Grey Lynn 2030 Movie Night Fundraiser

Positive Vision – Practical action: Help us do more!

Wednesday 6th October

Capitol Cinema
610 Dominion Road, Balmoral
7.30pm for a glass of wine 8pm movie start

We are thrilled to be hosting the Auckland Premier of the Water Whisperers Tangaroa

Kathleen Gallagher award winning Director of Earth Whisperers Papatuanuku says  “This film is about the reconnection of ourselves with our lakes, rivers and oceans. We have guides already in our midst – old fishermen, conservationists, farmers, scientists local iwi and divers who are intimate with lakes river and sea life,  knowledgeable about sustainable fishing practices and to restore damaged waters”

Watch the trailer here

Tickets $20

Please deposit direct to our bank account

Kiwi Bank 38-9009-0672728-00  (Ref: Movie) and then email: greylynn2030@gmail.com with your name and number of tickets purchased

Cash door sales available on the night. It would be great if you could let us know you are coming as we don’t want you to be disappointed.

The Chief Executive Officer
Local Government Commission
Email: info@lgc.govt.nz

From: Grey Lynn 2030

Submission on proposal for wards and boundaries for Auckland Council

1.    This submission is made by Grey Lynn 2030 – transition community.

2.    Grey Lynn 2030 is a participatory community organisation aimed at facilitating and supporting focus groups working towards creating a positive, connected, sustainable, resilient community through practical action.

3.    We take our terms of reference from the Transition Initiative which is a positive response to the twin challenges of climate change and peak oil. The Transition Town movement helps people to reskill and take more responsibility. There are currently 55 Transition Towns throughout New Zealand.

4.    Grey Lynn 2030 is based in Grey Lynn, Auckland, encompassing the surrounding neighbourhoods that form part of the Western Bays Community Board area (including Westmere, Ponsonby, Freeman’s Bay, Kingsland, Herne Bay and St Mary’s Bay). We have over 700 supporters.

5.    We have monthly meetings at the Grey Lynn Community Centre and active focus groups which are presently:

• Gardening (Community Gardens such as the Wilton St community Garden, projects to encourage local composting facilities, urban food production and seed sharing);
• Green Screen – monthly screenings of DVDs at the Grey Lynn Community Centre for those who want to be entertained and learn more about sustainability and the environment;
• Local government group (who liaise with the local community board and the Auckland City Council);
• Traffic calming;
• Waste Away Group (this group recently ran a successful eWaste Action Day); and
• Water Group (working on regenerating local streams)

6.    Grey Lynn 2030 is a local movement with a wide support base.  We have many active members representing a wide range of interests.  As a grassroots organisation access to local political representation is vital to our effective functioning and continued growth.  Representation needs be local and accessible to reflect the particular needs and aspirations of our distinct local community.

Key Points

7.    The Auckland City ward and local boundaries must be determined to ensure “communities of interest” are maintained and encouraged and to ensure effective local representation for the new council and local boards. The Local Government Commission’s (LGC) proposal currently fails to achieve these objectives.

8.    The LGC’s proposals undermine the potential for greater community engagement in local government at a time when groups like Grey Lynn 2030 are demonstrating the importance and desire of local communities to be engaged and actively involved in local issues.

9.    We believe that Auckland is currently “under governed” at local level, a situation which will be exacerbated if the LGC’s recommendations are adopted. As proposed a local board member will represent an average of 12,740 people which is completely inadequate to ensure effective representation.

10.  Given that Councillors will no longer be on the Local Boards, and that the proposed structure and high population ratio to councillors will effectively place councillors at some distance from local communities, the role of boards will be critical in ensuring effective representation and communication with local communities.   Given that there is no second tier in the structure, Local boards will be expected to perform the vital role of conduit between councillors and the wider community.   For this reason, we submit that commensurate with their large size and responsibilities, all Boards should have 8 or 9 members.

11.  Grey Lynn 2030 strongly urges the LGC to introduce a system of roughly equal sized single member local wards as much as is practicable throughout the new Auckland Council.

12.  It is absolutely vital that the new Auckland Council has representation, engagement and confidence from all significant communities across the whole region.

13.  Multimember wards will strongly tend to eliminate substantial geographical and ethnic communities, to make the elected representatives more remote and reduce access to the new Council. All councillors should therefore be elected from single member wards as we consider this is the best way to ensure that, in the makeup of the Council, there is a genuine reflection of the ethnic, socio-economic, political and geographical diversity of the Auckland Region.

14.  We support the Royal Commission’s original recommendation that there be 20 – 30 Local Boards.  It is not clear why the LGC has chosen to ignore this recommendation in favour of only 19 Local Boards.

