Have a hand in the Shire’s future

Posted on 28 February 2013 by e-news

One of our readers enjoys a break from her screen

We’re still as keen as ever to hear from you, our members and readers, so please send us your contributions by 11am on Thursday, 14 March. That’s when our next e-news will be published. Contributions by 11am

If you’ve noticed, the e-news publication day has now changed to Thursdays, owing to our staff availability.

This week, in a jam-packed edition, we’re letting you know that you have a great opportunity to influence the environmental course of the shire over the next four years; we say see you later to two of our longstandingest and most committed workers; and the news on coal just gets worse and worse.

Volunteers needed

Urgently seeking volunteers. We need you for the Wash Against Waste Trailer at Taradale, Sunday, 10 March and at the State Festival on Sunday, 24 March at Victory Park. Washing at the trailer ids fun! Can you help? Please contact Kerry and thanks in anticipation.

Farewell Dean and Caroline

From Dean Bridgfoot: My last day as a MASG project officer dawns cool and fresh. Kids are bouncing around getting ready for school and the house is a total shambles- eight sleeps until we get on the big jumbo and take our lives off to Thailand for 18 months.

For those who don’t know Carolyn has a volunteer job with the Indigenous Women’s Network of Thailand and the lads and I are going as support crew!

It’s mid morning now … I have wandered in on the bike and am cleaning up my desk. After 6 ½ years working at MASG there is a lot of cleaning to do, and l’m reviewing the to-do list with a wry smile – that ain’t gunna get done, nup to that, maybe, nup, nup, better do that … you know what it’s like in the final hours. Too late to worry about it all now.

But the most important thing I have to do is to thank all you wonderful, committed and passionate activists and supporters sustainability who have inspired me and taught me so much. It has been a great pleasure and privilege to have been part of the movement for a sustainable future and a safer and more just society.

So keep on installing those GW of solar, opening those wind farms, CLOSING down those coal and gas power stations and building the awesome movement that is going to transform our world and I will look forward to coming back to lend a hand again soon.
Regards
Dean Bridgfoot

MASG recently received Council awards for site testing for the proposed wind farm, The Hub Plot for workshops and for batteries and globe recycling. Pictured are Heather Barrett and Mick Lewin, receiving the awards, with Mayor Cr Michael Redden

Our chance to influence the next four years

Council is seeking input from its citizens to help develop the Council Plan that will guide its decisions for the next four years. We’re encouraging MASG members and supporters to get involved and contribute your views in one or more of the following ways:

Thursday 28 February (tonight) at 7pm at the Castlemaine Market Building

Drop by an information booth, Monday 25 February to Friday 1 March 10am-12 noon at the Castlemaine Library

AND

Sunday 3 March 9am-1pm, Council’s market stall at the Castlemaine Farmers Market

Complete an online survey

MASG will put in a formal submission focusing on the urgent need to mitigate and adapt to climate change, as well as the social, economic and cultural conditions for the Shire to face current and future challenges. Our submission will include practical examples of what Council can do, which does not appear to a part of this consultation.

Council has developed four goals in this planning process. Please feel free to use these and our additional statement to help you respond, and let us know your own ideas so that we can improve our submission.

Goal 1 – a vibrant, healthy community

MASG’s thoughts: Our community will be vibrant and healthy when:

Reliance on cars is reduced and people are able to walk, ride, pram and wheelchair easily throughout the towns of our shire.
The shopping centres and streets encourage people of all ages to linger and chat
There are other places which bring people together in informal ways, such as dog parks, swimming pools, gyms, passive spaces, cultural spaces
There are formal celebrations and events that bring people together
Council acts in the most transparent and accountable way and keeps its citizens informed and involved in its decision making.
Reconciliation is promoted through ceremony and engagement with local elders that will lead to practical action

Goal 2 – Better community services and facilities

MASG thoughts: we will have better community services and facilities when:

Organisations such as Castlemaine Community House and U3A and other community organisations can find a home base that recognises their role and contribution to the strength of the community
Community facilities and services are governed fairly and accessibly in cost, availability and physical access, to all in the Shire
Our youth have safe places to gather
Community facilities are energy efficient and generate their own power
When Council budgets make a connection between economic, environmental and social costs and benefits
Council’s activities in roads rates and rubbish are costed for their energy use, their impact on landfill (and dumping in the environment) and contribution to greenhouse gases

