The Enviro-Energy Expo is the opening event for a Macedon Ranges Shire Council 2-week-long festival called ChangeMakers

What’s on, when and where ……

10.00am to 10.15am: Welcome to Country / Welcome to Expo

• Welcome to Country from Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation

• Official opening of the Expo

10.30am to 11.15am: Keynote Conversation

Title: The Chemical Experiment: The Hidden Cost of Convenience
Location: Multipurpose room of the stadium
Reservation for this session will be required

11.30am to 12noon and 1.00pm to 1.30pm: One-on-one free consultations

Location: Towards the front/sides of the stadium
Reservation for these consultations will be required

Experts on home thermal efficiency options, community buy schemes for energy saving devices, electrifying your home, going off-grid & home batteries, and Electric Vehicle purchasing and running.

• Maurice Beinat (EcoMaster) – Draught proofing, insulation, glazing - single/double/secondary - what is best. Find out where to start.

• Stephen Pepper (Go Renewable Energy Group) -  Electrifying your home, Going Off Grid, Home batteries. The economics of EV’s. Bring your power bills for Stephen to look at.

• Bryce Gaton (EVchoice)  - Choosing and charging an EV

Available Session Times

11.30am to 12.30pm: First Discussion Panel

Topic: What Works? Helping you to make choices
Format: 25min each panel member + 10min question time
Location: Multipurpose room of the stadium
Moderator: Olivia Hedge, Public Health and Epidemiology student at the University of Melbourne
Reservation for this session will be required

Panel members:

• Julie Weatherhead, Peppermint Ridge Farm : Creating a Native Pantry

  • Highlighting the amazing range of bush foods that can be grown in the home garden and how to use them in your kitchen

• Electrify Your Home Macedon Ranges step-by-step action plan

  • The formal public launch of this valuable Household Electrification Planner

12.30pm to 1.30pm: Induction Cook Top Demonstration

What you will see: Demonstration of Induction Cooktops, including how they work, pros and cons, benchtop cutout considerations and the health benefits of not cooking with gas
Location: Outdoors near the food area
Reservation for this session is not required

1.20pm - 2.30pm: Second Discussion Panel

Topic: Challenges and opportunities of energy transitioning
Format: 30min each panel member + 10min question time
Location: Multipurpose room of the stadium
Moderator: Melissa Hatty, Research Fellow and Health Psychologist, BehaviourWorks Australia, Monash University | [Profile]
Reservation for this session will be required

Panel members:

• Bryce Gaton, EVchoice - EV Choice Consulting and EV writer for “Renew” and “The Driven”

• Anthony Hooper, Peppermint Ridge Farm - Rural Property Electrification

  • Focusing on the development of energy, design and land management practices and initiatives at Peppermint Ridge Farm over forty years (1986-2026)

Throughout the day: Roving “Ask me about…” experts

• Dr Jenny Grounds

  Ask Jenny about her Off-Grid home, and her electric vehicle

• TREVOR KINSEY  

Ask Trevor about his Passivhaus

Throughout the day: Exhibits and displays

Electric Vehicles

o Essential Solar (BYD Seal Performance)

Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group Action Groups

o Go Renewable Energy Group

·        o Wash Against Waste

A mobile, volunteer-run, industrial-grade dishwashing unit designed to eliminate single-use cutlery and crockery at local events.

It features a high-temperature dishwasher, catering for up to 5,000 people, and sometimes operates using solar-powered electric vehicles. 

Wash Against Waste operates at community, school, and market events across the Macedon Ranges to help reduce waste, and will once again be at the Enviro-Energy Expo.

o Veg Action

Come and taste how delicious and simple to cook seasonal plant-based food can be! 🌱

Veg Action is offering tasting samples of four low-cost, seasonal plant-based dishes, created to show how easy it is to eat well on a budget.

Have a chat with them about the benefits of increasing fruit and veg in everyday meals, vote for your favourite dish and grab some free recipe cards. 

By voting, you’ll have the option to go into the draw to win an Edgy Veg gift card to enjoy a plant-based dish at a participating venue during the Edgy Veg competition.

Environment Groups

o Riddells Creek Landcare

o Greening of Riddell

o Rangeview Park revitalisation (Swampy Business)

o Maribyrnong River & Waterways Association

Founded in 2022, the Maribyrnong River and Waterways Association (MRWA) is a values-driven community-based organisation that advocates for the health of rivers and creeks in the Maribyrnong catchment. We advocate for the river itself, for the communities that depend on it, and for the myriad of health and well-being benefits that come with our interaction with the waterways and surrounding parklands. MRWA brings the needs of the river into the public domain, challenges the community and government to act and puts forward pathways for action.

o Volcano Dreaming

Volcano Dreaming is an epic mural showcasing the amazing diversity of life found in the wildflower grasslands of Victoria’s western plains.

