AS PEG approaches the end of its first year, the organisation has developed a small core group of a half-dozen people, with perhaps another half-dozen people attending and helping out at events. There are also a few people with very young children who have indicated they would at some point like to join or rejoin the core group. Beyond that we have about another 30 people on the mailing list.
Over the course of the year, we’ve settled on a program of activities that comprises a monthly meeting plus talk/film (first Tuesday) and a monthly picnic (third Sunday), plus occasional other events including occasional bushwalks and a Sustainable Living Day event of practical green workshops.
We have also established a “food network” of about a dozen people to bulk-buy organic dry goods at wholesale prices.
To date, we have seen PEG’s role as building a local “green network” that supports people on the peninsula trying to live more sustainability, both as a social network and to share knowledge and ideas on sustainable living. We have not, as yet, got involved in campaigning on local issues such the Umina Coastal Sandplain Woodland, the footpath to Pearl Beach, the Ettalong foreshore, dredging of the Ettalong channel, Coca Cola’s Peats Ridge factory, the nature of future development in the area, or plans for new coal mines for the Central Coast. This reflects, I think, both the interests of the core group and a feeling that we don’t yet have the resources, energy or numbers to “win” campaigns of this nature. But it’s certainly possible PEG may decide to be more vocal on local issues in future.
2009
The basic program is to continue with a monthly meeting followed by a talk or film on the first Tuesday of each month, and a monthly picnic in Lions Park on the third Sunday, plus:
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Mark Snell will lead 2 or 3 Sunday morning bushwalks in June, July, August with identification of local plants to Blackwall Mountain, Warah Trig, rock platforms behind Umina Citidel.
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another Sustainable Living Day event at the WWEC
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a demonstration of solar cooking at Joachim Muller’s house
We hope to consolidate the Food Network and would like to help establish a Community Supported Agriculture scheme in which farmers on the Somersby Plateau provide organic food boxes to subscribers on the Central Coast.
We also want to work with the WWEC committee and the Bushcare Forum to transform the WWEC grounds into an educational native plant garden featuring native plants indigenous to the peninsula sandplain, as a teaching resource for PEG, Bushcare and local schools.
The door is certainly open to other projects – if we feel we have the resources and if someone is prepared to “drive” a project. Three possible projects are a drive to get people to install solar PV panels, a “bike group” and a larger “eco-fair” on the peninsula (possibly at a school?).
Also, it’s worth noting that we aim to work as closely as possible with Central Coast LETS, which is an excellent way to put many localisation principles into practice.
I am compiling ideas for talks and films for 2009. Feel free to send me suggestions. My initial list is…
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February – we can get cut-price solar PV if we can get 30 people to sign up for it
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March – Solar hot water – Joachim Muller
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April – Transition Towns
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May – Meet the Greens – if they’ll come!
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June – film (Baraka or Koyannisquatski?)
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July – Community Supported Agriculture – Lisa Edwards, short film
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August – Film?
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September – Energy-efficient homes (Pete Meloy?)