Transition Towns Australia

Online magazine article about Transition Towns

2011-12-08T09:48:00.001+10:00

Here is a link to a recent magazine article about Transition Towns in Australia...

Towns in Transition

Cheers,
Sonya

Transition Towns at the Big Pineapple

2011-12-07T09:30:00.003+10:00

Since the Big Pineapple (an iconic Sunshine Coast landmark) has reopened and in undergoing a massive revitalisation project, Transition Town Nambour has taken on the job of setting up a market stall there every Saturday morning to spread the Transition Town love!

It's the perfect place for people to gather for an informal chat and catch up.

If you live on the coast or are visiting the Sunshine Coast and would like to find out about Transition Town happenings in the region, drop in and say hello.

Transition Town Eudlo
Transition Town Nambour

Transition Towns on SBS this week

2011-12-01T14:02:00.001+10:00

SBS One will be screening a story on Transition Town Totnes this Friday night at 7.30pm.

Transition Towns on facebook

2011-10-13T17:46:00.000+10:00

If you're on facebook you can find a page for Transition Sunshine Coast there and also Transition Town Eudlo. Just do a search on Transition Towns and see how many there are...

Woodford Folk Festival - 2012

2011-09-14T17:00:00.003+10:00

Transition Town presentation
Woodford Folk Festival
December 27, 2011 at 11am
in the wonderful Greenhouse

Making the Transition to local food
Celebrating Transition Towns around the world who are getting out there, seeding, creating and building resilient, localised food systems in all their shapes and forms. The presentation will feature international and local action on local food systems.

About the speaker

Sonya Wallace - Transition Sunshine Coast

Sonya is involved in raising awareness nationally about local food systems through the models of Transition Towns and permaculture. From government taskforces to teaching hands on workshops, her focus is on working co-operatively with others to create resilient food systems.

2011-07-20T11:14:00.000+10:00

Upcoming talk on Transition Towns at Mullumbimby NSW.

What's your Transition Town success story?

2011-07-05T13:34:00.002+10:00

Hi,

Putting out a call for your Transition Town success stories. I'm putting together a presentation due in early August and I'd love to include local and national success stories.

Please either leave a link to your stories on your website, or leave a comment here.

Interested in hearing;
how you first started?
what's worked really well for you?
how you're reskilling in your community
what advice you'd offer for starting or boosting an initiative.

cheers,
Sonya
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo

EDAP available soon

2011-06-15T16:04:00.001+10:00

Transition Sunshine Coast's EDAP (Energy Descent Action Plan) will soon be available online for other groups to peruse.

cheers,
Sonya
Transition Sunshine Coast

Upcoming Transition Town presentation

2011-06-05T11:47:00.006+10:00

Dairy date - 'Transitioning to a Sustainable Community' - public presentation.

Tuesday August 2 - evening (exact time to be confirmed)
Mullumbimby NSW (address to be confirmed)

** more details will be published here as soon as they are available **

Sonya Wallace from Transition Sunshine Coast will be talking about the Transition Town movement and look at international and local success stories and how other communities are working together cooperatively to prepare for climate, resource and economic uncertainty.

Latest update

2011-05-29T13:42:00.003+10:00

Long time no post - apologies for that, but still plenty happening with Transition Towns around the place.

The Sunshine Coast Energy Descent Action Plan has made it as part of Council's Energy Transition project and will play an ongoing role there. Transition Town Eudlo is going strong with plenty of activities and community events happening.

More councils are starting to enquire about Transition Towns and their role in relocalising communities, particularly food systems. Together with permaculture design training, there are plenty of new innovative solutions starting to arise.

Keep an eye out for local Transition Town events in your area, or contact us direct and we'll see what we can do to help organise something. transitiontowns@yahoo.com.au

Permaculture Pathways also offers Transition Town training - visit the site here.

Transition Towns at Woodford

2010-12-26T15:17:00.002+10:00

Transition Towns will be at the Woodford Folk Festival on Monday Dec 27 and Tuesday 28 in the GREENhouse.

Drop by and say hello!

On Monday we will be screening the Transition movie and on Tuesday we'll be talking about what's worked and what hasn't with Transition Town so far.

Cheers,

Sonya

Transition Sunshine Coast

Workshop this Thursday with David Holmgren

2010-06-08T12:02:00.002+10:00

If you would like to book into a very special Transition Town workshop this Thursday at Eumundi with David Holmgren, please email for more information.

Transition Town groups from around the Sunshine Coast and South East Queensland and people interested in learning about Transition Towns are invited to attend this very special day.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Coordinator

Transition Town Gathering in June with David Holmgren

2010-05-12T10:37:00.001+10:00

A Transition Towns Gathering ~ for information and inspiration ~

A very special Transition Town event proudly presented by Transition Sunshine Coast

Thursday June 10 at Eumundi

Join world-renowned sustainability leader David Holmgren at Eumundi on Thursday June 10 for a day full of information and inspiration.

As part of his Sunshine Coast tour in June, David Holmgren and Su Dennett will be Transition Sunshine Coast’s very special guests at a day full of inspirational stories and wonderful opportunities for Transition Town networking.

Building on his visit to the Sunshine Coast in 2006, which sparked the beginnings of Transition Sunshine Coast and Australia’s first Energy Descent Action Plan, this is our opportunity to pause to celebrate just how far we have come and how much we have achieved.

Transition Towns from the Coast and our surrounding neighbours are invited to deliver a short presentation of what they’ve been up to and what they have achieved in their communities.

We will spend the day and evening together acknowledging and honouring the work we have already done, celebrating our successes, learning from each other and being inspired and energised to go back to our communities and achieve even more.

To cover David’s and Su’s time and travel expenses cost is: $75 per person

Accommodation: contact Janet Millington on 5442 7200 for a range of Eumundi accommodation options to suit your needs if you would like to stay overnight

Places are strictly limited, to secure your place:
email Sonya Wallace or call 0408 013 012

Transition Towns Nambour & Eudlo

2010-03-26T06:28:00.003+10:00

More than 60 people turned up to Transition Town Nambour's first meeting and a steering group was formed. The next meeting will be on Wednesday 21 April at 7pm.

Transition Town Eudlo will be at the Eudlo Autumn Markets this Sunday morning held in and around the Eudlo Village Town Hall.

Transition Town Nambour - first meeting

2010-03-03T12:22:00.002+10:00

Transition Town Nambour may be just around the corner...

Their first ever meeting will be on Wednesday March 24 at 7pm, kindly hosted by the Nambour Baptist Church on Coe's Creek Road.

Come along if you live in Nambour and would like to learn more - all welcome.

Transition Far North Queensland - website up and running

2010-02-26T11:58:00.003+10:00

Hi Transitioners,

Visit www.tfnq.org for the latest information on whats on in Far North Queensland.

Tableland LETS
Our first Ravenshoe Trade and Info Night will be Tuesday 9th March at 6.30pm for a shared meal, 7.30pm for trading at 1 Ascham Street, Ravenshoe.

All Welcome, especially prospective members. A one-off $20 joining fee applies.

Please bring a plate of food to share. Bring goods or services you can Offer and a list of Wants.
http://lets.clearwater.com.au/

Seed Savers Up North - Meeting Notice
Seed Savers Up North is our local seed network – part of the Seed Savers Network Australia wide. It is a non-profit group of people who are passionate about saving our plant heritage and preserving the genetic basis of tomorrow’s food.

In our morning session we will be distributing seeds from our seed bank and planning our Autumn plantings in preparation for seeds for our workshops in September. Our afternoon session we will be viewing interesting Seed Saving DVD's .

