2018 Proposed and Planned Events

(Last updated - 11 April 2018)

2018 Planned and Proposed Activities

At our Planning Meeting held on Saturday 13 January 2018, the executive confirmed our Ordinary Meeting schedule for the year; suggested a list of topics for the proposed Community Forum program; discussed possible environmental observance dates to either endorse only and/or to support, promote and participate in; and possible educational and/or hands-on land care projects to undertake by ourselves or in participation with others.

Administration:

1) We have applied for listing on the Federal Government’s “Register of Environmental Organisations”. This listing will provide us with Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status so that we can start applying for Corporate Sponsorship to us help defray our operating expenses and to better market our projects, events and activities. We will also be able to apply to a wider range of funding bodies for our ‘backlog’ and proposed projects.

2) Efforts continue to spread the HOPE philosophy nationally; and to increase our membership – especially in the southern states.

Meeting program

Schedule for 2018:

Date	Meeting
10 February 2018	Guest speaker is MaryLou Gittens from Condamine Catchment Management Assn (CCMA). Marylou will give an overview of CCMA and explain her role as Queensland Water and Land Carers (QWaLC) director for Condamine region.
24 March 2018	Special General Meeting
16 June 2018	Special Meeting to ratify Constitution changes Initial meeting of HOPE Public Fund Management Committee
8 September 2018	Ordinary Meeting
10 November 2018	Annual General Meeting (AGM) 1st Ordinary Meeting of new Management Team for 2018-2019

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All meetings are held at the HOPE Office, 22 Vacy Street, Toowoomba, commencing at 10am sharp!

Community Forum program for 2018

Date	Topic
Thu, 1st March	Glen Tucker, Southern Beekeepers Assn -- Important Honey Flora
Thu, 5th April	Bruce Lawrie, Topknot Advisory: rural & environmental -- Conservation in Africa. --> Community Forum postponed to a later date due to unavailability of guest speaker.
Tue, 22nd May	Colin Johnson, Earthlife -- How restoring soil balance can help restore our environment

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All forums are held at Toowoomba City Library meeting room C, from 7pm to 9pm (Entrance by gold coin donation – to cover cost of venue hire) *** Other community forums will be added to program dependent on availability of guest speaker --- Possible topics include:

Animal Welfare – see RSPCA & Wildlife Carer groups
Going Solar – On-Off Grid with Battery Storage – ACDC Energy
Sustainable Development Goals – UNAA Qld & others
Using drones to survey landscapes – Steve Cupitt

Environmental Observance dates

So far, members expressed interest in supporting events such as:

Date	Event
late February-early March	Clean Up Australia Day events
5th June	World Environment Day
15th Sept	World Cleanup Day
Mid November	National Recycling Week

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Other potential environmental observances to support may be found at http://www.environment.gov.au/about-us/media-centre/events

Events to support:

Nominate & register clean-up sites for Clean Up Australia Day (4th March)
Logan Eco Action Festival (LEAF) – usually held in late May
U3A Toowoomba’s Seniors Expo (mid-August)
Several small information displays at Toowoomba’s PCYC Sunday Market

Other events will be added to program as they are endorsed

Some potential projects

(requiring grant funding and/or corporate sponsorship):

Nature Journaling workshops – promote to schools & community groups in Toowoomba region
Earth Ethics conference in partnership with University of Southern Queensland (USQ) and others (as per 2017 Brisbane program)
Landcare based projects – as identified by Steve Cupitt
- Creating Wildlife Friendly Backyards
- Using drones to survey landscapes
- Pest and Weed Management
- Managing MNES (Matters of National Environmental Significance) as part of land-holders’ Property Management Plans
- Grazing management trials

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