Grey Lynn 2030 Transition Community » Wilton St Garden Group

Wilton Street Community Garden thank you to the founders

Pippa — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 04:19:21 +0000

We wish Wilton Street Community Garden founders Mandy McMullin and Dave Gilbert the best of luck in there move to the new orchard (and home)in the garden of Eden. Your constant passion has given birth to a flourishing haven for bird,bee and community in Wilton Street and beyond. From humble beginings of a jungle infested carpark you have managed to create a garden for Lizards, native trees, composting bays for the local recycling of waste, a water tank from the roof tops of The Vault and Gypsy Tearooms, beds for vegtable growning,applications for funding to council for basic needs of the garden, cups of tea for those in need , and all out of the love in your hearts !!!

This is not good bye, but an acknowledgement of your devotion to the garden and the compost !! See you with a sunhat soon.

From the gardeners of Wilton Street Community Garden.

New Community Composting Facility

Pippa — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 03:01:01 +0000

The Wilton Street Community Garden recently completed construction of our new Community Composting Facility. Located in the garden at the top of Wilton Street, the facility consists of three large wooden bins designed to turn local organic waste into usable garden compost.

The bins are easily accessible and designed to be user friendly. Now we would love people to start using them – shops, households, offices, gardeners – anyone who has organic material currently going to ‘waste’. The bins are labelled 1,2 and 3, and only one will have the IN sign on the front at any time. This is the bin to tip your waste into, when this bin is full, the IN sign will be shifted to another bin.

The system is a trial so we would appreciate it if you would support this community facility and spread the word to others. We don’t want to encourage rats or the spread of weeds so please;

WE WELCOME

organic green waste only – such as grass clippings, garden waste, vegetable matter, coffee grounds, non-meat food scraps.

WE DON’T WANT

meat or fish, plastic, oil, glass, or large woody tree prunings
no pest weeds such as oxalis, wandering jew or jasmine.

Anyone who has questions or requires a plastic bucket to transport scraps please contact Mandy. (Mandy.McMullin@xtra.co.nz)

Grey Lynn 2030 first update for 2010

Pippa — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:40:14 +0000

1 February 2010
In This Issue:

Have your say on the Super city
Grey Lynn 2030 first gathering of the year
Grey Lynn Farmers Market
Traffic Calming
West Lynn Parking Issues
Waste Away
Wilton Street Community Gardens update
Grey Lynn 2030 “sustainability” week
Permaculture Workshop Courses
Grey Lynn 2030 in 2010

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.

Have your say on the Super city

Thursday 4 Feb 6.30-8.30pm Grey Lynn Community Centre

The Greens and Labour are hosting a series of public meetings around Auckland about the super-city. The meetings will focus on the third Auckland council bill which is currently open to the public for submissions.

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

What’s happening in our Community

Suzanne Kendrick — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:38:10 +0000

Hello Grey Lynn 2030ers

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

Wilton St Community Garden Fence is Finished!

Suzanne Kendrick — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:27:11 +0000

The Wilton St Community Garden Fence is now completed and it looks stunning!

A fence was badly needed for the community garden as people were still parking on the land. The garden is immediately behind the Gypsy Tea Rooms so on a busy night some vacant land looked tempting. Also the land had become a popular dog toilet… yuck.

Urgent action was required as this is all very disheartening for the gardeners.

So a builder was found, materials donated (thanks to The Wine Vault) and work commenced.

The marvellous builders also repaired trellis and hung gate. The builder, Murray Watt has done a lovely job. Please recommend him to your friends.

Grey Lynn 2030 have funded the labour for the fence from the money we made from our “Age of Stupid” movie night. The rest of the money has been used for the banner and signage we are using at the Farmers Market and other events.

Also local shops Monterey and Savour and Devour are now keen to donate their kitchen waste to the Wilton St Community Garden.

Depending on how much they produce our next job will be to expand our composting system.

Anyone able to do any watering please do so especially those living in wilton street as the new plants will appreciate it.

Please call in and see the garden or even better come along to our working bee on Sundays 2-4. Every weekend.

Mandy

Please support Wilton Community Garden BNZ “Closed for Good” Application

Suzanne Kendrick — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:57:27 +0000

Dear all,

I have submitted an application to the BNZ CLOSED FOR GOOD FUND. The BNZ is closing for a day and the staff are available for projects.

I have received a response including this…

“Try to get people from the community to show their support for the project by leaving comments – this will show the selection committee that your project is widely supported.

Good luck, I hope your project gets selected as I grew up in Wilton St!

So please can you leave comments on the Closed for Good site and encourage others to do the same.

http://www.closedforgood.org/view-submissions/detail/419/

Thanks

Mandy