An Exhibition Of Designs For An Ecological Business District Neighbouring Docklands

PRESS RELEASE 06.02.2009



ECO-CITY MELBOURNE
building a low carbon future
An exhibition of designs for an Ecological Business District
neighbouring Docklands. Visions from the Victorian Eco-
Innovation Lab.


What does Melbourne look like in 2032? The Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab (VEIL), funded by the
Victorian Sustainability Fund has looked at the last remaining vacant land available for development
in Melbourne's CBD known as E-Gate and applied some very radical thinking.
Last year VEIL ran a series of workshops with design staff from Melbourne, Monash, RMIT and
Swinburne Universities who engaged with international and local experts to develop revolutionary
visions for the E-Gate site as a zero-carbon eco-city. Around 200 students took these visions to
develop design ideas for a demonstration city as a living expo of a low-carbon urban community, now
known as the Ecological Business District (EBD). EBD is an eco-city of the future between the
Docklands and the CBD, a new model of sustainable prosperity.
For the first time, you can take a peep at the sustainable future at ECO-CITY MELBOURNE, an
exhibition featuring designs from the EBD workshops, guest speakers, tours, and a `Sustainable
Cities Roundtable' networking event from Wednesday 25th Saturday 28th February at Shed 4,
Docklands.
"Transforming our economy to deal with climate change means transforming production,
infrastructure, built environments and life-styles. That can seem an overwhelming task, particularly
when we have just decades to achieve real change. Yet it is clear that many people want to act
now, to do what they can to make their lives more sustainable. The EBD development aims to
support people to make that change. It will provide an opportunity to join in a pioneering
experiment in living better, consuming less. It is being designed so that all people who live and work
on the site will meet Victoria's 2050 environmental targets twenty-five years ahead of time."
Professor Chris Ryan, Director VEIL

For more information visit www.ecoinnovationlab.com

- ENDS -

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EXHIBITION PROGRAM 06.02.2009


ECO-CITY MELBOURNE
building a low carbon future


ECO-CITY MELBOURNE EXHBITION PROGRAM
Friday 20th Sunday 22nd February
A preview of some of the designs to be featured at the ECO-CITY MELBOURNE Exhibition can
be found throughout the Sustainable Living Festival at Federation Square.
Wednesday 25th February
4.00 4.30pm Press conference and exhibition
4.30 5.00pm Exhibition media walk through
6.00 7.30pm Official opening of the exhibition for special guests (invite only)
To register your interest in attending please email: [email protected]
Thursday 26th February
12.00 4.00pm Exhibition open to invited academic guests
4.00 6.00pm Exhibition closed
6.00 8.00pm `Sustainable Cities Roundtable' event and networking session open to the public
RSVP essential to: [email protected]
Friday 27th February
12.00 6.00pm Industry & Government exhibition day
3.00 4.00pm Special guest presentation
4.00 5.00pm Question & Answer session with Professor Chris Ryan (VEIL)
5.00 6.00pm Exhibition walking tour presented by VEIL
Saturday 28th February
12.00 6.00pm Exhibition public day
1.00 2.00pm Question & Answer session with Dianne Moy (VEIL)
2.00 3.00pm Exhibition walking tour presented by VEIL

WHO: Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab
WHAT: ECO-CITY MELBOURNE: Building a low carbon future
WHY: An exhibition of designs for an Ecological Business District neighbouring Docklands
WHEN: Wednesday 25th Saturday 28th February 2009
WHERE: Shed 4, North Wharf Road, Victoria Harbour, Docklands. Map: 2E 7D
HOW: www.ecoionnovationlab.com




Decode Pty Ltd www.decodemedia.com.au
Melbourne: (03) 9015 7999 355 St Georges Road Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Sydney: (02) 8006 0799 Level 4 / 81 York Street Sydney NSW 2000


