Our Participants

Testimonials Clients & Employees

CarbonCut customer Ms Toumbourou says:  " I thought our options were limited because we were renting but the advice and low cost products from CarbonCut has already changed the temperature of our place."  

"It has made a huge difference to the temperature in the coldest part of the house - the kitchen and living area are now comfortable places to be. "

Local resident, Mr Roberts says he was interested in the program because he hoped it could help reduce his electricity bill. 

“On the pension you have a lot of time but you don’t have a lot of money to spend with your time”, he says. He hopes that reducing his energy bill will let him spread his money out towards his favourite entertainment, musical theatre.

CarbonCut Retrofitter Andrew Ryan says:

“I feel St Kilda is my community.” I feel I can relate to local people more easily because I have been involved in the St Kilda community for some time.”

“They can relate to me just as much as I can relate to them.”

CarbonCut Retrofitter Neel Bivalkan says:

“We walked into a place where a woman had only one light globe working and we put in six working light globes. We actually gave her light. At the end of the day her life has become more comfortable. We also fixed in some draft stoppers to cut down cold air coming in from under and around the door, so that has also made her life more comfortable. However you look at it, something good has come out of it. That is very satisfying at the end of the day.”

CarbonCut Retrofitter Kate Carpenter says:

“Being involved in CarbonCut gives a hands-on learning experience in sustainability. I am studying sustainability, the Diploma I am doing is only a year-long introduction to the ideas of sustainability so working with CarbonCut helps to flesh out these ideas further. Things I learn at uni I can take into my job here, and things I learn here I can take back to my studies.”

“This work is pretty eye opening, and has been a really good experience in itself. And having had a job in the sustainability field, I hope will be a useful way to begin a sustainability career.”

CarbonCut Retrofitter Nick Bishop:

" I am really enjoying the social side of this work which has never been part of my line of work. Being an engineer you are quite removed from the community. I enjoy working with the service recipients.”

“The best advantages of this program have been about reaching a section of the community who haven’t been targeted by companies. We come across people with mental or physical disabilities, who need support to change light bulbs themselves. We come across people who have no lights at all. One person had only one working light bulb for weeks before we came. Helping them felt satisfying.”

CarbonCut Russian Language Translator Anna Rogalina says:

“Some people make fun of them because they can’t speak English. These people have strong family connections….they feel like it is their family or children helping them.”

EcoCentre Director Neil Blake says:

 “It is vital that the climate change conversation is taken up in the wider community, as opposed to being limited to the ‘early adopters’. But apart from that, the most important thing for us is to give young people some skills and opportunities to make a positive response to climate change.”

“One thing that’s particularly inspiring is the way that such a multicultural mix of people has combined so well as a team. I’d like to think that we’ve built a solid foundation on which to expand the CarbonCut concept and provide more opportunities for young people to take a lead role in shaping the future. ”

CarbonCut not only plays an important role improving the livelihood of local residents, but has also succeeded in providing real career opportunities for its team. Below, is the journey of one the CarbonCut employees

CarbonCut Co-Coordinator Lisa Siciliano says:

“I began with the CarbonCut program as a trainee retrofitter over two years ago. Within this position I was given the skills and expertise needed to deliver a home energy and water retrofit and behaviour change program. The success of CarbonCut has given me a permanent position on the Port Phillip EcoCentre team and opportunities to utilise my experience and knowledge. In my role as Program Co-Coordinator I have had the opportunity to make a valuable contribution to the local community and the natural environment.’

"The most important aspect of CarbonCut, was being able to provide a free service to a sector of the community which is often marginalized and sometimes forgotten within mainstream society. It was very rewarding to help those who I feel needed it most - not only saving valuable dollars, but also increasing comfort in their home. One experience that stands out is after fitting draft proofing for an older client, the resident remarked "My feet are no longer cold!" The exercise only cost $20 dollars and took no longer than 15 minutes to carry out, however the reward will last me a lifetime.”

I feel a program such as this helps to bridge the gap between demographics and generations.