15.  We are concerned that there are very high differences in population per councillor in the proposed wards which deviates unnecessarily from the principle of one person one vote. It is essential that all votes should be seen to be of roughly equal value.   Differences of up to 17,219 and 24.3% deviate too far from the +/-10% population rule.  We would strongly urge changes that would achieve much closer to equal representation while maintaining effective communities of interest.

16.  This submission focuses on recommendations in relation to the proposed “Maungawhau – Hauraki gulf ward” where the Grey Lynn 2030 community is located.

Waitamata– Hauraki gulf ward

17.  The name Waitamata – Hauraki Gulf would be more appropriate to this geographical location.  The name Mangawhau is associated with Mt Eden and is not representative of the wider area or the actual location and is therefore likely to create confusion.

18.  We propose that the Waitamata – Hauraki Gulf Ward is determined so that is has a population of approximately 74,000 and creates a more logical community of interest within this area by removing parts of Mt Albert Ward and all of the Parnell (because Parnell identifies so closely with Hobson Bay, Remuera and the Eastern Bays) but with the addition of the area around the zoo South of Old Mill Road.

19.  The ward would then have a Waitamata Board with 2 subdivisions:  Western Bays (rest of current Western Bays Community Board area in the new ward) with 4 members; and the distinctive new area, which is mainly in the CBD and Newmarket, to be called something like Karangahape  with 4 members, a total of 8.

20.  As proposed by LGC there should also be a Waiheke local board of 5 members; and a Great Barrier local board of 5 members.

21.  We support a Waitamata Local Board with 2 subdivisions and 8 members because this would be the minimum required to represent the local communities of this unique area.  This ward brings together areas of medium to high density housing including historic residential zones and the CBD – areas of financial and cultural significance to greater Auckland, that are already facing significant developmental and sustainability issues.  This area also hosts many people who visit to work and play in the area including tourists.  We believe the 5 members proposed for the “Maungawhau” ward would not be able to adequately serve and represent the interests of this population including the community of Grey Lynn 2030.

Drafted by Pippa Coom and Mandy McMullins for the Grey Lynn 2030 Steering Committee

Friday 11 December 2009

Transition Mt Albert Visioning Event
Tuesday 22 Sep at 7.00

This evening creates the opportunity for key local community members to come together and participate in a facilitated visioning process. The intention for the evening is to bring forward values, ideas, traditions and hopes for the future as Mt Albert moves forward into a time of more connection and sustainability.

All interested local community members welcome.

Venue: Gladstone Primary School Staffroom

Media Release
Grey Lynn 2030: Transition Community

Immediate release
Thursday 17 September 2009 

 Community candidate challenges Vector’s sustainability path

 A corporate lawyer with experience working for regulated industries will stand as an independent candidate in this year’s election for trustees to the Auckland Energy Consumer Trust.

Pippa Coom, who has worked for Vector Ltd, which is majority owned by the Trust, is also the first member of the Transition Town movement to stand for public office. 

“I have the skills and experience to be an effective trustee. As the only independent community candidate I am committed to maintaining the Auckland electricity assets of Vector in community ownership and ensuring that Vector is in the best position to respond to the current environmental challenges ” says  Ms Coom.

 Pippa Coom launched her campaign for election at the monthly meeting of Grey Lynn 2030:Transition Community, which is part of the international Transition Towns movement.

 Suzanne Kendrick, Grey Lynn 2030 steering committee member who is supporting Pippa’s campaign says “We are very pleased to support an independent community candidate for a community trust.

 “It is in the interests of the beneficiaries of the trust – all those with a power bill in greater Auckland, – that the trustees be a good representation of us all and bring a diversity of perspectives to the decisions the Trust makes”

 “Business as usual’ in today’s world is not an option as we transition to a low carbon economy and toward more benign methods of energy production, distribution and use. Pippa, through her background with the Transition movement will bring this vital, but currently missing, perspective to the Trust as a trustee” Ms Kendrick said

 The election for the five trustees is scheduled from 15 October by postal ballot, with polling day on 30 October.  

www.pippacoom.co.nz

Transition Towns is an allied, growing movement pushing to move from oil dependence to local resilience.

The Transition Towns website www.transitiontowns.org.nz is chock full of handy hints, blog comments, ideas and actions from local initiatives as well as a national overview. We also feature below a small excerpt from Transition Town Opotiki, as another example of what determined and resilient communities are achieving.

Idea on alternative currencies, particularly Time Banking (see Project Lyttelton’s website www.lyttelton.net.nz).
If you are in Wellington between 6-19 September, visit the Transition Towns Expo at St Paul’s Cathedral, Molesworth Street.

