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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Lalla, Tasmania
    Posts
    1,349

    Default SB's Block in Tasmania Build

    For this thread I'm concentrating on the block and not the shed build on the Shed sub forum. This is the block I purchased last year at Lalla, near Lilydale, in Tasmania, it's just under 8 acares or 3 and a bit hectares. It is mostly covered in bush and has a small stream on its North side running the length of the block and slops South from the road to North. My wife and I spent most of last year getting planning and building permits for the house and shed. As I mentioned in the post 'off the grid' on this forum, we hope to be off the grid with solar and some hydro from the creek. I have been asked 'why off the grid?' by many people, and I ask back with the increasing power costs expected over the next few years let alone what we have had till now, why would you not be off the grid. The cost of getting underground power to a rural block is dead money for a new build and I can put that money into being off the grid and then never having to pay some extortonist power company ever again. It might be just a small thing but the thought brings my wife and I great happyness to stick it back to the power companies. I designed the house myself with the weather and off the grid built in the design for the solar, however, the biggest problem I have had to date, is to meet BAL (bushfire attack level) 29 and I was not happy with this rating but when I thought about it the council is trying to save me from my own stupidity when it comes to a bushfire attack. I know my neigbours are toast if we get a bushfire as they do not have to comply with the new regs, so all in all I'm quite happy about it now.

    SB
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    Power corrupts, absolute power means we can run a hell of alot of power tools

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Minbun, FNQ, Australia
    Age
    66
    Posts
    12,881

    Default

    Watching.
    Cliff.
    If you find a post of mine that is missing a pic that you'd like to see, let me know & I'll see if I can find a copy.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Murray Bridge SA
    Posts
    3,339

    Default

    Will the BAL add much cost to be compliant for the house? Personally I think all new constructions should be set up "off the grid". Sure it will be an expense to set up, but in 10 years time, it will have paid for itself and hopefully NEVER need replacing.
    At least you'll have a bit of timber to play with, and if it doesn't work out, at least it'll keep you warm.
    Pity there wasn't a green eyed monster in the smilies, Jealousy, because I sure am.
    Best of luck to you and the good Lady.
    Kryn

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Nth Est Victoria, Australia
    Posts
    605

    Default

    You wont regret your decision to go off grid. We made a similar decision 30 years ago and never regretted that decision, not to mention saving a lot of money over that time period. And no black outs or spikes in power or prices.
    Best wishes and have a ball.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    6,975

    Default

    Watching this

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Nth Est Victoria, Australia
    Posts
    605

    Default

    And for those folk who prefer to produce most of their own power but would for one reason or another prefer to remain on the grid, and are dictated to by the various power companies about how much power they can feed back into the grid (of which I think is an obscenity) would a class action be out of the question?

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Dundowran Beach
    Age
    76
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    19,922

    Post

    Quote Originally Posted by HUON View Post
    And for those folk who prefer to produce most of their own power but would for one reason or another prefer to remain on the grid, and are dictated to by the various power companies about how much power they can feed back into the grid (of which I think is an obscenity) would a class action be out of the question?
    Probably not!!!

    Limiting what can be fed back into the grid has to do with the load needed to keep up supply. What happens to the excess generating capacity? What happens on cloudy days and what happens at night?

    Starting and stopping generating turbines is no easy matter so they run more or less constantly.

    In Qld. if you produce more than 5kw yo have to be a registered power station. I guess this is reasonable, especially in urban areas.

    I have often wondered about having a separate solar set up for our pool. It would not feed anything back to the grid and would probably do all we need it to do.

    What needs to be remembered is that we need the grid. We cannot rely on sunshine alone for electricity as the night hours become a problem. Even with battery
    storage there are problems. Think of the cost and the disposal problems associated with batteries.

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Nth Est Victoria, Australia
    Posts
    605

    Default

    I was reading the ATA's publication about batteries. It seems that battery technology is starting to catch up with power production from what I understand these batteries are going to be very expensive so much so that it is envisaged that they will be leased out to users on a monthly or quarterly basis (sound familiar). Another bit that I read was that the more people that went off grid the more the power companies would jack up their prices, so on and so forth,the reason folk went off grid in the first place was that prices were becoming too expensive.Wouldn't you like to get your hands on the politicians that privatised the SEC, which by the way was a profitable state owned facility.

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Coffs Harbour
    Posts
    226

    Default

    Our build was rated at BAL 29 and I don't think it was all that restrictive really.
    If you compare the difference between BAL 12.5 and up to 29 there isn't that much extra to do to comply.
    Bal 29 should go straight through council without being flicked on to RFS.
    Some of our suburban blocks get a 12.5 or 19 BAL level if they have a group of trees on them.

    Get to Bal 40 or FZ though and it could cost up to 100K more

    And yep.... Off Grid, bring it on

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Nth Est Victoria, Australia
    Posts
    605

    Default

    SB, tell me you didn't flatten that site with a twelve tonner. And please keep the pics coming.
    Cheers

  12. #11
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Lalla, Tasmania
    Posts
    1,349

    Default

    No, I did not have sex with that girl i.e. I did not flatten it with a 12 tonner, the contractor did. What needed to be cleared for the shed and house plus the BAL 29 conditions of 20 m around the house area, everything else stays. There always was one paddock cleared by the previous owner but that will be re planted in Blackwood trees later when we move on site. As you can see a new driveway being built and clearing for the shed and house.

    SB
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    Power corrupts, absolute power means we can run a hell of alot of power tools

  13. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Nth Est Victoria, Australia
    Posts
    605

    Default

    That's a nice drop of rain, looks like the drainage worked. Are you going to use any of the timber on the property for your house?

  14. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Lalla, Tasmania
    Posts
    1,349

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by HUON View Post
    That's a nice drop of rain, looks like the drainage worked. Are you going to use any of the timber on the property for your house?
    No Huon, the contractor only removed regrowth in the house area with no usable timber. The bigger trees area old growth along the creek and on the outer sides of the block. Young coming through gum and Blackwood trees outside the house clearing area will be let to grow.

    SB
    Power corrupts, absolute power means we can run a hell of alot of power tools

  15. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Nth Est Victoria, Australia
    Posts
    605

    Default

    Good stuff SB, nice to see the old growth allowed to grow older and age with dignity not to mention providing habitat for the critters we profess to love and protect.

  16. #15
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Lalla, Tasmania
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    Another update of progress of the earthworks, they are now all finished for now and the shed has started to go up. In the picts you can see the forming of one of the batters and a rock wall going in to support the base and make it look good. Also, the springs have been bought under control with drains etc.

    SB
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Power corrupts, absolute power means we can run a hell of alot of power tools

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