Village Well in collaboration with the Ethos Foundation, Donkey Wheel Trust, Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies (CERES), Victorian Eco Innovation Lab (VEIL) and RMIT invite you to….

Going Local and Making Great Places: A Free Public Lecture with Judy Wicks
Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab. Wednesday 21 May 2008
7.00pm - 9.00pm Storey Hall, RMIT, 342 Swanston Street Melbourne (MEL 579 K7)
RSVP: info @villagewell.org or 03 9650 0080 by Friday 2 May 2008

And

Workshop with Judy Wicks - Going Local: Creating Sustainable & Resilient Business Networks and Communities
8.30am-4.00pm, Thursday 22 May 2008
100 Mile Cafe, Level 3, Melbourne Central 211 La Trobe Street MELBOURNE

Judy Wicks
Inspiring founder and CEO of the White Dog Café in Philadelphia, cofounder and a director of the US-wide Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) and of the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia, Judy is the recipient of more than 40 local, national and international awards. In 2004, Inc. magazine named her one of America’s 25 most fascinating entrepreneurs, “because she’s put in place more progressive business practices per square foot than any other entrepreneur.” Find out how local businesses are meeting the challenge of globalisation, Climate Change and Peak Oil to create sustainable communities that sustain life, economic viability and the natural environment, and are deeply rooted in their natural and cultural place. Business people, entrepreneurs & everyone involved in the design, creation & management of our cities needs to come to this.

‘Business is about relationships. Money is simply a tool. Business is about relationships with everyone we buy from & sell to, and work with, and about our relationship with Earth itself.’ Judy Wicks

For more information about these events and to book for the workshop print out the pdf below.
going-local-lecture-workshop-1.pdf

Below is the Farmers’ Market Newsletter May by Miranda Sharp, Melbourne Community Farmers’ Markets Freelance Food Writing, www.mfm.com.au.

NEWSLETTER MAY 2008
May already and snow on them there hills! It was only days ago and the temperature was well into the 20’s. Speaking of weather…remember the appallingly windy day at the beginning of April? Sure enough it created lasting havoc for many farmers around Victoria including a completely devastated hazelnut orchard in Gippsland, two lost apple crops in Central Victoria and traumatised chooks who went collectively “off the lay” in the West.

In Victorian Farmers’ Market Association news, we are thrilled to finally have some of the funding in the bank from the much anticipated State Government pledge of last years election to see the growth of community-based farmers’ markets. As a result we have been able to employ a part-time Executive Officer, Chloe Crawley, who will be enacting projects such as the major accreditation program for markets across Victoria plus a website, conference and ‘how to’ guides for interested community groups and prospective stallholders. VFMA can be contacted on 9416 2090 and vicfarmersmarket @bigpond.com.

We need your input and feedback from the consumers point of view as this is a really formative time for us. We also should remind you that part of the funding is for community groups who can apply for up to $20,000 to start farmers’ markets in regional Victoria. VFMA has run a series of workshops for successful applicants and several community-run markets have started recently as a result of this support. More info www.business.vic.gov.au and find the farmers’ market grants program.

In produce around the state this month you’ll find the last of the berries, corn & field tomatoes but the reassuring re-appearance of parsnips, pumpkins, leeks, all the brassicas and other veggies will coax us into Winter gently.
There’s oodles in fruit and nuts too; mandarins, lemons, apples, pears, kiwis, pomegranates, feijoa, medlar, walnuts, chestnuts and quinces. Come and meet Shaw River buffalo cheesemakers at Collingwood.

It’s time to get bottling if that’s your thing. There are still green tomatoes around the markets which are an easy pickle to make to put away for winter antipasto platters. Slice the tomatoes as thinly as possible, toss liberally with cooking salt and weight down overnight. Rinse off in fresh water the next day, douse in white vinegar for an hour or so, rinse again then pack with olive oil and herbs in sterilized jars. Delish! Don’t forget there are 5 Saturdays in May so the last market is at the Abbotsford Convent on the 24th May.

Veg Out Farmers’ Market
3rd May & 1st Sat every month 8.30am-1pm.
Chaucer Street, St Kilda Melways 2P B9. Free Entry

Collingwood Children’s Farm Farmers’ Market
10 May & 2nd Sat every month 8am–1pm
St Heliers Street, Abbotsford Melways ref 44 G5
Entry $2 adults, stay all day.

