Local and sustainable food, travel and transport and sustainable water are top priorities for the Bendigo Sustainability Group going into the future, after the group adopted a new strategic plan.
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The plan will allow the BSG to work on innovative projects, that no one would otherwise take on.
The BSG will strengthen its action groups, which president Trevor Smith said would allow the group to work more effectively into the future.
Mr Smith said that the group was adopting the same One Planet Living framework as council, but would take a different approach.
"Council were going to do what the public need and what they got voted in to do, whereas we're going to do the innovative stuff that's ahead of the game ... and stick to that," Mr Smith said.
"We're not going to go and do what everyone else is doing, we're going to do our niche."
The One Planet Framework sets out 10 principles by which organisations can plan and deliver programs in an environmentally friendly way.
The BSG decided was a good model to work by, Mr Smith said.
The group narrowed down their priorities from the 10 set out in the framework, which include health and happiness, culture and community, materials and products and zero waste.
Food was an overwhelming priority for the current committee, whereas the previous committee had a focus on solar and renewable energy, Mr Smith said.
The new committee will continue the previous committee's work on solar and renewable energy.
The strategy also aims to empower more people to act by equipping more action groups to become independent organisations, and increase the number of groups using the BSG's resources.
Action groups are independent groups supported by the BSG which work on specific projects.
Among these are the Ironbark Gully Friends and the Community Power Hub. Respectively the groups are working towards restoring the Ironbark Gully and towards helping create large scale, community owned solar projects.
The BSG will also demonstrate sustainability projects in action, through events like the Sustainability Festival, and partner with other community groups, under the plan.
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