This month the Waste Away group present an informative and entertaining meeting of ideas, tips and practical advice on dealing with waste.

Guest Presenters
Sunshine Yates “Household Waste & Recycling in Auckland City”
Dorte Wray “Towards Zero Waste – Food Waste”

With updates from the Wasters on a range of exciting new initiatives.

Be in to win the Waste Away raffle with a fabulous range of goodies including Bokashi Bucket and Zing donated by the Waste Away group; Solar Monkey – portable solar charger for sml digital devices donated by PLANIT EcoStore; String bags and produce bags donated by ReThinkNZ; NiMH fast charger + rechargable batteries donated by EcoBatteries; KeepCup & Jute Bag donated by Ripe Deli.

Wednesday 12th May
7.30pm – 9.30pm
Grey Lynn Community Centre

Why not bring a long a friend to the meeting? All welcome

Our thanks go to:

Paul & Mira from Montery Coffee Lounge  who provided groovy tunes by DJ Andy with cocktails by Hakanoa Handmade (a locally made ginger beer available at Monterey)

Susan Duckworth & team at Vanilla Ink

Mr H who was kept busy serving up his gourmet sausages from the West Lynn Organic Butcher

Dear Reader bookshop  sponsors of the Phineas Phrog story telling

Malt Bar with DJ Ria from Base FM

SBF Hair Artists

Richmond Road Pharmacy

Richmond Road Medical Practice

Savour & Devour who were very generous with their free coffee and dessert samples

Raw Essentials who provided free samples for  lucky pets

Monique & Jules at Dalston showed off their new winter range on the night with nibbles and wine (our beautiful bunting is also made with donated Dalston fabric)

The Wine Vault for the free wine tasting

Gypsy Tea Room

Caravan Clothing the newest boutique in West Lynn

Nature Baby

The team at  Moa with a special mention to Julie for being one of the first West Lynners to support the idea of a street party

Havest Wholefoods and their suppliers Nature’s Gold chocolate , Pacific Harvest seaweeds, Kohu Road ice-cream, Nutz roasted nuts that were offering samples and tastings. Also Ceres Organics who provided free crackers and Revive  free Frooze balls plus thanks to Amber for creating the Park(ing) picnic zone.

West Lynn Superette – their homemade samosas are available from the freezer

428 Richmond Road – mens clothing

Delicious

The Little Grocer who brought their bbq along

B.E.E cleaning products

Hayjay’s Superette

Rosanna, Mind Body Institute, Zee Sharif Return to Form and all those operating from the villa at 412 Richmond Road

Neal’s superette

Tom’s Roast

Mamata Bakery

City Liquor Centre

Wellpark College

Gareth Chitty

Plus thanks to the community groups who supported the event:

Grey Lynn Neighbourhood Law Centre & Litaracy Aotearoa who held a bbq and raffle with proceeds going to the Child Cancer Foundation. Congratulations to Maxine Wooldridge who won the raffle and thanks to our local Countdown (Richmond Rd) for contributing the eggs for the kids Easter Egg hunt.

Living Streets Aotearoa thanks to Vinnie for organising the film of the party

Green Party with a stop mining petition

Wilton Street Community Garden was decorated for the evening with the Gardeners holding a picnic

Oxfam Wellpark Walkers who raised $256 at the Street Party

Grey Lynn RSC who are keen for new members

Grey Lynn Community Centre - thank you to the Manager Tania Miller who made the tables available for the street stalls

Thanks to the Grey Lynn 2030 Waste Away team who ensured that there were plenty of recycling bins available on the street for party goers to dispose of their glass, plastic, paper and cans.  They also had a bokashi bin available for food waste – although they found most people enjoyed the fabulous food on offer so much that there wasn’t much in the way of scraps!

The Street Stalls you can also find at the Grey Lynn Farmers Market each Sunday:

• Silwoods’s market veges & herbs
• Ooooby
• Heirloom Organix
• Grey Lynn Honey & Bokashi Bins
• Blackwoods Gourmet Breads
• Muleez smoked fish
• Colchis cheese

A big thank you to Paul Dalton, GLFM Manager for coordinating the Twilight Market and single-handedly returning all the tables to the GL Community Centre.

