The workshop starts at 11.15am  in the oval room at the Farmers Market.

• All Good Bananas have their monthly stall
• Tessa’s Mothers Day Give away- simply say Happy Mother’s Day’ at Tessa’s stall, and she will give the mother in question a surprise gift from her stall. It really is as easy as that!
• So many yummy breakfast, brunch and lunch options to eat in or take out – the MexiKai truck; Indian, Turkish, Argentinian food,  coffee and the new Juice Up Organic stall

A 100% community owned and operated market bringing you great value, fresh, local produce.

By supporting our market, you are also supporting small scale growers and farmers, and local businesses selling spray free and organic veg, fruit, eggs, cheese, free range meat, fish, jams, honey, ginger beer, coffee, juice, seedlings, bread, dips, hot food and more

9am- 12.30pm at the Grey Lynn Community Centre, 510 Richmond Road (every Sunday except the last Sunday of the month)

 

Have you ever felt you weren’t being listened to?

Governments have vast economic and political resources which means they set the agenda. The average citizen on the other hand has one vote, no real voice and few other ways to exert any influence over what goes on in the world. In short, if you don’t have the means to make yourself heard your needs are often overlooked or ignored altogether.

That just doesn’t seem fair to us so we’re on a mission to help place the power to shape the world back into the hands of the people. Yep, we know it’s a ridiculously grandiose ambition but we really want to help make the world a better place to be for everyone.

To get the ball rolling we’ve chosen to focus on improving the quality of communication between voters and their elected representatives.

The team says

“We’ve researched our idea, figured out how to make it work and finally we’re at the stage where it’s ready to build. So far we’ve donated our time for free, that’s what you do with love projects, but to develop it further and start coding in earnest we need financial support.”

Pop on over the One Big Voice page on indiegogo and login with your Facebook id to get involved.

Meet at the Mission Bay Fountain

Action:  To build a human seawall!!

Bring:   An umbrella

Please join us on Saturday, May 5, as part of a global day of action, to make the connection between climate change and the extreme weather events happening all across the world.

Highlighting sea level rise as a definitive challenge we face here in Auckland, we are going to create a human installation along the Tamaki Drive seawall. Umbrellas will be our “connecting the dots” symbol – so be sure to bring yours! There will be fun activities, good conversation and a relaxed environment for the whole family to enjoy.

Photographs of our ‘seawall’ will contribute to the international call to Connect the Dots, to recognise the impacts of climate change already occurring, and to make the shift to a low-carbon society.

What is Connect the Dots?

On Saturday, May 5, people all over the world highlight their “climate dots” symbolising the significance of connecting these issues.  In places from drought-stricken Mongolia to flood-stricken Thailand, from fire-ravaged Australia to Himalayan communities threatened by glacial melt, we will hold rallies reminding everyone what is happening in our neighborhoods, our communities and across our world.  At each of these rallies we will make a point with a DOT.  We’ll share our images around the world, to put a human face on climate change, holding up a mirror to the planet and coming face to face with its reality.

Read more about Connect the Dots atwww.climatedots.org.

What is 350.org?

350.org support a grassroots movement to solve the climate crisis.  350 means climate safety as we must reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from its current level of 392 parts per million to below 350 ppm.  More than just a number, 350 symbolizes where we need to head as a planet through collective climate action.  350 have been holding “global days of climate action” since 2009 and this year we would like you to join us in launching a global campaign to connect the dots between climate change and extreme weather events around the world.

Read more about 350.org atwww.350.org andwww.350.org.nz

We have previously commented on the Auckland Unleashed discussion document and submitted on the draft Auckland Plan. Our comments on those documents are relevant to the draft Long Term Plan and we asked for them to be taken into account. Due to the short consultation period and the lack of resources for voluntary groups to draft submissions we were only able to focus on a small number of issues.

Transport

We strongly support expenditure on public transport and active travel. In particular:

• We generally agree with the transport-related key issues spelled out in the LTP. We particularly support increased future CAPEX spending on public transport, to the proposed rate of 48% of the 10 year transport budget.
• We support the City Centre Rail Link and it prioritised
• We support Improved infrastructure for pedestrians and shared cycle/walking routes by including in the Plan “Greenways” that link open spaces and parks.
• We support development of the Regional Cycle Network and provision of dedicated cycle infrastructure and a priority

We are very disappointed with the lack of funding for walking and cycling. The Long Term plan proposes a mere 0.8% of the transport capital expenditure to be spent on walking AND cycling – taking the disappointing Ministry of Transport’s GPS co-funding rate as read.

