Media Release
In the future, if you want to know about sustainable living in Ballarat, then visit the Smart Living Market at Windmill Drive, Lake Wendouree on the second or fourth Saturday each month and look for the BREAZE stand because the Smart Living Centre in Lydiard St will be closing on the 1st of November.
Ballarat's Smart Living Centre in Lydiard Street was funded by the Victorian Government's Sustainability Fund for three years and during those years it provided information to people wanting answers to a wide range of sustainable living questions. Twelve months ago, after the funding expired, the not-for-profit volunteer organisation BREAZE (Ballarat Renewable Energy and Zero Emissions) offered to continue to run the Smart Living Centre with volunteers, largely its own funds and support from the City of Ballarat but now the time has come to close the Centre and share the sustainability message in a different way.
Even though BREAZE has run the Centre mostly with volunteers, and was generously supported by the City of Ballarat, there were still expenses that needed to be met, that BREAZE cannot fund in the future. For the last year, BREAZE has looked for alternative funding options to cover the operating shortfall but nothing has emerged so sadly the time has come to close. Even with volunteers and rent assistance the cost to run the Centre is approximately $26,000 per year.
BREAZE remains committed to providing access to key information previously available at the Centre but now available through its fortnightly presence at the Smart Living Market and through maintenance of its website.
Spokesperson for the BREAZE Smart Living Centre, Mr Ian Rossiter said, 'BREAZE would like to take this opportunity to thank all the wonderful volunteers who kept the Centre open five days each week, for six hours each day, for well over three years. Without those volunteers, the sustainability message in Ballarat would not be as strong as it is'.
For more information, contact Mr Ian Rossiter,