STROLL along North Wharf in Docklands, among the towering apartment blocks, and at the end of the wharf you’ll come across the precinct’s best kept secret. In the midst of the concrete surrounds, near the far end of the wharf, an oasis of greenery has been created, an open garden with a profusion of ready-to-pick herbs, vegetables, and flowers. It is a community garden, the first to be introduced to Docklands….. The community garden was established as a trial after Monash University student Emily Ballantyne-Brodie approached Docklands’ developers Vic Urban and Lend Lease with a proposal. They gave the space, while the Environment Protection Agency funded the plants and garden supplies.

”Our ecological footprint per person in Australia is 50 per cent based around food, the water used in production and the travel involved in getting it to the city,” Ballantyne-Brodie says. Her concept is for the creation of a community hub, eventually on a permanent site, that will combine sustainability ventures. It already includes an eco-shop selling garden supplies in nearby Merchant Street, where classes are run on establishing balcony and rooftop gardens,  harvesting grey water and rainwater, organic gardening and permaculture design, and sustainable cooking.

Ballantyne-Brodie, 26, is studying for a master’s degree in environment and sustainability. She spent two years researching the idea of urban agriculture and community design at Italy’s Politecnico Di Milano.

Her passion for the project derives from her experience growing up at Upper Beaconsfield ”with a vegie patch and chickens”. The community garden has proved an enormous success with residents of Docklands, she says. She has been helped by a team of volunteers, including landscapers.

The Climate Advocacy Fund ~ engaging for change

The Climate Advocacy Fund is a ground-breaking way to influence corporate behaviour in Australia. The fund will pursue improved climate change performance from Australia’s largest companies principally through resolutions at annual general meetings.
Melbourne – 27 July 2010 – Novotel St Kilda
16 The Esplanade, St Kilda – 6.30pm to 7.30pm

Melbourne – 28 July 2010 – Metropole Hotel & Conference Centre
44 Brunswick St, Fitzroy – 6.30pm to 7.30pm

Geelong – 29 July 2010 – Geelong Conference Centre
Adams Court, Eastern Park, East Geelong – 6.30pm to 7.30pm

The speaker will be James Thier, one of the founding directors of Australian Ethical. James is also a Churchill Fellow, having travelled to the US and Europe to study shareholder advocacy.
The seminar is free to attend and light supper will be provided. Please bring along family and friends who would also like to learn more about ethical investment and corporate engagement.
RSVP to Sally Rowland by email to srowland@australianethical.com.au or by phoning 02 6201 1902.

Violet Town plaque

State of Design Festival at Violet Town Saturday 24th July 11am – 4pm*

Join us and see what is happening design wise in a small country town.

For less than the cost of the local produce in your lunch, come along and learn more about the changes underway through a walking tour of retrofitted community buildings, solar houses, creek revegetation, community forest and Murrong permaculture development.

Stops along the walking tour include:

The energy efficiency retrofit of a 1970s Community Complex and the Early Childhood Centre in Violet Town demonstrates a great range of appropriate strategies to improve the way this building works.

HREP is a community powered restoration and design project for the Honeysuckle Creek and environs.

The Violet Town Community Forest, planted in 2006, is designed as an example of analogue forestry, to mimic the structure and functions of natural forest, while giving amenity, habitat, and future wood product yields.

Murrnong is designed as a permaculture community subdivision, with an established tree crop agriculture to provide for residents and local community.

Timing suits V-Line timetable from Melbourne.

Cost $10 adult – $5 child (under 16) Lunch included.

Pre-register by phoning 5798 1735 or email rplandvogt@gmail.com

LOCATION: Community Complex, Cowslip Street, Violet Town
CONTACT NAME: Rob Landvogt PHONE: 5798 1735
EMAIL: rplandvogt@gmail.com
WEB: www.violettown.org.au
http://vtecoliving.blogspot.com

POW (permaculture out west) has organised a workshop showing us how to make pasta!

The Chef from Delizia Cucina will be showing us how to make fresh pasta. Possibly Sage and Pumpikn!

Class will cost $25 per POW members and $30 for non POW members.

Date: Sunday 25th July

Time: 10am to 12 noon

Location: Maidstone Community Centre
21 Yardley Street
Maidstone 3012

RSVP: Please email workshops@powvic.org if you would like to attend as we need to know if you are coming so we have enough ingredients!

Pasta making - Yum!

Healthy Waterways Waterwatch program is running this event as part of the Drain Spotters project being run across the west in 2010.

When:             2:30 PM – 4:30 PM, Sunday July 25
Where:           Footscray Boat Social Club Hall, Maribyrnong Boulevard, Footscray.  Melway 42 D2
Please book to assist us with catering.  For more information or to book, please contact Sam Harrison: sam.harrison@melbournewater.com.au Phone 9235 7037

Tusked Frog

Come along to the Maidstone Community Centre Garden (Yardley St, Maidstone) on Monday the 19th of July, 9:30am – 11:30am for a bit of ‘Playblitzing’.

A Playblitz is just a collection of Mums, Dads, Bubs and Preschoolers doing a bit of working bee style community gardening.

We will have kids activities on the day, chooks to cuddle, a seed raising workshop, songs and lots of fun….text De on 04300 160 96 or just come along.

Enter at gate 2, (the main gate) then follow signs down to grafting shed.

• Watch grafting demonstrations by Pete the Permie and others.
• There will be tours of the orchard
• Dress appropriately, sturdy shoes etc.
• Bring lunch and drinks, there is hot water on-site.

For further information, contact Richard Hawkey: 0428 329 450

To see a map, click here

For more information about Werribbee Park Heritage Orchard or to subscribe to the WPHO newsletter, visit http://www.my-book-cafe.com/newsletter.html

 for example Castlemaine – Sustainable house design

letter re council meeting 20 july 2010

Saturday July 17th – 11:00am @ Ilma Lever, 2a Station St Coburg (along the train tracks just after Moreland rd) with Elspeth Brock

Learn how to use permaculture design to keep water in the landscape and techniques to hold water in the soil. What kinds of plants to plant and how to easily identify them. Which food plants will grow well in dry areas?

There is a cosy shed so the workshop will go on regardless of the weather, and established a gardens with lots of great planting examples.

Who: Elspeth Brock will be running the workshop’s she has experience in native landscape regeneration, community horticulture and permaculture design. She recently traveled to Morocco to work on a permaculture project there.

RSVP by email to Elspeth.

© Merri Corner Community Garden 2010