Frequently Asked Questions

The Community Renewable Energy Survey will help us gauge the current use of renewable energy in East Gippsland and community attitudes to renewable energy. This will assist in exploring possible renewable energy initiatives in the future.

Complete our survey to have your say and the chance to win a $100 gift card! Terms and conditions apply.

You can complete the survey online or at one of the Customer Service Centres noted below. The feedback process concludes at 5.00pm Monday 18 September 2017.

Online submissions

Online submissions can be made by completing the survey on this web page.

Written submissions

Hardcopies of the survey can also be obtained at the Customer Service Centres noted below, during the hours of Monday to Friday 8.30am – 5.00pm, with the exception of Mallacoota.

Bairnsdale : 24 Service Street or 32 Pyke Street

Lakes Entrance: 18 Mechanics Street

Omeo: 179 Day Avenue

Orbost: 1 Ruskin Street

Paynesville: 55 The Esplanade

Mallacoota: 70 Maurice Avenue

Monday and Tuesday 10.00 am - 2.00 pm, 

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 2.00 pm - 5.00 pm

Once completed, please return to:

Rebecca Lamble

Sustainability Officer

PO Box 1618, Bairnsdale, Vic 3875

Fax: 03 5153 9576

Email: feedback@egipps.vic.gov.au

For more information about community energy, you may like to look at the links below:

• Victorian Government Guidelines
• Coalition for Community Energy
• Community Power Agency
• ABC News story on Community Energy
• The Conversation story on Community Energy

For information about some existing community energy initiatives, see below:

• Re-Power Shoalhaven
• Totally Renewable Yackandandah
• Community Owned Renewable Energy Mullumbimby (COREM)

Recent regulatory changes have enabled viable opportunities for community groups and entities, to be owners and operators of embedded and grid connected energy generators.

Community-owned renewable energy or community energy (CE) refers to projects where a community group initiates, develops, operates and benefits from a renewable energy resource or energy efficiency initiative.

Community groups can be formed based on a common interest (such as a club or community organisation), or a geographical region such as a town or neighbourhood.

Community energy projects allow individuals to be involved in clean energy beyond the bounds of their own homes or businesses and in so doing bring a range of benefits and opportunities for their household and for the wider community.

Examples of community energy in Australia include:

• The international award-winning Hepburn Wind in Victoria – Australia’s first community wind farm;
• Denmark Community Wind in Western Australia – Australia’s second community wind farm;
• Repower Shoalhaven – a community-owned 100-kilowatt solar array on the Shoalhaven Heads bowling club on the New South Wales south coast; and
• Darebin Solar Savers in Melbourne – a project that saw the Moreland Energy Foundation put solar on the roofs of 300 pensioners, who use the savings to pay back the cost of the system through their council rates.

Local renewable energy projects are emerging as viable alternatives to reliance on the grid and can deliver substantial financial benefits to business and communities, as well as reducing greenhouse emissions.

Opportunities range from energy-saving initiatives at the business or household level, through to locally embedded and grid connected energy generation, that is, as a locally owned enterprise. 

Renewable energy is not only good for the environment; it is good for the local economy and community.

Renewable energy can include:

• Solar panels;
• Wind power;
• Small-scale hydro-electricity; or
• Bio-waste conversion to energy.

Geographically, the East Gippsland region covers large amounts of land with dispersed communities. The existing electricity network must travel vast distances to supply a variety of residential, commercial and industrial customers.

Over time, this has resulted in measurable losses and supply issues at the eastern most end of the supply, which also exhibits potential capacity restraints.

In more populated areas, like Bairnsdale, the electricity distribution infrastructure is of a high standard and provides substantial capacity to accommodate renewable energy generation. We also have many businesses and government organisations that have the capacity and desire to look for more cost-effective and sustainable energy alternatives.

This means that if householders or businesses wish to explore alternative and more cost-effective energy supplies, we are well-placed to find and develop new alternatives.

In 2016 East Gippsland Shire Council secured $180,000 in competitive Victorian Government funding for an East Gippsland renewable energy planning project.

The first stage of the project is funded by the Victorian Climate Change Grants program and is underway. It is assessing the network grid to look at the opportunities and constraints across the region for distributed renewable energy.

The second stage of the project is funded by the New Energy Jobs Fund and will prioritise the most appropriate new energy technology options for East Gippsland and have detailed businesses cases developed to help attract and facilitate new investment in the region.

Dr Rob Passey from ITP Renewables has been engaged to identify opportunities for delivering long-term renewable energy solutions for the region. Rob also works at University of New South Wales (UNSW) and is a member of Community Owned Renewable Energy Mullumbimby (COREM).

The Bright Futures Renewable Energy project is a council initiative to identify and investigate the opportunities for delivering long-term renewable energy solutions for the region.

The aim of the project is to increase the use and production of renewable energy in East Gippsland.

The benefits include attracting new investment in the region, keeping energy generation costs within the Shire and a reduced reliance on fossil fuels.

At a household, business and community level, this also means saving money!