We will be holding our next meeting:

WHEN: Saturday 13th of March 2010

TIME: 11am Seed Bank exchange, garden tour of Bood's interesting garden

1pm shared lunch, raffle, information circle

2pm - 5pm Selection of interesting Seed Saving DVD's, afternoon tea

WHERE: Bood, Lulu & Riley Hickson phone (07) 4097 2375

'Ballintaggart' 330 Patterson Rd Minbun (Patterson Rd runs off Kenny Rd, which runs off Millaa Millaa Malanda Rd.)

Minbun is between Tarzali and Millaa Millaa. follow signs

What to bring:

1) Seeds for the seed bank and any planting material to share, and folding table if possible

2) Chair and lunch to share, or afternoon tea to share if you are attending afternoon session

3) Something for raffle and fund raising table

4) Tea and coffee available

EVERYBODY WELCOME

This is a Seed Savers Network Event

seedsavers@hotmail.com

www.seedsavers.net

Happy Transitioning
Anne M

2010-02-26T11:58:00.001+10:00

Transition Sunshine Coast delivers EDAP

2010-02-24T06:14:00.004+10:00

Transition Sunshine Coast is very pleased to announce they have delivered their Energy Descent Action Plan (EDAP) to the Sunshine Coast Regional Council. (as seen on Transition Culture)

The Sunshine Coast EDAP covers the entire region of the Sunshine Coast located in Queensland, Australia which has a population of 330,000+ and covers an area of more than 3100 square km.

Written by a small yet committed group of locals and facilitated by Transition Sunshine Coast founders Sonya Wallace and Janet Millington, the plan is the first step in creating opportunities for bottom up, top down cooperation between communities and council in response to peak oil and climate change.

“We’re so pleased to be able to deliver our EDAP to a receptive council. We’ve been working hard to build relationships within the community and with local government by raising awareness about the need to prepare for peak oil and the impacts of climate change and it seems that hard work has paid off,” Sonya Wallace said.

“Our progressive council recognises the need for community partnerships and embraces the EDAP and Transition Initiatives to further their sustainability objectives. This living document is now informing council policy,” Janet Millington said.

The plan delivers almost 400 positive actions, community projects and doable solutions for individuals, households, neighbourhoods, communities, businesses, regions and governments to take to prepare for a more resilient future.

Following the Transition Town model and the Kinsale EDAP, the Sunshine Coast EDAP identified and considered a wide range of areas that will be affected by energy descent such as;

food supply, water, energy, waste, infrastructure, transport and mobility, built environment and housing, communication, health and wellbeing, formal education systems and reskilling of the community, employment and economics, community governance, land stewardship and biodiversity and emergency preparedness in the context of energy descent.

The actions were delivered to the region’s Energy Transition Project Reference Group, formed in 2009 by council and with Transition Town representatives on board along with national climate change experts, ASPO representatives, energy experts, councillors and council staff, the group will create an Energy Transition Policy for the region in response to peak oil and climate change to be finalised by June 2010.

Transition Sunshine Coast will now begin the process of delivering the document to Transition Towns within the region and Transition Town Eudlo’s EDAP will be the first of many local EDAPs to be created within the regional one.

Transition Sunshine Coast will also endeavour to distribute their EDAP through the international Transition Network and add it to the steadily growing e-library of information available to other groups around the world.

For further information contact transitiontowns@yahoo.com.au

Transition Town Hervey Bay

2010-02-24T06:11:00.001+10:00

Transition Town Hervey Bay update.

Celebrity visit

We have invited Jerry Colby Williams from ABC Gardening to visit us once again and he will give a talk at the USQ on Saturday 27 March 2010.

TIME 10.30am – 12.00Noon

Gold coin donation at the door.

Jerry is a curator, writer, executive member of Queensland Conservation Council, director of the Seed Savers' Foundation, a patron of ANZES (the Australia & New Zealand Solar Energy Society), and an ABC TV Gardening Australia television presenter. Trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Jerry is qualified in horticultural estate management, soft landscape design, horticultural and botanical sciences.

Projects completing – what next?

As Transition Town Hervey Bay draws near to the end of its 2 year project, its heartening to see so many new volunteers coming on board full of enthusiasm and great ideas. The Low Carbon Diet, the Energy Descent Action Plan and the TT Gardeners are all scheduled to wind up in June but there are calls already to go beyond that date, so it looks as though a new team will form.

Next Meeting Thursday 25 February at Images Training Restaurant, Wide Bay TAFE, Urraween Rd. A short film and social meeting.

Library Presentations

Transition Fraser Coast presentations at:

Maryborough Library Thursday 25 Feb 10am
Hervey Bay Library Friday 26 Feb 10am

BBQ

You are invited to the Transition Town Gardener’s very first BYO BBQ

When: Sunday 7 March 2010. 11am – 2pm

Where: At the Cottage, 16 Peter’s Lane, Pialba

Why: To share good food with good people in the wonderful garden that is evolving.

BYO everything (plates, cutlery etc) and mix with like minded people while you share recipes, gardening tips and make new friends. There will be a raffle, plant sales and an opportunity to meet one of Hervey Bay’s leading chefs. See you there!

Transition Town weekend a great success

2010-02-20T12:29:00.008+10:00

The recent Transition Sunshine Coast training weekend set in the lush subtropics of the Sunshine Coast was a great success.

We had 23 people from around Australia take part and they were all very keen to dive in the deep end with us and explore Transition Towns and how they might be applied in their local communities.

Being a permaculture inspired event, the food was great too - and local and organic.

Group work is a big part of the weekend and people had the chance to put their own ideas on paper and talk to others about all things Transition.

We explored how climate change, peak oil and all the other pressures on the planet and society might lead to breakdowns or breakthroughs - an interesting exercise that got people thinking and more importantly sharing their thoughts with others, realising they're not alone.

Preparing their own toolkit of skills they need to balance the head, heart and hands of Transition work.

Hopes and dreams - setting the objectives for the weekend.

Our next training weekend is set for June this year, see above right for details.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo
Think Green Consultancy

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Transition Town weekend starts tomorrow

2010-02-04T11:09:00.002+10:00

Transition Sunshine Coast is hosting it's first Transition Town training weekend for 2010 and it kicks off tomorrow at Eumundi.

People are travelling from around Australia to spend the weekend with others who are working in or planning to start Transition Initiatives.

We're looking forward to an inspiring and stimulating weekend full of good ideas, great discussion and good food.

We plan to run another weekend mid-year and one more toward the end of the year, depending on demand.

If you would like to go on our course notification list, please email us.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo
Think Green Consultancy

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Computer problems with bookings

2010-01-23T17:17:00.003+10:00

Hi,

If you've tried to email us at our info (@) seac.net.au email address in the past week (between January 17 and 22nd) please resend your email to transitiontowns@yahoo.com.au

Due to technical difficulties, we haven't been able to access emails - so if you'd like to be part of our Transition Town Training weekend on February 5, 6 & 7 - email us and we'll get right back to you.

cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Town trainer

Places filling fast for Transition Town training weekend

2010-01-12T10:03:00.009+10:00

Here's some information on the training weekend we have coming up in a couple of weeks - places are filling fast, so please get in quick if you'd like to be part of this exciting Transition Town weekend on the Sunshine Coast. Email if you'd like a flier.

Other weekends are planned for mid-year and later in the year.

ABOVE - a photo of some happy workshop participants and Chippy the dog.

Dates:
Friday February 5 (from 5pm)
Saturday and Sunday February 6 & 7 (9am-4pm)
(We aim to be finished and out the door by 4pm Sunday)

The workshop:
We begin on Friday evening with a shared meal (as local and organic as we can get it) at 6pm with time to meet each other, chat, make connections and gently relax into our weekend of Transition Town training.