Gasworks Farmers’ Market
17 May & 3rd Sat every month, 8.30am–1pm
Graham Street, Albert Park Melways 2J H7 Free Entry

Slow Food Melbourne Farmers’ Market
24th May & 4th Sat every month 8am–1pm.
Abbotsford Convent, St Heliers St, Abbotsford, Melways 44G5
$2 adults entry & carpark to Convent restoration & maintenance projects.

Please don’t forget all the markets are plastic bag free so get into the swing and BYO!
For more information www.mfm.com.au.

Farmers Market Newsletter May pdf

United Nations Association of Australia

Did you know the nomination deadline for the United Nations Association of Australia World Environment Day Awards has been extended? You now have until close of business Wednesday May 7 to submit your entry for these Awards!

These Awards recognise those businesses, local governments, community organisations, schools, individuals and the media whose work serves to protect, manage or restore the environment.

Categories this year are: Building Commission Award for Best Sustainable Residential Development; Business Sustainability Awards; Community Award; DSE Excellent in Marine and Coastal Management Award; Excellence in Sustainable Water Management Award; Individual Award; ITW Industrial Packaging Education/Schools Award; Lincolne Scott Triple Bottom Line Award; Local Government Awards; Media Award for Environmental Reporting; Sustainability Victoria Meeting the Greenhouse Challenge Award; Szencorp Green Building Award.

For further information and entry forms, visit the website www.unaavictoria.org.au.

Kind regards,

Laura Szekfy
Communications and Events Manager
United Nations Association of Australia (Victorian Division)
Ph: 03 9670 7878 || Fax: 03 9670 9993
Email: office @unaavictoria.org.au
www.unaavictoria.org.au

Please find a message below from Growing Communities.

Dear all across Australia,
It is time to bring the Australian school gardens community together to celebrate our achievements learn from each other’s experiences and examine the role of school gardens in bringing about a sustainable future.

Growing Communities would like to invite you all to the 1st Australian School Gardens Network Gathering & Learning in the Garden Seminar, Brisbane, 13th, 14th, & 15th July 2008.

After our suggestion for a National gathering of the school garden community about a month ago, already 10 people from outside Queensland have said they want to come. So, seriously think about booking your flight and registering as if there are lots of people coming, then will need to adjust size of venue, re-think billeting, etc.

For program and registration details visit http://www.growingcommunities.org.au/litg2008.htm.

All inquires email: litg @growingcommunities.org.au

Hope to hear from you all soon.
Happy gardening.

Growing Communities

Growing Communities
192 Boundary Street
West End Qld 4101

p: 0423 945 621
f: (07) 3844 7322
e: info@growingcommunities.org.au
i: www.growingcommunities.org.au

Growing Communities is a community based cooperative enterprise working to promote the establishment, development and on-going support of school gardens, community gardens and city farms in South East Queensland and beyond.

Please find a message below from Ben Nicholson, Green Roofs Australia.

Dear green roofers and green roof enthusiasts,

The second annual Green Roofs Australia conference is taking place from 18 - 20 June 2008 in Brisbane and we are currently calling for anyone interested in presenting at the conference to submit a 500 word abstract of their topic to the committee for consideration.

The annual GRA conference provides an excellent opportunity for presenters to share information and publicise their efforts in forwarding green roof and wall technologies in Australia. This year the conference will aim to cover a wide range of topics, from the trial and error efforts of ‘mum and dad’ green roofers to the experiences of large extensive commercial practitioners.

If you are interested in presenting a topic at the 2008 Green Roofs Australia conference, please follow the link below to submit your 500 word abstract - you will be contacted in due course by a member of the committee:
http://www.icebergevents.com/greenroofsconference2008/Call-for-Abstracts/

If you are interested in registering to attend the conference, you may do so via the link below:
http://www.icebergevents.com/greenroofsconference2008/Registration/

And if you are interested in sponsoring the conference via one of our sponsorship packages, you are more than encouraged to follow the link below:
http://www.icebergevents.com/greenroofsconference2008/Sponsorship-Opportunities/

Finally, if you would like to catch up on what’s been happening in the world of green roofs and walls, check out the Green Roofs Australia website:
http://greenroofs.wordpress.com/

I wish you all the best and look forward to seeing you at the GRA conference in June!

