By Jena Carr
The Aireys Inlet Community Garden has received a $5000 grant for an off-grid solar system to help the group become more sustainable.
The group presented a seven-minute pitch on its Growing for Change project during the Surf Coast Shire Council’s Climate Emergency Grants Pitch-Fest.
Community garden member Alicia Crawford-Bell presented the project during the event and said the group was “really excited” to receive the grant.
“The proposal was to be able to buy or install a solar system to allow us to have more power,” she said.
“We currently have a small battery or one solar panel, so we want to expand that to power the garden, which was previously really off-grid.
“Getting the money to do the project is exciting and something that will enable us to do so much more.
“I see it as elevating what we do and taking it from being just a community garden to being a real hub for environmental sustainability.”
Bellbrae Primary School shared $20,000 in funding from Surf Coast Shire Council during the pitch fest, with $5000 for its Building Back Bellbrae climate change program.
A partnership between Australian Parents for Climate and Surfers for Climate also received $10,000 for events as part of a How to Save the Planet festival of climate action.
Surf Coast Shire Mayor Liz Pattison said she congratulated the successful recipient organisations and everyone who shared their projects during the pitch event.
“It’s great witnessing so much community passion and willingness to take action to protect our precious environment,” she said.