You can check out a vid of Sam Benge who plays with the Longdrops and coordinated the music here. Thanks to Sam and the musicians who performed:

The Longdrops

French Toast

The Ukeladies.

Thanks to all the volunteers who showed up to decorate West Lynn and help with cleaning up: Katie, Caroline, Barbara, Sharon, Dani, Sam, Olwyn, Amber, Neha, Paul S, Peter Claire,  Paul D and the Grey Lynn 2030 Wasters

Diya Welland for taking so many fab photos. More can be seen here

Pascal for his vid of the Street Party

Cat Charm designer of the poster for both the Street Party and the Grey Lynn 2030 Week

Martin Leach from Ponsonby News who supported the event by publishing the Street Party poster for free

Hopefully that’s covers everyone from our lovely commmunity who helped make the West Lynn Street Party & Twilight Market happen but let me know if I’ve missed anyone.

Pippa Coom, Street Party organiser for the Grey Lynn 2030 Steering Committee

Happy New Year Welcome to our first update of 2010. It looks like it is going to be an exciting, action- packed year as we work towards our vision of a self-reliant, vibrant, connected, positive and sustainable community. We extend a warm invitation to our first gathering of the year on Wednesday 10th  (details below). We thought an informal social evening would be a great way to kick off the year and an opportunity to gather together people working on our behalf in the community who would like to meet you. We look forward to seeing you there.

As a grass roots, community organisation we are particularly concerned about the Bill’s failure to determine the powers and functions of the Local Boards. There is a real danger that we are heading towards a flawed and centralised system that takes alway the voice of local communities.

Grey Lynn 2030 is currently working on a submission which is due by 12 February. We encourage everyone to make a submission to highlight the many issues with the Bill.  Useful templates for a submission can be found on both the Greens and Labour websites.

Auckland Central public meeting
Speakers: David Clendon, Jacinda Ardern and Phil Twyford
Location: Grey Lynn Community Centre, 510 Richmond Rd, Grey Lynn
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm, Thursday 4th February Grey Lynn 2030 first gathering of the year
Wednesday 10 February at 7.30pm.
“Meet your Community” Drinks and Nibbles

Our first meeting of the year is a social gathering to welcome in the year. Come along to share ideas, hear what our focus groups have planned for the year and meet the people who work in the community for you.

Members of the Western Bays Community Board, CAB, Grey Lynn Neighbour Law Office, the Community Constable, and the Council’s Community Services Advisor will be there.

Special guest Mayor Len Brown (coming along to check out what we are up to in our community).

Garden Room and Patio (if it is a warm evening we will be outside), Grey Lynn Community Centre.

Drinks and canapes will be provided. Please RSVP to greylynn2030@gmail.com

Entry by koha Grey Lynn Farmers Market
Scarecrow Competition 7th February 2010

The  Grey Lynn Farmers’ Market is judging the Scarecrow Competition of the School Holiday Programme at the next market, Sunday 7th. Come along and cast your vote!

With the remaining stallholders returning from their holidays, the Grey Lynn Farmers’ Market will be bigger and better than ever. As always, you’ll find lots of fresh summer produce and quality foods to stock up for the week ahead. And have you tried the authentic french crepes yet?

Remember to bring along your surplus fruit and vegetables to the innovative Ooooby stall to sell or swap with other home garden suppliers! Even better, bring it pre-bagged in the quantities you want to sell and with your name and price attached.

Membership costs $30 for the year and gives you a 10% discount on your purchases, plus voting rights on how the market is run. Traffic Calming If you ran out of time to do the Traffic survey at the end of last year it is not too late.  It really only takes 3 minutes!
if you  work, live, or play in Grey Lynn please take a couple of minutes to do this survey so we have a better idea about traffic issues and concerns

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=SkrjyANkggFt1GYZyC2ePA_3d_3d Please also forward on the link to your networks.

West Lynn Parking Issues

West Lynn residents have already been busy this year looking at solutions to deal with traffic issues. In late 2009 the Auckland City Council responded to residents’ concerns about traffic flow and parking access in and around Francis Street by prosing a P120 parking permit restriction to one side of Francis Street and giving residents, who have no parking on their property, the option to buy a permit for exemption @ $150 each permit. Council distributed a survey to Francis St residents indicating that if 50% of residents agreed to the introduction of the P120 it would be implemented.

