BREAZE

Monday morning, -1 degree outside!  You must remember it.  I am sure I wasn't the only one dashing outside to get wood for the fire, trying not to slip on the ice on the deck on the way.  But did you know that at the same time, there were people waking up in Ballarat in homes that were a balmy 16 degrees inside, without a heater on!  And by 10:00 their house had further warmed to 22 degrees, and still no heater!  How can this be possible?  How can I do it?  Smart living, that's what it is!  It is a possible, it is happening now in our community, and we can all do it!  It just makes sense!  So, isn't it great that we are getting closer to opening the Smart Living Centre that can help us all achieve this same level of comfort....., without the electricity bills!  And I am pleased to say we are steadily making progress - and some of it you can even see now! 

If you wander past the centre in the front of the Mining Exchange you will see dirt being dug, stumps going it, walls being rendered....the list goes on!  In short, we are commencing the transformation of the shop shell that we started with to a fabulous, engaging, rich resource for our community on how we can all live smarter!  And this doesn't touch on the work that is happening behind the scenes.

After much tooing and froing we have resolved some soil testing issues and it is full steam ahead to remove the dirt from the centre.  This was required as part of the buliding permit before we could install a new reclaimed timber floor.  BEST and the Work for the Dole Crew have made short work of this and are now putting in the sub-floor structure.  The next step will be to install reclaimed baltic pine flooring provided from the Ballarat City Council.  We had hoped to use the flooring that has been removed from the Buninyong Town Hall, however it seems that the many years of dancing have worn it too thin!  We will however be able to use some of this timber for other furniture within the centre, which will be a nice story.

There is also lots going on that is not so visible.  Around 35 volunteers have been recruited to staff the centre once it opens which is a fantastic outcome.  The first part of the training program is complete and provided a great opportunity for us to get to know the volunteers a little better.  One of the fantastic, though not surprising discoveries, is the breadth and diversity of skills and experience that exists within the volunteer base.  From someone who designed and built their own 9 star home, completely off the grid to another that has transformed their backyard into an oasis for wildlife, the volunteers are inspiring, and are willing to share their stories and experiences with you! This will be a great resource for our community and really demonstrates that, as a community we have the skills and knowledge to live smarter.  People are doing it now. 

We are still keen to recruit volunteers, so if you have 4 hours to spare on a monthly, fortnightly or even weekly basis we would love to hear from you.  Full training is provided, so please get in touch either to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or phone us on 53291730.