Posted in Events by Kate Archdeacon on August 20th, 2010
Unlimited: Designing for the Asia Pacific is a new international initiative supported by the Queensland Government to promote the value of design thinking in shaping a positive future for the Asia Pacific region.
From October 4-10, 2010, Unlimited hosts its first event in Brisbane, Australia. Beyond the traditional design festival, Unlimited: Designing for the Asia Pacific explores economic, social and environmental challenges impacting our region, and takes a close look at how design is making a difference.
A diverse program of talks, exhibitions, seminars and workshops, for business leaders, the public, and the design industry, will develop a deeper understanding of the ways in which design is shaping the world around us.
Join us online and for the first Unlimited event – we welcome your thoughts, your creativity and your own design story…
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Posted in Events, Movements by Holmgren Design Services on August 19th, 2010
This four-day residential course is designed to deepen understanding of permaculture principles, and improve conceptual skills and planning tools for permaculture practitioners, designers, activists and teachers. A Permaculture Design Certificate and prior reading of Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability are highly desirable for participants to successfully gain from the course, and contribute to it. The core of these courses is the presentation and workshopping in groups of the format of design principles from Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability. Additional presentations and group work focus on Reading Landscape, Landscape Mapping, Energy Descent Scenarios and Community Mapping. David Holmgren presents permaculture ideas through practical projects and personal example, providing a refreshing and unorthodox approach to the environmental issues of our time.
Saturday 18th to Tuesday 21st September 2010
Hepburn Primary School, Main Road, HEPBURN VIC 3461
Cost $530, includes meals and camping on-site.
For more info email info@holmgren.com.au or phone 03 5348 3636. www.holmgren.com.au
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Posted in Movements, Research by Kate Archdeacon on August 19th, 2010
Source: cuttings, the Sustainable Gardening Australia (SGA) newsletter
The Sustainable Garden Design Series aims to help gardeners design or redesign (build or rebuild) their gardens as sustainable landscapes. Each month we will take you through the steps necessary to ensure the best possible outcome for all your hard work!
Autumn is a good time to make changes to your garden in southern Australia – especially after the first rains, as the soil is still warm and the plants will have an opportunity to get established before the next dry season. So now is a good time to start thinking about it and to prepare a plan.
The Principles of Sustainable Landscape Design:
1. minimise the requirement for energy inputs.
2. minimise the requirements for high water inputs, above that which naturally occurs in the particular region.
3. maximise opportunities for biodiversity at all levels.
4. maximise vegetative biomass.
5. maximise the opportunity for the growth of produce and other useful materials.
6. minimise the risk of weed-escapees moving into native habitats.
7. minimise or eliminate the use of materials that disrupt, destroy, pollute or damage natural systems/communities where they are sourced.
8. minimise the risk of disruption, pollution or interference to other systems.
Part 1 – Getting Started
Part 2 – Your Needs, Wants and Budget
Part 3 – Drawing up the Design
Part 4 – Choosing Plants
Part 5 – The Soft Landscape
Part 6 – The Hard Landscape
Part 7 – Water Gardens
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Posted in Models by Kate Archdeacon on August 18th, 2010
Source: Smart Water Fund
Yarra Valley Water has won the ‘Master-planning and design’ category of the 2009 Stormwater Excellence Awards for its proposed Kalkallo Stormwater Harvesting and Reuse Project, at the new Merrifield development in Melbourne’s north. The project will involve capturing and treating stormwater from a 160 hectare catchment area within commercial land at Merrifield. In the future, it is hoped that the treated water may supplement the drinking water supply across the development and Melbourne’s growing northern corridor. In 2009 the project received more than $9.6 million funding under the first round of the Federal Government’s ‘Water for the Future – National Urban Water and Desalination Fund’.
The stormwater will be collected via traditional stormwater drains. It will then be treated in a series of architecturally-designed wetlands along the Hume Highway frontage of Merrifield, including settling ponds and wetlands and then stored in a large dam. The wetlands will incorporate best-practice sustainability design principles, which will manage the quality and quantity of stormwater collected from the area. From there the water will pass through a state-of-the-art treatment plant, which will produce a drinking-water-quality end product, used to supplement the development’s recycled water supply. Eventually, it is hoped it can supplement the potable water supply when rigorous monitoring and data collection demonstrates that it is safe to do so.
“This water sensitive approach at Merrifield will be a leading example for future cities. It shows how the water industry is proactively creating solutions for the community to maximise use of alternative water sources, and reduce the excess stormwater degrading our streams and waterways,” says Mr Tony Kelly, Yarra Valley Water Managing Director. “The Kalkallo Stormwater Harvesting and Reuse Project is set to be a project of international significance, showcasing how urban water infrastructure can be designed differently to deliver a more resilient water solution.”
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Posted in Movements, Opinion by CarbonetiX on August 17th, 2010
Image: Linfox
If you are sick of the climate change talkfest in Canberra and looking for the kind of leadership where actions and results do the talking, jump on tram 59 going past Essendon, put your bike on the train and head on past Frankston to Hastings, or catch the Epping line train and get off at Preston.