First thing Saturday it’s into the workshop. During the two days, we'll take you through a process that will enable you to confidently go back to your communities and either start or continue with your Transition initiative.

We focus on practical, doable and usable information, skills and techniques, bringing together our experience with Transition Towns both locally and from around Australia, years of research and development, and key lessons we’ve learnt along the way.

Learning activities include; powerpoint presentations, facilitated group discussion, small group activities, games (fun ways you can unleash the creative genius in your community!), including our famous Trans-Action and Carbon Dating games, mindmapping exercises, examples of world cafes and other techniques featured in the Transition Handbook and processes for starting, leading and developing your Transition Town.

We'll cover;
History of and introduction to the international Transition Town model

The language of Transition
The Transition Handbook and how best to use it
Transition Towns in Australia
The principles Transition Towns are built on
Finding your running mates
First steps
How to be not just ‘another bloody group’
Understanding the uniqueness of your community
Case studies of other initiatives (how they got started, what they are doing, what’s working)
Understanding group dynamics
Group facilitation skills
Strategies for raising awareness in your community
SWOT analysis of your community
Planning Pathways to Resilience
Defining domains and levels of action
Working with local government
Planning projects and making them happen
Energy Descent Action Planning
Your next steps and your personal pathway to resilience
Whatever else you need to get started…

Each course is tailored to meet the needs of that particular group – sometimes we have a group of people from one geographical area and they can work together on developing a core group and becoming an official Transition Town over the weekend.

Other individual participants will receive a detailed plan for how they can create community support to get their initiative up and running on their return.

Your facilitators:
Sonya Wallace and Janet Millington
Sonya and Janet have been working together in the realm of Transition Towns since 2006 and are the founders of Australia’s first Transition initiative (Transition Sunshine Coast) and local initiatives in their home towns of Eudlo and Eumundi.

They have created and run the world’s first Energy Descent Action Planning course (Time for an Oil Change), which led to the Sunshine Coast Energy Descent Action Plan, now being utilised by both the Sunshine Coast Regional Council in policy-making decisions and Transition Towns in the region.

Sonya’s background (pictured below right) is in state and local government communications, crisis management and community education. She has a Permaculture Design Certificate and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and is currently working toward her Diploma of Permaculture. Sonya has also completed courses in group facilitation focussed on Transition Town creation, development and longevity of group dynamics. She runs a small-scale organic farm at Eudlo, where she coordinates Transition Town Eudlo.

Janet’s background (pictured below left) is in education and permaculture. A qualified primary school teacher, she has been teaching and applying permaculture for many years both locally, nationally and internationally, working with people to develop community gardens, school gardens, permaculture groups and she also helped write the national Accredited Permaculture Training. Janet is an active community member in her home town of Eumundi particularly with the Eumundi Markets, which have recently become an official Transition Town initiative. Janet also has a Diploma of Permaculture and is a published author on outdoor classrooms.

BELOW - Sonya and Janet received a regional award for their work in Transition Towns.

Your booking:
To book, simply contact Sonya on 0408 013 012 or email transitiontowns@yahoo.com.au or contact Janet on 5442 7200 or miltech@bigpond.com for further information and to secure your place.

What to bring:
Please bring all you need for the weekend – comfortable cool clothes (weather will be hot in February), walking shoes, hat, sunscreen, notebook, pens, camera, water bottle, food for the Saturday and Sunday (shopping opportunity available Saturday morning at Eumundi Markets), musical instruments if you have them, and any plans, ideas or learning tools you’ve been working on in your own Transition Town. Also pack your creative genius to unleash on the weekend.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo
Think Green Consultancy

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Transition Towns at Woodford Folk Festival

2010-01-04T08:30:00.007+10:00

Transition Sunshine Coast and Transition Kurilpa (Brisbane) delivered a co-presentation on this year's Woodford Folk Festival.

Lots of friendly familiar faces in the audience and lots of new faces too wanting to know more about Transition Towns and how to get involved.

We arranged for space and time at the end of the presentation for people in the audience to get together in the 'meeting place' next door to the GreenHouse to swap email addresses and contact details and link up with people who live near them so they can start their own Transition Town initiatives.

It proved very successful and we look forward to next year when we'll hopefully see even more Transition Towns seeding out of the Woodford Folk Festival experience.

BELOW - the Chai Tent at Woodford facilitated by Robyn Clayfield

BELOW - Woodford provides plenty of opportunities for people to get together, talk and be part of the wonderful community that forms every year at the site.

Cheers,

Sonya Wallace

Transition Sunshine Coast

Transition Town Eudlo

Think Green Consultancy

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Transition Towns in the news

2010-01-02T13:25:00.001+10:00

Story featured in today's Sydney Morning Herald...

http://www.smh.com.au:80/environment/pioneers-aim-for-cleaner-greener-lives-in-suburbia-20100101-lls3.html

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo
Think Green Consultancy

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Another new initiative!

2009-12-30T06:37:00.002+10:00

Congratulations to Tamborine Mountain in the Gold Coast Hinterland on becoming an official Transition Town initiative.

If you're not official yet, please think about doing it - the more groups we have added to the list, the better it is for everyone involved.

If you need help filling out the form, please me us know and we can help.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo
Think Green Consultancy

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Some Transition Town happenings over the break...

2009-12-19T13:46:00.003+10:00

Transition Towns will be on stage at the Woodford Folk Festival - one of Australia's largest festivals - over the Christmas and New Years break.

Last year the Transition Town talk in the GreenHouse at Woodford sparked a lot of interest and even a couple of new initiatives, so we're hoping this year to do even better this year.

Transition Sunshine Coast will be busy preparing for its first Transition Town Training workshop for 2010 held on the weekend of February 6 & 7 at Eumundi on the Sunshine Coast, contact info@seac.net.au if you'd like to book in as places are filling up.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, looking forward to a very busy and productive 2010 in the world of Transitioning,

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo
Think Green Consultancy

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Transition Town Eudlo EDAP kicks off

2009-12-13T15:29:00.002+10:00

Transition Town Eudlo on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, will begin working on its Energy Descent Action Plan in January 2010.

It will be done collaboratively between Transition Town Eudlo and the Eudlo Town Hall Committee, and open to all members of the community who would like to have input.

We will invite local community groups to have their say as well as individuals and local business owners.

Transition Town Eudlo already has a number of collectives covering projects such as; setting up a food co-operative, beekeeping, researching alternative energy systems, waste management, a Permablitz team and much more.

We're looking forward to exploring how an Energy Descent Action Plan can be inclusive across a diverse population within a small town and useful to the people of Eudlo.

The Transition Town Eudlo EDAP will in turn feed into the Sunshine Coast Regional EDAP which was compiled and delivered to the Sunshine Coast Regional Council and the community through Transition Sunshine Coast.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo
Think Green Consultancy

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Transition Town Training Feb 6 & 7

2009-11-26T11:41:00.020+10:00

Transition Sunshine Coast is pleased to announce that they will be running a Transition Town Training workshop on the 6th and 7th of February, 2010 (beginning on the evening of the 5th) at the Bamboo Forest, Eumundi on the Sunshine Coast - see venue BELOW - email transitiontowns@yahoo.com.au to book your place.

This two-day intensive workshop is for people interested in starting, leading or joining a Transition Town initiative.

Learn how to create a successful, long-term, action-orientated Transition Town initiative.

How to work within your community and with local government.

