SCEG Projects

The Restore Spring Creek project is being led by SCEG, working in partnership with government agencies and authorities, landowners, local businesses, conservation specialists, other community groups, and the wider community in general. Our aim is to restore the ecological biodiversity of the Spring Creek valley. We believe that this will bring about improvements in the four key areas of sustainability (energy, economy, ecology and equity) by: - Directing the community’s passionate energy into stewardship activities that in turn capture and store solar energy in biomass and soil carbon. - Encouraging truly sustainable economic activity that is compatible with, and linked to, nature conservation, eg regenerative farming, ecotourism, carbon offsetting, arts/cultural activities. - Undertaking a range of activities to build ecological biodiversity, eg tree planting, systems planning, monitoring, building goodwill for conservation. - Understanding the importance of equity for nature and for the community.

The Ridgeline Trail is a community project supported by the Surf Coast Shire Council and the Department of Transport and Planning.​ The trail will connect the regional towns of Bellbrae, Jan Juc and Torquay,​ and mark the start of a recreational bike route,​ that will eventually stretch all the way to Anglesea. ​ It will provide 'off road', ​running parallel to the Great Ocean Road ​from School Road to Duffields Road,​ with views over the Spring Creek Valley. ​ 3.7km long it travels through a restored ecological corridor ​9.6 hectares in size. Local families, schools, environmental groups, community groups and businesses are working together to bring the trail to life​ for the benefit of the Surf Coast community.​

SCEG, in partnership with Surf Coast Shire and Geelong Media, has developed a simple to use online tool for Surf Coast residents to check where and how much impact they have on our part of the world, and to take action in the most important and personally meaningful ways. It only takes about 10 minute to find out your ecological footprint.

SCEG is calling on the Department of Transport and Planning to announce when the new bus network for Torquay and Armstrong Creek will commence, and to assure the community that the new network will meet their needs. Matt Hines (SCEG committee member) has written to the Minister for Public Transport, but is yet to receive a reply. SCEG has also called for the release of the options assessment for the Surf Coast Highway Study, which was due for public comment from Aug-Dec 2023. The highway study is to look at how the highway can better accommodate all forms of transport. “The recent Infrastructure Victoria report highlighted the importance of dedicated bus lanes for rapid bus transit. With rapid bus transit proposed for Torquay to Geelong, SCEG are calling for dedicated bus lanes on Surf Coast Highway, in Armstrong Creek and Grovedale, to be part of the solution.” Mr Hines said.

The SCEG energy subcommittee is looking into the feasibility of applying for an ARENA grant for supporting microgrids.