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You can now watch the Climate Emergency Conference presentations online!
Earlier this year, Darebin Council presented the first-ever national climate emergency conference hosted by a local government.
The conference brought together councils, other levels of government, business and organisations, as well as our community to identify strategic and urgent action, with appropriate scale and speed to deliver a safe climate.
The high quality and diversity of speakers, and the many interesting and inspiring perspectives from which the topic of climate emergency was examined, provided so much food for thought.
In case you missed the event, you can browse the Climate Emergency Conference Program, and watch many of the presentations online.
For more information about Darebin Council's response to the climate emergency visit www.darebin.vic.gov.au/climateemergency
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Community Leaders in Sustainability course 2019
Info session date: Thursday 13th December, 6.00pm – 8.00pm
Course date: February – April 2019
Darebin Council Chambers, 350 High Street, Preston
Do you live, work or study in the City of Darebin? Do you want to influence sustainability and address the climate emergency in your community and beyond? The free Community Leaders in Sustainability course offered by Darebin Council may be for you or someone you know.
The course provides training and leadership opportunities to create change in your community, including project management, leadership, grant writing, working with groups, marketing and communication. You are then mentored to run a local environment project. We encourage existing community groups to apply.
The course consists of 12 Thursday evening workshops – each 2.5hrs – beginning in February 2019, plus two weekend field trips.
Course application forms will be available at the information session, and applications close Thursday 3rd January 2019.
Register here to attend the information session.
For more information visit www.sustainablecommunities.vic.gov.au or contact the program coordinator on 8470 8405.
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2019 Recycling Calendar
Be New Year ready and download the new 2019 Recycling Calendar. It has all the information you need to keep track of your recycling and green waste collection dates throughout the year, plus loads of handy information.
Before you download your recycling calendar, check if you’re in the East or West collection zone here. Then download your East or West 2019 Recycling Calendar here.
If you would like a hard copy of the calendar mailed to you, please call Customer Service on 8470 8888.
Remember – there will be no bin collections on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Bins will be collected one day later for the rest of the week in the week of Christmas and New Year’s.
For more information about Council’s recycling services visit www.darebin.vic.gov.au/recycling.
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Darebin residents support food waste recycling
The results from Council’s recently completed food waste trial in Kingsbury are in, and almost three-quarters of survey respondents (72%) support food waste recycling for the wider Darebin community.
This is a great response from our community. Diverting food waste from landfill reduces greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful effects on the environment, and supports the circular economy through the creation of nutrient-rich compost for Victorian farmers.
Congratulations to all our Kingsbury residents who diverted food waste from landfill and thank you to those participating in the trial and providing valuable feedback.
Participant feedback is helping us decide how we can roll out food waste recycling across the whole of Darebin. Stay tuned!
Read more about the outcomes of the trial or visit our website for more information on food waste.
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Recycle Right this holiday season!
Over the festive season we buy, eat and celebrate more than at any other time of the year. This adds up to a lot more waste! Take some time to be mindful of how you can reduce waste (and save money) these holidays – it’s easier than you think:
1. Avoid buying too much. Be unique and buy second-hand or make your gifts by hand. Other great ideas are experiences, time together, vouchers or tickets.
2. Re-use last year’s wrapping paper for presents or use alternatives like newspaper, magazines, comics, material or even tea towels! Reusable fabric sacks can be used to wrap presents again and again.
3. Recycle Right! All cardboard, hard plastic packaging and wrapping paper from presents can go in your recycling bin. Don’t forget to recycle your foil baking trays (rolled into a ball), glass bottles and jars too! See www.darebin.vic.gov.au/recycling for advice on what can go in your recycling bin and make sure to download our handy Quick Guide so visiting friends and family know what goes in your recycling bin too. Remember, you can fit more in by squeezing, squashing and flattening all recycling.
Have you taken the pledge to Recycle Right? There’s still time! Take the Recycle Right Pledge and enter the draw to win one of ten $50 vouchers to use at a local business. The pledge closes on 17 December with winners notified soon after. For more information on the pledge and prizes visit the City of Darebin website.