Concerned residents responded to the Council’s survey by calling a residents meeting earlier in January attended by residents of Francis, Wilton, Wellpark Streets, Kate Stanton and Bruce Kilminster from the Western Bays Community Board and Pippa Coom representing Grey Lynn 2030. A working group then presented to the Western Bays Community Board January meeting to voice opposition to implementing the P120 propose and to highlight other areas of concern discussed at the residents meeting such as footpath upgrades and better tree management in Francis Street.

The Community Board has formally requested officials to investigate issues which were raised and will report back. Residents have found the process so far very positive and have enjoyed the opportunity to meet new neighbours. The residents group intends to work with Grey Lynn 2030 to find longer term solutions that will reduce traffic and promote more sustainable transport options.

Contact: Jude Graveson Waste Away
Happy New Year to you, from the Grey Lynn 2030 Waste Away Group!
After a great 2009, the group have been active during summer with regular food waste collections from local cafes with one café diverting well over 1 tonne of  foodwaste, coffee grounds and paper serviettes so far! Well done to the  Grey Lynn community for making a difference!

You may have been along to the Grey Lynn Farmers’ Market on a Sunday morning and seen us there selling and talking to people from the community about keeping worms and using the bokashi system for food waste diversion from landfill.. Many  people are keen to keep food waste out of landfill and these systems also  produce useful products for the garden. Some feedback has been that through  having a worm farm one person has discovered the pleasure and benefits in  growing some of their own food. This has spread to other members of the family  and they have a lovely time discussing their worms!

Waste Away is working hard and committed to taking action about waste in our community.

If you would like to participate or have some ideas to share, come along to our first meeting of the year on Wednesday 3rd February 7pm at the office of Waste Not  Consulting, Williamson Ave. New people  are very welcome.
For more info email: greylynn2030wasteaway@gmail.com or  phone Lynn 3766376 or 0273406911 Wilton Street Community Garden update

The Garden finished 2009 with a fabulous spud party, cooking and eating our first crop on site.  In one year the site has been transformed from weed infested “waste ground” to a productive and exciting shared garden – of which we are very proud!! The main problem we face on the site now is water.  We recently met to discuss plans for this year and have decided that due to the logistics of establishing a water collection system on site we will take a different and more sustainable approach to the development of the garden.  We will continue to grow low-water requiring crops and focus on the composting initiative. We are planning to replace the water dependant veges with a comfrey crop and to then make comfrey fertiliser in our smaller water tank – the other will still be required for water storage.  Ideally we would be able to produce enough liquid fertiliser and compost to return to community (possibly generating a small income to return to the garden ). We have begun collecting pallets in order to build a set of compost bins with the intention of establishing a local composting depot (we would love to work in with the GL2030 Waste Away group on this!). Any free pallets or plumbing assistance welcome. Contact Mandy

Grey Lynn 2030 “sustainability” week

Plans are underway for a week to highlight all the amazing things going on in our community that are consistent with our vision.

It will include our regular events – the Grey Lynn Farmers Market and Green Screen – plus a whole lot of new, exciting intiatives.

Ideas for the programme so far:
- West Lynn shopping centre street party and evening market
- tours of local gardens with bee hives and chooks
- gardening workshops
- awards for local sustainable businesses
- Transition Town Expo
- traffic calming installations

If you like to organise an event during the week or get involved in any way then please contact  Pippa Auckland Permaculture Workshop Courses

The Transition Town movement has its origins in permaculture and Gary Marshall, tutor for the Auckland Permaculture Workshop Courses was on the Steering Committee of Grey Lynn 2030 until the end of last year. Here is information we have been asked to circulate to our networks about the first four workshops of the year which are all foundation courses for completing a Permaculture Design Certificate and they all explore fundamental areas of sustainable design and living. The APW programme has been designed specifically to explore ecological design solutions for living sustainably in the Auckland bioregion.

Philosophy and Design              - 13th February 2010
Tutors -Gary Marshall and Finn Mackesy

Landscape Design                   – 27th February 2010
Tutors -Gary Marshall and Finn Mackesy

Building Design                    – 13th March 2010
Tutors -Johann Bernhardt and Gary Marshall

Living Communities                 – 27th March 2010
Tutors – Gary Marshall and Finn Mackesy

For more information or to register see our new websiteh: www.aucklandpermacultureworkshop.co.nz. Alternatively, email us at info@aucklandpermacultureworkshop.co.nz Grey Lynn 2030 in 2010
Was one of your new year’s resolutions to get more involved in your community at the same time walking the talk of sustainability?