PRESS RELEASE 06.02.09


SUSTAINABLE SHARING
Sustainable Cities Round Table
A networking and information workshop event presented by
SustainableMelbourne.com and The Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab


The Sustainable Cities Round Tables are regular events that feature a variety of speakers who
provide three-minute glimpses of what they are doing to create a more sustainable Melbourne.
This month the theme is Sustainable Sharing and features guest speakers from Herdshare,
Growlocal.com, Green Hanger and My Sister's Wardrobe who will take the stage at the ECO-
CITY Exhibition.
It may seem strange that we've highlighted sharing as a sustainability issue. Yet as the West has
become more industrialised we've also grown more individualised producing more products per
person. At this Sustainable Cities Round Table we explore how we can learn to share again.
Topics include shared spaces, such as composts and co-houses; shared products and materials,
such as the renewed retro world of no longer daggy hand-me-downs, and shared services, such as
permablitzes and group purchasing power.
The talks are diverse in their perspective, topics and approaches whilst also balancing well-known
leaders with fresh, local talent. Each event includes workshops designed to engage the entire
audience.
To view video footage of previous presentations click:
www.sustainablemelbourne.com/category/sustainable-cities-round-tables
WHO: Confirmed speakers include:
Kate Pears, My Sisters Wardrobe
Adam Grubb, Permablitz
Joanne Hay, Herdshare
Paul Brown, Ironbark Sustainability
Lincoln Smith, Growlocal.com
Dianne Moy, Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab
Iain Walker, Banyule Co-Housing Project
A representative, Green Hanger
WHAT: Sustainable Cities Roundtable networking event
Part of the ECO-CITYMELBOURNE Exhibition
WHEN: 6.00 8.00pm Thursday 26th February 2009
WHERE: Shed 4 North Wharf Road Docklands Map 2E 7D
WHY: Hear information about sustainability, meet people and workshop
HOW: RSVP essential to [email protected] by 20th February
More information www.SustainableMelbourne.com



Decode Pty Ltd www.decodemedia.com.au
Melbourne: (03) 9015 7999 355 St Georges Road Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Sydney: (02) 8006 0799 Level 4 / 81 York Street Sydney NSW 2000


PRESS QUOTES

Chris Ryan BSc, PhD
- Professor, Co-Director at the Australian Centre for Science
Innovation and Society (ACSIS).
- Director, Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab (VEIL).
- Program Leader- Sustainable Cities, Melbourne
- Visiting Professor, Sustainability and Innovation Lund University,
Sweden
Career overview: www.acsis.unimelb.edu.au/s_co-director.html


Please use the following quotes from Professor Chris Ryan, Director VEIL responsible for the
Ecological Business District development project in relation to the ECO-CITY MELBOURNE
exhibition:

"Transforming our economy to deal with climate change means transforming production,
infrastructure, built environments and life-styles. That can seem an overwhelming task, particularly
when we have just decades to achieve real change. Yet it is clear that many people want to act
now, to do what they can to make their lives more sustainable. The EBD development aims to
support people to make that change. It will provide an opportunity to join in a pioneering
experiment in living better, consuming less. It is being designed so that all people who live and work
on the site will meet Victoria's 2050 environmental targets twenty-five years ahead of time."

"People respond to visionary ideas, especially if they can see them translated into real action. Five
or six star buildings have set new benchmarks that others have been inspired to follow. Buildings
that become icons of green design (like Melbourne's Council House 2 and the Convention Centre)
can trigger a new wave of innovative achievements for even greater environmental gains. The task
is to get that dynamic operating beyond the confines of individual buildings to more complex urban
settings, to living and working communities. But we can't just aim for `six or seven star'
communities, if we want the `icon' effect to operate we need to set targets for ten or twelve stars."

"Innovation and the global economy will be shaped by climate change. Within as little as a decade
the `low-carbon' economy will be the major arena for global growth. The EBD project is
conceived as a focus and a stimulus for Victorian innovation, developing the local knowledge and
skills needed for the low carbon economy; knowledge and skills in areas such as design,
construction, consumption-information services, urban food production, renewable energy,
transportation, water and sewerage."