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Darebin Open Space Strategy
Council is currently consulting on its draft Open Space Strategy.
To ensure that our community continues to enjoy Darebin’s open spaces today and into the future, we need to plan to protect, enhance and increase our open spaces.
The new strategy will assist Council to deliver a comprehensive, connected and well-managed system of open spaces to meet the needs of the community.
To provide feedback on the draft strategy, please visit www.yoursaydarebin.com.au/openspacestrategy.
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Victorian Design Challenge tackles waste
Are you a design professional or student and have a creative design solution that can help solve a waste related problem? Join the Victorian Design Challenge 2019!
National Gallery of Victoria, in partnership with Creative Victoria, is asking professionals and students (tertiary, secondary and primary) how design can create meaningful change to reduce, recover, or eliminate waste.
The competition aims to inspire impactful and implementable solutions that demonstrate how design and creativity can help create a better future. Enter the competition and propose how you can help drive meaningful change to reduce, recover or eliminate waste.
For more information on how to register head to the Victorian Design Challenge 2019 website.
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Charles Sandford and McKay Joinery – their sustainability story
Charles Sandford, owner of Charles Sandford and McKay Joinery, is passionate about creating high quality, beautiful and functional wooden objects and windows made sustainably. Charlie has installed solar LED lights through Darebin’s Light$mart program and significantly reduced waste to landfill. Many of Charlie’s sustainability actions have saved him money whilst benefitting the environment. Watch and share Charlie's story.
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Safe Travel and Walking Strategies
Continuing our commitment to sustainable modes of transport, on 7 November Council adopted its first ever Walking Strategy, and an updated Safe Travel Strategy. These strategies will guide how we make it safer, easier and more sustainable to get around Darebin, with a strong focus on those in our community who walk and cycle for transport. We’d like to thank everyone who took the time to provide feedback during the consultation phase, as this has helped shape the final documents.
Both strategies can be found online at www.darebin.vic.gov.au/transport
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Love your food this national leftovers day!
36% of the average Victorian household rubbish bin is made up of wasted food! Two thirds of this is food waste that could have been avoided, such as stale bread or old leftovers! This National Leftovers Day, love your leftovers – don’t waste them!
Here are our top tips for reducing food waste during the holiday season:
Plan, plan, plan. Planning will take the guesswork out of knowing how much to buy and cook. Checking portions and using a shopping list are key! Check out the Love Food Hate Waste’s Love a List challenge for more info.
BYO (bring your own) and TYO (take your own)! Ask your friends and family to bring their own containers to the party, sharing leftovers is most festive!
Storage is your friend. Use our handy food storage chart to keep food fresh for longer and make sure to portion and freeze food you won’t use quickly.
Compost any unavoidable food waste! While we can’t eat eggshells, fruit and vegetable pips, tea bags and coffee grounds, worms and compost bins love them! Visit our website for info on choosing the right system for you.
Check out these excellent websites for more info, recipes and tips on reducing food waste these holidays: Food Know How, Love Food Hate Waste, FoodWise.
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Have a water-wise summer
Australia is the driest inhabited continent on Earth, and nearly all parts of our country – including Melbourne – are extremely prone to drought. So it’s important we all do our bit to conserve water.
Here’s a list of easy tips to stay water-wise this summer:
- Take shorter showers - aim for 4 minutes and under. Read these helpful tips to reduce your water use in the bathroom.
- Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth.
- Fix the drip! Check taps and leaking toilet cisterns and have them fixed.
- Swap your old showerhead for a three-star rated water-efficient showerhead for free at Darebin Customer Service Centres. Click here for more information.
- Mulch your garden to reduce water use. Aim for less frequent, deep watering to the roots.
- Replace water-thirsty plant species in your garden with native or drought-tolerant plants.
- Collect water in a bucket while you’re waiting for the shower to warm up and use in the garden.
- Water the garden before it heats up in the morning, or at the end of the day. If a heatwave is predicted, give your garden a good soak two days before.
Find more water-wise tips at these websites: Melbourne Water, Sustainability Victoria and Yarra Valley Water.
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