Applications to the Community Electrification Engagement Program Fund by Sustainability Victoria close on 16th April
UPDATE - Everyone got their applications in (we hope) and this is a general sense of what is proposed in each region.
Hume - Goulburn Valley Community Energy, Geoff Lodge
- Support community energy groups across the region to run public events; inviting the general public and/or targeted audiences such as CALD, religious, community organisations, neighbourhood houses
- Guest speakers at regular events/meetings such as service club weekly/fortnightly meetings, sporting club dinner functions, Probis, U3A.
- Provide training to support energy advisory services;
- Produce resources to make publicity and engagement easier;
- Work with local installers to create better implementation options and access to subsidies in places where communities remain poorly served under the existing subsidy schemes.
- Target community owned aged care providers that own “independent Living Units” (ILUs) by presenting to their Board/Committees of Governance the benefits of electrifying their ILUs.
Gippsland - GCCN, Darren McCubbin
- Localised delivery through neighbourhood houses and community energy hubs;
- Inclusive engagement with diverse communities including First Nations, culturally and linguistically diverse groups, and older residents;
- Collaboration with accredited local installers to ensure quality outcomes;
- Education and awareness-building via roadshows, the Renewable Education Trailer, and the Gippsland New Energy Conference;
- Real-life case studies and storytelling to demystify the electrification process and inspire action.
Loddon Mallee - Mount Alexander Sustainability Group, Neil Webster
- Provide extensive community engagement across the Loddon Mallee region
- Leverage the SNLM network and provide funding in the form of small grants to groups that will stimulate them to engage their local communities
- Train people to be ‘Bright Sparks’ in their local communities, giving value beyond the life of the project
- Plan and implement a campaign to reach as many households as possible using digital comms channels and social media
- Use the Bendigo Sustainability Festival as a major event that will focus on electrification in 2026, providing a great focus and platform for the project
- Develop localised video content to be used in the Loddon Mallee region, and potentially elsewhere
Barwon South West - Geelong Sustainability, Emilie Flynn
- Provide extensive community engagement across the Barwon South West region
- Engage with existing networks (i.e. Councils and community energy groups) and establish new networks such as schools, RSLs, rotary and sports clubs
- Provide a dedicated officer to establish these relationships, refresh and create resources, and travel to these areas to deliver community engagement in collaboration with these networks, in the form of forums, Q&A sessions, workshops, presentations, pop-ups, webinars, stalls, and more.
- This electrification education will be tailored to the demographics of the region including covering what electrification is, its benefits from a cost of living perspective, with more technical and specific product advice when needed.
Metro - Yarra Energy Foundation, Tim Shue
- Deliver engagement activities that increase community awareness of the benefits of electrification
- Deliver accessible and tailored support to reduce electrification upgrades
- Deliver activities in partnership with Local Event Partners (LEPs)
- Gather audience data to inform engagement approaches and evaluate impact
Grampians - BREAZE, Peta Guy
- A three step training program to provide the skills for advising the general public including all required safety checks.
- Develop energy champions throughout the region and train them to work in neighbourhood houses and other public spaces to provide energy advisory services.