"Modelling of changes that could deliver significant greenhouse gas reductions seem generally to
conclude that it cannot be achieved by technology alone; it requires changes in life-styles,
behaviours and patterns of consumption. The attraction of EBD will be that it offers a diversity of
sustainable life-styles which are made possible by its technology and infrastructure."



Decode Pty Ltd www.decodemedia.com.au
Melbourne: (03) 9015 7999 355 St Georges Road Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Sydney: (02) 8006 0799 Level 4 / 81 York Street Sydney NSW 2000


BACKGROUND THE SITE


E-GATE
The land known as E-GATE is approximately 20 hectares situated alongside Moonee Ponds Creek,
just north of Docklands and south of the North-Melbourne Train Station. Currently this parcel of
land, which is owned by Vic Track is the last remaining large-scale vacant site next to Melbourne's
CBD available for development. The site is suggested to be developed in the next 6 10 years.








Decode Pty Ltd www.decodemedia.com.au
Melbourne: (03) 9015 7999 355 St Georges Road Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Sydney: (02) 8006 0799 Level 4 / 81 York Street Sydney NSW 2000


CONTRIBUTING ORGANISATIONS













Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab was established by the Victorian Government through the Victorian
Sustainability Fund as part of the government's Sustainability Action Statement, 2006. VEIL is a
part of the Australian Centre for Science Innovation and Society at the University of Melbourne.

VEIL: www.ecoinnovationlab.com
ACSIS: www.acsis.unimelb.edu.au
Sustainability Victoria: www.sustainability.vic.gov.au
Univeristy of Melbourne: www.unimelb.edu.au
















University partners include: Monash University, School of Design; RMIT University, School of
Architecture and Design; Melbourne University, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning and
the School of Land and Environment. Collaborating research groups include Swinburne University,
Faculty of Design; LaTrobe University, Centre for Sustainable Regional Communities Bendigo.
University of Melbourne: www.unimelb.edu.au
Swinburne: www.swin.edu.au
Monash University: www.monash.edu.au
RMIT University: www.rmit.edu.au




Decode Pty Ltd www.decodemedia.com.au
Melbourne: (03) 9015 7999 355 St Georges Road Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Sydney: (02) 8006 0799 Level 4 / 81 York Street Sydney NSW 2000


EXHIBITION SPONSORS








As the government's leading in-house project management agency, Major Projects Victoria (MPV)
plays a key role in delivering infrastructure that changes the lives of Victorians culturally,
environmentally and economically. MPV is a division of the Department of Innovation, Industry
and Regional Development and reports to the Minister for Major Projects, the Hon. Tim Pallas
MP.
Major Projects Victoria: www.mpv.vic.gov.au






The City of Melbourne, as a council, oversees Melbourne's city centre and several inner
suburbs. As a capital-city council, it also speaks on behalf of Melbourne in local, national and
international forums. The City of Melbourne works with other local councils and the State
Government of Victoria to ensure that Melbourne is one of the safest, healthiest, and cleanest
cities in the world. It supports Melbourne's position as Australia's pre-eminent centre for arts
and culture, education, fine food and dining and shopping.

Melbourne City Council: www.melbourne.vic.gov.au







VEIL gratefully acknowledges the support of local sustainable micro-brewery Mountain Goat Beer
and award winning sustainable winery Elgo Estate, makers of Allira wine for their contribution
towards the ECO-CITY MELBOURNE Exhibition.

Elgo Estate Winery: www.elgoestate.com.au
Mountain Goat Beer: www.goatbeer.com.au



Decode Pty Ltd www.decodemedia.com.au
Melbourne: (03) 9015 7999 355 St Georges Road Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Sydney: (02) 8006 0799 Level 4 / 81 York Street Sydney NSW 2000