Energise Ōtaki Inc. Minutes – October 2019 – download here
Wednesday 9, October 2019 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Dr. Gertrude Atmore Supper Room, Corner of Aotaki and Main Streets, Ōtaki
1. Welcome
Attendees: Leigh Ramsey (Chair), Hanna Wagner-Nicholls (Treasurer), Lloyd Chapman (Secretary), Gael Fergusen, Stuart Pritchard, Iain Jerrett, Moko Morris, Graham Kerr, Cam Butler, Katy Horwood, Russell Longuet, Shelly Warwick, Sara Velasquez
Apologies: Andy Fraser, David Rumsey, Seuga Frost, Phil Malpas, Marilyn Stevens, Graham Lonsdale, Jamie Bull, Phil Byrne
2. What is Energise Ōtaki?
- Everyone invited to get involved in projects – either existing or new.
- Energise Ōtaki is primarily a broad ‘umbrella’ concept under which a range of organisations and individuals come together to achieve change.
- Individual and collective action, home, street, business, neighbourhood and town based energy conservation and clean energy production projects are at the heart of the Energise Ōtaki community vision.
- Involves projects big and small.
- Involves action across many areas: reducing electricity consumption; reducing reliance on fossil fuels; giving people choices about what energy they consume and how they purchase it, how it is generated and how they can reduce their overall energy use and household costs. It involves local clean energy generation. On the way, the town will reduce its contribution to long-term human-induced climate change.
- It is a holistic social, environmental and economic vision built around the idea of sustainable development, crafted to fit the Ōtaki culture and way of doing things.
- Website: https://energise.otaki.net.nz/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/EnergiseOtakiHelpingOurselvestoaSmartFuture/
3. Projects Overview
- Solar Farms – Progressing. Hope to start work before the end of 2019. Need to still confirm lease and price with KCDC. There was more in depth discussion about the Solar Farm concept. Please click on this link or copy and paste the url to see August’s Powerpoint presentation: https://energise.otaki.net.nz/wp-content/uploads/Energise-Otaki-August-2019-Solar-Farm-PPT-FINAL.pptx.pdf
- Ōtaki Repair Cafe – This will be held on Saturday 19 October, 2019 10am – 2pm at Memorial Hall. If you have any contacts who have repair skills, please get in contact with Hanna. Thank you.
- Bike Space – A successful Bike Rodeo was held with Bike Greater Welly and Pedal Ready on the 1st October. We also have a Volunteer Bike expert. We are looking at another event before the end of the year. We are in need of helpers to dismantle or help refurbish bikes. We also want to have some “bike maintenance 101”. We are using: https://www.facebook.com/OtakiBikeSpace/ as a place to update, as well as the Energise Otaki website: https://energise.otaki.net.nz/
- Community Gardens – this will restart now that the weather is improving and will continue to be a “bring community gardens to the people”.
- Ōtaki Kindergarten – Power to the People – finishing up the project by connecting the solar panel to the battery, but the bike is functional and can be used to charge mobile phones.
- Ōtaki College Update – Need to revisit projects. Have had some projects integrated into the curriculum (E-volocity and e-cubes are in the curriculum)
- Projects with NuFuels – https://www.bfsnz.biz/nufuels
- Waste to Energy
- Pyrolysis of plastics
- Project by Astara Technologies – http://www.mforce.co.nz/Astara/Clean_energy.html – electric vehicle project – repurpose electric batteries
- Main Street location – Energise Otaki has a location on Main Street – keep eyes open for more information…
4. General Business
- New Projects to Explore / Interesting Ideas
- Tool Library?
- Horticulture Block at Ōtaki College?
- Any topics members would like to hear about at future meetings?
5. Special Presentation – NuFuels Solomon Islands Project – https://www.bfsnz.biz/nufuels
6. Next Meeting: ** UPDATE NOVEMBER 2019, TIME HAS CHANGED TO Thursday, December 12th , 2019 at 6pm**
7. Finish – 7:40