July 2013

What a bustling month in our little office!  We have had visits from the DCC’s CEO (Paul Orders), Green party politician (Gareth Hughes) and our funders (Lotteries Grants Board), also to contractors and advisors for the Blueskin wind cluster project and energetic, passionate community members. We love discussing potential new and exciting collaborative projects. We have been busy producing reports on some of our completed projects, such as the Climate Change Adaptation Planning project (thanks to the DCC for providing a grant to develop an action plan on climate change adaptation in Waitati). 

Also completed is our Community Energy Advice work in Pine Hill and we have taken a motivated group of 6 (from TV473) through audit training (inset photo is of Alex about to climb up into a roof space).  This group are now tackling Fuel Poverty in Pine Hill and North East Valley.  We want to say a big thanks to Presbyterian Support Otago for funding this valuable project and Chris Freear for running it.  You can read the report here.  Early in July Solarcity provided a free solar insulation workshop for local solar enthusiasts and since then we have been supporting and contributing to the Dunedin City Council’s Energy Plan.  Right now we are just sinking our teeth into the organisation of the long awaited Cosy Homes Workshop with the aim of making every home in Dunedin warm and cosy by 2025.  Phew, and that was just July!

On the fun side, we have been busy putting the finishes touches on our new website, which is now up and running (yay!).  The official launch of the Cuppa Tea Blog is on the 2nd August at 5:30pm in the Blueskin Library - please come along and celebrate its launch with us!