Kind Regards,
Ben Nicholson
VIC-TAS Coordinator

The Victorian Sustainable Development Conference 2008 will bring together key Victorian Government ministers, industry leaders, local government, scientists, conservationists and others to discuss the current and future directions and frameworks for sustainability in Victoria, and will review how it will affect Victorian local government, business and the community.

It will provide an opportunity to examine progress towards sustainable objectives in a range of key areas such as:
Water
Energy efficiency
Climate change response
Waste and resource recovery
Planning and urban design, including a review of the Melbourne 2030 strategy.

The Conference will also feature best practice case studies in sustainable development, including creating a sustainable workplace, addressing challenges of sustainability, and provide advice for how state and local government and business can achieve their sustainable development goals in a cost-effective manner.

Keynote Speakers include:
Hon. Gavin Jennings MLC, Minister for Environment and Climate Change
Hon. Peter Batchelor MP, Minister for Energy and Resources
Dr Ian McPhail, Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability
Timothy Piper, Director, AiGroup
Kelly O’Shanassy, Chief Executive Officer, Environment Victoria
Rob Hogarth, Partner, KPMG
Dr Wendy Craik, Director, Murray-Darling Basin Commission

Confirmed Speakers include:
Andrew Allan, President, Stormwater Industry Association - Victorian Branch
Michael Ambrose, Construction Systems Scientist, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems
Linda Bradburn, Education Officer, Melton Shire Council
Larissa Brown, Executive Director, Centre for Sustainability Leadership
David Buntine, Chief Executive, Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority (PPWCMA)
Colin Dimitroff, Principal, Corporate Sustainable Solutions, URS Asia Pacific
Robert Easson, Manager Alliance Partners, Prima Consulting
Andrew Fennessey, Principal Adviser Industry and Economics, Department of Sustainability and Environment
Paul Holper, Manager, Australian Climate Change Science Program, CSIRO Marine & Atmospheric Research
Chloe Munro, Commissioner, National Water Commission
Robert Kerr, Commissioner, Victorian Competition and Efficiency
Robert Powell, Industrial Resource Efficiency Officer, City of Frankston
Cathy Ronalds, Policy Officer - Climate Change Adaption, Department of Sustainability and Environment
Maria Simonelli, Executive Manager, ICLEI Australia/New Zealand
Brian Peadon, CEO, Waterexchange
Thinh Tran, Project Manager, Sustainability Victoria
Jon Ward, General Manager, Business, Innovation & Technology, Sustainability Victoria
Tony Wood Executive General Manager, Corporate Communications & Government Relations Origin Energy.

A conference agenda is available at www.halledit.com.au/conferences/sustainability/2008 or by contacting Denise McQueen on (03) 8534 5021 or denise.mcqueen @halledit.com.au.

Village Well in collaboration with the Ethos Foundation, Donkey Wheel Trust, Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies (CERES), Victorian Eco Innovation Lab (VEIL) and RMIT invite you to….

Going Local and Making Great Places: A Free Public Lecture with Judy Wicks
Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab. Wednesday 21 May 2008
7.00pm - 9.00pm Storey Hall, RMIT, 342 Swanston Street Melbourne (MEL 579 K7)
RSVP: info @villagewell.org or 03 9650 0080 by Friday 2 May 2008

And

Workshop with Judy Wicks - Going Local: Creating Sustainable & Resilient Business Networks and Communities
8.30am-4.00pm, Thursday 22 May 2008
100 Mile Cafe, Level 3, Melbourne Central 211 La Trobe Street MELBOURNE

Judy Wicks
Inspiring founder and CEO of the White Dog Café in Philadelphia, cofounder and a director of the US-wide Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) and of the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia, Judy is the recipient of more than 40 local, national and international awards. In 2004, Inc. magazine named her one of America’s 25 most fascinating entrepreneurs, “because she’s put in place more progressive business practices per square foot than any other entrepreneur.” Find out how local businesses are meeting the challenge of globalisation, Climate Change and Peak Oil to create sustainable communities that sustain life, economic viability and the natural environment, and are deeply rooted in their natural and cultural place. Business people, entrepreneurs & everyone involved in the design, creation & management of our cities needs to come to this.

