Here’s one to start an argument. The ABC tells us that inflows into the ACT water supply dams are 90% below the long term average.
The ABC pins it all on rainfall, but the propensity of regenerating forest to guzzle it wouldn’t help.
So what are Canberrans going to do now about saving water? Is [...]

The ABC has a piece on the high rental prices in Canberra.
The report by the ACT Shelter organisation says the rental trap is putting pressure on the public housing sector as people leave crisis accommodation.
The report found the ACT has Australia’s highest proportion of people leaving crisis services and going into public housing at [...]

The ACT Government is consulting the community about its sustainable transport plan using an online forum (at least we won’t have to travel to have a say!). 
This is a 20 year plan aiming to achieve 30% mode shifts to walking, cycling and public transport.  They are asking how to achieve it and for input.  [...]

The Greens’ Caroline Le Couteur is once again asking tricky questions, this time wanting to know on what basis Andrew Barr, as the planning Minister, decreed that certain parts of the planned new city centre of Molonglo didn’t need to undergo a Environmental Impact Study.
“We would think that an EIS would help identify the right [...]

The Liberals’ Vicki Dunne appears to be passing the time by going back through old Stanhope government initiatives and checking to see how they’ve worked out. As useful a pastime as any for an opposition one supposes.
Today the subject of complaint is the Jerrbomberra Wetlands. Where the Molonglo slouches into Lake Burley Griffin.
Apparently it’s no [...]

In a masterful example of consultation Stanhope style today’s roundtable, supposedly to start the development of a Sustainable Transport Plan, has instead been used to announce a completed Strategic Public Transport Network Plan 2010-16.
Through this plan the Government is looking to engage Canberrans on the future of our city and where they see the key [...]

Do you get excited about the idea of Canberra becoming a completely sustainable city?
Do you want to do something but you’re not sure what? 
Come and be part of the solution 
SEE-Change is following up on last year’s beginnings and starting an active Southside SEE-Change group. 
To kick things off, on Tuesday 4th August 2009 Prof Will Steffen, Executive [...]

Be you ever so nutty ACTEW wants to hear from you this week.
They’re finalising their consultation on the Cotter Dam expansion this week and calling for everyone to come forward and have their say. If only because it will save trouble later to get maximum exposure for the issue now.
Submissions can to be made in [...]

[ 20 July, 2009; 5 August, 2009; 12 August, 2009; ] Are you a young person, aged (roughly) between 15 and 25 who is passionate about sustainability, or would you like to know more about how to make your life and your community more sustainable, and meet other young people committed to doing the same?

Then come along to the ACT otherWISE youth sustainability workshops

Learn more about [...]

[First filed: July 15, 2009 @ 10:52]

It started with a very local issue in the Southern Highlands where Bundanoon residents got the hump with their own water being trucked back with a 300x markup.
But now the tired recurring voices of rigid social control here in Canberra (particularly on 666 this morning) are calling for [...]

[ 20 July, 2009; 6:30 pm; ] Inner North SEE-Change presents:  Creating Urban Wetlands in Canberra’s Inner North 

Edwina Richardson from the Department of the Environment, Climate Change, Energy and Water will discuss a range of wetland initiatives for Canberra’s inner north, including Banksia St, O’Connor Wetlands , Flemington Ponds, Mitchell  and Lyneham & Dickson wetlands.

Edwina is currently project managing the redesign & construction of the Banksia St, O’Connor wetlands [...]

Simon Corbell has announced the winners of the ACT Sustainable Cities Awards for 2009:
This years’ winners include;
– Community Partnerships – Oz Harvest;
– Environmental Innovation – Papercut;
– Dame Phyllis Frost Litter Prevention – Orana School;
– Resource Recovery – Corinbank Festival;
– Protection of the Environment – Jervis Bay School – Booderee Junior Rangers;
– Energy Innovation – Hawker [...]

The National Capital Authority has, at long last, advised that Lake Burley Griffin is once again fit for use after closures began in the long long ago of February.
NCA Chief Executive, Gary Rake said the lake is now considered safe for recreational use.
‘Water-quality results received today, show the levels of blue-green algae are now within [...]

The Greens’ Shane Rattenbury is up in arms over the ACT’s climate budget being used to fund the Chief Minister’s beloved arboretum:
ACT Greens MLA for Molonglo, Shane Rattenbury MLA has slammed the Government’s funding of the Arboretum from the climate budget following the tabling of a report* that indicated the emissions that will be [...]

With the much of the Inner North and South verminous with houses built over 55 years ago, and with that housing stock painfully inadequate to the people who want to live in those areas it seems very strange that the Canberra Times is complaining about plans made by the ANU to knock down five not [...]

The ABC reports that the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal has had a chance to gather its thoughts and has dismissed Animal Liberation’s challenge to the roo cull at Defence’s Majura site.

