Danny Frawley Drafted To Tackle Clean Energy

Danny Frawley Drafted to Tackle Clean Energy

Ballarat legend Danny "Spud" Frawley was today named Australia's first Clean Energy Ambassador.

Frawley - a former All Australian defender and St Kilda champion, one-time Richmond coach, and media commentator - will be an official voice for the Clean Energy Council, Australia's peak renewable energy body.

The former Ballarat East potato farmer, whose family still works land in the region V one of Australia's biggest renewable energy growth areas - said he was excited to be involved.

"I have a passion for the Ballarat region and I'm rapt to see so many wind turbines and other clean energy projects taking shape. It means money and jobs going back into our community," Mr Frawley said at today's official announcement at Acciona's Waubra Wind Farm.

"Most importantly this energy is clean, helping the environment and this area that I love. Renewable energy enjoys 90 per cent support for good reason - it produces electricity naturally from the sun and the wind."

The Chief Executive of the Clean Energy Council Matthew Warren said he was delighted to name Frawley as the inaugural Clean Energy Ambassador.

"Danny Frawley was one of the AFL's all-time greats and is one of Ballarat's favourite sons. He will be fantastic in helping people to understand the many benefits of renewable energy for regional Victoria," Mr Warren said.

Mr Warren also formally acknowledged the area around Ballarat as a Clean Energy Council targeted zone because of its enormous natural resources, strong existing use of clean energy technologies and exciting planned developments.

"The Ballarat area is at the cutting edge in Australian clean energy technologies. It's brilliant what's going on here,' he said.

More than 90 per cent of Victorians supported more investment in renewable energy such as solar and wind, he said.


Ballarat Region Clean Energy initiatives include:

* Acciona's Waubra Wind Farm is the largest renewable energy facility in the southern hemisphere. It consists of 128 turbines and employs dozens of locals as technical experts and maintenance staff

* Pacific Hydro's Challicum Hills Wind Farm to the north-west has 35 turbines powering up to 25,000 houses and saving 170,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas each year

* The Ballarat Solar Park, part of the Central Victoria Solar City project, was launched in November 2009 and consists of more than 1850 solar panels

* One of the region's biggest employers, McCain Foods, produces 10 per cent of its energy by turning food waste into biogas

* All of the township of Learmonth's street lighting is now powered by clean energy

* Berrybank Farm in the Learmonth / Windermere district has installed a "biodigestor" to process piggery manure, which produces electricity for its own operation and sells power to the grid. The residue is worked back into crops and used to blend with pine bark to create quality compost and soil conditioners

* All the City of Ballarat trucks, graders, mowers, utes and garbage compactors is running on Biodiesel. Its landfill at Smythesdale has gas capture and an electricity generation plant which sells clean electricity to the grid

* The City of Ballarat is implementing a significant storm water harvesting scheme, which will involve 70 PV panels to offset all energy requirements.

* Local community groups such as BREAZE are helping locals understand how they can install household renewable energy such as solar panels and solar hot water systems. It has installed approximately 400 kilowatts of photovoltaic solar panels and has assisted local schools to apply for assistance through the National Solar Schools Program

* Ballarat University was one of the first examples in Australia of integrated solar panels

For more information, contact the Clean Energy Council's Media Advisor Mark
Bretherton on 0413 556 981 or 03 9929 4111.

SOURCE: Clean Energy Council