Benefit from other peoples' experience and discover how to become part of this rapidly evolving network of people creating real change in our communities.

The tranquil Bamboo Forest at Eumundi offers a great space for learning and networking and there are plenty of comfortable local accommodation options if you require.

This popular and proven Transition Town course is one not to be missed.

Participants will spend time immersed in learning about Transition Towns and how others are transitioning to a better future among a great group of like-minded people.

We kick the course off on the evening of Friday February 5 with a shared organic meal as we get to know each other a little better.

Then, on Saturday morning, its straight into two full days of intensive learning, sharing, activities and facilitated discussions at the end of which you will leave on Sunday afternoon with a toolbox of new skills, a list of new contacts and most importantly a plan of action tailored to meet your particular needs.

We will also cover David Holmgren's Future Scenarios and how they relate to our Transition Town work.

Your Course Facilitators

Sonya Wallace and Janet Millington (pictured BELOW) have been delivering Transition Town and Energy Descent Action Planning workshops together since 2007.

Co-founding Australia's first Transition Town (Transition Sunshine Coast), and both starting initiatives in their own communities (Transition Town Eudlo and Transition Town Eumundi Markets) Janet and Sonya bring unique experience and expertise to Transition Town Training.

They have worked with communities and governments in Victoria, NSW, Northern Territory and throughout Queensland, most recently hosting a workshop that was the catalyst for Transition Far North Queensland Network.

They are delivering Australia's first Energy Descent Action Plan - which covers the entire region of the Sunshine Coast Regional Council, Australia's fourth largest council - through the council's Energy Transition Taskforce, which they are part of.

Their aim is to see many successful 'on the ground' Transition Towns and Transition Town initiatives and principles featured in government policies and planning strategies for the future.

With combined backgrounds in education, facilitation, community development, permaculture, and state and local government, Sonya and Janet deliver a unique course full of creative ideas and practical action.

Sonya and Janet has also been honoured with a regional award for their work in sustainability (ABOVE - celebrating their award with Sustainable Maleny)

If you are interested and would like to find out more - email me at transitiontowns@yahoo.com.au for a flier.

Cheers,

Sonya Wallace

Transition Sunshine Coast

Transition Town Eudlo

Think Green Consultancy

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Homegrown Mountains Show

2009-11-26T11:20:00.002+10:00

Email from Transition Blue Mountains...

KICKING OFF A HOMEGROWN SHOW

If you’re interested in helping to organise a Homegrown Mountains Show about domestic food production and energy reduction, then come along to a meeting this weekend to discuss the what, how and why.

The meeting is being organised by Carmel McCallum and is a starting point only – a brainstorm of ideas, timelines and may result in the formation of a committee. With the commemoration of the crossing of the Blue Mountains coming up, there will be opportunities and maybe even funding available.

John Leary, President of Blue Mountains Association of Cultural and Heritage Organisations, has a wealth of experience in this field as former President of the Campbelltown Show Society and as a board member of The Royal Horticultural and Agricultural Society John has offered to support the process as much as possible and has lots of ideas and knowledge about requirements.

All people and all ideas are welcome!

WHEN 2pm, Sunday November 29
WHERE Grace Tooth Dining Room, Mid Mountains Community Centre, Lawson

Transition Blue Mountains
http://www.transitionbluemountains.org.au/

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo
Think Green Consultancy

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Agents of change

2009-11-20T06:58:00.004+10:00

Transition Sunshine Coast, in its previous form as the Sunshine Coast Energy Action Centre, is featured in the recently released book Sustainability Innovators - Agents of Change on the Sunshine Coast by Dr Dana Thomsen from the local university.

I was interviewed by Dana a while ago and now the book has been officially released, which is very exciting.

It was interesting to read how Dana saw the work we are doing in Transition Towns, it's good to get an outside perspective, it sheds new unbiased, uninvolved, objective light on the process.

As you're all aware, Transition Towns are about action. There's a lot of talking about how bad the whole situation (of climate change, peak oil, peak food, water, energy... etc) is, but there is little in the way of what to do - what action people can take beyond changing the lightbulbs.

Transition Towns are generating real action - projects are happening, changes are taking place - it's little by little at the moment, but within the framework of TTs lies the ability to make all those small changes we need to make to have a big impact.

It's unique focus on bringing local community action and council action together is really exciting a unique point of difference that has the potential to make a difference.

It's also about all the positive things we can do to shape and change the future.

The future is something we create - it doesn't just happen to us.

Transition Towns in their ability to start action happening, bring together research and learning by doing - which I love.

There are a lot of low risk changes we can make - the 'no regret' changes, the low hanging fruit.

These are the things we can and are starting to work on. Local food, local water, local energy... understanding the full scope of what needs to be done and getting started with what's relevant in our community.

When I was interviewed by Dana I explained how Transition Towns find what is already happening in the area and tap into that (eg we link with existing cycling groups, seed savers, LETS etc) this is the part where we don't reinvent the wheel, but in doing this, we also identify the gaps and then we have the opportunity to create new systems to fill those gaps (eg the community want a local food co-op or community gardens or a local transport hub - Transition Towns provide the framework to do just that).

When we do this we don't wait for someone else to do it, we step in and get it started - learning as we go.

Dana describes this as a... "participatory action research approach where participants trial activities, share knowledge and are prepared to learn from their mistakes."

So that is what it is!

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo
Think Green Consultancy

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Sonya Wallace - Transition Town Trainer

2009-11-18T08:14:00.005+10:00

I thought I'd post a little about me and how I ended up as a Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant to put this blog in some type of context for you.

I've been involved in Transition Town training since August 2006, when I first heard David Holmgren speak about the Kinsale Energy Descent Action Plan at a lecture he delivered on the Sunshine Coast.

At the time I was just about to start my Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course at Eumundi with Janet Millington and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAA) which was run in conjunction with a Dynamic Groups Creative Facilitation course at Crystal Waters Permaculture Village and led by Robin Clayfield.

This was all in preparation to eventually begin teaching permaculture after I'd left a long career in corporate communications and state and local government positions (media training, media liaison, strategic planning, crisis management, emergency response etc).

I had also worked as a university lecturer and tutor, lecturing in communications, public relations and media liaison.

The Certificate IV included learning how to deliver Accrediated Permaculture Training programs (APT) and it qualified me to work within the TAFE system (vocational training).

I started my Transition Town training experience in late 2006 by writing the curriculum for a 12-week part-time 'Time for an Oil Change' course - with help and guidance from permaculture teacher Janet Millington - which in turn created a great educational framework to gather community input, opinions and actions, which were then collated and delivered as an Energy Descent Action Plan for the entire Sunshine Coast region - which is the fourth largest council in Australia.

We were known then as the Sunshine Coast Energy Action Centre - SEAC.

This was all pre-Transition Towns going global but we were soon invited by Rob Hopkins and Ben Brangwyn to join the fledgling Transition Town Network and hence we became Australia's first Transition Town initiative and the first outside the UK.

Since then, myself and Janet have been invited to deliver a number of Transition Town workshops around Australia, which have sparked many successful initiatives.

The EDAP has also been delivered, in draft form at this stage, to the local council and I am a member of the region's Energy Transition Taskforce advising council on community engagement through the Transition Town model and addressing ways to reduce regional energy consumption, climate change and peak oil.

Each workshop is tailor-made for the community or council I'm working with.

Each aligns with and supports the participants' unique objectives and aims of sustainability and local resilience.

The work I'm doing now allows me to combine my passion for Transition Towns, permaculture and building resilience with my background in government strategic planning, emergency response and communications, which I love.

