Environment Victoria

💧 From the blockade at Nyah-Vinifera to the River Peoples’ Forum in Swan Hill, communities across the Murray-Darling Basin are challenging a shift towards engineering wetlands instead of restoring river flows.

In June, Friends of Nyah-Vinifera Park hosted the third River Peoples’ Forum in Swan Hill, bringing together First Nations representatives, community members, researchers and water managers. This bi-annual event has become a vital space linking local struggles to Basin-wide water reform.

🌱 This year’s focus was on river flows and connectivity. How do we make sure that water set aside for rivers actually reaches the wetlands and floodplain forests that need it?

📝 Read our new blog article here: envict.org/fight-for-natural-flows By Tyler Rotche, Healthy Rivers Campaigner

📸 Photo credit: Doug Gimesy (pg 2,3,7), Max Phillips (pg 5, 6)


Save The Murray Darling
Friends of Nyah Vinifera Park

Good news! From today Victorians will be able to slash the cost of ceiling insulation, which could save them hundreds on their energy bills, thanks to the state government’s expansion of the Victorian Energy Upgrades program!

Insulation is the biggest single thing we can do to keep our homes comfortable, save on cooling and heating costs, and limit energy usage (especially if your home still uses polluting gas). But almost 60% of Victorian homes have little to no ceiling insulation!

In a cost-of-living and climate crisis, this program could help Victorians bring down their bills whilst making their home more comfortable, especially with a scorching summer around the corner. Learn more about the announcement, here:
https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/cheaper-insulation-bring-down-energy-bills

The results are in! Switching from gas to efficient electric appliances is already cutting household energy bills for home owners and renters across the state ⚡⚡⚡

Don't let the gas industry tell you otherwise. The Coalition and One Nation's plans will mean higher energy costs and more pollution, setting us backwards.

Victoria’s gas switch could save households $1,400 a year, but the Coalition and One Nation will ditch those plans if elected “The result of unwinding the gas roadmap for Victorians will be a higher cost of living for more households, particularly renters.”

Gross! 🤮🤮 School children across the country are being targeted with fossil fuel propaganda, sponsored by companies like Woodside Energy and Exxon Mobil.

Classroom activities have included "drill for oil" and "design your own carbon capture" tasks.

Inside the fossil fuel industry's push into Australian classrooms At least 260 educational programs in Australia are sponsored by fossil fuel companies, according to a report by a climate advocacy group.

Leaked documents reveal the gas industry is pressuring Victorian MPs behind closed doors & threatening to run a fact-free scare campaign 😡 Phasing out gas slashes household energy bills. But the owners of the gas network want to keep you hooked on expensive gas that pollutes your home ... just to protect their profits 🤑

We’re deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Tim Read.

Tim was Victorian Greens Brunswick MP for the last eight years and a local GP and researcher. Tim was a tireless advocate for climate action, active transport and public health.

He was widely respected and always ready to listen. We will remember his integrity, intelligence and kindness. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.

Tim asked that instead of flowers donations be made to Friends of the Earth Melbourne and the Inner North Community Foundation.

https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/

https://www.innernorthfoundation.org.au/

Power is growing in Melbourne's West

On Tuesday night, 270 community leaders from 70 organisations came together in Werribee for the first Our West, Our Future Listening assembly, and we couldn’t be more proud.

Multicutual and faith communities, First Nation leaders, unions, neighborhood houses, environment groups, community originations and advocates came together to listen, share stories and talk about the future of the West.

Thank you to everyone who attended, volunteered and made the event happen. This truly was a collaboration for our community, by our community. We also thank all our core partners:

Real Deal Geelong
Wyndham Park Community Centre
GenWest
Heeryesu
Indian Care

We also want to thank the decision makers who were able to make it (and hopefully will make it to the next) for your commitments

John Lister - Labor for Werribee
Brittney Henderson
Dr Joe Garra
Andrew Elsebury
Venkat Ram Upparlapalle - Liberal for Tarneit
Reece Clark - Liberal for Werribee

Together, we are just getting started. To stay in touch:


The night launched Our West Listens, a campaign to hold 1000 conversations across Melbournes’ west by April 2027, hearing directly from communities about what matters most and what we can take action on together.

Join our online post-assembly update to hear what happened, and what comes next.

Tuesday 13 October, 6.30–7.30pm
Online via Zoom
Register: https://events.humanitix.com/owof-octupdate