Page 6 The Moorabool News – 18 January, 2022
News
Wayne Marshall and Jem Tyley-Miller at the Lerderderg Library promoting the upcoming Peter Carey Short Story competition. Photo – Lachlan Ellis
The story is … cash up for grabs
By Lachlan Ellis It’s on again, the Peter Carey Short Story Awards, and Mooraboolites are encouraged to try their hand for a chance at winning thousands of dollars, and a place in an acclaimed literary magazine. Named after Bacchus Marsh-born author Peter Carey, the 2022 Short Story Awards will grant this year’s winner $2000, and the runner-up $1000. Both writers’ stories will also be published in the Spring 2022 issue of prestigious Melbourne literary journal, Meanjin. On top of their Award winnings, the two writers will also receive a contributors’ fee from Meanjin for their work. Additionally, one exceptional submission from a writer who lives, works, or studies in Moorabool Shire will win the ‘Best Local Entry Award’, which comes with a $500 prize. Local writers Jem Tyley-Miller and Wayne Marshall are the faces of the contest, which is being run by Moorabool Shire Libraries. Mr Marshall said there was so much to gain from submitting an entry in the competition. “We'd love to see more entries from local writers in 2022. Moorabool Shire is so rich in literary talent, and by offering an award for the best local entry we hope to encourage writers of all levels and experience to put pen to paper,” Mr Marshall told the Moorabool News.
MN Moorabool News
“Jem and I are thrilled previous winners of the Peter Carey Award are going on to enjoy even bigger success with their short story writing. Andrew Roff, the winner in 2020, is only months away from having his debut collection ‘The Teeth of a Slow Machine’ published. Anne Casey-Hardy the 2018 winner, is also enjoying great success with her short stories.” He added that it was an honour to have award-winning Melbourne-based author Melissa Manning as head judge for 2022. Ms Manning wrote the ‘Smokehouse’ collection, which was shortlisted for the 2021 USQ Steele Rudd Award for a Short Story Collection, and has written stories that have been published in collections such as America’s ‘The Best Small Fictions’ and the UK’s ‘To Carry Her Home’. Submissions for the Peter Carey Short Story Awards open on January 31 and will close March 17. There is an entry fee of $15, and multiple stories can be entered. The longlist of writers will be posted online in late May, and the winner and runner-up will be announced on Saturday 4 June at a ceremony at the Bacchus Marsh Library. For more information, including the terms and conditions of the competition, visit www.moorabool.vic.gov.au and search ‘Peter Carey Short Story Awards 2022’.
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Energy building for community battery By Lachlan Ellis A webinar about the feasibility of a community battery in Ballan has generated a lot of positive energy, and though it is still early days, local environmentalists are feeling optimistic. Around 30 people attended the information session on Tuesday 11 January, which was hosted by the Grampians Community Power Hub (G-CPH) in collaboration with the Moorabool Environment Group (MEG). MEG Committee member Rose De la Cruz was one of the webinar’s four speakers, and said the webinar was more an information session than a presentation of any plans – but the concept was promising. “People who work from home like me, when your power goes out from things like storms, it’s terrible, and it happens a lot here,” Ms De la Cruz told the Moorabool News. “We hope there would also be financial benefits, in terms of lower power bills, for those using the battery. Excess electricity from solar panels on your roof could be put in the battery during the day, and then that power could be used at night.” She said there were many models from across Australia to choose from in terms of location of a battery, who manages the battery, and who owns it. “It’s all very early stages, we’re not going to get a battery tomorrow…but we’re going to look at other examples around the state, and around the country, over the next six months. It’s a very new, but also very exciting and innovative space,” she said. “In Ballan we have a lot of houses and public buildings with solar panels, and a lot of people interested in environmental issues
and reducing their carbon footprint. There is quite a group of people interested in this sort of thing locally.” Mary Debrett is President of Ballarat Renewable Energy and Zero Emissions (BREAZE) Inc., a registered charity that campaigns for greater adoption of renewable energy and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. She is also lead partner of the G-CPH project, and said there was huge potential in building a community battery in Ballan. “Our objectives include building social licence for and public trust in community energy – the locals need to own it. We know there are lots of people in the regions who want more renewables, and we aim to find them and work with them in developing viable projects,” Dr Debrett said. “The Grampians CPH will help local communities to build cheaper energy infrastructure that is also more resilient when bushfires hit. For BREAZE this is a terrific opportunity to raise public awareness of the benefits of renewable energy and help to cut carbon emissions – assisting with Ballarat’s community-wide Net Zero by 2030 target.” MEG hopes to complete a feasibility study by June, at which point it will put the concept to Sustainable Victoria for funding under the Community Power Hubs Program. A survey is now open to gauge community interest and feedback on how a community battery in Ballan should operate. To take part in the survey, visit www.surveymonkey. com/r/CSCF93B. The G-CPH project is also being supported by Hepburn Wind.
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