Grey Lynn 2030 provides an ideal opportunity to indulge your interests, learn new skills, be part of positive solutions and actually see things happen that make a difference.

Positions we would like to fill this year:
Webmaster – take responsibility for keeping the website up to date
Web designer – give our website a spruce up
Publicity – help us spread the word via posters and email communications
Funding – take pleasure at filling in an application form? There is funding out there we would like to tap into to develop Grey lynn 2030 projects

And of course you there are our focus groups to get involved with OR start a new focus group if you see a gap

Contact greylynn2030@gmail.com

Nothing to do this weekend?- there is plenty on in our community starting with Art with Love 2009 – Richmond Road School’s annual public art auction

The Gallery will be open during the weekend from 11am -4pm. Coffee supplied by Coffee Supreme
Auction is being held on Tuesday 10 November at 7pm, viewing from 5pm.
check out the website for more details www.artwithlove.org
Richmond Road School 113 Richmond Road Ponsonby, gallery entrance is on Douglas Street.
Queries email ange@artwithlove.org

Grey Lynn 2030 Monthly community meeting Wednesday 11 November
We have another monthly meeting coming up next Wednesday. Keeping it quite low key this month and thinking about what we can get up to in 2010. If you have a good idea for a local project and want to raise it and get some other like minded folk to get involved here is your chance to speak up and present to the group.

Positive Vision, Practical Action evening

Grey Lynn 2030 has a vision of a self –reliant, positive, resilient, vibrant, connected and sustainable community. This month  the focus groups are updating  on making this vision a reality through practical steps. The Grey Lynn Farmers Market is a great example of what amazing results come out of our monthly meetings and community engagement.

Please come a long to get involved and share your ideas with the current focus groups (Waste Away, Traffic calming, Edgars Stream Restoration, Community gardens, Green Screen, Local Government Relations) or to get new focus groups up and running. All welcome at 7.30pm at the Grey Lynn Community Centre

Wilton St Community Garden
We had a fantastic day on Nov 4th with the BNZ CLOSED FOR GOOD crew at the garden.

We managed to clear all the rest of the jasmine and load all the pile of garden waste off the site, filling the 10 cm bin (almost all jasmine root) and paint the fence. Lesson learnt here for home gardeners, jasmine is very invasive.

The day was fine, BNZ team were lovely, we had no accidents and we even finished early. Everything ran like clockwork thanks to our incredibly fantastic team of Wilton Street gardeners who worked so hard to make the day a success – especially Jacqui for juggling childcare and taking care of the fantastic catering, Margo who took the day off work, Sarah for getting the paint donated from Ponsonby Resenes and overseeing the painting.

Thanks also to all those who contributed lovely baking and the people who dropped by during the day to see how it was all going and have a cuppa. Thanks to GL2030 for the bin.

If you are up at the Farmers Market this Sunday, do come over and see us. We are just behind the Gypsy Tea Room and we will be there on Sunday morning.

Mandy

Waste Away Group
Auckland Freecycle

Do you know about Freecycle? In Auckland there are now 1120 members and we are wishing to grow further.

Can you get involved to keep good things out of landfills and helping out our community in keeping New Zealand clean and green. So when you have something that is too much hassle to sell, you don’t want to see destroyed by the scrap metalers in the inorganic and you have nobody to give it to. Freecyle is the thing.

Once you join, please tell your friends, boss, co-workers, family, neighbours about this way of parting with usable items so that somebody else can use them.
If you got only one person to join it would make a huge difference in expanding our purpose and making our community a cleaner place to live.

http://groups.freecycle.org/aucklandfreecycle

Grey Lynn Farmers Market

Nothing much to eat in the house? Never fear, the Grey Lynn Farmers’ Market is here to entertain you this Sunday morning, plus provide you with all the fresh produce you will need for a delic\ous Sunday lunch and see you through the week to come.

