Welcome to Friends of the Earth Melbourne September enews our state-wide monthly update. Get on board for the Better Buses campaign zoom launch with Sustainable Cities, and join our Opportunities for Offshore Wind online event while rejoicing offshore wind legislation. Start snapping for the National Day of Action for Australia’s Climate Target and join our social media campaign. Participate in an online Forests collective meeting, colour-in a koala, sign a petition, send a submission and join an online SKAT meeting. Petition the PM to protect Bass Strait from gas and oil seismic blasting, and read a powerful submission in support of LaTrobe Valley’s first wind farm. Connect to a virtual new volunteer info session, then listen back to 3CR Dirt Radio episodes on Pacific Island Sovereignty and building safer space for LGBTIQA+ folks.
Better Buses campaign launch!
The Sustainable Cities collective is super excited to announce the launch of our Better Buses campaign on 15 September. Better Buses is a community led transport campaign for frequent, reliable and electric buses in Melbourne's West, and a better bus network statewide. This campaign will build a network of local climate activists, transport, union, community and social sector groups. Focusing on Western Victoria, we aim to demonstrate support for bus reform to reduce emissions, create local jobs and connect to existing and future transport infrastructure. If you are passionate about better bus services, sustainable transport and more public transport across Melbourne, we'd love for you to join us!
The Better Buses launch via zoom Wednesday 15 September from 6pm, RSVP here.
Please share our Better Buses facebook event and invite your friends to attend.
For more details please email [email protected] or check out Sustainable Cities on facebook.
Opportunities for Offshore Wind online event
The Federal government has finally introduced national offshore wind legislation to the Parliament. The move comes after more than two years of community campaigning by Friends of the Earth’s Yes2Renewables collective and allies in the union movement. The legislation will enable the Federal government to designate areas in Commonwealth waters suitable for offshore wind development. Offshore wind has a critical role to play in delivering renewable energy, jobs and deep emission cuts. This legislation is just the first step. Check out Friends of the Earth’s immediate response here. Also read this opinion piece in The Age by coal station worker Tony Wolfe about what offshore wind means for Gippsland.
Join us from 6pm on 23 September online to learn more about Australia’s Opportunity in Offshore Wind. Please RSVP here. This online event will be co-hosted with The Climate Council and feature special guests to be confirmed.
National Day of Action for Australia’s 2030 climate target
Friends of the Earth has called a National Day of Action on Friday 1 October, one month before COP26, to call on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to take a strong 2030 climate target to the summit. The United States and United Kingdom have increased their 2030 targets. With scientists issuing a "code-red warning" to humanity, it's time for Australia to put its shoulder to the wheel on climate action. We want to create a massive buzz on social media on the day and take action to influence the government's decision making. Will you contribute a photo to help us kick off the big day? Join in here.
If your organisation or grassroots group would like to support the Day of Action, please join us here. The more groups that get involved, the greater our impact. With your help we can make the call for climate ambition impossible for the government to ignore. Let's get to work!
Online Forests collective meeting
We have restarted our monthly meetings online and the next one will happen on Tuesday 21 September from 7pm - 8.30pm. At our September meeting we will hear reports from our newly formed working groups in our three key areas of work; First Nations solidarity, a rapid, just and ecologically sound transition out of native forest logging, and supporting existing grassroots forest protection groups across Victoria. We will also hear from regional forest protection groups about their work and what actions participants can take to assist them. The Vic Forests collective meeting will be hosted online via Zoom. You will be sent a Zoom link after you RSVP here.
Colour-in a koala and more!
To raise awareness of the critical need to protect the Strzelecki/South Gippsland Koala for their genetic significance given their small population size, the SKAT collective has created a koalaring-in template available here. Place your coloured-in koala in a public-facing space, and we encourage you and your neighbours, friends and family to QR scan and sign our rolling petition here asking Environment Minister Sussan Ley to recognise the importance of sustaining a future koala population in Victoria.
Also, you can send a submission to the Draft National Recovery Plan for Koalas before Friday 24 September to ensure Victoria’s koalas are listed on the EPBC Act. A simple online template will be available soon on our SKAT webpage here.
The SKAT team meets online on the first Thursday of the month for campaign updates and we welcome feedback and contributions. Join our next meeting via zoom Thursday 7 October at 6:30pm, please RSVP here.
Protect Bass Strait from gas & oil seismic blasting
Northern Tasmania is being subjected to new seismic blasting, with the Federal offshore oil and gas regulator (NOPSEMA) having just approved more seismic blasting in Bass Strait, this time by Beach Energy. The seismic blast site is 75km east of King Island and 57km north of Stanley and overlaps Boags Australian Marine Park. Local communities are strongly opposed to blasting and drilling and know that their communities, marine ecosystems and clean, green, brand are being threatened. Please join us to call on the PM to step in and halt further oil and gas development in Bass Strait. Sign the Friends of the Earth Australia petition here.
Powerful submissions support Latrobe Valley's first wind farm
Last month, public submissions closed for Latrobe Valley's first wind farm, with at least 450 positive submissions made supporting the project. Well done to everyone who supported the project. Proposed within a pine plantation in the Strzelecki Ranges, the Delburn wind farm is of state significance. If it goes ahead, the Delburn wind farm will overlook the retired Hazelwood coal burning power station and mine and reduce Victoria's greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 640,000 tonnes every year. Check out this powerful submission from retired Hazelwood firefighter Doug Steley about why he supports this important renewable energy proposal.
Friends of the Earth Melb new volunteers virtual info sessions
Find out how to get into action by joining a new volunteer session with Friends of the Earth Melbourne. It goes for about 75 minutes and covers all options. It is a casual session with about 5 people, and you can check out our campaigns here. This meeting will be held online Thursday 16 September at 5.30pm, please RSVP here.
Listen: 3CR Dirt Radio episodes
3CR Dirt Radio: Pacific Island Sovereignty and Climate Change - Kathy Jetnil-Kijner
3CR Dirt Radio: Pacific Island Sovereignty and Climate Change - Hon. Simon Kofe
3CR Dirt Radio: 6 ways to build safer space for LGBTIQA+ folks
Keep safe and well until next month.
Kristine