CEO Noel Trengove standing on the completed slab prior to the Christmas break period; imagining the finished home.

New Home builds funds for charity

by Meg Rayner Dec 29th courtesy the Courier

Work has started on a Ballarat Foundation initiative to build a seven-star, low energy “charity” home in Alfredton.
The slab was poured at the site recently, after months of development
and planning.
A joint venture for the Foundation, the Integra Group and the University of Ballarat , the move is being supported by local and national businesses, including Ballarat’s Eureka Concrete, who supplied concrete for the slab.
The Ballarat Foundation chief executive officer Noel Trengove said not only would the home benefit the foundation by its sale, but it would give people the opportunity to see a seven-star home in operation.
“It’s a chance for people to wander through in a non-threatening environment without salesmen and see the different environmental and energy-saving components and decide whether they might like to incorporate them into their own homes,” he said.
“The University of Ballarat will be providing a cost benefit for people so they can see a return on their energy saving choices so they can make more informed decisions.”
Mr Trengove said he hoped the four-bedroom home would be completed by April and be open to the public for about three months before being sold.
The proceeds from the sale will go to The Ballarat Foundation.
“We’re not normally known for doing things with a physical presence in the community.” Mr Trengove said.
“This is a new direction for us as we recognise that we can create new projects like this to grow our pool of funds and invest in the future.”