1. Minutes from 29th June meeting (see reports from sub-groups)
2. We need your help! Please take a moment to prioritise the Community engagement actions below or add to them (using have your say box below). Is there an action you can help facilitate?

Community engagement draft action plan for 2009-10

Goals
· increase community awareness of/involvement in ORCA
· increase participation in various forms of climate change action by individuals and local groups.

These goals are easily measurable starting from participation now to, say, six months ahead, 12 months, 18 months ahead

Actions

These are not prioritised nor given dates of commencement. They require active involvement beyond the current level. So the first task involves reactivating membership. If adopted, ongoing actions would need to be reviewed periodically.

To complement and reinforce the energy sub-group’s activities eg home energy audits, steps towards community production of renewable energy etc many of these actions focus on food.
Why? Altering our diet to include more plant-based meals is the single most effective measure that any single individual can do as meat is a very carbon intensive commodity, animal industries are a major cause of deforestation and land degradation and use a great deal of water.(See Eating up the world booklet, Livestock’s Long shadow UN report)
Focusing on food builds on –
· Everyday domestic necessity
· Fundamental human sociality – feasting is fun, the notion of hospitality being central to all cultures
· Established local interests eg Permaculture Society, local organic growers, Garden club, community garden project
· Local industries eg dairy, wine, potato growing
· Local possibility – climate, soil and, especially, water supply – to grow a lot more food than we do

Many of the actions listed involve varying ways of creating non-threatening non- hierarchical social spaces that foster informal talk, stories and shared experiences rather than information (which tends to imply the those in the know/those not divide)

1. RMIT Workshop (being organised) but now needs to include random samples of community members

2. Doorknocking/telephoning

If community members don’t come to us, we go to them. Initially this might be simply renewing contact with those who signed the long list after our first forum.
Who? Everyone now active in ORCA. Task divvied up
When? ASAP
What resources?
Communication? Announcement in local rag re recruitment/invitation to be a member

3. ORCA stall at Apollo Bay market

This give ORCA a social face and home space and provides a great opportunity to talk to community members and others; to sell (or give away) excess produce donated by members (eg my lemon tree is loaded and much of the crop will be available in a month or two) and the community garden; raise some funds through sale/donations; to sign up residents and others to a climate action pledge eg re 350 promo – 350 meat free meals
Who? A roster of members, the rule being if you can’t do it when you said then you find a replacement
When? Every Saturday morning starting…
What resources? Cost of being a stall holder, basic stall equipment

4. Weekly column in local media – Apollo Bay News & Otway Light
Continue the current practice of offering items on aspects of climate change, handy hints, news of upcoming events. Extend it by extending contributors.
Who? A roster of members to be established
When? Weekly
What resources? Computer access

5. Conversation cafes to be held at Marrar Woorn The question/topic under discussion to be announced in the local rags. Conversation cafes bring small groups of people together to discuss big things. There is plenty of info on the web about this phenomenon. The topic need not be climate change. It might be futuristic, speculative.
Who? Anyone ORCA member or not willing to act as host. A roster.
When? Monthly.
What resources? Room, food and drink.

6. Info sessions on food production eg vegetarian cookery, jam, pickles and preserving (a CWA member? ) beginners’ guide to composting and worm farming, Fruit tree pruning and selection etc
Who? ORCA invites locals with special knowledge
When? Ongoing at intervals
What resources? Marrar Woorn, own garden, community kitchen, publicity through ORCA column

7. Shopping with a conscience supermarket tour.
Who? An informed guide
When? One off initially, repeated if demand is there
What resources? Bus to Colac, community bus

8. Production by a local artist of an ORCA poster to be on display in sympathetic local traders’ windows.
Who? ORCA member designated to liase with local artist willing to do it
When?
What resources? Printing costs

9. Approach local cafes about advertising meat free days or meat free meals, the aim being to increase availability of plant based meals in cafes/restaurants. Lobby shire council about meat free functions.

10. Community orchard: Approach Shire Council about using part of the Heathfield estate land now not marked for the Great Ocean Green for a community orchard. (Then approach Bunnings, regional nurseries for donations of fruit and nut trees)
Who? Orca member initially, then maintenance group
When?
What resources? Labour, trees etc if given go-ahead.