To help kick start successful Transition Towns on the ground, to be able to actively support people who want to move forward with their planning for a more resilient future, and to see Transition Towns and peak oil addressed in government policy and strategic planning documents are my aims now.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo
Think Green Consultancy

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Two new official initiatives

2009-11-12T09:11:00.002+10:00

Congratulations to Transition South Barwon (Victoria) and Transition Parramatta (NSW) - recently added to the official international list of Transition Towns.

Visit South Barwon's site here.

No contact details for Parramatta as yet

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo
Think Green Consultancy

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Transition Movie Tyalgum NSW 22 Nov

2009-11-11T11:21:00.003+10:00

Tyalgum District Community Centre will be screening the Transition Movie on 22nd November 1-4pm

Contact Verdandi at
verdandi.v.worldtree@gmail.com
to find out more

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo
Think Green Consultancy

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Transition Blackwood - Victoria

2009-11-11T09:00:00.000+10:00

Another new initiative just starting up... please keep them coming - the national network is really building up.

Hi Sonya,

I just wanted to let you know for the Transition Towns Australia blog that our Transition Initiative in Blackwood is off and running.

There is more on our blog including a photo from that evening.

http://transitionblackwood.blogspot.com/

Thanks! Heather

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo
Think Green Consultancy

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Transition Town Workshops - Leichhardt NSW

2009-11-05T11:47:00.000+10:00

If you are interested in learning more about Transition Towns or getting involved in one and you will be around Leichardt in NSW in November, here our a couple of events you might want to get to...

'Facilitating Transition' Workshop - Nov 14 & 15
Permaculture Sydney South is proud to organise this innovative workshop

The workshop is designed to give you the information and resources to start your transition journey. It provides you with the skills to facilitate engagement in your community for an energy descent future.

It covers:
• The history of Transition Towns and the Australian Initiatives
• Some of the early successful steps in beginning a Transition Initiative
• Replicable successful steps and action around Australia
• Examining your special context to find the best fit actions
• The place for transition in a dynamic community
• A set of tools that can work for the Head, the Heart and the Hands of Transition
• Some planned early actions for your community in transition

When: Sat 14 & Sun 15 November, 8.30am-5pm
Where: Leichhardt School of Arts, 1A Marion St Leichhardt
For Whom: These workshops are for people who would like to gain an understanding of
Transition Towns and would like to facilitate engagement processes in their local community.
Investment: $200 for Permaculture members, otherwise $230.
Bookings: Contact Vicki vicki.f@hotmail.com or call Matt 0438 580 730

Facilitator: Janet Millington is the co-founder and coordinator of Transition Sunshine
Coast. The Sunshine Coast became Australia’s first Transition Initiative in September 2007.
Janet has written and delivered an energy descent action planning course, run a community education centre focusing on climate change and peak oil and now, delivering Australia’s very first community-driven energy descent action plan. Janet is a well-known educator, Permaculture teacher, school gardens expert and author.

and...

Invitation to a presentation by Janet Millington on Permaculture Solutions to Climate Change and Peak Oil - Tuesday November 17

How can we get permanency in our culture when so much of our natural environment is changing and our natural resources are depleting?

For more than 30 years, permaculture has been providing solutions to the very problems it pre-empted back then.

Janet Millington, permaculture practitioner, author and teacher, led with Sonya Wallace, the first transition initiative in Australia to an energy descent future for the Sunshine Coast.

Learn from Janet how permaculture can help you transition your home, family and community from oil dependency to local resilience in response to climate change and peak oil.

Meet Janet and join your local Permaculture group

When: Tues 17 November 2009. doors open 6pm for supper, 7pm-9pm.
Where: Leichhardt Town Hall, cnr Norton and Marion St.
Cost: Free for Permaculture Sydney South members, otherwise $10.
RSVP: Thursday 12 November 2009 via email to Vicki vicki.f@hotmail.com
Membership: Phone Peter 0412679215 or email Vicki.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo
Think Green Consultancy

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Transition Towns and the Community Harvest Project

2009-11-04T08:36:00.000+10:00

Being part of the Transition Town Network is all about not having to reinvent the wheel.

It's are about supporting all the good things that are already happening, finding the gaps where things aren't happening and then hopefully filling those gaps.

Transition Towns all have 'food' sub groups - coming from a permaculture basis, food is foremost in a lot of Transition Town activities, but of course, it's not all we do.

There are also problems to be solved in transport, water, energy, waste and much more.

But food is a great connector - there is nothing like a shared meal with friends (old and new) and food is something we do have control over - we can choose to grow our own, buy local, buy organic, start local food projects and we can choose how we spend our food consumer dollar.

So when I found the Victorian Community Harvest Project website it caught my attention.

Here were groups of people already working on local food solutions - teaching and helping people grow their own, linking people and food within local areas with maps education and events, and helping people prepare for climate and energy uncertainty in the future - just like Transition Towns do.

So I contacted them to see if Transition Town Eudlo and Transition Sunshine Coast could use the term 'Community Harvest' for our food groups - those two words are also powerful as they cover so much - wild harvests, farmers markets, community gardens, celebrations, cooking, and the sharing of excess.

The other added bonus is what when we act locally, but link globally (and nationally) we add weight to all our actions.

Rather than working in isolation, you can join a national network and send a clear message to decision makers that we are all talking to each other, planning to move forward in the same direction and sharing ideas and successful models with each other. This is why I go on so much about Transition Towns becoming official.

If you are with a Transition Town group, take a look at the Community Harvest model and see if it suits you - if it does, contact them and add your name and support to the relocalisation of our food production, supply and distribution.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Welcome to two new Australian initiatives

2009-10-28T15:01:00.000+10:00

Ta Da!!

Congratulations to
The Eumundi Markets at Eumundi on becoming a Transition Initiative - are they the first market in the world to become a TT?

and

Transition Denmark in Western Australia - well done!!
Here's their email address transitiondenmark@gmail.com too

So, who's next??

If you need help becoming official, let us know and we'll help you as much as we can.

If you'd like Transition Town Workshops in your local area - or a presentation to your local council, get in contact. If we can't help you, we'll know someone who can.

Let's Transition Australia.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Transition Town Eudlo

2009-10-27T16:39:00.000+10:00

Transition Town Eudlo will be getting together this Sunday morning November 1 between 8.30-10am at Sweethearts Cafe in Eudlo.

We'll chat about what's been happening with...
The Permablitz Team
Eudlo Food Co-operative
The Steam Team
Eudlo Seed Savers Group
Eudlo Beekeepers' Collective
Waste Busters
Eudlo Transport Solutions
Permaculture Eudlo
Eudlo Seasonal Markets
Solar Cooking Group
EGG (Eudlo Growers' Group) (coming soon)
Highlanders' Goat Dairy (coming soon)
Community Harvest Project (coming soon)

Also an open invitation to anyone from Nambour who is interested in starting a Transition Town there.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Did you know that...

2009-10-25T11:04:00.000+10:00

...Transition Sunshine Coast is the second largest Transition Initiative in the world?

That's according to an article in the Australian Conservation Foundation's latest edition of Habitat magazine.

If you live on the Sunshine Coast and are interested in starting up a Transition Initiative in your local area, please contact me (Sonya) at info@seac.net.au

Cheers,

Sonya Wallace

Transition Sunshine Coast

Transition Town Eudlo

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Transition Far North Queensland

2009-10-23T07:00:00.000+10:00

If you live in or around Far North Queensland you're invited to the first regional meeting of the official Transition Far North Queensland Network.

11am-2pm
Sunday November 1
Candlenut Steiner School
Kuranda

email transition@tfnq.org for more information and details of what's happening on the day and what to bring to share for lunch.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Transition Town Nambour perhaps?