Every Sunday but the last of the month the Grey Lynn Farmers’ Market stallholders are serving you with a smile and story of their local produce. From meat and fish, to nuts and honey, to the freshest vegetables of all varieties, it’s all there. And to mark the beginning of summer, fresh strawberries will be available at the market this weekend.

If you have a surplus of fresh produce or seedling, remember you can bring it along to sell or barter at the Ooooby stall. It’s a real help if you can bag it up in saleable units before you arrive and pop your name and a price on the bags.

Save the date: the Grey Lynn Farmers’ Market is hosting a Twilight Market on the last Saturday before Christmas, 19th December from 6pm to 9pm, Grey Lynn Community Centre, 510 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn.

We look forward to seeing you all at the market tomorrow.

From the Grey Lynn Farmers’ Market Committee

Grey Lynn Festival
Do you love living in Grey Lynn?… Grey Lynn Park Festival needs local volunteers for the information tent and other areas of the festival
The festival is on Saturday 28 November at Grey Lynn Park..The festival has changed over recent years. It got very big and now the aim is to bring it back to our community. If you have been scared off by the crowds in the past it is quite different now. Note the lack of big name bands and big publicity. For those of you who have been in the neighbourhood a while it is a great chance to catch up with old friends.
There are the usual smorgasboard of stalls and activities going on through the day, there will be a surprise around every corner! Grey Lynn 2030 will be there in the community space with the community gardens, the Farmers Market and other local groups.

Visit the KidZone on the top field
If your child would like to have a children’s stall, we will have a free marketplace area especially set up from 10 -12 for traders under 13 please register beforehand!
And also we have a scarecrow competition, create a scarecrow, bring it to the Childrens Area Coordinator, Monique who will be in the ASB tent and then they will be judged and announced on the Whanau stage at 1pm

Just like the Farmers Market, it is good if you can bring cash and leave your car at home.

Please come on down and celebrate the 25th gathering of our Festival

For any queries please either email Angela at greylynnparkfestival@gmail.com or call me on 027 202 9609

Auckland Energy Consumer Trust election campaign

Unfortunately Pippa didn’t make it to be on the AECT. The Citizens and Ratepayers group were the winners. Well done to Pippa for giving it a go.
What a lot we have learned! Thanks to those who voted and helped. Here is Pippa’s update.
www.pippacoom.co.nz

Other Local Events and Groups

New Zealand Youth Delegation

The New Zealand Youth Delegation are 12 passionate young Kiwis, working to ensure our climate policies look after the planet and people for generations to come. We’re heading to the United Nations Climate Change Conference this December, in Copenhagen, Denmark. . .

Join NZYD for an evening of fun!
Charity auction.. Fun and celebrations.. Drinks & nibbles.. Live entertainment!..
All funds raised.. Helping us get to Copenhagen.
Thursday 19 November. 6pm.
Freemans Bay Community Hall, Auckland.

Please R.S.V.P. to nzyd2009@gmail.com

NZYD is a charities registered organisation, under the umbrella of 350 Aotearoa.
Suggested koha is $5 – $10 per person. For auction items we will gladly accept cash, cheque, and direct credit.

www.youthdelegation.org.nz

Fly My Pretties Competition
I work for  Ecostore and couldn’t resist sharing this with you as unless you are on the ecostore mailing list you wouldn’t know about the Fly My Pretties tickets competition. (If you say Who? this is not for you) Ecostore are sponsoring the Wellington based Fly My Pretties musicians in their upcoming “Encore” shows in Auckland (Dec 4th) and Wellington (Dec 5th). The Encore Show features work from their beautiful new album ‘A Story’. There are 2 tickets for each show to give away. If you want to enter the competition, please click to enter.

City Vision Special General Meeting
When: Wednesday, 11 November, 7.30pm
Where: Auckland Horticultural Society Hall, 990 Gt North Rd, Western Springs (opp Motion Rd)

City Vision (the Green Party, Labour, Alliance and like-minded community independents) is the campaigning organisation for the broad left in the local body elections in the (existing) Auckland City. For information on our principles and policy see cityvision.org.nz.
You are warmly invited to this Special General Meeting. There will be reports on current issues, including the all-important regional re-organisation, and our progress in developing an organisation to fight the supercity elections in October 2010.
To facilitate the development of a campaigning organisation for the new Auckland Council in 2010, the City Vision Steering Committee recommends we establish a Campaign Committee to structure ways of working with other like-minded political and community groups across the region. We hereby call for nominations for the City Vision Campaign Committee for 2010. If you are interested or for more information, please contact Gwen Shaw, Deputy Chair, on gwenshaw@xnet.co.nz, 378 2188.

