Newsletter for June/July 2008 

Dear Members and Guests 

As most of you are well aware the Forum on May 17 was a run away success. The Co-op board members are quite proud of their efforts and the results we‘ve achieved from the session. Not bad for our first effort! 

Some highlights from the Forum were: 

  • Over 15 new members signed up and we are receiving a steady trickle of an about three new signed up members a week!
  • State Member for Cleveland Phil Weightman the signed up this week! (See note*)
  • Mayor of Redland City Council Melva Hobson and her deputy Toni we’re so delighted they doubled the money they originally promised to support the Forum!
  • There was an excellent half page article on our Co-op and the Forum in the Bayside Weekly which donated the advertising space free!
  • Free advertising for two weeks of 15 slots a day from Bay Fm and articles in their Bayside Bulletin. 
  • We received some excellent offers of support from our local politicians. Phil Weightman made us promise to visit his office more often and said id only we had approached him earlier he would’ve paid for the costs of the day. Now he tells us!
  • Our costs were completely covered on the day with your generous sign ups! Thank you all who supported and believed in us on the day. Redlands now has our own energy co-operative!
  • With Board Members included, that makes about 20 members on our fledgling Co-op; from little beginnings big things will grow.
  • The willingness of our speakers
 

Note* Redlands Co-op have no political affiliations however we are happy to accept support from any political party, corporate sponsor or lobby group that is consistent with the ethics and principles of the Co-operative.   

The event was a culmination of exhausting work for about two months. The amount of preparation was phenomenal. We were all a little tired after the event but we’re back on track now. Our Co-op spokesman was nearly wiped out in car accident a few days before the Forum and on the Friday night my printer died and I couldn’t print out the required forms. Our spokesman was obviously meant to be there and I just bought a new printer.  

Latest News 

We are mailing out your information packs this week. In that pack you should receive your: 

  1. Share Certificate
  2. Booklet from Beyond Building detailing the solar panel deal.
  3. An invoice if you haven’t received one already.
  4. An Disclosure document and Co-op Rules Document will be emailed to you (This was to save paper)
 

    When you sign up for the solar panel deal for $895 you will receive an email with your password giving you further access.  This will be matched with your share certificate number.  

    When purchasing goods and services, our suppliers will have a list of our members who will received the negotiated discounted price. To protect your purchasing rights as a Redlands Co-op member you will be required to present your  driver’s license and quote your member number. You obtain access to the list of discounted suppliers from our website.  These are part of the benefits of your $100 fee as a member. The discounted rates have been previously negotiated for you with the supplier. We will continue to add suppliers and search for better deals as time progresses.  

    Current price negotiations being conducted with suppliers include: 

    1. A local water tank installer and supplier
 
    1. Recycled newspaper pulp insulation (pest and fire proof)
 
    1. Local Pink Batt insulation supplier.
 
    1. Local professional energy auditors (for more serious domestic and commercial energy audits).
 
    1. Solar hot water supplier.
 
    1. Domestic efficiency products.
 

    The list of discounted suppliers will be posted soon on the website. This will be continually updated and added to so please be patient.  As the list grows hyperlinks will be inserted into each new newsletter and the product list so you can check their websites for their products.  

    The more members there are the greater the discount power when we negotiate!!

    So tell your friends and relatives.  
     

    Meetings 

    Feel free to attend and be a part of the decision making process. The Co-op is for the community to take action through a business model and thus we welcome the collective input from passionate people who have suitable skills or who have ideas for products and promotions. Anyone with sales, marketing, accounting, business backgrounds are most definitely welcome to join our board if interested in using their skills to make a difference in the community.  

    Those who know of great products are also welcome to share their ideas at the weekly meetings.  

    Bay Fm Radio Station Boardroom on Mondays 7pm. (Cnr of Island Outlook Ave & Cleveland Redland Bay rd).  
     

    The latest on the solar panel deal 

    Attached is the recent correspondence from Beyond Building regarding the approval for the first installations of panels and the offer of just the panel equipment not installed (for those outside the solar neighbourhood region). As you know our solar neighbourhood covers The Redlands, Cleveland, Capalaba and Wellington Point. We are planning ways to sign up the first 50 houses and obviously the sooner we achieve that goal the sooner we start installing. Those interested in assisting us in this goal please meet with us on Monday nights at Bay Fm. This is where direct community action can have tangible results. Rest assured if this goal is not achieved within a reasonable time you will receive the $895 back. This is an assurance from Beyond Building.  
     
     

    Please note that the email below refers to those who are outside our Solar Neighbourhood’s geographical zone and who wish to purchase the equipment and arrange their own installation.  
     
     

(LAST TWO EMAILS FROM BEYOND BUILDING) 

30 May 2008 

Dear Brad

 
OK we can supply 170Wp panels at $1100 (inc GST) when ordered as part of a Solar neighbourhood. 

These are the panels we supply currently, but we want to be clear that  
we reserve the right to substitute any 170Wp panel, that meets  
Australian standards - that’s the only way we can keep the price to this  
level. Kind Regards, 

Marisa Dempsey 
Solar Neighbourhoods Project Coordinator 
Beyond Building - Energy 
marisa@beyondbuilding.com 
www.beyondbuildingenergy.com 
0422 099868

30 May 2008 

Dear All 

Just to let you know that the first Pre Approvals for the Rebate are back 
and approved, and our first installations are starting this week! 

Your neighbourhood today is being sent an email which instructs them how to 
log in to the website, and record their income, and whether or not they are 
eligible for the rebate. 


Kind Regards, 

Marisa Dempsey 
Solar Neighbourhoods Project Coordinator 
Beyond Building - Energy 
marisa@beyondbuilding.com 
www.beyondbuildingenergy.com 
0422 099868 

Means testing for solar rebates 

If you are over the $100,000 per annum means test the $8000 rebate will not be available to you.  This will mean that you can still purchase the Solar Panels but the cost will be $8895.  If you are under the threshold we are working on two ways to save you putting in the $8895 until you get the rebate of $8000 back.  We have applied for a loan as part of the Renewable Energy Scheme to cover this $400,000 up front.  If this is unsuccessful we have approached Bendigo Bank to provide a short term green loan to cover this amount. Redlands Co-op will contiue to act as a local advocate and lobby group to have this means testing removed. 

Any further questions regarding any of the issues mentioned above please don’t hesitate to email us at eredlands@gmail.com.  

Kind Regards 

RSC Team.