Sunday 18th December 2pm

St Columba, 92 Surrey Crescent Grey Lynn

2pm – 4pm

Once again it is the delight of St Columba, Grey Lynn to host a community garden party celebrating summer and the Christmas season. This is a great opportunity to meet others from the community in a relaxed and friendly environment.

It has been the custom over recent years for St Columba to host a strawberry feast in the beautiful garden at St Columba, 92 Surrey Crescent, Grey Lynn, with local choirs offering Christmas carols for our enjoyment and heaps of strawberries and meringues to share.

Win a prize for the best decorated hat (a children’s and an adult’s prize!).

Bring strawberries to share

Enjoy the music and the garden

Meet others

(photos by Fionna Hill)

Saturday 1 October  12.30 – 6pm

 St Joseph’s Catholic School, Great North Road, Grey Lynn

• Food, beverage, craft and community stalls
• Organised activities for the children
• Performance and entertainment

The event is free and all are welcome

The Shout for Samoa Community Festival is the last of the Grey Lynn Business Association’s Adopt-a-second-team activities. Grey Lynn  adopted Manu Samoa for the Rugby World Cup and has hosted a number of events to celebrate. The Community Festival will promote Grey Lynn’s support for Manu Samoa and our diverse cutural and artistic heritage.

In the June Issue

SAVE the Grey Lynn Post Office campaign
New Energy Focus Group
Winter Series at the Farmers Market
Waste Away update- food waste
Grey Lynn Business Association- next event and news
Green Screen presents Mondovino
Conscious Consumer

If you would like to receive the monthly Grey Lynn Community news directly (including the calendar of events) email greylynn2030@gmail.com

Come and join this annual community celebration

18 June, 6pm…. till….

In the Hall and garden at St Columba, 92 Surrey Cres,  Grey Lynn

As we approach the shortest day and turn once more toward the light is good to get together and celebrate.
This turning of the seasons is marked by the return of Matariki to our southern sky signalling the time for planting and the lengthening of the days once more.

All welcome… stay as long as you are able. There will be:

• An acknowledgement of the season
• Lighting lanterns
• Music : Soul Samba Circus
• Kail, our local DJ  more entertainment to be confirmed….
• Dancing: You and …..Samoan youth

Please bring food to share.

This event is organised for you by representatives of the Grey Lynn Community

For further information contact St Columba 376 4229
Or office@stcolumbas.org.nz

Community engagement

The first year of the new Auckland Council involves the drafting and delivery of a daunting number of plans. It is a huge challenge for any community group to keep up with the opportunities to engage with these plans that will significantly shape the city.  Grey Lynn 2030 is actively trying to keep on top of all the Council’s plans with limited resources and reliance on volunteers.

In April Grey Lynn 2030 submitted on the Council’s draft Annual Plan for 2011/12. This plan brings together the services and projects for setting the annual budget which determines our rates.

In appearing at the hearing on the Annual Plan, Mandy McMullin for Grey Lynn 2030 asked the Council to reprioritise the budget to support initiatives and projects that contribute to the Mayor’s vision of making Auckland the world’s most liveable city and that build community resilience, vibrancy and connectedness (for example by spending less on roading projects). This refocus is particularly important if Auckland is going to become an Eco-City and achieve significant carbon emission reductions.

Throughout April local boards have been undertaking early engagement on their Local Board plans which go out for consultation in July. These plans set out the community’s aspirations, priorities and preferences for the next three years and beyond. Grey Lynn 2030 is particularly interested in the Waitemata Local Plan as this is where we hope to achieve support for our community initiatives.

The big plan of 2011, that most people will be familiar with, is the Auckland Plan also known as the spatial plan or Auckland unleashed.  The Auckland Plan presents an exciting, once in a life time opportunity, to influence the direction of our city as it brings together the 30 year vision and strategy for the Council.   EcoMatters Environmental Trust, with support from Grey Lynn 2030, is making sure community groups working on sustainability solutions are able to make a meaningful contribution by hosting a “local learning” event on 11 May at Ellen Melville Hall (if you are interested in attending email carlc@ecomatters.org.nz). Feedback on the Auckland Plan discussion document is due by 31 May.

The Auckland Plan will be adopted by the end of 2011 in order to give a basis for the 2012-2022 Long-Term Plan  (if you have been counting that is 4 plans without even mentioning the Unitary Plan which is the amalgamation of all the District Plans into one plan!).

Grey Lynn 2030 welcomes support for engaging with all these plans. Please get in touch by emailing greylynn2030@gmail.com.

Information covered at the Grey Lynn 2030 meeting in March 2011 led by Mandy McMillin of the Wilton Street Community Garden

1.    Goal

To create a beautiful and diverse urban landscape that supports a rich mix of flora and fauna; where nature is visible and celebrated; with streets where people, plants, birds, bees and insects flourish.

2.    The Plan

To create continuous gardens on the roadside berms along both sides of the streets in our neighbourhood.  Each person participating takes responsibility for planting and maintaining the berm garden outside their own house.  It is hoped that over time, other neighbours will see the benefits and join in, so that eventually the gardens will form a continuous corridor in any street.  In the same way as the Franklin Street Christmas lights, each house will have a different garden but together they will form a congruous whole.  The gardens combined will be visually stunning and create a cohesive landscape that is pleasant to walk and play in.

