Communities around Australia are taking clean energy into their own hands, the Indi win built on that

The rural electorate of Indi will make history next week when Independent Dr Helen Haines is officially elected to replace fellow independent Cathy McGowan. Part of the reason she won was a climate platform founded on energy democracy.

Independent Helen Haines who officially won
Indi this week after Cathy McGowan retired.

Indi is a regional electorate in Victoria. It stretches all the way from the peri urban fringes of Melbourne to the Murray River. It is an electorate of mountains, valleys and plains. Until Cathy McGowan won in 2013, Indi had been a safe Liberal seat, delivering some of the largest margins in the country for conservative members.

Back to back independents have never been elected in Australian history. Popular independent MPs, like Tony Windsor or Rob Oakeshott have both seen their seats revert back to the Coalition.

There is a good reason for that. Once elected, independent members are popular, but most are elected on a protest vote from the former sitting member. It is very hard to run as an independent and win against a popular or at least “not-unpopular” major party candidate.

Read the story from The Guardian by Cam Klose - “Communities around Australia are taking clean energy into their own hands, the Indi win built on that.”

Labor and Greens lose bid to stop overhaul of sensitive marine zones

The Turnbull government's bid to wind back protections in sensitive marine areas has been won after the Senate voted down a bid by Labor and the Greens to block the changes.

Environmentalists are incensed at the proposal to
reduce highest-level protections in the Coral Sea.

The government on Tuesday night unexpectedly forced a vote on a Labor disallowance motion that would have vetoed the reduced conservation standards. A vote was not expected for several weeks.

The Greens had pledged to back Labor to block the cuts. However none of the 11 crossbenchers - many caught up in negotiations over the government's company tax cuts in recent days - had committed to supporting the move at the time of the vote.

The motion was defeated 34 votes to 28. A number of senators were absent for the vote.

Read Nicole Hasham’s story from today’s Age - “Labor and Greens lose bid to stop overhaul of sensitive marine zones.”

Green developers say $100,000 award will help them build a village

The group behind a series of "deep green" inner-city apartment projects – which attempt to cut profit-driven developers out of the construction process to reduce housing costs – has won a $100,000 state government award to push ahead with their latest project.

Architects Fairley Batch (left) and Rachel Nolan on the
 site of what will become Nightingale Village.

Nightingale Housing will on Thursday be given the first grant from the Andrews government's $1 million "Social Impact Investment" sustainability fund.

The not-for-profit organisation was established to share knowledge and support architects, who often invest in the projects. Profits are capped at 15 percent - far less than is normal in the Australian development sector.

Read the story in today’s Age by Clay Lucas - “Green developers say $100,000 award will help them build a village.”