Kippax Uniting Church, ACT

Congratulations to Kippax Uniting Church for earning the Eco-Worship Award! Kippax is dedicated to including environmental and creation care themes in their worship. Not only do they participate in the Season of Creation each year, but they also regularly mention these themes in everyday services. In 2011 they also held a MasterChef Cupcake Competition to raise money for the RSPCA as part of their yearly Blessing of the Animals service, which is often spiced up by more than just cats and dogs – they have had goldfish in the baptismal font, a pair of lizards and even stick insects.

Kippax UnitingCare was recognised for their wonderful work in the community with the donation of a solar power generation system on Wednesday 29^th of July 2009. Kyocera Solar, Solar Sparx and the Clean Energy Council donated the system to mark the opening of the Appropriate Technology Retailers Association of Australia 2009 conference, the nation’s biggest solar industry event.

The ACT’s gross feed-in tariff means that our 2kW system will generate about $1,500 towards our energy bills each year for the next 20 years. UnitingCare Kippax Team Leader Gordon Ramsey declared the donation a “win, win, win situation”.

 “This unit will mean that we are able to tread more gently on this Earth and build a more sustainable community for the future. It will also mean that through financial savings generated, there will be some additional resources every year which we can return to the ongoing work of community services and care,” he said.

ACT Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water, Simon Corbell, who spoke at the opening, said events like this confirm that Canberra remains, “The Solar Capital of Australia”.