A community group has been created in Yea, Victoria, to focus on energy efficient solutions for the town, with a goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2030.
The group, called ‘2030Yea’, arose from Murrindindi Shire Council’s Community Planning Pilot Program, which is supported with funding from Insurance Australia Group (IAG) and its local brand WFI Insurance (formerly Westfarmers Federation insurance).
The program has empowered communities such as Yea to plan and develop priority projects to help their towns thrive.
During the Program, the Yea community prioritised a number of projects, including the development of a local micro-grid, to share energy within the community.
After an ‘action team’ was formed to take charge of this project, the team realised they needed a long term energy solution for Yea.
From that point, ‘2030Yea’ was formed to help the community move towards a cleaner energy future.
The group is drawing on knowledge and inspiration from similar initiatives in local towns such as Yackandandah and Euroa, as well as the Victorian Government’s Community-owned Renewable Energy Guide and the Climate Ready Victoria initiative.
In the immediate future, ‘2030Yea’ will continue to develop plans for a community-owned micro-grid to share energy locally.
The group will also host a series of events, when current pandemic restrictions ease, to promote the project and provide information to the community about energy efficiency.
The ‘2030Yea’ initiative shows how local councils are able to collaborate with communities to bring about positive change.