2009-10-18T09:37:00.000+10:00

There seems to be some interest brewing in Nambour (on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland) about Transition Towns.

If you live in Nambour and are interested in getting together with some other Nambour folk to discuss the potential of your town to become a Transition Town, either get in touch or perhaps get along to the next Transition Town Eudlo meeting on November 1 at 8.30am at Sweethearts Cafe in the heart of Eudlo.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Become official and everyone benefits

2009-10-17T06:40:00.000+10:00

Greetings Transitioners,

Australia is quickly developing a strong and expansive network of communities embracing the concept of Transition Towns.

For many it's simply a matter of putting a name to what has already been happening, for others it's the catalyst to bring together many parts to make a wonderful new whole.

For others it's an exciting new idea that's capturing people's imagination of what could be if we could work together...

There are a lot of people out there who really secretly like the idea of living local, eating great organic seasonal food, being part of a vibrant community and feeling a sense of belonging in their community - all side-effects of Transitioning.

And becoming an official initiative is a very important step in the process.

It doesn't cost you anything except a little time spent filling out the form available here.

You need at least four people, preferably one or more will have a Permaculture Design Certificate (which will give the group a strong grounding in the core ethics and principles of sustainability), who are willing to begin the process of raising awareness and testing the Transition waters in their community.

If you look at the current list of official initiatives you'll see that Australia has about 10 percent of the world's Transition Towns - which is pretty darn good given our national population.

But there are a lot of groups are calling yourselves Transition Towns, but are not listed on the site.

Perhaps your paperwork is in the pipeline and we'll soon all see your name added to the official list?

I know they are processing the forms in batches now due to the volume coming in.

I urge you to join the network and add your name to the critical mass of international Transition Towns popping up around the world.

Each time a new initiative is added it adds strength to the movement as a whole. Everyone benefits.

When we approach the decision-makers in our communities to talk about the top down action we need they to take, having a list of everyone who is putting the Transition Town name to what they are doing will only support and help the cause. It adds to everyone's credibility and strength.

Becoming part of the network is fundamental to understanding of Transition Towns - it's how the movement can build resilience in these early stages.

Networking in your community (on the ground) is what being a Transition Town is all about - so if you're not also networking internationally with all the other Transition Towns, you're missing a key principle.

If you need help or advice on filling out the form, please contact me, I'd be more than happy to help.

You won't be signing your life away, you're merely putting up a flag to see if others in your community are concerned about climate change and peak oil and would like to join others to begin working on positive pro-active solutions.

And I bet you won't be standing there on your own for very long!

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Transition Phillip Island Victoria

2009-10-14T22:18:00.000+10:00

Found out about another new transition initiative at Phillip Island

http://transitionphillipisland.wordpress.com/transition-what/

Let us know if we can help you become official

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Transition Town Newcastle

2009-10-13T12:35:00.000+10:00

Very remiss of me, but I had left Transition Town Newcastle (NSW) off the list of useful Transition Town Sites on the right.

Apologies, luckily Ree got hold of me and put that right. So if you live in or around Newcastle and you're looking to find out more about Transition Towns, there is one near you.

Visit their website http://www.transitionnewcastle.org.au/

There are also projects such as; an organic food co-op, liasing with local farmers and "getting it out there" in regards to food availability and future food security happening in the area too.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Transition Town Hervey Bay Update

2009-10-12T16:21:00.000+10:00

Sustainable House Day
Transition Town Hervey Bay (TTHB) held a very successful Sustainable House Day last month. There were over 100 visitors to Jeff and Lorene’s house, about 70 visitors to John’s house and about 60 visitors to Ann’s house out at Burrum Heads.

A total of at least 230 separate visits. Well done Ann for organising such a successful day and thanks to Janey for the publicity. This was a great day to meet and talk with people interested in living more sustainably.

There was also information available on the new, interest free Green Loans and flyers from local businesses on things such as PV panels. We still have many flyers and information sheets if you are interested.

Tour de Bay
Get on your bike for the Hervey Bay Community Bank Tour De Bay charity bike ride, Sunday 18 October. Starting from 7am at the Botanic Gardens, there's a cycling route for everyone from beginners to the more experienced.

Finishing at the Botanic Gardens, the whole family can enjoy the community carnival which kicks off at 8.30am.

The carnival will have amusement rides including the Cup and Saucer, baby animals with Old MacDonald’s Farm, Carnival Cafe for Devonshire tea, free games for the children.

Performers for the day include the Kawungan School Skipping Group, the Australian Air League, Nefertiti belly dancers, the Feds Bush Band and the Rock on Social Group. Stalls include Spin ‘n’ Win Tombola with everyone taking home a prize, Sweet & Sour Liquorice, Crafty Candles, Bunnings Face Painting & Balloon Tying, Bicycle User Group to name a few. There will be drumming, puppetry and art and craft workshops.

All proceeds from the day will go towards the new Hervey Bay Community Centre. So get on your bike for the Tour De Bay charity bike ride Sunday October 18th followed by the Hervey Bay Community Carnival.

Entry forms and more information are available on the community centre website site http://www.ourcommunitycentre.com.au/ or phone (07) 4124 3544

Share Your Story!
How easy is it being green? We would like to hear from you about your experiences in sustainability and what it means to you.

Perhaps you are really proud of your school worm farm, dine on your own aquaponic fish and vegetables, or share enormous vegetables from your backyard with family and friends? How are you using your Climate Smart Home Service monitor? Do you have a compost bin at work, or have developed a business sustainability plan?

If you would like to share your experiences and passion to inspire others, please contact Christel Schrank, TTHB Media Officer, on christel http://au.mc540.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=christel.schrank@bigpond.com.

Aquaponics at Bay Crest
Fluid Industries, Jet n’ Drain plumbing and Transition Town Hervey Bay have joined forces to install a small aquaponics system at Bay Crest. The fish went in on Friday 9 October and some seedlings have already been planted. This is the easiest form of gardening I have ever practiced and the water efficiency is incredible. In my home system I have grown lush, green lettuce, celery, parsley, strawberries, capsicum, broccoli, water chestnuts and more and I only have to top up the system with 2-3 buckets of water a week. If any one is interested in viewing the Bay Crest system please contact me on Mb: 0434 144 394.

New Media Officer
Welcome to Christel who has taken over the Media Officer role from Janey and many thanks to Janey for all the work and time donated to TTHB. The success of our events is very much a result of the hard work that these good people put into the promotions and it is truly appreciated by the rest of the team.

Solar Power Update
Now is a good time to go solar. On August 20th, the Renewable Energy Target (RET) legislation was passed. This made way for the Solar Credits program, which effectively reduces the purchase cost of a 1.5kW solar system by approximately $6,500, based on recent REC (Renewable Energy Certificates) prices.

TTHB has been approached by GoGreen Solar from Newcastle who asked us to send out the following information:

GoGreen Solar have a room booked at Hervey Bay RSL on 2nd November 6.30pm for Q&A night on the GoGreen Solar Offering, the new Renewable Energy Target legislation and our Sustainable Homes Program. We would like to invite Transition Town and anyone else who may be interested. For our latest sales brochure and Homes Program flyer and any questions you may have please call us on 1300 918 020.

Because it is important to our local economy to support local business I have also asked a local solar installer if a discount would be possible for a bulk buy. We would need a minimum of 8 orders to qualify for a discount so if you are interested please contact me.
So go solar! – get in before the price of electricity increases due to carbon emission reduction and take advantage of the RECs and interest free green loans.