Goal 3 – a thriving local economy

MASG’s thoughts: We will have a thriving local economy when:

Council understands the impact climate change will have on our economy and its own rate base, and tells its citizens the likely impacts
We maximise the business potential of our waste, through organic waste to soil, or waste to energy, or timber and other recycling
We make far better use of our natural beauty and thousands of years of history, combined with better walking and wheeling paths, to bring visitors here.
We make as much use of local resources in the shire as possible, keeping money spent within our community
We understand how the NBN will help our businesses
We understand the developments in the new economy and position ourselves within that, especially in relation to renewable energy and services
Our own citizens are more confident about developing social enterprises
Our shopping centres and traffic management regimes are planned to encourage small businesses to thrive, and people to move around and in them rather than be overshadowed by new shopping malls
Ensure our celebrated artistic community is able to thrive and continue to contribute to our economy
All services and shops are accessible to people with disabilities

Goal 4 – working towards sustainability

MASG’s thoughts: we want to be sustainable, not just working towards sustainability! We will be sustainable when:

Our planning scheme is used to ensure that new houses are not energy guzzlers and encourages sustainable design and energy use
We use our solar, wind and waste resources to generate more energy, particularly in Council-owned premises. Council shows leadership in reducing its own energy use and generating its own energy and tells the story of how economic it is to do this
Much of the food we use is grown locally, and Council helps this to happen through its planning schemes, its own purchasing and through enabling community gardens and garden programs that are adapted to arid/flood conditions
Council is an active partner and contributor, through urban planning, local laws, weed control and funding, to the way our country is cared for along with Landcare groups, Connecting Country, catchment and water authorities and Native Title holders.
Our planning system supports the retention of high biodiversity areas and arable land for agriculture

Next steps

MASG will ask how Council:

will prioritise the input it receives
will inform and involve its citizens in the next stage of the Plan
how it will regularly account to the community for how it is achieving these goals

Stall at the Sustainable Living Festival event last Saturday

The Hub Plot jottings

The garden will appreciate this rain. Our late summer seed plantings are up under their hessian protection so hopefully with this rain coupled with the warm weather we will be set for some late autumn and early winter crops.

Some of us have been out and about selling our Planting Guide.
On Sunday we hosted a Community Apple Juicing. Lots of people turned up to turn freshly harvested apples into juice.
We are gradually adding some more signs to the garden – this week the worm farm sign go up.
Thanks to Mark who did the artwork and to Daryl who’s been restoring the old window frames for them.

Garden workshop:

We are planning some inspiring workshops to prepare you for the seasons ahead. The first of these will be held on 13 April.

Saturday 13 April at The Hub Plot: Garden Round Robin

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Workshops on the day will include:

composting and worm farms
seed sowing with biodynamic principles
seed saving for cooking and gardening
biochar: ancient soil technology redeveloped for the future
wicking beds
chook care

There’ll be a light seasonal lunch and children’s activities.

For further information please phone Heather on 0409 327 791 or Kat 0401 859 750, or go to http://thehubplot.tumblr.com/

We’ll post further information as it becomes available.

US CO2 emissions fall to lowest levels since 1994

America’s carbon dioxide emissions last year fell to their lowest levels since 1994, according to a new report. Carbon dioxide emissions fell by 13% in the past five years, because of new energy-saving technologies and a doubling in the take-up of renewable energy. Read the full story

A Chinese carbon tax

China has announced it will establish a carbon tax. The announcement included taxing coal based on prices instead of sales volume, as well as raising coal taxes.

There was no announcement on timings and it’s not clear how a carbon tax will fit with the seven cap and trade schemes due to be introduced in 2014. Read the full story

Secret funding helped build vast network of climate denial thinktanks

Regressive billionaires used a secretive funding route to channel nearly $120m to more than 100 groups casting doubt about the science behind climate change.

Read the full story

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Japan to build world’s largest offshore wind farm

Construction starts this July on a 1-gigawatt wind farm off the coast of Fukushima, as the nation moves another step away from its nuclear dependence. Read the full story

Last Word

“The Eyes of the Future are looking back at us and they are praying for us to see beyond our own time.”

Terry Tempest Williams, Red: Passion and Patience in the Desert

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