Grey Lynn 2030 Transition Community

Grey Lynn 2030 Week 21 – 27 March
Grey Lynn Farmers Market
Waste Away update
Not such a super city – Local Government
Community Gardens
Also happening Locally
Heard us on the Radio?

We are now just days away from the start of the Grey Lynn 2030 Week. A huge variety of events are confirmed for every day of the Week which features the now established Grey Lynn Farmers Market together with new activities and a local approach to marking the international World Water Day and Earth Hour. A highlight of the week is the West Lynn Street Party & Twilight Market on Thursday 25th March.

There are so many positive things going on in our community that are contributing to our long term vision of a sustainable community that we thought it made sense to showcase them together as a Grey Lynn 2030 Week. Check out the schedule and mark the date. There really is something for everyone – all happening locally.

• Bring the kids along after school to a tour of Kelmarna Organic City Farm or Lynda Hallinan’s local urban garden
• Mark World Water Day with a special showing of Tapped the movie at TAPAC
• Try something new with introduction to meditation classes
• Celebrate the Autumn Equinox
• Treat yourself to a tour of local artist’s studios
• Find out how to raise chooks in your own backgarden
• Learn how to save money and water with Laurie Dee at the Grey Lynn Farmers Market
• Visit local community gardens
• Enjoy the last of our summer evenings with family and friends at the West Lynn Street Party & Twilight Market

For the full details of each event and how to make reservations that are needed for some of the tours click here.

And during the week why not take the Grey Lynn 2030 pledge to go low carbon: For example:

• Leave the car at home
• Walk/cycle to school & work and for all local trips
• Compost (Waste Away can show you how)
• Check out further actions you can take here

And if you are driving in residential zones we like to think Grey Lynn 20-30kms!

Contact details for the week

Week organiser: Pippa at pippacoom@gmail.com/ mob 021 926 618  (not too late to include an event or get involved)

Twilight Market enquiries: contact Paul at bellaespressonz@gmail.com/mob 0275 323 618 (we have tables available for stalls at the Street Party)

Musicians or Performers  who would like to entertain at the Street Party: contact Sam sambenge@hotmail.com/ mob 21 213 7614  (we have spots for busking)

Grey Lynn 2030 Waste Away: Organising the waste recovery for the Street Party

Photographers for any of the events
Sign making and decorating West Lynn for the Street Party

Please help us publicise the event – invite your neighbours, whanau,  friends, work colleagues. Blog, post, forward, text, chat, facebook, tweet the details. Anyway you can would be great.

The Grey Lynn 2030 Week on Facebook

Check out Laurie Dee’s rain harvesting demonstration at 10am and Trevor Carpenter with Autogro, a self watering kit-set garden.

Eion Scott, Auckland City Council’s eco design advisor will be on hand from 10 -12pm to answer questions about eco-friendly water devices for the home.

Plus as always, you’ll find lots of fresh fruit and veges, and other quality foods to stock up for the week ahead. Your excess garden produce can be sold at the Ooooby stall!

Bring the kids along for Phineas Phrogg STORYTIME show in the Oval Room at 10.30am, for only $3 (or $2 for Grey Lynn Farmers Market Members)

Please bring your shopping bag.

Garnet Station Café on Garnet Road will be hosting a display at the café with information and examples of worm farms and bokashi systems.  We also plan to hold workshops there around the various composting systems.

The Waste Away group members are playing a key role at the West Lynn Street Party & Twilight Market on Thursday 25 March (part of the Grey Lynn 2030 Week).  We are working with local businesses in order to provide a means of collecting recyclables and food waste separate from general waste disposal during the party.

You will also find us at the Farmer’s Market each Sunday (except the last of the month) where we are available to talk to you about methods of composting in order to keep food waste out of landfills.

Feel free to drop us an email with any questions, comments, information you may have around waste, in particular food waste – greylynn2030wasteaway@gmail.com

Particular concerns were raised at the meeting about the corporatisation of the new Auckland Council functions, the transfer of control to Council Controlled Organisations and the failure of the 3rd bill to specify the powers and responsibilities of the new Local Boards. There is also the very likely prospect that the privatisation of strategic assets will be permitted from mid 2012 before voters get a chance to have a say at the 2013 local elections.

Musician Kirsten Morrell brought a unique perspective to the meeting, raising the need to engage with younger voters not about “politics” or “local government” but about genuine issues of concerns like the environment and climate change and what the new Council can do for them.  It was great to hear that Kirsten, who came along with her mum as a visitor to Grey Lynn, is happy to use her celebrity influence in the lead up to the October elections to get the message across.

Penny Bright, anti- corruption campaigner was also at the meeting advocating more direct action in the form of a rates revolt to stop the super city. You can contact Penny at waterpressure@gmail.com

Attendees agreed that it is crucial for Grey Lynn 2030 to play a role highlighting the importance of voting, debating the issues, networking with other community groups to influence the outcome and support candidates who share our vision.