3.  Environmental and community benefits

• Beautiful streetscapes
• food and habitat for birds, bees, native invertebrates (such as lizards) and other insects
• improved pollination rates for local plants
• support local bee populations
• reduction in stormwater runoff and soil erosion
• streets become a more pleasant environment for living in
• attract visitors to our neighbourhood
• improved environment for passive recreation including walking and cycling
• co-operation and connections between neighbours
• the streets are reclaimed for living in – not vehicle traffic (David Engwicht)
• cleaner air and stormwater – plants filter air and water
• shade in summer and shelter in winter – bulk vegetation can moderate temperature extremes
• reduced maintenance costs to council/ratepayers (no mowing)

4.   Recommended species to plant
Hardy, low maintenance, flowering perennials and small shrubs.  Native plants as habitat and food for native flora and fauna. All year round flowering plants for bees.  Non-weed species, non invasives..
For example; Lavender, hebe, native grasses, pohuehue (muehlenbeckia) manuka, swan plants, wild flowers, borage, nasturtium, comfrey.

5.         Guidelines

Auckland Council owns the roadside verge or berm. Grey Lynn 2030 supports planting by residents who are willing to take ongoing responsibility for the planting.  If you are unsure about the best approach ask for permission from the Council and stick to the following guidelines for planting on berms:

• Only low-level planting should be used. This should not impede pedestrians, restrict visibility or create a safety hazard for motorists or cyclists.
• The planting (eg. tree roots) must not affect the operation of utility services.
• The planting should be maintained regularly.
• Trees, large boulders, shells and similar, harder landscaping measures must not be used.
• Growth must be kept clear of the roadside and any roadside structures or furniture.

6.    Funding and assistance
Grey Lynn 2030 will consider applications for a contribution of $50 to anyone who would like to do a planting and needs financial assistance.

Berm bombs away The Aucklander, 24 March 2011

If you have any more queries contact project leader Mandy McMullin at greylynn2030@gmail.com

Thursday 24 March
5-8pm

Music, wine & food tasting, late night shopping, story telling, entertainment and lots more at your local shops on Richmond Road including:

Harvest Wholefoods
Enjoy the picnic area outside Harvest with entertainment by the Ukaladies and DJ Nathan

West Lynn Organic Meats
Mr H brings out the BBQ

Monterey Cafe
Open late with DJ Andy and the Family Band ukulele players. The famous Hakanoa mule cocktail is back!

The Wine Vault -Canterbury Night
Free tasting featuring wineries and breweries from Canterbury, held in the courtyard, with profits from the evening going to the earthquake relief effort. DJ entertainment

Dear Reader – Story telling with Phineas Phrog
6-7pm

Savour & Devour
Open for evening tapas and drinks
(Street party volunteers also receive a free coffee)

Grey Lynn Neighbourhood Law Office
BBQ  with any proceeds going towards the Christchurch earthquake appeal .

Vanilla Ink
In-store drinks and nibbles 6-8pm

Dalston
In-store drinks and nibbles. Super sale rack until 8pm

Stripeworks – hand-woven Rag Rugs  

Information tables
Grey Lynn RSC
Women’s Centre
Waste Away
GLBA
Fairtrade Auckland

Pilates Class by Zee from Return to Form Ltd
At 5.55pm for one hour at the Grey Lynn Community Centre (max 15 people) Free

Zee is also offering free 30 minute consultation for physio/Pilates/acupuncture/postural analysis if booked on the day with 50% discounted follow up session.

Brought to you for Neighbours Day Aotearoa by the Grey Lynn Business Association and Grey Lynn 2030

Thanks to all participating businesses and retailers.

Printing sponsored by Stripeworks at 466 Richmond Road.

Want to see what a vibrant, fun, community street party looks like? Check out the West Lynn Street party video from last year. Photos from the 2010 party thanks to Diya Welland.

We often get asked whether it is legal to plant the grass berms found beside the footpath on most residential roads and whether these are a good place to plant fruit trees.  Come along and find out.  At our March meeting we will be sharing ideas for using our local berms to establish ‘urban bio-corridors’.

The topic will include a discussion of Council rules, how to plant a low maintenance garden, benefits to local flora and fauna – including local honey bees, effects on stormwater, and neighbourhood amenity.

For the first time our monthly community meeting will be taking place outside in the beautiful Wilton Street Community Garden.  All welcome – Wednesday 9 March, 7pm in the garden behind The Wine Vault and Gypsy Tea Room.

The seasons are turning again and it is time once more to celebrate autumn fruitfulness and the equinox.

St Columba, Grey Lynn is once again hosting a Grey Lynn community celebration of this season of fruitfulness when light and dark are in equal measure.

This year we will be focussing on the harvest.

Where: St Columba Church and Community Centre, 92 Surrey Cres, Grey Lynn

When: 4 – 6pm, 20^th March 2011

This event is suitable for all ages

Please bring food for a shard tea as we celebrate the fruits of the earth

December 2010
In This Issue:

Grey Lynn Farmers Market
Bikes for Life: Rally for a safer cycling city this Sunday
Green Screen
Waste Away
Wilton Street Community Garden
Grey Lynn Business Association Christmas networking social
A Strawberry Affair with Carols invite
Shop Local this Christmas

If you would like to receive the full newsletter directly please email greylynn2030@gmail.com