Grey Lynn Community Centre
The GLCC are looking for a new board member. Our Grey Lynn community Centre is a beautiful local asset. We have a small management committee who meet once a month. If you are interested in this please contact me suzanne.kendrick@gmail.com We would particularly like a younger person. Young to us means somebody in their twenties! We would like to see the centre used more on Friday and Saturday nights so if somebody has a good idea for a regular event please get involved.
Will need to get in touch this week so you will be ready for AGM on Thursday 19th November. All welcome to the AGM.

Pt Chev School Fundraiser – 6th November
Pt Chev Primary would love to see you and your friends at this fun night out in support of our school.
This is the major fundraiser for the year and is to raise funds for a new junior playground.

You need to get a ticket which includes:
A free Indulge embossed wine glass and carrier.
Access to the food market for free sampling and drinking.
Entry to the auditorium to watch four professional culinary and wine demonstrations.
The opportunity to buy some of the best food and wine NZ has to offer at reasonable prices.
Live music.
A fun night out with others from our community.
The chance to win a series of food spot prizes

Please go to www.indulgefoodfestival.co.nz or email indulgeptchev@xtra.co.nz

Pt Chev Transition Town Meeting
Next meeting is Tuesday, November 9 – Resource Room, Pt Chevalier Primary School, Te Ra Rd.

Don’t forget to bring something along to swap or give for market place if you can – not to worry if you can’t!

PT. CHEV TREASURE HUNT
A fun, free event for the whole family and neighbourhood
Sunday, November 8th , 1 – 4 pm, All over Pt. Chevalier
1 pm start at Pt. Chevalier Library – Finish at Coyle Park

Bring your family, friends and lively spirits and travel around Pt. Chevalier collecting clues that piece together an understanding of the suburbs amazing history and natural beauty.
You can choose a leisurely walk to find clues and surprises, go hard out on your bicycle or scooter to cover the distance, or just sit back amongst the hustle and bustle. There will be something for everyone to participate in and enjoy!

Bicycles (singles and tandems) can be rented on the day from Adventure Cycles in Pt. Chevalier. For more info contact them directly or adventurecycles@woosh.co.nz

New Farmers Market – Royal Oak Market – opens 22 November(14 Erson Avenue, Royal Oak).  As a Transition Town group we support local initiatives. We are very pleased to see a new market has sprung up. We hope the locals will get behind this market and be able to walk or cycle there.. The market is being hosted by CCS Disability Action, a not for profit organisation that supports people with disabilities.  Over 40 stall holders will be selling a variety of artisan foods and products – french pastries, olive oil, cheese, honey, fresh fish, fruit and veges, artwork, jewellery, ceramics, kids clothing and gifts.

Do we have any Food Co-ops in Grey Lynn?
If anybody knows of any Grey Lynn food co-ops could they contact Joel Hildebrandtjoel@earthsong.org.nz at Earthsong, so we can share information and cooperate between cooperatives.

Calendar of Upcoming Local Events

November
6 – 10th Richmond Rd School – Art with Love Public Art Auction
Sun 8th Grey Lynn Farmers Market
Sun 8th- Pt Chevalier Treasure Hun
Tue 10th – Pt Chev Transition Town Meeting
Wed 11th Grey Lynn 2030 Monthly Meeting
Sat 28th – Grey Lynn Festival 10 – 6

December

Not at all local but would looks good…

16th December Climate Camp – http://www.climatecamp.org.nz/
19th Grey Lynn Farmers Market Twilight Market

Have a great weekend. Also am trying out some new email software www.mailchimp.com
Can you let me know if the formatting is OK at your end?Thanks

Suzanne Kendrick
Grey Lynn 2030 Steering Committee
www.greylynn2030.co.nz
www.Twitter.com/greylynn2030
www.facebook.com/GreyLynn2030

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. – Margaret Mead

Warren wants to propose a new vision for reducing waste in Auckland. This will be partly based on a report Envision did in 2005 entitled “Reclaiming Auckland’s Resources”

That report proposed a waste strategy for Auckland based around a network of 7 Large Resource Recovery Parks fed by around 60 community recycling centres. All of Auckland’s waste resources would flow to sites within the network and only the residual material that cannot be reused or recycled would go to landfill. Control of Auckland’s waste stream would be in public hands for public benefit rather than controlled by large waste companies for private benefit.
The system would be self funding and create initially hundreds and potentially thousands of new jobs for the Auckland region.