If you would like to be involved with the Grey Lynn 2030 local government group please email Greylynn2030@gmail.com. We will next be providing feedback on the Auckland Transition Authority’s discussion documents on Local Boards of the Auckland Council and  on the Council-controlled organisations due by Friday 26 March.

On Thursday (11 March ) Local Government Commission announced the final boundaries for the Auckland Council (we are in the ward of Waitemata – Gulf with one councillor  and our Local Board is called Waitemata with 7 board members).

The intention of this Garden is for it to be a place where people can build a sense of community and connection with the earth and seasons. Permaculture and organic gardening are the main approaches applied in the garden. We have about 14 allotted areas where members tend and are guardians of ‘their’ plot but we also have communal areas within which we all share gardening activities.

We are very open to new members and invite people to enjoy and learn more about gardening by coming along to our Sunday ‘Growing Together’ gatherings to meet us and have a look at our gardens.. ‘Growing Together’ Sunday afternoons times are 5pm~8pm in Summer, 2pm~4pm in winter and 4pm~6pm in Spring and Autumn. This is also a special Growing Together Gathering happening on 21 March as part of the Grey Lynn 2030 Week at 4pm.
Contact: Christine

Wilton Street Community Garden

Our big news is that the community garden now has a water supply!
John Watson and Brenda came up with the idea and donated the funds for a
special ‘gizmo’ that has been inserted into the storm water downpipe on the
roof of the Gypsy Tea Room.  This gizmo diverts the rain water from the
spouting into an ordinary garden hose which goes into the water tank on
site.

John has installed the gizmo and it is working.  We are now working with
Tanks Alot to adapt the tanks they donated to the new system.

Thanks to Brett from the Gypsy Tea Room, Tanks Alot and John & Brenda we now have a sustainable and affordable solution to our water woes. Now all we need is some decent rain!

You can check out the Garden at a special tour as part of the Grey Lynn 2030 Week. Come along 11am – midday on Sunday 21st March to meet the Gardeners. The Garden will be open for a visit on the night of the West Lynn Street Party and the meeting point for the Walking Tour of Back gardens with chooks at 10am on Saturday 27th March.
Contact: Mandy

We have also recently discovered there is community garden at the Grey Lynn Presbytarian Church on Great North Road created by Ioane Iosua.  We hope to bring you news  from this garden in the next update.

A chance to take a tour around these organic inner-city food gardens including the Food Forest as well hearing about Transition Towns and Permaculture New Zealand.

Time to meet and connect with other like-minded people in our community.

Where:          Unitec Horetcology Sanctuary, Gate 3 Carrington Road, Mt Albert

Bring:             Blanket, food, drink

Motion in the Ocean Clean up day
Sunday 14th March 10am-2pm
Join students from Western Springs College  on a full circuit creek clean up of Motions and Meola creek, with a free tram ride and talks from MOTAT, Waicare, and staff from the zoo.

Meet in the Western Springs College carpark at 10arn with rubbish bags from home to conserve our local biodivensity, gloves provided.
Come with covered shoes, snacks, food contributions to the shared lunch and wear BLUE.

This is a free family event, and all are welcome.  It would be great to get some support for these students and give the creeks a clean up after the Pasifika festival. Contact:motion.ocean@hotmail.com 021 1 528294

And from our friends at Mt Eden Village People
Workshops:
The Square foot gardening workshops got off to a great start in February with Ken Clark from Waiheke. Both workshops well attended and it is great to see that growing your own food is so popular. Our next workshop is all about chickens. Gail will teach us on the Sun 14th March all you need to know to keep your chickens  in your backyard and how to hatch them from an fertile egg.

Community garden:
Michelle Doanvan joined us recently with a wonderful project to set up a community garden close to the village. We are now in the process to get approval for the site. The Mt Eden Community Gardening Group and the Hand Weavers and Spinner Guild submitted the lease application to the Auckland City Council at the end of February.

Fruit tree planting for our community:
We would like to thank the community board for the funding of 108 fruit trees for our wider community Mt Eden, Mt Albert and Epsom.
The planting of fruit trees in parks, playgrounds and reserves with Auckland City council on council land will take place in July 2010/2011. A lot of people have been involved in this project we started 2 years ago and we would like to thank everyone for their work such as collecting suitable sites for council and supporting our vision.

Connecting with our community:
Thanks to Suzanne for teaching us the first steps in WordPress. We are now online: http://www.mountedenvillagepeople.co.nz and on Facebook: MountEden VillagePeople

Also thank you to Simon Miller for the opportunity to appear on the bFM Green Desk on 9 March to promote Grey Lynn 2030 Week. You can hear his interview with Pippa here.