10. Apply for regular time on local public radio. This could be a 15 minute time slot each week or less regularly. It could include chats with local activists, reports that never make the mainstream news, upcoming events and interviews eg with Shivra Chopra recently in OZ to publicise his book Corrupt to the Core about Monsanto and locals putting into practice their energy reduction measures.
Who? One or two ORCA members
When?
What resources? Radio station

11. Host a harvest picnic. An event full of symbolism to celebrate the earth’s bounty and ORCA’s activities to save it.
Who? Whole ORCA team
When? A yearly event in early autumn
What resources? Some sympathetic person’s property, willing workers to cook, set up, serve, clear away, community choir to entertain with harvest songs.

12. Make a ‘What can I do now?’ brochure

Right now [press underlined links to read more about each item):

• ORCA's Vision and (Meeting minutes from 16th Feb 2009)
• Eco-living Meeting Minutes Retrofitting 10 Community Houses
• Join one of the Action Groups or form a new one
• ORCA's endorsement of Submission on draft Renewable Energy Amendment Bill 2009
• Future Coasts topographic map of impact of sea level rises South Australian border to Anglesea
• Your Submission on Heathfield Estate Community Gardens?
• Cimate Action - help write Policy

Coming soon:

Saturday 28th February: Barham River Festival Celebrate and explore your beautiful river
Sunday 22nd February from 6 - 8pm Rally at the Spring Creek Common (Surf Coast) featuring Xavier Rudd

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Spot the acronym: we aim to be acronym free. Please use the 'Have your say' box (below) to report any unexplained acronyms. Acronyms are abbreviations that are formed using the initial components in a phrase or name e.g. ORCA: Otway Ranges Climate Action
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What is ORCA about?
ORCA envisages a carbon-neutral Otway community working towards a safe climate
with
1. 100% renewable electricity for the Otways by 2020
2. 50% reduction in energy usage in the Otways by 2020
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Action Groups: Don't leave 'taking action' to others.

Please use the reply box below or contact Anna O'Brien to express your interest in participating in one or more of the Action Groups.

Government Advocacy: Magaer Lennox: magaer@iprimus.com.au
Community Engagement:
Energy:

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Eco-Living: There is the possibility of funding the retrofit of 10 community houses including the Community House in Apollo Bay. This could be used as a model for other houses in the town. Minutes of the meeting are available here eco-living-meeting-notes-mon-15-dec-2008 [Word 28KB]
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Submission on draft Renewable Energy Amendment Bill 2009

ORCA has endorsed a Joint Submission [Word 115KB] on the draft Renewable Energy Amendment Bill 2009 prepared by 58 Climate Action Groups from across the ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria. These 58 groups have a combined membership of well over 13,000 people.

Tracey Tipping, Climate Action Pittwater, Policy Drafting Team, Australia’s Climate Action Summit, www.climatesummit.org.au Ph: 0411 861 269 is the contact officer for this submission. Thanks for your work on this Tracey.
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Future Coasts Program

The Future Coasts Program has released the first topographic digital elevation model (DEM) – which extends from the South Australian border to Anglesea. For more information visit the Future Coasts webpage: www.climatechange.vic.gov.au/futurecoasts – and check out the Special
Bulletin, or the DEM data access section.

This is just the first stage of the Future Coasts Program. More topographic DEM datasets will be released over the next few weeks. For more information visit the webpage.

There are maps on the site that are too large in file size to upload to this site.
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Heathfield Reserve – Submissions

Colac Otway Shire is calling for submissions for the Interim Use of what is known as the Heathfield Reserve. This land was transferred to the Apollo Bay Community as part of the Heathfield Development. It is zoned public recreation and conservation. There are questions concerning the legality of transferring this land to the Great Ocean Green Development. Until the Great Ocean Green Proposal is approved by the Minister Colac Otway Shire may permit some form of Interim Use by the Community.

One such proposal is for the establishment of Community Gardens another is for use by the Pony Club. There will be an information session at the Mechanics Hall on the Tuesday the 24th February. This is your chance to submit your proposal.
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Policy Paper on Climate Change

Over two days of the Climate Summit, the Policy Paper on Climate Change (drafted by Groups before the summit) was presented and debated.

The voting system used to decide on the acceptance or rejection of recommendations involved;

* “Green” – we support this recommendation as is, no changes required
* “Orange” – we could support this recommendation, subject to a few minor changes being made
* “Red” – we could not support this recommendation without major changes

Of the 81 recommendations put to participants, 54 recommendations received “Green” majority support. Four recommendations including recommendations around nuclear power were rejected during this session.

If you would like to be engaged on the Policy Paper and vote on future iterations as we work towards a final sign-on statement, please send an email (including your name, climate action group and why you want to join the list) to Tracey or Phillipa:

* Tracey Tipping: tracey@eternalsource.com.au
* Philippa Rowland: woodlando@optusnet.com.au

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