This detailed montage of over 3,000 photos is the creation of Inherit Earth.

It depicts an intriguing grassy landscape, revealing the flora and fauna in a stunningly detailed panorama.

The mural comprises twelve x 1m-wide fabric banners. Each banner has a theme, describing various aspects of our native grasslands, what has happened to them, or how they are being preserved

o RRRAPT Recycled, Repurposed Remnants: wrapping and decorations for sustainable celebrations

o Upper Deep Creek Landcare Network

o Jacksons Creek EcoNetwork

SCHOOLS

o Riddells Creek Primary School

o Sacred Heart College Kyneton Sustainability Leaders 

Planet-positive Businesses

o Enviroflex

Retrofit insulation specialists for residential and commercial spaces

o EcoMaster

ecoMaster is an Australian leader in high-quality, energy-efficient solutions, proudly carrying the Australian Made certification for many products.  Specialising in products that enhance thermal comfort and reduce energy bills, ecoMaster offers a range of draught proofing, insulation, and secondary glazing solutions tailored to suit the home DIYer.
Visitors can expect an interactive experience at the ecoMaster booth, complete with live demonstrations, expert advice, and the opportunity to explore how ecoMaster's products can make homes more sustainable and comfortable. The team provides insights into the latest in energy efficiency technology, 10 min consultations, and special expo offers designed to help attendees make the most informed decisions for improving their home environments

o Advanced Energy Tech – Resource Recovery

o Essential Solar

o 99 Bikes

Take an E-bike for a ride. Various models will be available including town, trail, off road, and mountain bikes. The 99 Bikes team will be able to answer any question you have, and while at the display, go into the draw for a $1,000 voucher towards the wholesale purchase price of a 99 Bikes Hoppers Crossing E-Bike!

o Peppermint Ridge Farm [Bio and event info]

Government & Council supporters

o Greater Western Water

o Melbourne Water

o Bendigo Health Loddon Mallee Public Health Unit

Visit this climate change and health exhibit to understand how climate change directly affects our health and well-being.

Learn about the health risks we face and discover how climate action can simultaneously protect our communities and improve public health

o MRSC Resource Recovery

Waste education, reusable alternatives display, soft plastic recycling pilot, any other recycling programs/initiatives being run by Council

The exhibit will have information, brochures and displays relating to all the recycling and resource recovery initiatives being undertaken within the Shire.

There will also be colouring-in and puzzle sheets for children to enjoy, plus an interactive recycling sorting activity.

Riddells Creek Locals

o Riddells Creek Neighbourhood House 

RCNH will feature Seed Savers, a connection hub for growing and saving seeds

o Dromkeen

o Riddells Creek CFA

Throughout the day: Music by Eloise Rawlinson

Throughout the day: Food & Drink

• freshly made coffee - global village learning coffee van

• Delicious Indian food - Dhaba Food VAN

• sausage sizzle and bake sale - Riddells Creek Scouts

• Water Refill Station located Inside Stadium - Please remember to Bring a water bottle. The greater western water furphy trailer will be on-site

2.35pm: Prize Draws and Expo Closing

Lucky Door Prizes

• Courtesy of EcoMaster

  • Find and Fix My Draughts (Online Course) value $87.00 x 1 

  • Buying a Home (Online Course)  value $247 x 1 

  • Gift Voucher $50 x 1

• A year’s supply of Yarn’n toilet rolls

• Year’s subscription to Renew magazine x 2 – valued at $54 each

• Year’s subscription to Sanctuary magazine x 2 – valued at $62 each

• Many local Riddells Creek businesses have also donated door prizes

Special Prize Draws

• Visit the 99 Bikes exhibit at the Expo, try out an e-bike and register for your chance to win a $1,000 voucher towards the wholesale purchase price of a 99 Bikes Hoppers Crossing E-Bike!

• Courtesy of Essential Solar, one lucky winner will receive $500 towards a new battery system (over 10kWh) or Ducted HVAC system (with ducted gas decommissioning) or Hot Water Heat pump (over 300L)
  …. Or alternatively ….

$1,500 off all three (Battery, HVAC & Hot Water) as an Essential Electrification incentive!

Non-transferable, must be redeemed and installed by 30th June 2026.

Must enter the draw in person, on the day only.

EXIT SURVEYS

• Please fill out our Expo survey (On-line or on paper).

  • This information is vital for future expo funding and improvements

Feedback from the 2025 Expo

“It was certainly the best organized community run Expo that I have been to .....”

- Professor Emeritus David Karoly, FAA, University of Melbourne

“It was a great gathering, and I felt inspired by the conversations with people at the expo and listening to the talks.”

- Kate Phillips, Museums Victoria Research Institute’s Youth Climate Cafes

Thank you to our sponsors!