Your first stop is near Essendon airport, with a brisk ten minute walk to the offices of Linfox. You’ll get a clue of what is happening when you notice that the trucks won’t be idling in the car park. In a training room there is a group of drivers, listening to a burly presenter talking about the likely impacts of climate change if we do nothing. David McInnes, Group Manager Environment and Climate Change, then takes you aside and quickly goes through the ten principles of fuel-efficient driving that the drivers are learning in the Eco Drive training. He explains that “Linfox takes the position that climate change is real, that it is most probably caused by human activity, and that Linfox sees that it has a responsibility to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.” To reduce its emissions Linfox have been following a eight step cultural change process developed by Harvard academic John Kotter.
Since 2007 Linfox has quietly gone about creating a sense of urgency in the organisation about the importance of reducing its carbon footprint, then acting on that sense of urgency. Without quite knowing how it would do it, its board of management set a target to reduce greenhouse emissions per km by 15% by 2010. As a result of this leadership stand, late last year Linfox announced that it had reached its target early, and had in fact achieved a 28% saving, translating into substantial savings in diesel costs. McInnes is quick to point out that “this has required significant investment, but that to date the savings outweigh the costs.” He attributes the saving to cultural change, and how thousands of drivers changing how they drive has slashed their diesel use. Linfox has now set a target of reducing its emissions per km by 50% by 2015, and is willing to go beyond business as usual with the additional investment that will be required to achieve this.
Your next stop is Westernport Secondary College. You catch the train to Frankston then ride your bike for an hour to Hastings, or else then catch the Stony Point line train and walk for ten minutes to the school from Hastings station.
Assistant Principal Hannah Lewis greets you and shows you round the school. You see how the old centralised heating system is now idle, replaced with energy efficient gas space heaters in each classroom. Light fittings have been “de-lamped” – that is, a fitting with two fluorescent tubes has had one removed and a reflector put behind the remaining tube to increase its light output. She explains how “a lighting assessment has ensured that de-lamping has been undertaken selectively so that illumination levels are still in accordance with the Australian Standard.” This low cost measure has resulted in a halving of energy use in those light fittings that have been de-lamped.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Events, Research by Kate Archdeacon on August 16th, 2010
Image: noodle_snacks via flickr CC
Dr Brian Davidson, Senior Lecturer, Department of Resource Management, University of Melbourne:
Technologists spend significant effort delivering natural resources, but the context we work in is economic. Water is a critical resource, but without an understanding of its value, water delivery projects are problematical. Is water overvalued or undervalued?
Catchment Management Authorities (the true suppliers of water) cannot readily alter prices, raising them to update or improve infrastructure or reducing them to sell more water.
According to market theory the absence of a functioning market in water means that it isn’t priced correctly, so how is it possible to make a meaningful rational decision on whether to invest in new infrastructure or undertake some economic adjustment? If water were traded more freely would water be allocated so that it maximised social benefit? Or could it be that the desired outcomes that are believed to come from the market may not be achieved?
The same may be considered true for many natural resources. The aim in this talk is to examine these theoretical and practical questions, to make a judgement call on whether they hold and in light of that to suggest an alternative way some of the benefits that are meant to be derived from a free market may be delivered to all water users.
Wednesday 18th August 2010 6:00pm
Theatre 3, Alan Gilbert Building (Cnr of Grattan St & Barry St)
The University of Melbourne
Public welcome — no entry charge
Presented by IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology
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Posted in Events by Otesha on August 16th, 2010
The Otesha Project (Australia): Cycling for Sustainability is a not-for-profit organisation that offers bicycle tours and educational programs to engage youth about sustainable consumption. Using theatre, multimedia, and interactive workshops, Otesha (Aust.)’s creative focus provides a unique approach to understanding environmental and social justice issues, enabling youth to become role models and sustainability advocates.
Our first fundraising event for our 2011 tour is going to be just as creative and fun. No ordinary trivia night, trivia, Otesha style, will be interactive, and targeting all kinds of thinkers; so grab four to five mates, think up a name, and secure a starting place among a host of other trivia loving, bike riding peeps. There’ll be a prize for the winning team as well as a lucky door prize. We’ll have a raffle on the night for some cycling related gear and you’ll be able to purchase some home made treats. Trivia is compulsory, dinner is optional; but once you step through the door and smell our amazing pizzas and vegetarian curry you’ll be watering at the mouth and wishing your stomach wasn’t full! There’ll also be yummy drinks like organic chai and also some locally brewed beer and organic wine – by donation.
Raising Funds for: The Capital City Tour: Melbourne to Canberra 2011
When: Friday 3rd September 2010
Time: 6.30pm – late
Where: Loophole Community Centre, 670 High St, Thornbury
Cost: $10 for Trivia; $10 for dinner and a drink
RSVP: Kate – kate@otesha.org.au or Vanessa – ness_j@hotmail.com
Please visit www.otesha.org.au for more details about our program and our Capital City Tour.