About Warren

Warren started his first business in Tauranga at 19, producing signage, screen printing and point of sale display material for clients throughout New Zealand. He became disenchanted with advertising’s role in promoting consumerism (as well as addictive substances such cigarettes, alcohol and oil) and moved to Kaitaia.

As a result of economic restructuring in the 1980s he became involved in community development, and in 1989 co-founded CBEC (Community Business and Environment Centre) in Kaitaia and helped establish the Far North’s recycling system. In 1994 he project managed the introduction of Auckland City’s kerbside recycling system, then managed the Tindall Foundation for five years. In 1997 he co-founded Zero Waste New Zealand Trust, and helped establish the Recycling Operators of New Zealand (RONZ) and Waste Not Auckland Trust.

Warren served on the government-appointed Waste Minimisation Working Party which provided advice on the 2002 New Zealand Waste Strategy.

He established Envision in 2000.http://envision-nz.com/

The event was a great success. An estimated 12-16 tonnes of e-Waste was collected!
Lynn Green says, “We are so happy with the way the collection day went. Absolutely perfect in all ways with brilliant volunteers, good weather and a community which cares about what they are doing with their E-waste.”

Thanks to sponsors: Computer Recycling Ltd, Harvest Wholefoods, Woolworths Grey Lynn, Corporate Signage
Thanks to the many kind hearted and energetic volunteers

For those who missed the day, computer equipment can be taken to:
Computer Recycling Ltd 95 Gavin St, Penrose. Phone 5255518

To contact the Grey Lynn 2030 Waste Away group please email: greylynn2030wasteaway@gmail.com

Group powers up for e-waste day

By Scott Morgan

Photo: Jason Oxenham
WASTE NOT, WANT NOT: Grey Lynn 2030 members Kim Maree and Lynn Green are organising an e-waste action day that will see old computer equipment collected for recycling rather than being dumped in landfills.
Computer equipment can be dropped off at the Woolworths carpark on Richmond Rd between 9am and 3pm and volunteers will remove the items from people’s cars.

Old computer equipment will be carted off by the truckload this weekend if Lynn Green and Kim Maree get their way.

The pair are part of the Grey Lynn 2030 group, which is organising an e-waste action day on Saturday.

People can take their old computers to the Woolworths Grey Lynn carpark where they will be collected for free, taken to a computer recycling centre and disassembled, with the parts either reused or recycled.

Ms Green, of Westmere, says the group has organised the e-waste day to give people an alternative to putting out their old computers in the upcoming inorganic collection.

“We want to keep the e-waste off the street to stop it getting damaged and the hazardous chemicals going into the stormwater,” she says.

Ms Maree says the group came up with the idea for the event after one of its members saw a documentary that showed how e-waste from western countries ended up in the Third World.

The Freemans Bay resident says it hasn’t been an easy project to organise.

“It’s been a big learning curve for us.”

The group estimates between one and 10 percent of households in Grey Lynn and surrounding areas will want to get rid of their e-waste on the day, which could create several tonnes of equipment to haul away.

Computerrecycling.co.nz owner Graeme Torckler, who will be disposing of the collected computers, says the Grey Lynn 2030 group is doing a great thing for the environment.

“I wish there were more groups doing it. It’s fantastic how much you can keep out of the landfill.”

He says it’s better to sell computer parts on to firms that use them straight away, rather than recycling them.

“By reducing the footprint of what has to be returned to its base form, the better for everyone.”

Grey Lynn 2030 is involved in a number of other projects to help achieve its goal to develop a sustainable local community by 2030.

They include supporting the Grey Lynn farmers market, a gardening group, reducing plastic bags used in the area and food waste recycling.

Do you have computer equipment that you want to get rid of?

Electronic waste (E-Waste) can seriously harm the environment, wildlife and human health when dumped on the side of the road and in landfills.