‘Business is about relationships. Money is simply a tool. Business is about relationships with everyone we buy from & sell to, and work with, and about our relationship with Earth itself.’ Judy Wicks

For more information about these events and to book for the workshop print out the pdf below.
going-local-lecture-workshop-1.pdf

The section below is republished with permission from the Going Solar Transport Newsletter #55, 15 April 2008, compiled by Stephen Ingrouille. Going Solar, www.goingsolar.com.au/transport. This newsletter provides an excellent commentary on local sustainable transport issues in Melbourne.

Hovercraft on Port Phillip Bay
“A fleet of 10 custom-built hovercraft could be transporting thousands of commuters between Geelong and Melbourne daily. The air-cushioned boats could be built and tested locally, with a Victorian manufacturer said to be considering moving to Geelong. The move would bring millions of dollars to the region and create hundreds of jobs, city leaders say. Sustainable transport consultant Stephen Ingrouille has almost finished a feasibility study to run the ferries between Geelong, Port Melbourne, Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula. ‘Hovercraft are perfect for the bay because it’s shallow,’ Mr Ingrouille said. ‘I’d be keen to see hovercraft built in the city because it’s an excellent way of replacing some of the manufacturing industry jobs.’ He said the newgeneration hovercraft would be efficient, relatively cheap to build and have minimal impact on the environment. They would hold 80-100 passengers and cross Port Phillip Bay at peak times. ‘I’ve been looking at this for some years now,’ he said. ‘I have looked at ferry services up and down the west coast of the US and other states of Australia.’ An efficient ferry system would ease congestion on the West Gate Bridge, and reduce reliance on trains and trams. Mr Ingrouille said the manufacturer was building a hovercraft to be used as a rescue vessel at Changi International Airport, Singapore. Councillor Tom O’Connor is pushing the hovercraft bid. ‘It can’t happen soon enough,’ he said.”
Ref: Kerri-Ann Hobbs, Geelong Advertiser, 9/4/08

A message below from Frank Ryan, Vox Bandicoot.

Dear Special Friends and Colleagues of Vox Bandicoot,

We are living through the truly most critical and exciting time in history. There is still a seriously long way to go, but, being imbued with the optimism which must drive environmental education, we find current movements both inspiring … and rewarding.

Vox began in 1988 and now, 20 years later, the pinnacle of our work has just been published. The Sustainability Street Approach (SSA) is our Magnus opus. It reflects the values, techniques, focus and joys that have driven our little outfit since last century, namely … “… a human scale and judicious mix of humour, science, art, education, sociology and aesthetics … all glued together with a profound belief and sense of joy in and commitment to grassroots ideas and action …” Indeed, the SSA reflects a little bit of the hundreds upon hundreds of communities around Australia with whom we have had the great privilege and pleasure of working. This book is our offering back, based on all that we’ve learned.

“Sustainability Street – It’s A Village Out There; a manual for sustainability culture change” is now available for free or for the recommended retail, or for more; if you wish to further help contribute to our mission – for the next 20 years.

Please check out http://www.voxbandicoot.com.au/virtuemart.html.

FREE PUBLIC LECTURE WITH PETER HARPER FROM CENTRE FOR ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY (CAT), UNITED KINGDOM

Responding to the threat of climate change, governments have set targets for reducing greenhouse gas by 60-80% over the next 40 years. Recent climate science suggests this is nowhere near enough. A 100% reduction in 20 years might be necessary. Is this remotely possible? How might it be done? What technologies would we need? How would we design a zero-carbon – modern - economy? What impact would it have on lifestyles – on food, travel, housing, infrastructure, employment, leisure? Would it be a nightmare? Does it offer opportunities for a revitalisation of society?

30 years of living investigation at the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) in Wales may provide the answers the world urgently needs. (www.cat.org.uk)

Peter Harper has been part of a team working on these questions at CAT. He can bring an unusual lifetime of experience to illuminating the vigorous debate around a new vision for ‘Zero Carbon Britain’ 2020. Peter Harper is Head of Research and Innovation at the Centre for Alternative Technology, where he has worked for 25 years, with periodic secondments to overseas universities. He was a pioneer of the alternative technology movement and has always tried to relate technological ‘hardware’ with social and personal ‘software’. His main interests have been in horticulture and low-carbon lifestyles. He runs his own home as an experimental ‘lifestyle lab’. He is mildly obsessed by compost.

6-8pm, 21 April 2008 at the Prince Philip Theatre, University of Melbourne. Please RSVP your attendance to Ferne Edwards at fedwards @unimelb.edu.au. More information will be published shortly.

Map of the campus