Meetings are held on the last Thursday of every month at Images Training Restaurant, Wide Bay TAFE, Urraween Road. 6.30pm.

Next Meeting October 29. Everyone welcome.

Contact us:
e-mail: http://au.mc540.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=tt_hb@hotmail.com
Mb: 0434 144 394
Web: http://transitionfrasercoast.org.au/

Transition Town Buderim

2009-10-12T16:17:00.000+10:00

Buderim are in the process of forming a Transition Initiative - they're not official yet, so won't be on any international lists, but if you live in Buderim and would like to see what it's all about they have an event on October 17 - this Saturday.

Oil, The Economy and You
A screening of Australia Pumping Empty

3.30pm Saturday October 17
Buderim War Memorial Hall
Cost is $5

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Welcome to WA!

2009-10-08T17:39:00.000+10:00

Great news, Transition Towns are taking off in the West.

Received an email today from Transition Denmark in Western Australia. Seems they have quite a lot going on already.

Here is their email contact if you live in WA and want to get in touch.

Steering committee representative - Transition Denmark.
TransitionDenmark@gmail.com

Also Transition action happening in Geraldton, Mount Lawley (A Suburb of Perth),and Albany (Our Neighbouring Town).

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Coordinator

Transition Towns in the news

2009-10-04T13:38:00.000+10:00

Transition Towns feature in the current ABC Organic Gardening Australia Magazine as a way of future-proofing communties.

It includes information about how they all started, their permaculture foundations and what's happening in Australia and includes an interview with Transition Sunshine Coast.

Cheers,

Sonya Wallace

Transition Sunshine Coast

Coordinator

Transition Town Lismore?

2009-09-30T11:05:00.000+10:00

I received another email today wanting to see if anyone is interested in starting up Transition Town Lismore in New South Wales?

Dear friends
am wondering if you have contacts in Lismore who want to form a transitional towns group?

I have recently returned form the Maldives, where I designed co managed construction and trained staff to manage "Eco Centro Waste to Wealth" centre.

Please see WWW.youtube,com/ec3global

Wadzy hellowadzy@gmail.com
for Mother Earth

Transition Tasmania

2009-09-29T16:47:00.001+10:00

Received an email from a group in Tasmania who are working toward setting up Transition Tasmania. They aren't on the official list yet, but this is where you can see what they are doing and how to get in contact with them http://transitiontas.ning.com/

If you are in the process of starting up but aren't official just yet, let me know and I can add you to this list.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Coordinator

Goals to the best game on Earth

2009-09-26T07:52:00.000+10:00

Our community in Eudlo and particularly our local Transition Initiative recently lost one of its driving forces and an inspirational leader, my dear friend, Yukari Desjardins (that's her on the right, me on the left in the photo above taken in June this year at our local World Environment Day celebrations). Photo courtesy of the Sunshine Valley News.

Yukari passed away suddenly late last month in Japan and her death has left a huge gap in many people's lives, most of all her young family and husband.

We had many things planned to do together such as starting the Eudlo food co-operative, running permaculture courses, studying for our Diploma of Permaculture together and much, much more.

She will be greatly missed. But we can take a lesson from how she lived her much too short life.

I thought I'd publish a copy of what was handed out at her memorial service last weekend, which by the way was absolutely packed with people whose lives she had touched and influenced. She was involved in so many things; school gardens, permaculture, transition towns, cooking, healing, health, teaching, dancing, and working within her community to improve things and to more toward a more caring world.

As one of her other friend's commented - she was only one woman, but it would take five people at least to replace her.

Yukari had had so much to offer the Transition Network. I was particularly interested in how she came to permaculture following the Kobe earthquake in the late 90's. This experience led her to permaculture and then onto Transition Towns - she knew what it was like to wake up one morning and have all services (water, electricity, gas, food) cut off and she also knew how important community was to surviving these events.

Luckily, her story is recorded in the 2010 Permaculture Diary if you are interested in reading about what she learned.

So here it is - Yukari's guide to the best game of Earth - life.

To create peace, health, prosperity and justice universally on Earth by the year 2012.

1. Speak the truth
2. Acknowledge the truth when others speak it
3. Come from love and respect
4. Leave the trail better than you found it
5. Expect miracles
6. Do what gives you joy and create joy in what you do
7. Be generous with who you are and what you have
8. Be a good friend and teammate
9. Clean up your messes, learn the lessons and move on
10. If you have an idea for how to improve the game, share it!

Forgive
Appreciate
Celebrate
Respect

Thank you for being who you are and LOVE...
Yukari

Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast

Alice Springs Trip

2009-09-25T10:46:00.001+10:00

We've returned from our visit to Alice Springs and fingers crossed, we'll soon see some Transition Town action starting up there.

Alice Springs is in the centre of Australia in desert country. The average rainfall, according to the Bureau of Meteorology is 286mm per year, but it is very unpredictable and variable, so growing food is challenging. They do rely on an underground water supply, but this seems to be slightly salty and doesn't seem to be being monitored on its usage.

We had a few engagements while we were there - first up the Eco-Fair. ABOVE is a photo of a solar box cooker baking up some treats for the solar cook off challenge. You can see the type of country and how harsh it is.

ABOVE - promoting recycling at the Fair.

ABOVE - a trailer full of good ideas - an aquaponics system (mixing fish and hydroponic growing), solar panel, wind generator, cacti, worm farms and wicking beds.

BELOW - a poster about solar ovens and the various types you can buy or make.

BELOW - information about food shopping and how to green it up and reduce food miles and carbon emissions.

BELOW - the Fair was set in the Olive Pink Botanic Garden which has a wonderful display of bushtucker and useful desert plants including native crotolarias and other legumes.

BELOW - native lemon grass

BELOW - an interpretive sign so people can wander at their own pace and learn more about bushfood, Indigenous knowledge and what grows well there.

BELOW - where to find witchetty grubs for protein.

BELOW - the gardens also had some lovely art and sculpture incorporated throughout

BELOW - the entrants in the solar cook off challenge

BELOW - a look around the Fair.

BELOW - promoting cycling. Alice Springs is pretty much flat, so cycling is an option (not in the summer though - way too hot). Here visitors could book in for a free bike service and check up.

BELOW - Alice is also a Solar City and one of its iconic projects is the roof of the Crowne Plaza - covered with 305kws of Photo Voltaic panels. The largest roof solar energy system in the Southern Hemisphere.

BELOW - a pv coffee table

BELOW - we also ran a community garden workshop. The community have a piece of land (about 1 acre) available to start a community garden.

We also did a couple of Transition Town presentations - for business and council.

I'll post more information on their Solar City project and the successes they've had.

Cheers,

Sonya Wallace

Off to Alice Springs

2009-09-17T10:42:00.000+10:00

We're off to Alice Springs in the Northern Territory this weekend. Transition Sunshine Coast has been invited to be part of the DesertSMART Eco Fair on at Olive Pink Botanic Gardens on this Saturday September 19. We're doing a presentation on Transition Towns between 11.10am to 12.15pm in The Learn Space.

There'll be a solar oven cook off at the fair, and I'm looking forward to seeing (and tasting) that too.

We're spending time with a group of locals who are keen to start a community garden and meeting lots of locals and being chauffeured around to see the sites and attend some of the other events on during the Alice Desert Festival.

We're also speaking to local businesses and council about Transition Towns and what they mean for communities and regions on Monday morning before heading home.

You never know, it might just be the start of Transition Alice Springs!

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Coordinator

New Transition Initiatives & Brisbane in the news

2009-09-16T08:25:00.001+10:00

Congratulations to the latest Australian Transition Initiatives!

