All BREAZE

BREAZE invites children in grades 5 and 6 from the primary schools of the greater Ballarat area to celebrate World Environment Day - 5 June 2018.

Children are invited to submit 50-100 words on:

‘What I can do to help the environment.’

The best entry from every school represented will receive an award.

The competition deadline is 21 May 2018

For further information please contact:

I am pleased to let members know that at the March Board Meeting two new members were nominated and appointed to fill casual vacancies on the Board.

Mary Debrett, a retired university lecturer in media and communications, will assist us in reviewing our strategic direction, BREAZE’s brands and our communications. Mary is keen to prepare articles for print and social media.

Jeremy Hunt has been appointed to the BREAZE Public Fund Committee, an important role to ensure the fundraising and initiatives and governance of the fund is maintained.

We welcome their input and remind members that there are still other casual vacancies.

I would like to thank our board and committee members for their collective efforts over recent weeks in delivering our stall at the Smart Building and Living Expo in Buninyong, the delivery and planning of our Smart Living Ballarat monthly lunchtime workshops at the Ballarat Central Library, the BREAZE Public Fund’s successes in attracting significant funds for the Social Renewables program, the Statewide Community Power Hubs 2 day forum in Ballarat and the Ballarat Farmers Markets.

Much is happening nationwide with renewable energy initiatives and it is pleasing to see that many shareholding companies are investing heavily in wind, solar and battery storages, while none are wanting to take the financial risk investing in coal fired power stations. This week we expect announcements on the result of the Victorian Renewable Energy Reverse Auction for 650 MW of large scale solar and wind installations.

The mining industry is however ramping up political pressure to support the Carmichael Adani Coal Mine and coal seam gas extraction.

I invite members to support campaigns through #Stop Adani, Galilee Blockade, Lock the Gate Alliance.

This month the BREAZE Board convened a strategic planning workshop with its retiring board members and new members. The challenge we set ourselves was to review the feedback received from the January member’s survey and focus our activities and resources to deliver the priorities identified. We reviewed our current programs (Ballarat Farmers Market, Smart Living Ballarat Workshops, BREAZE Public Fund, Social Renewables Campaign, Community Power Hub Ballarat, Advocacy and Member Services) and discussed outcomes sought for the coming year.

The workshop revealed that our primary focus needs to be on providing activities, information and advocacy that results in changing attitudes and behaviour to respond to the challenges that climate change pose the Ballarat and region communities. Actions that the board have committed to are:
• Invest more effort in Smart Living Ballarat workshops to provide audio visual highlights on social media, generate more interaction between participants and follow up resources.
• Plan, promote and deliver major forums that will benefit members and be of general interest to the broader community featuring guest speakers or films that otherwise would not be available in Ballarat.
• Undertake a recruitment drive for members and board members in recognition that a number of office bearers are intending to step down in 2019.
• Develop activities and opportunities for members to socialise and work on neighbourhood sustainability issues and create benefits that are available to financial members.
• Promote our Social Renewables campaign to continue investing in PVs and energy efficiency measures for social housing through our Public Fund.

While doing this we continue to deliver our Community Power Hub Ballarat and advocacy activities. We thank those members who contributed to our member survey and for the board members and invitees who helped shape our direction for 2018.

Getting to know our volunteers –

Karen moved to Ballarat a couple of years ago and was interested in seeking out BREAZE for advice about making her home more sustainable, and so began her involvement. Karen has volunteered to assist with the Farmers Market Committee and at the last BREAZE AGM in November 2017 she was elected onto the Board – well done.

For BREAZE to operate as an effective environmental group it needs the support of the general community.

Can you please complete the survey to help us establish our priorities and capabilities.

As a volunteer organisation, BREAZE can only run activities that have either active volunteers, or funds to pay coordinators. In the survey,  we have listed the main activities undertaken by BREAZE over the past 10 years.

The level of support we get from members and associates will determine what functions and activities can be run.  To undertake any activity, BREAZE needs your support either as a
volunteer, or on a financial basis.

BREAZE will be assisting the organisers of the Smart Building and Living Expo.   

The expo will have a focus on Recycling and preventing waste, and includes an Art show, and as always we need more volunteers.   

If you can spare 2 hours or so on Sunday 26th Feb your help will be gratefully appreciated.

• 8am-10am for the set up
• any time between 10am and 3:30pm
• from 3:30 - 4:30 for the pack up

Paul Duggan will be coordinating BREAZEs contribution, so please email  or call him on 0432 390 492.

Help is also needed on Saturday the 24th Feb for the set up work.

Your help will be greatly appreciated.

The BREAZE Board would like to thank all its volunteers, supporters and members for their assistance in 2017.   

Wishing everyone the best over the holiday period and hope to see or hear from you all in 2018.

We are looking forward to 2018, when many of the projects we have initiated will come into being.

For the full report of the activities in 2017 please read the BREAZE 2017 AGM Presidents Report.pdf

Thanks

The Team at BREAZE

November 29th, 2017 - The newly elected board of BREAZE: Paul Duggan, Ian Rossiter, Simon Reid, Karen Cane, Peter Reid, Barbara Whitfield, Megan Williams