E-Waste Action Day is a drive-through drop-off recycling event that gives you the opportunity to recycle your old computers and mobile phones in an environmentally sustainable way.

Don’t put your E-Waste out on the curbside for the inorganic collection as it could enter our ecosystem and will end up in the landfill. This is a loss of raw materials and we lose the ability to recycle components.

Car-pool you and your neighbour’s E-Waste, (to reduce car use), in the boot of your car and take it to:

Woolworths Grey Lynn Carpark, Richmond Rd.

Saturday 21st March, 9.00 am – 3.00 pm.

There will be a team of volunteers to direct you and to remove E-waste from your car.

FREE OF CHARGE – Although koha for the Grey Lynn 2030 Waste Away community group is appreciated.

Items accepted:

Computer hardware

Monitors

Networking equipment (e.g. modems, routers, hubs)

Scanners

Keyboards, mice, speakers

Laptops

Printers

Game consoles

Toner and ink jet cartridges

Mobile phones

Not accepted:

Items that are not related to computers or mobile phones. These include:

Televisions

Radios

Stereos

DVD players, video recorders

Other home appliances

Furniture

Before you come:

Wipe all data from your computer’s hard drive and remove any removable media such as floppy disks or PC cards. Use programmes such as:

Darik’s Boot and Nuke: www.dban.org

Ultra Shredder or Eraser

Ensure that your service provider disconnects your mobile and that contacts and other stored information are erased from the phone’s memory. Also remove your phone’s SIM card if it has one.

…and bring your neighbours computer gear to save on car miles J

Contact:

greylynn2030wasteaway@gmail.com

Other Information on Computer Recycling:

www.canz.org.nz

www.eday.org.nz

www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/waste/safe-use-and-disposal-computer-equipment/use-disposal-computer-equipment.html

Thanks to Computer Recycling.co.nz for providing collection equipment, truck and transport, experienced equipment handler and for processing the equipment in an environmentally friendly manner. www.computerrecyling.co.nz

Thanks to Amber and Harvest Wholefoods for providing some volunteers and refreshments for them on the day, attending meetings, advertising and commitment to helping our community take responsibility for its E-waste.

Thanks to Woolworths Grey Lynn for providing the site, forklift and driver and having a trained first-aid person on site.

Thanks to The Harbour News for writing an article promoting the event.

Thanks to Corporate Signage Ltd for sandwich board and Geoff from Diverge for signage knowledge & expertise.

Thanks to Auckland City Council for providing traffic cones.

Thanks to the volunteers and all other people who added value and energy to this Community Action.

Biggest thanks to Kim, Amie & Damon from the Grey Lynn 2030 Waste Away Group for their continued enthusiasm, support, stylie flyer, humour, time, perspectives, skills, strength and commitment to help make our community a more responsible and healthier place to live. … and thanks to Lynn Green for her vision, focus, dedication and community-minded spirit!!

This may be just what we need to get us going. Perhaps a few people to get together and go over to listen to Matt.

Please respond on this blog if you are interested.

You are invited to attend a presentation by Matt Cross, businessman and coordinator of Huskisson Plastic Bag Free Campaign.

Huskisson is an Australian seaside town perched on the edge of the glittering Jervis Bay, which became Australia’s first mainland coastal plastic bag free town in 2003.Matt is a local resident of Huskisson, a local businessman, managing two dolphin & whales watch cruise companies together with his family. For 15 years before moving to Huskisson, Matt was in Investment Banking as a currency trader.

He initiated the campaign to help raise the profile of Huskisson and Jervis Bay, to give it an identity, and to help protect, preserve its values via the campaign. Matt’s tremendous effort, perseverance and dedication to this cause saw him become the national, and indeed international, face of Huskisson and above all it enabled Huskisson became Australia’s first mainland coastal plastic bag free town on the 21st November 2003.

Interested to know how they did it ? Come and engage with Matt on March 12, 2009 at Sustainable Living Centre, 4 Olympic Place , New Lynn at 6:30 pm

Please RSVP by March 09, 2009 to Parul Sood at
parul.sood@waitakere.govt.nz or 09 8368000 ext 9016.

If you want to car pool over in a group from Grey Lynn, please contact

Suzanne Kendrick
Suzanne.kendrick@gmail.com