MASG news Jan 12th 2007
Posted on 16 January 2007 by e-news
MASG NEWS
*Carolyn will be starting maternity leave in preparation for the arrival of a “wee bairn”. Dean will be taking over her role as chief muffin/cake consumer and other MASG projects. Carolyn would like to thanks the volunteers, members and executive for their support and hard work. She has thoroughly enjoyed working with them and looks forward to catching up somewhere along the sustainable track.
MASG WORKING GROUPS
We will be outlining the work of one of the different working groups each week for this month to help people keep up to date. This week it’s the Transport Program for the State Festival.
STATE FESTIVAL TRANSPORT PROGRAM
It has been calculated that approximately 60% of the emissions from the State Festival are produced by private cars used by patrons to get to the Shire and to get around to Festival events. MASG is trying to reduce the amount of private car travel used during the Festival by encouraging patrons to use public transport, to walk or to cycle wherever possible.
For the State Festival we are working on the following projects:
-Castlemaine Walking Map. MASG has commissioned a walking map of Castlemaine that includes disabled access information and local historical and other highlights. We aim to have several thousand of these for distribution during and after the Festival to encourage people to walk.
-Guided Walking tours of Castlemaine. MASG and several local groups will lead morning and afternoon walking tours of Castlemaine. Two of these tours will end at the MASG Carbon Neutral Hub for a “100 km breakfast” (that is all food is sourced from within 100kms of Castlemaine.)
-Free bicycles for loan for patrons. The Fringe will organise local artists to paint 5 to 10 bicycles for use during the festival. MASG wishes to provide a further 10 more so that cycling is easy for visitors.
-River of Bicycles. MASG is helping organise volunteers to take part in a stream of bicycles as part of the State Festival opening night extravaganza. This bicycle river will be repeated during the last Sunday Botanical Gardens event (and as a preview during the Festival Program Launch in February, see below).
Watch your enews for updates of MASG Carbon Neutral State Festival program nearer to the Festival, or keep on eye on our website. If you would like to know more contact Dean at the office 5470 6978.
MASG REQUESTS
*Volunteers for office staffing at around the time of Carolyn’s and Dean’s baby, probably the end of February-early March.
*WANTED 10 bicycles. As part of the State Festival Carbon Neutral program MASG is organising bicycles to loan to patrons during the festival. We need all those bicycles hanging in the back sheds or wherever to be donated to MASG. We don’t want your top of the line model, but the bike must be functioning (or fairly cheaply and easily repaired).
*Volunteers to participate in the “River of Bicycles” event that we are planning to have as part of the MASG contribution to the Castlemaine State Festival Launch late (probably February 22nd). Ring the office on 54706978 and talk to Dean/Carolyn.
OTHER:
Please note these events are not MASG endorsed and are for members information only.
* Amnesty international and Rural Australians for Refugees (RAR) have a regular letter writing night for refugees and political prisoners. We meet the second Wednesday of every month at the Albion. Everyone is welcome, bring your own paper, stamps, pen and address book, and come around 7pm.
*Sustainable Living Festival; 16th – 18th February, 2007 Federation Square, FREE ENTRY Let’s lighten our footprint The Sustainable Living Festival is a celebration and showcase of leading examples of sustainable living in Australia, drawing together a wide variety of displays, exhibits, artworks, performances, demonstrations and workshops to inspire a sustainable culture. Take a tour around their website to see last year’s program and stay tuned for updates on next years event. For a big local plus Julie Millowicks Footprints project has been accepted as part of the Sustainable Living Festival program, so you can see some of her great work while your there.
* Mount Alexander Shire Council is preparing a Domestic Wastewater Management Plan and invites public consultation on the draft plan until the end of January. The Draft plan can be viewed at the Council offices or online.
FINAL WORD
“When we live in our memories, we recreate history. When we live in our imaginations, we create the future”
P. Scott Australian Sustainable Agriculture Scientist
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