Auckland Council and Auckland Transport should prioritise a liveable city, in which short trips (6km or less) are encouraged to be by active modes. This will also boost public transport, as PT users generally walk or cycle to stations.

We do not support any further investment in new roads and ask for a reprioritisation for active modes of transport.

The prioritisation of so many roading projects undermines targets in the Auckland Plan relating to other matters, such as reducing CO2 emissions and limiting urban sprawl.

Economic Development

We support the Grey Lynn Business Association’s aspirations for the development of the Grey Lynn Shops (on Great North Road) to revitalise this area and support the local economy.

We would like budget to be appropriately identified for a precinct plan project.

We support the development of the City Centre Master Plan in particular projects that provide for connections to the inner city suburbs. 

Urban Development and natural environment

 We would like to see appropriate funding identified for:

-       Measures to reduce the quality and improve the quality of stormwater run off

-       Tree protection

-       Local resource recovery centres (as a key part of the Council’s Waste Minimisation and Management Plan)

-       “day lighting” Edgars Stream

-       Community gardens and local food production

-       Energy and water saving measures

We support funding being made available to protect of both our built and natural heritage. In particular we request funding is made available for the purchase and restoration of Carlisle House on Richmond Road

Bylaws

 We do not support the continuation of Rodney District Council’s bylaw that enabled fees to be charged for keeping of bees on public land.  Auckland residents should be given every encouragement to keep bees and not be subject to a permit process or fees.

Waitemata Local Board

We support the priorities of the Waitemata Local Board for 12/13

This year an additional aim was to reduce waste going to landfill.  This was initially discussed with the organisers and relevant information was provided for stall holders. On the day three waste stations were set up providing for three waste streams i.e. foodwaste and compostables, mixed recyclables and waste for landfill. The bins were supervised as much as possible on the day to prevent contamination of each waste stream.

An unexpected challenge was the use by some stallholders, with great intentions, of bio-degradable cups, because where to put these! The recycle stream would be polluted, composting unsafe (it is often unclear what ‘bio-degradable’  consists off and, if it is safely compostable, high temperatures are needed which can only achieved in commercial facilities) and it contributes to greenhouse gasses in landfills. We weren’t able to solve this issue on the day as no budget was available for a suitable contractor.

However, 100kg of food/compostables went to the worms and a further three to four bins of mixed recyclables were deviated from landfill.

It was a great first attempt at ‘zero waste’ with lots of insights for similar future school events.

Cardboard and paper, for example, could have all gone to the school’s ‘Papers from Homes’ bin but more people power on the day would have been needed for this.

The Paper from Homes scheme allows for optimum recycling of this resource in New Zealand with money earned by the school for each filled bin.

Richmond Road School has a permanent bin on site for this scheme. To support this scheme please bring your newspapers, junk mail, flattened cardboard boxes to the green large bin beside the clothing bin in Richmond Road School’s car park. The school will receive $5- to $10- for each bin filled.

NB Did you know that both Seddon Fields soccer grounds and Western Springs Schools are on old, closed, landfills, with leachates seeps affecting Coxes Creek. Under City Vision/Labour council work commenced in 2007 to address this. (www.cityvision.org.nz-  Pollution of western Beaches).

1 April – 31 May, Jafa Cafe, 551 Richmond Rd, Grey Lynn

This Way of Life- introduced by the producer and writer Sumner Burstyn.

Shortlisted for the Oscars in the documentary category, This Way of Life documents the story of Hawkes Bay hunter and horse wrangler Peter Ottley-Karena, wife Colleen and their six children. Intercut with Peter’s articulate bush philosophy, it captures the family’s romantic, dignified relationship to each other and to the natural world.

Sunday 29th April, 7.30pm, Garden Room at the Grey Lynn Community Centre, 510 Richmond Road

$2 entry

We are a group of enthusiastic individuals committed to educating our community around waste issues and waste reduction as well as identifying and implementing waste reduction initiatives.

We are looking for some keen volunteers to be a part of our group ……what can you expect if you join us?

• Being part of a friendly, dedicated community focused group
  
• Monthly meetings to talk rubbish
  
• Help out at our stall at the Grey Lynn  Farmers Market once every two months or so (or whatever you can commit to)
  
• Help with recycling at local community events 2-3 times per year

For further information please contact us:

greylynn2030wasteaway@gmail.com

or call Colinda – 09 378 8966 or 021 582 600