If you told Kate Auty five years ago that Indigo Shire would be the leader in renewable energy in Victoria, she would have been surprised.
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But in 2018, there is such a demand for solar technology, Beechworth has launched a plan to be 100 per cent reliant on renewable energy by 2030.
Ms Auty, the former Victorian Commissioner for Sustainability, was in Beechworth on Saturday as the key speaker at a community meeting attended by about 80 people keen to get more information on solar energy and battery storage.
She described renewables as the greatest change since the industrial revolution.
“Things have changed extraordinarily quickly and you’re all part of it, we’re all part of it,” she said.
“In 2010 we were struggling with climate change denial.
“We were struggling with the question of whether there would be solar panels, no one was thinking was thinking about that technology, certainly we weren’t thinking about it from the perspective of individuals with solar panels on their roof and batteries in their yard.”
Things have changed extraordinarily quickly and you’re all part of it.
- Kate Auty
Ms Auty said small communities had always been interested in innovating.
“We have always been problem solvers. We have to be problem solvers because we live in the country,” she said.
“I know that more people are going to move to our regional areas and we’re going to have to deal with those sorts of challenges.
“Some of what we will need to do will be to think about our environment, some of what we will need to do will be innovative and technological.”
Following on from the work of Totally Renewable Yackandandah, which has a target of 2022, a Totally Renewable Beechworth group has launched.
Saturday’s event was the first step in giving people in the community information on how to get started.
The group and Indigo Council are working with Mondo Energy to offer residents the chance to be part of a bulk buy of solar panels, with prices set to be launched in about a month.