A Group in Melbourne have recently opened a Group in Yahoo - Melbourne Biodiesel.
I have joined that group and will support both groups.
I also posted the following message on that group:
Please toss this idea around and see what develops.
Tony
The Wizard of Oz.

If you want to use this site, anyone is welcome to it – I can make a space here that you can control.

Alternatives:

1. I'd be more than happy to expand the available sections here to include all the Australian states & territories, I'd only put Sydney there to start as that is my local scene. I'd be only too pleased to offer a home to any other communities as well here. I might do this soon anyway.
2. I'd be happy to join a biofuels incorporated association and hand over this site to them (I'd deliberately made the name of these forums generic enough to support this possibility) as long as the flow of information and community sharing stayed free and accessible to all. I have no problem with this association charging for memberships that offered other benefits, as long as access to the website, or sharing amongst members was not one of the things offered for a price. This is something that I always strongly felt the BAA did wrongly (and still advertises these false promises on their website).
3. I'd be happy to help anyone else set up a site of their own as well. I'm only doing this site from my own pocket to fill a need that I saw existing. I'm not making any money out of it, or hoping to either. I was only hoping to find like minded folk to help me out with my own biodiesel interests, as I found them all scattered and hiding on the web previously. If you decide that you do want to just do something on your own, I'd be happy to give you any help or advice with web skills needed.

It is my opinion that there are lots of folk in the biofuels scene out there that are spending lots of time on internal politics and infighting. There seem to be lots of conflicting interests and competition, when it should be collaboration. This is sad for the cause in general. I'd be happy to assist anyone or any group in whatever way I can to further the biofuels cause (well, maybe biodiesel and waste cooking oil more so than ethanol - That's just my personal preference, but I won't exclude discussions on ethanol if people want to argue for it here).

Tony - I fully agree that it would be far better for us to stand up and be counted, I'm really sick of everyone hiding away afraid to share what they are doing. Perhaps we would get a bit more public support and maybe be able to have a political voice if we were more numerous and obvious.

__________________
Robert Fyvie
Site Admin
Sydney Biodiesel Users' Group and Australian Biofuel Users


......................................................
2007 Mazda 6 Diesel ..................................2000 Peugeot 306..........................2001 Landrover (retired)
2L Turbo charged (Common Rail) ...................XTdt 1.9L Turbo ............................Freelander TD4 (Common Rail)
on B100.................................................. ...on B100.......................................on B100

I have always been very interested in alternative fuel but only recently have started to look at Biodiesel as an alternative. The more information I can get hold of the better. It's things like how and where can I get methanol here in western Victoria that I need to know. I'd like to get a test batch made up so I can get an idea of what's involved. So a local forum would suit me well.

Paul

Hi Toni in WA, and anybody else interested.
Yep the melbourne group arn't doing much dialogue on the Yahoo site, probably cause the truely active members down here can just call each other up on the old fashioned dog and bone. But we still really need to get more enthusiasts along so as to reach our goal of becoming a site group of the CERES environment park, and set up an open educational plant for school kids and small minded adults to come and watch us make BD, and a neutral space (clubhouse) , Not someone in particulars own shed, meaning no real shared risk, but one big risk for the one individual, not to mention contravening coucil aproval and bylaws.
To Be advised in early Feb or late Jan will be a meeting held at CERES to get the ball rolling in setting up proper afiliation, of the Melbourne Biodisel club.
As is the rules with the meeting of or creating of a club everyone must get 28 days notice of the date and whereabouts of the meeting and i will use this site here as well as the yahoo site to promote the meeting.
cheers all , hope to see many enthusiasts at the meeting.
Darren.

Cool. Good to hear things are moving down there. Post up a new thread in this area (Melbourne Users forum) when you have some info on it and hopefully some Melbourne folks will find you from it. I'd be happy to help you guys get some web presence soon.

__________________
Robert Fyvie
Site Admin
Sydney Biodiesel Users' Group and Australian Biofuel Users


......................................................
2007 Mazda 6 Diesel ..................................2000 Peugeot 306..........................2001 Landrover (retired)
2L Turbo charged (Common Rail) ...................XTdt 1.9L Turbo ............................Freelander TD4 (Common Rail)
on B100.................................................. ...on B100.......................................on B100