Redback gets new lease of life

Troubled renewable energy firm Redback Technologies is putting a positive spin on its recent financial difficulties that saw it burn through $10m of taxpayer’s money.

Redback’s home battery pack

Troubled renewable energy firm Redback Technologies is putting a positive spin on its recent financial difficulties that saw it burn through $10m of taxpayer’s money. City Beat readers will recall Redback was placed in voluntary administration back in March after running out of cash to pump out its Chinese made battery packs that worked in tandem with home solar power systems. Redback says it has now been restructured under the control of its new and long-term owner Australia Ebon. Ebon’s parent company is an outfit called Ebang, a Hangzhou-based chip design and global payments firm run by a chap called Dong Hu. Redback says its “new owner provides long-term stability for our staff and our customers and also means that we are now back to operating as business as usual and no longer in voluntary administration.” It says its warranty team remains operational and the firm is already hard at work finalising “the release of its next-generation hybrid battery system.” “This innovative product promises to be a game-changer in the market, and we are excited for you to be a part of this launch,” Redback says.

Let’s hope Redback does not put out its hand out for any further investment given long suffering taxpayers have emerged losers from the recent voluntary administration.

In 2017, Redback was approved to receive funding of up to $4 million from the State Government to develop a monitoring platform. Redback also secured $2.6m in funding through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

Home battery pack sold by Redback Technologies.

Ukraine walk

More than 700 Queenslanders stepped out for the Walk My Way Ukraine event on the weekend to support Ukrainian children and families displaced by the conflict in the European country. The world recognised the second-year anniversary of the war on February 24 with no apparent end in sight. Walk My Way Ukraine is an initiative of Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS) and features a 3km or 12.5km walk along the Brisbane River, starting and finishing at QUT Gardens Point Campus. Walkers travelled from as far as Gladstone, Kingaroy, Dalby, Hervey Bay, and the Gold Coast.
Organised in partnership with the Ukrainian Community of Queensland, funds raised will support projects delivered by ALWS’ international partner Lutheran World Federation (LWF), providing emergency food and water to families in need, rebuilding schools, renovating 1500 apartments in the city of Kharkiv and providing psychological support for displaced children.

War damage in Ukraine.

Homeless help

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and Lady Mayoress Nina Schrinner have rallied the community to support the 2024 ‘Live Like Her Challenge’, an annual event aimed at providing housing solutions to older homeless women in Brisbane.

Brisbane’s first couple will join hundreds of participants on September 5, by spending a night in their car at Brisbane Airport to raise awareness and funds for ‘The Forgotten Women’, a Brisbane based charity committed to providing homes to older homeless women.

Homelessness in Queensland has surged by 22 per cent since 2017, with more than 10,000 individuals experiencing homelessness across South East Queensland on any given night.

“I have lived in Brisbane my entire life and I have never seen homelessness reach the scale we’re seeing today,” says the mayor. It’s shocking, disturbing and it absolutely breaks my heart. Council is doing what we can to assist; We’re waiving infrastructure charges for community housing providers to incentivise the creation of new homes and providing financial support to our frontline homelessness services.”

“There is no silver bullet solution for this crisis; It will take the combined action of all levels of government, support services and the community.”

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner