Canberra Branch meeting

Presentation: The Future (the future for ACT building policy and the future for Renew).

This month’s meeting of the Canberra Branch of Renew will feature two excellent speakers. Vanessa Morris from the ACT Government and Donna Luckman, the CEO of Renew.

The basic theme of the evening is buildings and how we can act to improve the ones in which we are going to live and work.
Vanessa and Donna are both involved in this area in important but different ways.

Vanessa will discuss the program requiring mandatory disclosure of building energy efficiency rating here in the ACT is now the world’s longest running mandatory disclosure program. Vanessa will be talking about the current review of the program and what it might mean for future policy for buildings in the ACT. This policy will affect the buildings in which we live and work in the coming years.

Donna will then take the floor to bring all our members up to date on the exciting changes happening in our organisation including the Climate Resilient Homes program. There are overwhelming benefits from good, sustainable homes: improved health and comfort, lower energy bills, reduced carbon emissions and resilience in a changing climate.

“Many sustainable ‘alternative’ solutions have become part of the mainstream. This is what we have been striving for and continue to pursue. However, ‘alternative’ does not reflect the credible, independent not-for-profit organisation we have become, that is inspiring, enabling and advocating for sustainable living for all Australians.
To reflect this shift, we are changing our name to Renew (one that will be familiar to you!).”

Vanessa Morris is the Coordinator of Building Policy in the ACT Government’s Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate. She represents the ACT on a range of national committees for improving energy efficiency in buildings and is also managing the review of the ACT’s energy efficiency rating disclosure scheme.

Donna Luckman is the CEO of the Alternative Technology Association and has 20 years’ experience working for government, the not-for-profit sector and research organisations. She specialises in leading teams and developing innovative strategies to enact change, from large international programs to local community initiatives. Donna has extensive networks in the sustainability sector, is a director of Embark and on the steering committee of the Coalition for Community Energy. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Melbourne University.

This is a public meeting; please invite anyone who might be interested.