The Sustain Energy Working Group is a network of councils, regional peak bodies and community renewable energy groups facilitating the transition to renewable energy in the Northern Rivers region of NSW. The working group was established as a subset of the broader Sustain Northern Rivers collaboration in 2008 and has been delivering on ground and research based energy outcomes ever since.
The Sustain Energy Working Group meets quarterly to share project learnings, prepare submissions, apply for grants, and disseminate information and deliver regional projects. Our collaboration has made us stronger than the sum of our parts and enabled our region to enjoy strong links between community, government and industry for energy outcomes.
Find out more about regional projects delivered by the Sustain Energy Working Group or energy projects of our members
Where are we?
The Northern Rivers region of New South Wales covers approximately 20,732 square km and incorporates seven local government areas. It is home to more than 292,000 people and almost 5,500 businesses. Our region has a growth rate of up to 2.6% compared to NSW rate of 1.2%.
Who are we?
Sustain Northern Rivers (SNR) was formed in 2008 in direct response to climate change. It is a collaboration of peak regional organisations working together to provide a local response to a global threat. SNR was created as a collaborative platform that consults, collaborates and communicates. The aim of SNR was to empower local communities to become self-sustaining, focusing on food, transport, energy and behavioural change.
Three working groups were created for SNR, Sustain Food, Sustain Transport and Sustain Energy. While food and transport are no longer maintained under the SNR banner, Sustain Energy has continued to work towards the goal of 100% of Northern Rivers’ electricity from renewable sources.
What do we do?
SNR assembles networks and accelerates regional change. It creates a network of organisations to bridge gaps which creates a force that is larger than the sum of its parts. SNR has a set of clear objectives to:
• Help Northern Rivers communities live and work more sustainably
• Cut the collective carbon footprint of the Northern Rivers
• Foster networks that stimulate innovation and action
• Facilitate collaboration amongst regional organisations
• Pool resources, share knowledge and learn from past failures and successes
• Build the adaptive capacity of Northern Rivers communities
• Maximise outcomes by co-ordinating efforts
• Accelerate change by sharing innovation
• Sustain outcomes from time-limited project grants