Violet Town to create an Eco Living Centre
A $300,000 grant will fund an Eco Living Centre in Violet Town. Click image for media release [pdf 152kb]
A grant of $300,000 has been awarded to the Violet Town Action Group to establish an Eco Living Centre in Violet Town, as one of seven successful applicants for funding across the state under the Our Environment Our Future, Sustainability Action Statement 2006 initiative.
Minister for the Environment and Climate Change Gavin Jennings said "Eco Living Centres will help Victorian communities take action to live more sustainably and be a local hub for sustainability activities. Each Eco Living Centre will demonstrate sustainable ways to save water and energy in the home, as well as reducing waste and improving biodiversity."
The VTAG application for funding for this project follows the emergence of food, water and energy conservation issues as key themes in the 2007 Community Opportunity Workshop, and the subsequent Violet Town Community Plan. Many of the Key Actions arising from these themes were incorporated into the funding application.
'Successful Sustainability through Community Connectedness', the Violet Town Eco-Living Demonstration Project, will see the collaboration of approximately 15 community organisations working together to transform Violet Town into an Eco-Living Town, with a strong focus on community education, and facilitating the implementation of sustainability principles by demonstrating practical solutions to energy reduction.
The project will build on existing community sustainability projects, and engage a diverse range of interest groups in order to engage long-term change.
Goulburn Valley Regional Library in Violet Town. click image
The hub of the project, the Violet Town Community Centre (which houses the Community House, Kitchen and Supper Room, Public Library, and Meeting Rooms) and Kindergarten will have renewable energy technologies/systems retrofitted so that the simplicity of such systems, the benefit in terms of greenhouse gas emission reductions, and cost savings available may be easily understood.
This practical application of available technology will complement satellite projects within the Community Skills Shed, Peranbin College Violet Town Campus and Monthly Community Market thus demonstrating the town's commitment to Eco-Living through collaboration.
As part of the town's commitment to market the Eco-Living demonstration site and educate the broader community, a regular stall will be dedicated at the Violet Town Market each month.
The stall will host a display featuring all projects from the Eco Living Project, encouraging visitors to visit the main site, and promoting the workshops and information sessions on offer.
Chairman, Violet Town Action Group Howard Myers signs-off another community project.
VTAG President Howard Myers today confirmed that "Violet Town has a strong track record in developing programs for sustainable rural living and enjoys an established reputation in the region for its commitment to broader environmental issues.
To date, many thousands of volunteer hours have been invested into upgrading our parkland along the Honeysuckle Creek, and the Violet Town Community Forest was planted on the old showgrounds reserve, again entirely with volunteer effort.
Local community groups, sporting clubs, service clubs, and the Violet Town Action Group all achieve far more for the community than might be expected from a relatively small town."
Those who prepared the successful submission are to be congratulated for their efforts on our behalf for securing $300,000 of the $2m granted to seven communities for the creation of Eco-Living Centres.
For further information contact: Howard Myers, Violet Town Action Group, (03) 5798 1381