The BEC was formed in 1989 in response to the growing awareness that to deal with environmental issues, members of the community needed to work through an organisation to achieve the maximum benefit for the environment. It was also seen as essential that the organisation become incorporated to take its responsibility seriously and to formalise the structure, accountability and liability of the organisation.
The Sustainable Earth Project’s building at 1 Church Street, Bellingen was built by the Bellingen community in 1990.
The BEC occupies The Loft in this building, and provides a meeting place to discuss matters pertaining to the environment and facilities for community members working in the field of environmental issues.
The BEC building is open to members working on environmental projects. We also make our premises available to other community groups and individuals promoting sustainable buildings, human care and wellbeing and make our facilities available to people seeking information on the state of the environment through our knowledge, our library and our communication facilities. The BEC provides noticeboards for groups to share contacts, events and information.
BEC Members
Supported by its members the BEC is one of the major community organisations in the region, with the projects it undertakes being supported by a large number of people. Apart from the direct involvement with the BEC, many of our members also make a personal contribution in Land-care, Dune-care, River-care and other groups in our Shire.
BEC Funding
The BEC is funded by membership fees, donations, and our biannual fundraiser, the Plant Fair.
We are a major shareholder in the Sustainable Earth Project, by donation of shares by our members, and as a shareholder we are also responsible for the commercial loans towards the solar installation on our building.