Today the tribunal ruled that the Government’s original decision [to authorise the cull] should be confirmed because there is compelling evidence that the kangaroos [...]

Andrew Barr has announced that he’s happy with the Environmental Impact Statement Assessment Report (EISAR) for the Cotter Dam expansion.
Now we just need to wait for the Commonwealth to agree.
ACTEW are breaking out the champagne.

The ABC brings word that the National Botanic Gardens have, after these many long years of drought, managed to get approval for a system to extract water out of Lake Burley Griffin, just as the Royal Canberra golf course does for the benefit of its members.
NCA chief executive Gary Rake says it will save the [...]

[ 22 June, 2009; 6:30 pm; ] Windows can be a major source of heat loss on cold Canberra nights.

Single glazed windows can be up to 10 times worse at insulating, when compared to the same area of standard wall material. 

So what are the options when it comes to Window Insulation?

Whether you are a renter or a homeowner, come learn [...]

ABC has the news that the feral-proof fence around a big chunk of Mulligan’s Flat (next to Forde) has now been finished.
A project of the BOB (Bush on Boundary) group of environment organisations, the purpose of this fence is to preserve a section of grassy box woodland in a feral-free state, and even allow reintroduction [...]

This sign has gone up on Cowper Street in Ainslie.
If it is indeed a protest against plans to ban disposable plastic bags here in Canberra how do you feel about the issue?
The moves they are afoot.

ACTEW have announced a winter water use target of 105 megalitres per day.
Set an autumnal target of 112ML we blasted away at 127ML for the last three months.
ACTEW have also realised that the population of the Canberra-Queanbeyan region has risen by 7% to 385,000 since the whole process began.
And how dry has it been? [...]

ACTEW have recently listed car washing as a “hot topic” on their website. After a poke around the linked page I found this text, not sure how recent it is, but certainly new information to me:
No washing of any vehicle except at a commercial car wash that recycles water and holds an exemption allowing use [...]

Simon Corbell has fired the starting gun for nominations for the 2009 ACT Landcare Awards.
“The ACT Landcare Awards recognise the efforts of our Landcare heroes – those members of the community involved in natural resource management,” Mr Corbell said.
The Awards are open to farmers, landcare and parkcare groups, businesses, schools, youth groups or individuals who [...]

Simon Corbell has launched local involvement in the Sustainable Cities Awards 2009:
“These awards are a great way to recognise people and organisations that have shown leadership in taking steps to protect and enhance the quality of our valued environment,” Mr Corbell said.
The awards are organised by Keep Australia Beautiful and this year there are nine [...]

I’m currently in the market for a new hot water systems and given the rebates currently available am seriously thinking about solar.
I was after some advice from fellow Canberrans as to whether or not this is a good idea, and any recommendations for brands, suppliers and installers. 
Can anyone else out there in riot-land who [...]

[ 23 April, 2009; 6:30 pm; ] SEE-Change hosts:  Water Tanks: Your questions answered. 

What size to get? How to locate and set up a tank? What rebates are available?

Come learn not only from the professionals but hear what advise others have, who have already experienced the potential pitfalls of installing a rainwater tank.

Julene and Ricki from local firm, Get Tanked, will [...]

[ 12 March, 2009; 6:00 pm; ] Inner North SEE-Change Presents: Dr Karin Geiselhart 

Are you concerned about climate change?

Looking to filter out the white noise and misinformation? Dr Karin Geiselhart , a Climate Project presenter, personally trained by Al Gore,  will update us on the science, impacts and issues of climate change and help show us what we can do to meet [...]

“The Hundred Days” is best known as the period between Napoleon’s return from exile and his Old Guard breaking at Waterloo. (Although the phrase also has other less catastrophic historical antecedents.)
The increasingly Napoleonic Jon Stanhope has announced that celebrations may commence to mark his own Hundred Days since he dragged his shattered troops back into [...]

The Canberra Times has word on threats by a seemingly increasingly irate Jon Stanhope to stop giving briefings to the Liberals if they’re going to do underhanded things like quote just how vague and breezy the briefings are.
But maybe they won’t need the briefings for long. Another story in the CT explains that the Greens [...]

Housebound sent in the following as a story which I thought best rolled up into the one thing:

According to the ABC news, the Greens have today extracted an admission from government that the target for mental health funding wasn’t really a target, but just an aspiration.
This follows another admission, that the zero waste target was [...]

It didn’t take long, but Stanhope has managed to reduce the Greens and their agreement to a level of irrelevance. The ABC has a story ”ACT Greens Consider Priorities”
That story reports the Greens now having to consider what is most important in the list within the agreement.
Anything that has a monetary cost will be considered inappropriate and cast aside by the ALP given the anticipated deficit and looming economic circumstances.
Stanhope has positioned himself well (with a total PWNing of the Green in the process) so that he will be [...]