Pt Chevalier Transition Towns monthly meeting minutes – Tuesday 12 August 2014

Present: Judith, Chris, Ally, Ellen, Anne, Adrian, Jenny, Niki, Heidi, Walter, Yolanda, Bex

Apologies: Deryn, Jack, Adee

Sustainability Projects & Market

Judith Holtebrinck talked to us about her role with the local Pt Chevalier community. She was approached by the local board to fulfil this role to connect with businesses and community groups in Pt Chevalier  and Mt Albert to start initiatives similar to what she has started in the Mt Eden community.

She is keen for people to connect with her with their ideas and suggestions at: jhlookaround@gmail.com

Several of the ideas so far include these possibilities:

- Food waste and coffee grounds from cafes to go to gardens, compost bins, pig farmers

- Soft plastic for recycling to be collected at more locations

- Shredded paper from banks to go to people with chickens

- Oil waste from fish & chip shops to be collected by company that reuses it responsibly

Judith has met with Chris Casey, local Physiotherapist and founder of Pt Chev Social Enterprise group to discuss ideas. There is a plan to start a local market in Pt Chev, possibly monthly, the first being on the 21^st Sept.  If you are interested to be a part of this, contact Judith.

Photography of local initiatives project

Bex updated us on this – she has her Unitec photography students ready to go to several locations to take photos: working bee at Pt Chev community garden, street party in Dignan St, Anne & Walters private garden, Kelmarna community garden and Pt Chev primary school teacher Keren Rego and her students harvesting citrus and making marmalade.

If we have any media we want images for, we are welcome to ask Bex for some to use. She will create an images bank.

Niki

Updated us on her recent trip to the US, Canada and Europe. She was particularly enamoured of the Netherlands cycle culture, where cars have to give way to cyclists and roads are designed for cyclists safety with cycle ways everywhere.

She visited Schumacher College in the UK and did a one week course there. She highly recommends the magazine Resurgence, which is part of this organisation.

Collectively Kids

Adrian expressed how inspired he is by Collectively Kids, the local childcare centre on the corner of Carrington Rd and Sutherland Rd. They have planted heaps of fruit trees on their small property, use cloth nappies and have made links with their neighbours: Māori mental health, the cerebral palsy man who rides past in his wheelchair and Friends of Oakley Creek.

Purchasing Group

At the moment, Eco Store and Trade Aid are the 2 organisations that the group is doing bulk purchasing with. To find out more contact Niki on nikiharre@xtra.co.nz

Community Supported Agriculture

Ellen updated us on this project – there are 9 or 10 groups who are supporting this and Richard Main from gardens 4 health is on board. It will be organic and the groups can specify what they want grown.

Eco Nappies

Ally told us about her work at WDHB, where she has been working with the new sustainability manager  on a pilot using sustainable nappies, Totsbots, for use in their special care baby unit.

Cycleways

Chris talked about the long term plans for new cycle ways spanning across Waterview, Oakley creek, Unitec and beyond.

Unitec Bike racks

These have now been installed across several locations at Unitec, which is great for students and staff. Designed by students, each one takes up the space of one car park, and can fit 9 bikes, under a clear arch shaped roof.

Future meeting hosts for rest of the year – thanks guys !

Sept 9^th – Heidi

Oct 14^th – Ellen

Nov 11^th – Bex

Dec ?? Beach picnic??

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