Far North Queensland , QLD (http://www.tfnq.org/) will be up and running soon
Sydney North, NSW (http://www.permaculturenorth.org.au/)
Epping, NSW
Darebin, Melbourne, VIC

Some don't have websites just yet, but if you'd like to get in contact with them let us know and we'll try our best to connect you.

If you live near a Transition Town you'd be more than welcome to catch up with them and see what they're up to.

If there isn't one near you, why not start one up?

Also this week we saw the Transition groups in Brisbane featured in The Courier-Mail newspaper talking all things Transition. Here is the link to the story.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Coordinator

Upcoming workshop at Eumundi

2009-09-15T16:21:00.001+10:00

There is a workshop happening at Eumundi on the weekend of October 3 & 4 on Community Food Self-Reliance.

It will be of interest to Transition Towns as it explore how we might be self-reliant in food within our particular bioregions.

Led by Robina McCurdy, the workshop offers ways to:
develop resilient food growing communities
multi-tiered Permaculture design strategies
efficient use of local resources
creating an interactive local seasonal calendar
practical education and empowerment to get started
increasing local and household wealth by growing surplus and adding value

Held at the Eumundi Bamboo Forest the course costs $280-$180 depending on income and includes; handouts, tuition, basic accommodation, evening meal on the Friday night.

To register contact Janet Millington on 07 5442 7200 or email miltech at bigpond dot com

Transitioning Far North Queensland

2009-09-10T12:07:00.000+10:00

We've just returned from Far North Queensland where we had a whirl wind tour talking to communities about how they might move into transitioning from oil dependency to local resilience.

Our first gig was at the Malanda Pub - a beautiful old timber building.

We stayed with locals and this was the view from my bedroom window in the morning.

That was after the fog cleared - we were up among the clouds...

This is a photo of the home...

We held a two day workshop at Kuranda which resulted in a brand new transition initiative - Transition Far North Queensland.

BELOW: here is a photo of some of the things we worked through - domains of action and zones of influence

This was in the heart of World Heritage Rainforest - right next to the Great Barrier Reef - the effects of climate change will have a significant impact on these areas.

One the positive side, their unique biosphere allows them to grow around 85% of all the world's crops.

And here is the happy group of people who have taken on the task of networking with people across the Tablelands and beyond to bring together their own version of Transition Towns, suited to their particular challenges and opportunities. (Ying, Kym, Brett and Anne)

Here are their outcomes from the weekend.

We look forward to seeing what this dynamic group achieves in the future

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Northern Exposure 2-7 September

2009-08-29T07:22:00.000+10:00

Transition Town training is coming to North Queensland.

If you'd like to find out more about the Transition Town movement: what's happening, what's involved, who's involved and how you can be part of it - and you live near Cairns, Atherton or Innisfail, you're invited to one of the events (listed below) happening in the next couple of weeks.

The workshops will be run by Transition Sunshine Coast's experienced trainers. There will be lots of information, activities, networking, discussion and fun! - Guaranteed.

There are three public meetings so you can come along and hear first hand what's happening nationally and what could be happening locally and there is also a full two-day weekend workshop available that will give you the skills and confidence to start a Transition Initiative in your local area.

So, if you're interested in finding out what you can do about climate change and peak oil, how Transition Towns work on mitigation, adaption and preparedness, how communities are coming together to set up more resilient systems and to build community connections, then this is the week for you.

EVENTS (booking details below)

Malanda Public Meeting

Malanda Hotel Ballroom, English Street, Malanda

Wednesday 2 Sept: 7pm til 9.30pm,

Donations welcome

RSVP As soon as possible

Cairns Public Meeting,

Cairns RSL Dance Hall, Esplanade, Cairns

Thursday 3 Sept: 7pm til 9.30pm,

Donations welcome

Transition Towns Training Introduction Workshop - Kuranda

Starting Friday 4 Sept: 6pm to 9pm (shared dinner provided)

Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 Sept: 8.30am til 4pm both days -

Cost $220

Innisfail Transition Action Public Meeting Afternoon,

Senior Citizens Hall,

Cnr Lilly & Owen St, Innisfail,

Monday 7 Sept: 1pm til 4pm,

Donations welcome

Confirmed attendees: Mayor Bill Shannon and Deputy Mayor Ross Sorbello

For bookings and more details, please contact:

Tania Keeble Ph. 0488 917033

Email: tania.keeble@yahoo.com.au

Brett Turner Ph. 4091 3393

Hope to see you there,

Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

A busy week

2009-08-28T06:07:00.000+10:00

It's been a busy time with awareness about Transition Towns building rapidly...

Yesterday I spoke on behalf of Transition Sunshine Coast at a forum on 'Climate-Proofing the Sunshine Coast' - while there was a lot of time spent discussing research and predictions of impacts, I spoke about the local, regional and national movement of communities taking ACTION.

I was also interviewed by Rolling Stone magazine - which I thought was pretty cool. They were doing a feature on peak oil and wanted to focus on solutions and ended up calling me for an interview. It will be out in a couple of months.

Transition Sunshine Coast is featured in this month's ABC Gardening Australia Organic magazine and will be featured in the Australian Geographic magazine soon too.

Also, I heard from the Kenmore group and they have a blogspot so you can visit there and see what they are up to. Well done!

Today I'm off on my own quest to reskill for the future. I'm spending the day at Isabel Shiphard's Herb Farm to learn more about what she does, plant propagation and herbs.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Victorian action

2009-08-26T11:03:00.000+10:00

Transition Sunshine Coast were invited to Victoria recently to present at a conference on urban sustainability, peak oil and transition towns. The Municipal Association of Victoria (their local government association representing all Victorian councils) is moving forward with some very ambitious plans there in regard to Transition Towns and Energy Descent Action Planning.

I was lucky enough to catch up with David Holmgren (co-originator of Permaculture) at the Victorian conference. David delivered a presentation on his Future Scenarios. It's well worth a visit to his website http://www.futurescenarios.org/ to see his views on what might develop out of climate change and peak oil combined impacts.

In coming weeks we'll be visiting councils and community groups in Far North Queensland, the Northern Territory and mid-west Queensland to deliver presentations on Transition Initiatives and Energy Descent Action Planning.

If you would like us to visit your local area, please get in touch transitiontowns at yahoo dot com dot au

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Dynamic Group intensive workshop

2009-08-26T10:50:00.001+10:00

We've just been part of a four-day intensive workshop led by Robin Clayfield on group dynamics and how we can weave ethics, values and heart and soul through the work we are doing in our communities.

There was also a very practical component of how to manage conflict resolution, considering how others view things and problem solving.

This type of work is at the very heart of the Transition Movement - how do we get people engaged, working together, moving forward and long-term sustainability into our social structures of Transition?

We are very lucky to have Robin here in Australia and willing to lend her support and guidance to the Transition Movement. She is now travelling to Bega in NSW for another workshop.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant

Welcome...

2009-08-26T10:44:00.000+10:00

Hello and welcome to the Transition Towns Australia blogspot.

This blog has been generated by Transition Sunshine Coast in response to the growing interest in Transition Towns in Australia. Here you'll find links to all the current official towns (villages, cities, regions etc) in Australia and also what we are up to nationally.

In coming weeks we will be visiting groups and councils in Victoria, Far North Queensland and Northern Territory.

We'll also include reviews of and information about resources, what's on, education opportunities, sharing of ideas, ways to get started and keep going and energy descent action planning.

This blog is our contribution to the national network of Transition Towns in Australia - and we hope you find it of use.

Please feel free to get in contact and to let us know what you are up to in your local area. If we all work together, we might just succeed.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant