane StabbAdele NealeCommunications Manager Greg FoysterCommunications Officer Cam Wheatley

OPERATIONSOrganisational Services Manager Nadine Ponomarenko Accounts Officer Jing LuAdministration Officer Cate HoyleFundraising Director Jonathan StoreyFundraising Officer Lena Herrera PiekarskiDatabase Officer Tony Cox

BOARDPresident Amanda NuttallVice-President Joan StaplesRobyn MurphySimone ZmoodShol BlusteinPaul BaileyAlice SkipperDieter SchadtKate Colvin

REGULAR VOLUNTEERSEnvironment Victoria would like to thank our amazing crew of regular volunteers, who are now too numerous to mention.

TALK TO USPhone (03) 9341 8100 Emailadmin@environmentvictoria.org.auFax (03) 9341 8199

PO Box 12575A’Beckett Street, Victoria, 8006www.environmentvictoria.org.au

Authorised by M. Wakeham, CEO,Environment Victoria, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton, 3053.

WHO’SWHO AT

Did you know you can donate online? www.environmentvictoria.org.au/give

PHOTO DOUG GIMESY

Award NominationsKnow an individual or group going above andbeyond for our environment? Help us celebratetheir achievements, courage and persistence bynominating them for a Community EnvironmentAward. For more details, head towww.environmentvictoria.org.au/awardsApplications close Monday 5 October.

ENVIRONMENT CELEBRATIONEnvironment Victoria AGM and Community Environment CelebrationJoin us, and musical comedy trio Tripod, as we celebrate the incredible work of individuals and community groups who havebeen stepping up to protect our environment. It promises to be a great night of inspiration, laughs and friendly faces – wecan’t wait to see you there! WHEN Wednesday 21 October 2015 AGM starts 5:30pm Environment Celebration starts 7pmWHERE RMIT Building 80, 445 Swanston St, Melbourne RSVP ESSENTIAL by Friday 16 October at ev-agm.eventbrite.com.auor by calling 9341 8100.

Musical comedy trio Tripod