2010 In Transition
We are a fabulous mix of local business people, professionals, community activists and residents working to build and preserve a lively and diverse mix of economic activity, proudly local civic amenity and character, appreciation of our historical and cultural roots and above all an economically and environmentally sustainable future.
The name suggests the 2010 postcode, which includes Darlinghurst and Surry Hills, but we know that we human animals range far and wide, that precinct boundaries are simply arbtrary and we wander where we like, so we invite anyone who lives, works, wanders into or visits our special part of the world to get involved in shaping its future.
Welcome to 2010 in Transition
We are a fabulous mix of local business people, professionals, community activists and residents working to build and preserve a lively and diverse mix of economic activity, proudly local civic amenity and character, appreciation of our historical and cultural roots and above all an economically and environmentally sustainable future.
The name suggests the 2010 postcode, which includes Darlinghurst and Surry Hills, but we know that we human animals range far and wide, that precinct boundaries are simply arbtrary and we wander where we like, so we invite anyone who lives, works, wanders into or visits our special part of the world to get involved in shaping its future.
So join in the fun!
Local recycling - the Talyor Square "Giant Swap Party" goes off!
The rain bucketed down from early morning on Saturday 6th November and the stallholders at Taylor square were nicely drenched setting up their stalls for the regular Sydney Sustainable Market. So were we stalwarts from "2010 in Transition" as we set up three gazebos for the "Giant Swap Party" - the first event we know of in the Planet Ark "National Recycling Week" programme.
The rain continued with just brief respites of several minutes before the next rain squall blew in. It didn't look good. Our hardy band of local volunteers (God bless them!) started to appear closer to the kick off time of 10.30am. The rain continued to fall. Very few people were out and about. It definitely did not look good! We had just about decided to abandon the event when at around 10.25am the rain stopped and it actually started to look less threatening. One or two people appeared with things to swap. We decided what the heck - let's do it!.
At first there were just a few people with items to swap and it looked like the odds on the lucky door prize were going to be very favourable indeed! It looked like it was going to be positively embarrassing! But hey, we were there to swap and promote local recycling and suddenly people appeared from everywhere, our triple gazebo where the goods were laid out to be swapped was well stocked and we were surrounded by an eager looking crowd waiting for the 11.30am starters pistol to begin swapping. We had men's, women's and and children's clothing , homewares, toys , accessories, shoes, you name it, to be swapped.The rain kept away.
Our volunteers were nervous. It was obvious that some items would be hotly contested and that we would have to apply the "scissors - paper - rock" method of deciding who got those items (which indeed we did need to use many times in the ensuing melee)
Then the fun started. It was noisy and frenetic - tokens flowed and items were claimed and contests decided. Within no more than 10 minutes over 100 tokens had been exchanged for items and only a handful of items were left (which we took to the local Salvo's store).
We'll do it again - maybe every quarter. It is actually a lot of fun as well as localised sustainability in action. Next time hopeully we might have fine weather - and how big will it be then?
Letting the ideas flow in Surry Hills
A really interesting meeting in the heartland of Surry Hills last night. The Digital Eskimo set up in itself is inspiring enough, and hat's off to Dave Gravina who's visionary committment to living local and low carbon is in evidence everywhere at the Digital Eskimo offices. The conversation was equally inspiring. Gareth Johnston, with the Live Local brief has a fascinating transition-cum-relocalisation-cum-everything challenge and we gave that topic a good work-out - (hopefully with some take-away ideas for Gareth!). One pervasive thread of the discussion was that the way through isn't all online and it isn't all neighbourhood face-to-face - it eventually has to be both. (This continues - click read more below)
August 30 Meeting
A great meeting with a number of first timers emerging from the depths of our email lurkers list - and great to see the Surry Hills folk there in force! Items discussed included
- The sucessful grant application for a sustainable local business directory/website project
- Plans for more community - building activities at the Sydney Sustainable Markets
- The challenges of dealing with the RTA regarding traffic domination of our area and the need for changes (particularly a proposal to allow a right turn at Flinders Street into Oxford Street which would have multiple benefits)
- Events to engage the wider community of the area
Lots to do and more people needed to champion projects of course.
Meetings are last Tuesday of each month at 6.45 for 7pm sharp start.
Meeting 27th May 2010
We reviewed the visioning and discussion of the last two meetings and got down to what people's particular interests and commitments were. Lance from the Bondi transition came along and was inspiring in his attitute to just getting on with it in the local community to create small and visible manifectations of change (verge plantings, small but pubic events and so on)
The personal focus and action commitments of the people at the meeting were:
- Greening neighbourhood footpaths
- Supporting the Taylor Square Sustainable market ("the best thing that's happened to Oxford Street in a long time")
- Finding ways to develop a vibrant and sustainable business environment in 2010
- Positive, intelligent and constructive engagement with Council
- Making known that the community has a voice and a will for change
- Exploring and advocating for a community composting trial
- Developing the "Three Saints" identity
- Continuing to fight for a community garden place
Lot's of work to do but lots of commitment too
Next meeting the 21st June