This is just one example of the reach and people energy of Transition Towns.
A key comment on the Transition Towns website is:
“We don’t look for anyone to blame or anyone to save us, but believe our communities have within themselves the innovation and
ingenuity to create positive solutions to the converging crises of our time. We believe in igniting and supporting local responses at any
level and from anyone – and aim to weave them together into a coordinated action plan for change towards a lower energy lifestyle”.
How does it work?

Transition Towns started in the UK and is spreading throughout the world including New Zealand.
The Transition Towns website talks about local initiatives being at the
heart of the TT movement. They can be towns, villages, cities, islands
or any other geographically defined settlement. What they all have in
common is the aim to increase the resilience of the communities living
within.
Belief in moving from oil dependence to local resilience and the 12
Step Plan (www.transitiontowns.org.nz/12steps) are the connecting
features of Transition Towns.
Transition Town – Opotiki
In Opotiki a group of people have formed a Transition Town collective and are working actively with local organisations and networks on practical projects. Local teacher and mother, Kazel Cass, presents a weekly article in the Opotiki News, sharing information and also stories about
fantastic local initiatives. Recent articles include:
· How the local marketplace, where residents sell produce, crafts and second hand
goods, adds vibrancy and promotes sustainable practices
· How one NZ heritage variety apple, Monty’s Surprise, has many times the anti-cancer properties of supermarket varieties; and how local students at Opotiki College are propagating and selling Monty’s Surprise saplings to raise funds for an energy efficiency makeover for the school
· How trading and exchanging goods and services locally can help create resilience to the whims of the money markets, how time-banking works, and how to join or get more information from the new Eastbay TimeBank
· How the Zespri Youthbank initiative established seven years ago is helping grow a culture of  community service and giving among young people. In one Opotiki example a small grant has helped buy gardening tools for a new Garden Club. People can learn practical gardening skills and help to create an edible and floral landscape. Mary-Jane Rivers and Barbara McLennan. Sourced from Transition Towns website and Opotiki News articles

From the Inspiring Communities Newsletter

The Old Homestead have very kindly let the  Transtion Town Pt Chevalier  Garden Group create a garden in a piece of their land on Pt Chevalier Rd.

We are very excited to be able to spread the word about growing food in the city, and to increase the amount of food we can grow beyond that limited by the size of our own gardens.

This Sunday ( 28th June) we will be having our first working bee there, at 9:30. Everyone is welcome, and we’ll be going ahead rain or shine.

We would love:

* newspaper
* woollen carpet
* a donation of sheep pellets would be appreciated
* any demolition gib you may have
* mulch (anything of organic origin without added chemicals, eg
leaves, old kapok pillows, woollen or cotton clothing, garden
waste, straw, grass clippings, hair)
* broadbean seeds (if anyone happens to have a supply)

If you want to drop these things off beforehand, I’m sure that’ll be OK with the people at the Old Homestead. Leave them on the grass patch in the back corner, which is just past the carparking. Just make sure they won’t blow away, by containing materials in bags and placing some of the blocks or wood that are there on top.

If you can come and help, GREAT! You might like to bring a spade, gloves and a raincoat. Nothing like physical work to keep you warm in the middle of winter!

Any queries, ring me, (Heidi) on 8465646

Dear Green Drinks Supporter,

On the 28th of May the Government announced in the 2009 Budget significant cuts to environmental education and sustainability initiatives funded by both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry for the Environment.  The NZAEE Auckland Branch who coordinate Green Drinks believe these funding cuts to be short-sighted in the context of a global shift towards environmental protection and sustainability, and also reckless in these times of recession when education, training and upskilling is vital and community demand for support initiatives is intensifying. As a supporter of Green Drinks, we know that you will care about these funding cuts as well.

The 2009 Budget includes cuts to the following programmes and initiatives:

• The Enviroschools Foundation (who coordinate the Enviroschools programme nationally involving 670 schools)
• Education for Sustainability Advisory Services (EfS Advisors who provide curriculum support for teachers)
• Matauranga Taiao (EfS support for Kura Kaupapa Maori)
• The Environmental Education Guidelines Review Project (technical EE/EfS support for teachers in schools)
• Adult Community Education (provision of community-based life-long learning classes – ie “night schools” – which fund sustainable living skills courses)
• Householder Sustainability Programme “What’s your next step?” (coordinated by the Ministry for the Environment)
• Public Place Recycling Programme (funded by the Ministry for the Environment)
• Govt3 Programme (coordinated by the Ministry for the Environment to deliver leadership in sustainability practices by government agencies)
• The Sustainable Business Network (part-funded by the Ministry for the Environment)

These are small funding cuts in a financial sense, but will impact hundreds of thousands of people across the country, as well as severely compromising New Zealand’s own “Clean and Green – 100% Pure” global brand.  NZAEE think it is simply crazy that a government who supposedly believe “New Zealand’s environment is at the core of our quality of life, our national identity, and our competitive advantage” [National Party 2008 Environment Policy] and who care about business achievement and a knowledge economy, would go ahead and cease funding to programmes and initiatives that would make New Zealand a global leader in sustainability and safeguard continued trade and tourism advantages derived from our natural environment.

