Cooperative News. Our Give Tanks campaign was launched in December, and is already delivering for low-income households thanks to our partnership with Aboriginal Housing Victoria!
The first installation of a solar system funded by the “Give Tanks” campaign took place on 12 January in a home managed by Aboriginal Housing Victoria. Des Rogers from Aboriginal Housing Victoria noted: “This opportunity to crowdfund for the installation of hot water systems into some of our properties is very very exciting. Most of our tenants are on low income, and many have disabilities. So building and providing appropriate, affordable and sustainable accommodation for our tenants, who are in vulnerable situations a lot of the time, is really important to us and obviously to our tenants as well.’”
The Give Tanks initiative, being run in partnership with Australia’s first worker-owned green technology manufacturing cooperative, Eureka’s Future. It has been devised as a tangible way to help those excluded from the benefits of government subsidies for home energy-efficiency measures. This initiative will also support local jobs in manufacturing, while reducing carbon emissions. Improving residential energy efficiency has been identified as a key strategy for reducing Australia’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, but significant barriers prevent low-income households from investing in green technology and joining in the renewable energy revolution, according to the Australian Council of Social Service.
Andrew Snelling is one of the new worker-owners of the Eureka’s Future cooperative. He is enthusiastic about saving local manufacturing jobs while achieving tangible environmental gains and helping among the those most disadvantaged in the community. “The Give Tanks campaign powerfully links a number of important issues: local manufacturing jobs, lower energy bills and less pollution. It’s a win- win-win,” Mr Snelling says’. All proceeds go towards installing solar hot water systems in low-income housing. www.chuffed.org/project/givetanks. Tim Wallace.