Friday 4th December 2020 , Welcome to our monthly Yellow Box Newsletter! November got off to a festive start, with the Conservation Council hosting its Online Spring Dinner. 280 meals were delivered to over 80 addresses across Canberra by members of the Australian Electric Vehicle Association, whilst backstage bustled with a professional videographer and a digital producer juggling three live speakers, Costa Georgiadis via zoom, a live auction of items from our Christmas Online Auction and several multimedia presentations. It was a huge effort by a committed group of staff and volunteers that culminated in a fun night for all. Thank you to all of you who joined us for the evening. At the dinner, we were pleased to award the 2020 ACT Environment Awards to three very deserving recipients- Annie Close, Frederick McGrath Weber and the National Parks Association. Head to our website to learn about their achievements, and consider who you might nominate for the 2021 awards which will be presented at next year's Spring Mingle in November. The Conservation Council's AGM was held on November 10. I'd like to welcome two new members to the Board - Warwick Cathro and Nick Abel, as well as announce the election of a new Board president, Gordon McAllister. Gordon brings a wealth of experience from a career encompassing architecture, environmental policy work and work as a political advisor in the ACT Legislative Assembly. Our Make The Switch website has received some well-deserved attention lately, featuring in both the Canberra Weekly and on ABC Radio in the past two weeks. In an Environment Exchange webinar on Tuesday, key experts in energy efficient architecture and design, and electrical installation came together with ACT Government representatives, to speak about the website. If you missed it, you can catch the recorded webinar here. Thanks go out to Jenny Edwards, Ben Murphy and Bonnie Jackson for their valuable contributions. On Thursday, the Plastics Reduction Bill was introduced to the Legislative Assembly. We are pleased to support positive moves by the ACT government to eliminate plastic waste in the ACT, and will be continuing to advocate for stronger measures to reduce use of plastic across the Territory. Last week, I participated in the Chief Minister's Economic Recovery Forum with representatives from industry and the community sector, and put forward the key objectives of cutting climate emissions, building a circular economy and investing in our natural assets across our urban and non-urban landscapes. It's important that economic stimulus measures don't come at the expense of our environment, rather add value to a genuinely sustainable society. Our final fundraising event for the year is the Christmas Online Auction. The auction closes on Sunday evening, so get online and get gazumping! All the best for the weeks to come, and I look forward to touching base with you again before year’s end. Warm regards, Helen Oakey |