Transforming Victoria – creating jobs while cutting emissions.
The Victorian economy is changing rapidly, and unless we have a plan for managing the transition, it will be people in affected industries who will bear the cost of the change.
The Latrobe Valley has produced our energy for 90 years. Now that change is coming to the energy sector it is essential that we have a planned transition to ensure communities are not left behind.
FoE has released a report outlining what we think the transition could look like. It covers the energy sector and transport and starts to consider urban form and the native forest industry. As we say in the report, ‘This document is not an endpoint. It marks our focus on – and commitment to – achieving a Fair and Just Transition for all communities affected by the changes that are coming.’
We will update it in the coming months based on the feedback we have been receiving.
You can read a summary of the report here.
The full report is available here.
You can endorse the report here or sign on as an organisation here.
From Quit Coal to Energy Justice Victoria
The well-known and much-loved Quit Coal Victoria collective from Friends of the Earth Melbourne has decided to rename itself as the Energy Justice Victoria collective. The campaign explains:
“As the world moves away from coal and towards a greener, cleaner energy system it provides an opportunity to recentre our energy system around human rights and community wellbeing. As our group continues to do grass-roots campaigning with communities that are working towards a renewable future we wanted our name to reflect both our focus on moving beyond fossil fuels and our focus on social justice.
We feel that Energy Justice Vic is the best name to encapsulate everything we stand for; that energy is what we need, and justice is how we get there”.
You can find out more here.
A mineral sands mine in East Gippsland?
FoE has been supporting farming communities in East Gippsland who are opposing a large mineral sands mine planned for just near the Mitchell River.
The Environmental Effects Statement (EES) process for this proposal is well underway. However, the company has just announced they are seeking substantial variations to their plans. We believe that these changes call into question the validity of the EES studies that have been completed, which are about to be handed to the planning minister because they would not have taken into account these variations.
Please contact the planning minister to support the call from Mine-free Glenaladale for the EES process for the Kalbar mineral sands mine to be restarted to allow consideration of the variations to the mine proposal.
A quick personal email to the Minister is all that is needed:
The Hon Richard Wynne
Minister for Planning.
[email protected]
Only days left to call for Climate Leadership
Do you want Victoria to continue its nation-leading rollout of renewables and become home to Australia's first offshore wind farm? Do you want greater investment in public transport and native forests protected?
The clock is ticking... There are only a few days left to demonstrate strong community support for an ambitious Emissions Reduction Target in Victoria. We need a 2025 target that steers the state towards an economy that is cleaner, fairer, and more sustainable.
Will you send a submission to call for the Andrews government to set a science-based target that meets the 1.5°C challenge?
Our Act on Climate collective has been campaigning on this front since the Climate Change Act was passed in 2017. But we're not the only players in the game... Fossil fuel companies and big business will deploy lobbyists to push the government for loopholes and low ambition. This outcome would imperil our climate and communities.
This is why we need to get as many submissions to the government as possible right up to the 22 July deadline. CLICK HERE to send a submission for climate ambition!
River Country
Four Corners "Cash Splash" unleashed more truth bombs about the failure of the Murray Darling Basin Plan's implementation to deliver for rivers and dependent communities.
Together with the Lifeblood Alliance, we have developed this strategy to fix the Basin Plan once and for all.
Urge Victorian Water Minister Lisa Neville to take action and adopt our plan here.
Get Sh*t Done: creative, community action training
We are living in times of a climate and ecological crisis. Between the emerging climate chaos, insect armageddon, and the waste crisis (to name just a few) there is SO MUCH to do.
Join Friends of the Earth for a day of creative, community-action training and get skilled up to run effective grassroots campaigns.
Friends of the Earth is campaigning for solutions that benefit community, climate, and environment. And we want to make sure our supporters and allies in the community have the tools they need to have an impact.
When: July 27, 10am - 5pm
Where: Melbourne Multicultural Hub - 506 Elizabeth St, Melbourne
Share the Facebook event and RSVP via our website
Act on Climate Film Night - Attenborough Edition
How do we keep our morale high while tackling the climate crisis?... By getting together, having fun, and appreciating our beautiful planet.
Act on Climate would like to invite you to join us for a cozy night of food, drink, and... some David Attenborough in our brand spanking new cinema(ette).
When: 20th July, 7pm-midnight
Where: The Yami Lester Room, upstairs at Friends of the Earth, 312 Smith St, Collingwood
Film Screening: Wadi Wadi Cultural Flows
The Murray Darling Basin Plan has failed to do what it is supposed to do - protect communities and save our rivers. This disproportionately impacts First Nations people as their cultural rights have been ignored.
Join us upstairs in the Yami Lester room for our screening of Cultural Flows, followed by a discussion with Wadi Wadi man Cain Chaplin.
Entry by donation, no one will be turned away. Food and drinks will also be available by donation.
When: 26th July, 7-8:30pm
Where: The Yami Lester Room, upstairs at Friends of the Earth, 312 Smith St, Collingwood
Fundraising Film Night: 'Who Bombed Judi Bari?' Documentary
Fundraising film night for our ongoing work to protect the Strzelecki Koalas.
Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney were Earth First! organisers in California. In 1990, the car they were travelling in was blown up by logging company and government interests. Judi was also involved in alliance building between timber workers and environmentalists. Their work help lead to the protection of thousands of hectares of Redwood forests.
Judi passed away in 1997 and this film is a must-see for anyone wanting to work on environmental campaigns and the dirty tricks used against environmentalists by Government and corporate interests. Subsequent legal battles, led by Darryl Cherney, have cleared Judi's name after she was initially "framed".
Join us at Friends of the Earth Melbourne's new cinemarette for a screening of the documentary and help raise some much-needed money for our work protecting the Strzelecki Koalas.
When: Friday, 2 August, 7-10pm
Where: The Yami Lester Room, upstairs at Friends of the Earth, 312 Smith St, Collingwood
Intro to Theories of Change - ASEN (Australian Students Environment Network)
We all have questions about the direction of our activism. Are your strategies working? What are your goals and do they align with your values? Do you know the steps you need to take to get where you want to go? We want to provide a space to nurture and remould our theories of change, to explore our methods and collaborate with others who have similar theories.
Of course, we all have our own opinions on how to best create change in this world. We encourage everyone to come with an open mind and to respect the diversity of ideas in the space. Come with an appetite for mixing things up and a hearty homemade soup (we shall provide lunch but feel free to BYO food or grab a hearty FoE meal from the cafe).
When: Saturday, 10th August, 12:30-5:30pm
Where: The Yami Lester Room, upstairs at Friends of the Earth, 312 Smith St, Collingwood