Surf Coast Energy Group AGM

THE Surf Coast Energy Group (SCEG) held its annual general meeting at Patagonia on the Surf Coast Highway last Thursday, drawing a full house to the venue.

The central theme of the evening emphasised the impact of local actions on the environment while simultaneously addressing some of the overarching existential threats of our time.

Updates were provided about the Spring Creek Ridgeline Trail, part of a community-led vision to establish a trail for bicyclists and pedestrians between Bellbrae and Torquay.

Surf Coast Energy Founder Graeme Stockton said it was part of a larger plan.

“There is also a longer-term plan to extend it all the way through to Anglesea,” he said.

The highlight of the evening was a presentation by Dr Barbara Wilson.

Dr Wilson spoke about her land and species management projects that led to the creation of safe havens for marsupials in the Otways.

Her 30-year work documented the likely extinction of the Smoky Mouse from the Otways and the retreat of almost all other small native mammals to ‘heat refuges’ due to ongoing climate warming.

 

Dr Wilson spoke about her land and species management projects that led to the creation of safe havens for marsupials in the Otways.

Her 30-year work documented the likely extinction of the Smoky Mouse from the Otways and the retreat of almost all other small native mammals to ‘heat refuges’ due to ongoing climate warming.

Dr Wilson said the refuges are now under attack from storm surge events, emphasising the urgency to develop contingency plans.

Surf Coast Energy Group’s five-year strategic plan focuses on conserving nature, decarbonising energy systems, and creating a sustainable urban environment across the Surf Coast.

For more information contact: [email protected]