We believe it is time to take action and let the government know how we feel

As supporters of Green Drinks we know you and your organisations care about the sustainable future of New Zealand – our people, our businesses, and our environment. It would be fantastic if you would take some action to show how much you really do care.

PLEASE:
1. Distribute this message as soon as possible to anyone you know who believes in a healthy, prosperous and sustainable future for our people and country – family, friends, business leaders, neighbours, community groups, schools – and encourage them to take action.

2. Write a letter or email ASAP urging the government to continue to support these programmes. Please use your own words and make your correspondence positive, focusing on the what our environment and a sustainable NZ means to you, your family, your business, your organisation.

Send copies to the following people:
A. The Prime Minister. RT. Hon John Key, (Freepost Parliament, Private Bag 18 888, Wellington 6160
john.key@parliament.govt.nz)
B. The Minister of Education, Hon. Anne Tolley (Freepost Parliament, Private Bag 18 888, Wellington
6160, anne.tolley@parliament.govt.nz)
C. The Minister for the Environment, Hon. Nick Smith (Freepost Parliament, Private Bag 18 888, Wellington 6160, nick.smith@parliament.govt.nz)

D. Your Local Member of Parliament (Freepost Parliament, Private Bag 18 888, Wellington 6160, firstname.surname@parliament.govt.nz)

E. The BlueGreens – the National Party’s environmental team of MPs (environment@national.org.nz)

3. Write to:
a. Your local paper
b. The New Zealand Herald (short and to the point)

4. Go and visit your local MP to discuss your letter/email. We all know that talking with people one-on-one can be very effective at communicating your message.

Thank you for taking action.
The Green Drinks Team & NZAEE Auckland Branch

Leo Hickman 08/06/2009

It has grown from a local to a global phenomenon, but how does the Transition Movement keep itself relevant in the current political and economic climate?

Four years have now passed since the seeds were first sown in Kinsale, County Cork, for the Transition Movement. In a relatively short period of time, the movement has grown into a global phenomenon with Transition Towns now located in countries ranging from the US and New Zealand through to Chile and Italy. And you know it’s crossed over into popular thinking when the fictional town of Ambridge in the Radio 4′s The Archers becomes a Transition Town, as it did last year.

The core idea is simple enough: raising awareness among local communities about their utter dependency on oil. But finding the best ways for each community to wean themselves off oil have always been a little more difficult to pin down. The teachings and theories behind permaculture – self-sufficiency, sustainability, cooperatives, working with nature – have always been at the forefront of the Transition Movement and, in a way, it has often felt as if it has been a sort of rebranding exercise for a philosophy and way of life that somehow appeared trapped in the 1970s. I believe that the Transition Movement has been a much-needed reboot for the sensible thinking that underpins permaculture.

But it also feels as if the time has now come to ask: where does the Transition Movement go next? This weekend, many Transitionites will be heading to the Sunrise Celebration festival near Bruton in Somerset to enjoy the music and speakers, as well as the predicted fine weather. Sunday is being hailed as “Transition Sunday” by the organisers and they promise “talks, forum discussions, movies and more to inspire everybody to get involved in their own local initiatives”.

They add:

We are lucky to be based here in Somerset, where even the county council have made a commitment to becoming the UK’s first Transition local authority.

Among the many talking points will surely be how the Transition Movement keeps itself relevant in the fast-moving rapids of our current political and economic turmoil. There are no doubt opportunities for the movement, but I also sometimes worry about the company the movement might attract by displaying such a high-profile lunge towards localism.

Looking at the programme of the third annual transition conference held at the Battersea arts centre in south London, it doesn’t appear as if there were any events that specifically discussed the potential threats to the movement, but it would be interesting to hear from any Transitionites about the challenges that still need to be overcome if the movement is to continuing expanding into new communities.

For example, many of the communities that have warmly welcomed the ideals of the Transition Movement have to date been those that already have, let’s say, something of a reputation for being hubs of left-leaning greenery. I’m thinking Totnes, Lewes, Brixton, Bristol and the like. How does the movement now reach beyond these low-hanging fruit?

—–

This article originally appeared in The Guardian

Enviroschools and the Budget – Sabotaging Success