Casey’s green hub

ONE of Casey’s most popular community facilities has received a major funding boost to promote sustainability and best practice environmental management.
The City of Casey received $67,000 funding from the State Government for the Greening the Doveton Neighbourhood Learning Centre Project, aimed at improving the sustainability of the community hub through more efficient use of resources.
The project will involve understanding current resource use and behaviours, a high impact green energy retrofit, developing and implementing green policies and practices, and educating volunteers, staff, facility users and the broader community about sustainable resource use.
City of Casey acting mayor Shar Balmes said the project, which will be managed by the City of Casey, brought green initiatives to people where they lived, worked, learned and socialised.
“We hope the project will become a showcase for sustainable resource use and practices,” she said.
City of Casey Environment Manager Nicola Ward said that the project would lead to sustainable practices at the Doveton Neighbourhood Learning Centre.
“The project will develop long-term solutions to shift behaviours and practices of the facility and its users. An environmental audit will assess current energy use and identify infrastructure opportunities, such as solar panels, grey water and recycling systems and weather stripping,” Ms Ward said.
“A community education program will promote sustainable behaviour change, and signage will support environmentally sustainable resource use.”
The retrofit works will also be undertaken as part of a youth training and education program that will allow 20 participants to gain practical experience in sustainable works. This will contribute to their completing a Certificate II in Building and Construction.
The Greening the Doveton Neighbourhood Learning Centre project is supported by the Victorian Government Sustainability Fund, managed by Sustainability Victoria. Project partners include Department of Human Services Southern Metropolitan Region, Doveton Eumemmerring Neighbourhood Renewal, Doveton Neighbourhood Learning Centre and Max Employment.
The Doveton project is one of eight projects that have recently received Victorian Government funding through the Neighbourhood Renewal Grants Program. The funding, announced by Environment and Climate Change Minister Gavin Jennings on 21 October, is for projects that involve communities and local governments in Neighbourhood Renewal areas.