While it may not be easy being green, it does have it’s rewards. That was the case for grass-root green thumbs Transition Newcastle who were recently recognized for their hard work with a Sustainable Cities Award from the New South Wales government.
Organiser Graeme Stuart says in comparison to the group they were up against, the achievement is unbelievable. ” The winner was Manly City Council and when you think about how many resources they have compared to us, it was a pretty amazing that we were recognised. ”
With the project costing a mere $2700, the group proves you don’t need a big budget to make a big difference. “While we need action at international, national and state levels, we also need to address sustainability at a personal and local level,” Graeme said.
Transition Newcastle uses a variety of street challenges to engage neighbourhoods into more environmental activity. ” (The Street Challenge) encouraged neighbours to take action together and to support each other in becoming more sustainable. These sorts of activities aren’t enough on their own, but they can involve ordinary households and can help create a groundswell for a more sustainable community”.
While the group mostly works within the parameters of a few streets, its aim is to plant the seeds for a more environmentally conscious Newcastle.
“We want to have a close knit community where people know their neighbours. But it is also vital that we create a society that is not living beyond what the environment can support. It is these sorts of initiatives that we want to see Newcastle to become known for.”
On top of coordinated events Transition also runs a Neighborhood Supported Agriculture project, or a shared garden where people can pay a subscription to the garden at the beginning of the season for a share of the anticipated harvest.
Graeme says the project centres around the idea of ‘relocalisation’, where we produce most of what we need locally.
And whether that be local vegetables or local initiative, the crop seems to be doing just fine.
http://www.nbnnews.com.au/index.php?s=glovers
Cooks Hill Gardens had applied for a formal community garden on Glovers Lane Public Reserve in Cooks Hill and a clandestine garden is now underway on this site. However Newcastle Council have deemed that Glovers Lane Reserve is far too valuable to be used like this – with Lord Mayor Jeffrey McCloy commenting that the land was simply ´far too valuable to be used as a community garden´. Glovers Lane Reserve has been used as a public reserve since it was created by the City of Newcastle in 1976… and yet today it is now a Council ´operational´ asset, that can be sold to the highest bidder. How does the proposed sale by Council of Glovers Lane Reserve serve Council´s goals of sustainability?