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Posted in Models, Movements by Kate Archdeacon on August 13th, 2010
Source: Melbourne Community Farmers’ Markets
From the August 2010 Newsletter:
There’s no keeping a lid on it – we’re delighted and proud that Collingwood Children’s Farm Farmers’ Market has been awarded Australia’s Most Outstanding Farmers’ Market in delicious magazine’s 2010 Produce Awards. Seven stallholders were also celebrated; Garlic and More, Warialda Belted Galloway Beef, Angelica Farm, Daylesford Organics, Moondara Blueberries, Mt Alexander Fruit Gardens and (…drumroll) Holy Goat La Luna Cheese, national winner in the “from the dairy” category. We accept the award on behalf of the many 1000’s of people who have endlessly supported us over almost eight years since the inaugural Melbourne Community Farmers’ Market. Seems like a lifetime and boy, what a trip! Thank you all.
Back on earth and winter rolls on. What a great season it’s been for produce; who could complain there’s not enough variety? Citrus has been amazing all season, the humble spud has stepped up in increasing variety and recognition of quality, kiwis have stocked us up on Vitamin C and got us through the winter lurgies, brussel sprouts would get my vote for the underrated veg of the year and, how about this year’s fennel? Fabulous!
So what’s going on with Victoria’s absent produce over winter?
Here’s a snapshot…asparagus beds will have been mown and furious weeding will be taking place on the Westernport flats, garlic shoots will be up and the bulbs will be forming underground in the heavy sodden soils of Central Victoria, broad beans are looking just like seedlings waiting for some warmth to grow and flower in time for harvest in November, orchardists will have just finished the enormous job of pruning every tree before the bud, flower, pollination and fruit setting stages of Spring. It’s way too early for veg growers to be planting tomatoes and Summer stocks so they’ll be weeding and preparing the beds for November. Chooks are back ‘on the lay’ but production is still well down on Spring and Summer. Last, and by no means least, spare a thought for dairy cows calving in paddocks around Victoria.
The reality is, for those of us not directly involved in food production, that whilst many stallholders are not at the markets much hard work still goes on in what seems to be the ‘off season.’
Visit the website for more…
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Posted in Models, Movements by Kate Archdeacon on August 12th, 2010
Source: Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network
From “Farmers of the urban footpath & the need for design guidelines for street verge gardens“ by Russ Grayson:
Edible Street Verge Gardening is something that has been going on for the past 20 years or so in our cities but is now capturing the public imagination such that the number of plantings is rapidly increasing. For advocates of edible landscaping in our cities, this is good news but for local government the practice can be confusing. What has become apparent during the recent upsurge in the popularity of edible footpath planting is that a set of design and planting guidelines are desperately needed. Most verge plantings to date have been created by gardeners who know what they are doing. The possibility emerging from the current boost in popularity is that those less knowledgeable will create gardens with inappropriate plants and without considering other footpath users.
An established practice
Street verge gardening is the practice of growing ornamental, native or edible plants on the footpath. The rise in popularity of edible gardens has brought the planting of fruits, herbs and vegetables, sometimes mixed with flowers and native plants, to our footpaths. The practice has caught the popular imagination and is another means of returning food production to our cities.
That edible verge gardening is an established practice in Australian cities is revealed by a walk around those suburbs where the immigrants of the 1950s and 1960s made their homes, particularly those suburbs favoured by immigrants from the Mediterranean region. What do you find on the footpaths here? Olive trees, now mature and productive.
Unknowingly, some councils have made their own contribution to edible streetscapes. Take a walk along a certain street in Stanmore, in Sydney’s Inner West, and you encounter the Australian bush food tree, the Illawarra Plum (Podocarpus elatus). This strange, plum red fruit with its seed on the outside can be picked and eaten raw or made into a sauce by those with a little culinary savvy. Walk down a particular street in Windsor, Brisbane, and you encounter another Australian bushfood serving as a verge planting, the macadamia nut. Then there are numerous species of lillypilly, the Syzygiums, that have been established as street trees and that yield edible fruit.
These examples may not be in large number, however they have been noted by urban gleaners.
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The rest of this comprehensive article covers Understanding council concerns, The realities of verge gardens, Design considerations for verge gardens, Functions, and Yields.
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Posted in Events, Movements by Kate Archdeacon on August 11th, 2010
Is Insulation the answer to energy efficiency? Has the approach since 2003 been a success? Are 5 Star homes really that good? What about thermal mass and good design? We have had difficulty understanding why computers don’t like earth buildings. Some high profile academics also have concerns with NatHers. How can you build an energy efficient earth home? How can you build a Bushfire safe home? What is the best material in flame zone construction? What about fire bunkers? How to use earth in ways you never dreamed of revealed in a day of workshops? Get your hands dirty! Conference speakers are still being confirmed, but the focus areas will be: – Affordable housing – Flame zone and bunkers – Challenging bunker regulations – Forum: energy efficient earth houses – Workshops including Building a fire bunker Soil & brick Testing Brick production – Guest speaker dinner, Saturday night at Montsalvat.
17 & 18 September 2010
Eltham Community and Reception Centre
801 Main Road, Eltham 3095
Check out your next issue of Dirt and www.ebaa.asn.au for updates.
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