Merri Sustainability

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Merri Sustainability

• A community approach to action

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Merri Sustainability

• Victorian Womens Trust Watermark
• Formed gt200 small groups across Victoria
• Provided information on water use/issues
• Sought feedback from community

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Merri Sustainability

• 7 residents in Union Street Northcote formed a
  Watermark group.
• After information, decided that we should do
  something to reduce our water use.
• Also thought others in the street may be
  interested.

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Merri Sustainability

• Visited every house in street
• Invited residents to become involved in solving
  the water crisis
• High level of interest and awareness

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Merri Sustainability

• Got 42 households involved
• Interesting observation
• Not enough time
• Thought it would be expensive
• No idea what to do
• These are typical impediments to action

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Merri Sustainability

• Aim to help residents overcome the impediments
• Collect and provide information
• No idea what to do
• Organise things
• Not enough time
• Negotiate discounts/apply for grants
• Thought it would be expensive

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Merri Sustainability

• Organised water audits for every house
• Negotiated discount audit price for bulk
• Organised times and dates
• So all they had to do was be home at the time

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Merri Sustainability
Raised money from local traders to subsidise
audits Ended that no-one was out of pocket
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Produced series of flyers and fact sheets
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Applied for State Grant to help pay for
tanks Unsuccessful, but .....
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Merri Sustainability

• Aim
• Lead by example

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220 litres per day in 2000 60 litres per day
in 2007
73 reduction
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Open day to show people what can be done
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Successes

• Got 42 houses involved when only 7 would have
  done something
• 10 houses with rainwater tanks installed
• 15 houses with grey water recycling
• Lots of small-scale action
• Sharing water saving tips and ideas

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Successes

• Gained publicity in local and Melbourne papers
• 4 other groups started in other suburbs

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Failures

• Picked the wrong water auditors (a larger
  company)
• Unreliable, slow, uncaring
• Led to loss of momentum
• Long periods between actions
• Failure to get grant

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Failures (not our fault)

• Rain ... loss of interest/concern
• Government announcement
• Desalination plant and Goulburn pipeline
• No future focus on water saving
• Means little future support
• Water saving groups are probably redundant

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Additional Benefits

• High level of community bonding
• New community projects
• Book lending library
• New friends

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Additional Benefits

• Great street party at end of year

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Next

• Turn over organisation to other residents with
  interest in energy savings

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Summary

• Excellent model for community action
• Not just for water savings
• Gets more people involved in actions
• Overcomes impediments to action
• Builds community cohesion
• Tip sheet available if you want to go down this
  track

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• Forms and supports community groups
• Guides through processes
• Organises information sessions
• Ideal if you dont know what to do or how to do it