COMING SOON: Castlemaine Sustainability ‘Trains&Stations’

Castlemaine Sustainability ‘Trains&Stations’
February 19 2009 9-2 pm + optional 2-4pm
These ‘Trains’ will be 4-6 walking or bikeriding ‘trains’ with ‘driver’ and conductor’. Starting from Castlemaine Railway Station, the trains will set off to the ‘stations’ – community agencies, businesses, shire buildings (including walking to free bike hire just up the street at MASG- Mount Alexander Sustainability Group presenting their exciting partnership programs and initiatives). There are exciting visual and aural street/park performances interspersed with brief interviews of sustainable impact of the core ‘business’ of each group/agency/business on landscape lifestyle and livelihood (triple bottom line) in the shire – and beyond (ebusinesses, produce/ products, tourism etc). Some examples: Farmers are coming to the town park to share their sustainable practices and adaptation to drought. East African Refugee resettlement is big here; along with the ‘Carbon Heroes’ poster display, their art is featured in the Library. They will also be a part of the Community House ‘station’, as well featuring brief community participatory music and our household water and energy audit program. Each participant will be given a show bag of regional sustainability resources including a leaflet of self-directed afternoon activities which showcases further examples of shelter (sustainable housing, cluster housing, eco- communities), ‘closed loop’ local water systems, organic food production and sales, community arts hub. There will be a catered lunch ($10 unwaged, $15 waged) at which the speakers will be available to talk further with participants (these ‘Trains’ will run on time!). The lunch will spill over into the park where the mural and silk artists, musos, jugglers, stilt walkers, acrobats, previously in the street will cluster and perform. Castlemaine Sustainability ‘Trains&Stations’ in a kilometre is covering great sustainability ideas and impacts. It will be enormous fun, very educational and recyclable into your homes and communities. The immediate generous ‘buy-in’ by everyone approached to participate has been fantastic. Everyone has immediately said YES.
We are limiting participation to the first 100 booking registering people at our ‘Trains’ bookings hub, to be posted here soon. The complete timetable/ program will shortly be available.

Posted by Carol McDonough

HOt Weather? HOT changes our name to Transition MA

UPDATE: We have changed our name from HOT (Hats Off Transition) to Transition Mount Alexander We are still with our 'hats off', we are being involved in the transition movement as citizens of the shire. Transition Mount Alexander is part of the international transition to resilience movement working to transcend and transform our communities in response to peak oil and climate change (including global warming). As documented below, we formed as an outcome of the Communities of Mount Alexander receiving the United Nations Australia World Environment Day Communities Award 2008, Theme: “Kicking the carbon Habit, going carbon neutral”, in order to further move our communities towards long term resilience in the face of desertification (rapidly reducing rainfall and runoff), climate change and peak oil. Involving more than 200 people of all ages we have conducted 10 community building/community education events about transition issues. We are participating in the international training for transition towns, February 2009. Our network facilitator, Janet Phillips, is one of the three National Transition Facilitators. We network closely in our shire (and also beyond), with all other sustainability, environment, community building groups, networks and our Council.

Community Planning Lunches

Transition MA hosted Community planning lunches in the silly season. Our next event is Childrens SustainabilityBikes and Games in the Botanical Gardens late January (watch this space for details)

The four lunches were:

21 November Taking action locally Community consultation and professional input has given us GAP and MAP2020 What are these? What has been achieved? What our actions and opportunities from these reports? Ian Lillington and Mez Woodward

28 November Complementary water systems How do we best supply our longterm water needs in drought/ step change? Gavin Hanlon, Mangaing Director Coliban Water

5 December National and international transition towns movement There is much to report, including international trainers training up locals in Australia in early 09. Discussion: What next for HOT? Janet Phillips

12 December The Story of Stuff - a video and discussion leading to a sustainable Christmas

posted by Carol McDonough