When: Wednesday 11 September 2019, 6.30pm for a 7.00pm start (please note corrected date and time).
Where: Westbury Council Chambers, Lyall St, Westbury, TAS 7250. Click here for a map.

Annual Meeting:

It’s that time of year when as a branch we need to elect branch representatives. If you would like to become part of Renew North Tasmania’s organising group then please put your hand up. All are welcome to join. This year due to time constraints some people are stepping back so a perfect opportunity to get involved. If you are interested and wish some more information on roles etc please give Sean Manners, Convenor, a call on 0412 294 779

After a short meeting to decide the above we will be having three passionate speakers give their perspective on their owner builder/designer journey.

Craig Plaisted: – Designing a new home in Launceston according to PassivHaus principles.

Craig’s passion for sustainability has been recognised with a Tasmanian Local Government Award for Excellence for energy efficiency retrofits of Council facilities. His advocacy is instrumental in the small rural municipality of Meander Valley becoming a leader in energy initiatives in the State, through:

Feasibility analysis of large scale bioenergy generation and distribution for industry;
Initiating the collaboration of councils to replace 9,100 street lights in the Northern Lights Project;

  • Installing solar hot water, solar PV and batteries on community buildings;
  • Retrofitting Council buildings to achieve a 30% reduction in energy use;
  • Coordinating the Meander Valley Oil Vulnerability Action Plan; and
  • Supporting Council to drive cultural change within the business and community.

Peter Harris: – Owner building a sustainable home using ideas from his marine engineering background. Including how to get an owner builder mortgage from the bank

Peter says; I am a marine engineer (ship’s engineer) and most ships are built for maximum efficiency as a means of achieving lowest operating costs. I have brought ideas across from the marine field and many of the features I am incorporating in my house are experimental. I’ll talk about my house and also my journey which includes finding the right trades people, structural engineer, getting through council and getting an owner build mortgage from the bank.

Features of house;

  • 100mm Metecnospan for roof and 75mm Metecnopanel for walls. Double glazing with thermal break windows.
  • Slab heated with 800m of hydronic heating. Slab insulated to sides and below.
  • Aiming for very tight building with energy recovery unit operating in winter and natural, stack ventilation in summer.
  • Hope to be energy neutral.

Sean Manners: – A hempcrete house owner builder tale.

Sean Manners is passionate about all things sustainable. He works from a grass roots perspective and is very hands on. Present convenor of the North Tasmanian branch of Renew, and AEVA member, he and his wife Mandy sustainably renovated their last home and blogged it all the way. It was open many times for Sustainable House Day. Now they are about to owner build a modest hempcrete home in the Meander Valley.

Home will be built of hempcrete on an insulated slab with UPVC double glazing, sunroom to trap the winter sun, and solar passively designed. Sanden hot water heat pump, 8kW solar array, Tesla battery and EV car charging.

We hope to see you at this great event.

Sean Manners,
Convenor, Renew Tas North branch

If you would like to email us then please select ‘Contact us’ from our Branch page here.