[Pil-pc-oceania] SYDNEY: Sustainability courses, workshops

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People in the Randwick local government area...

Randwick City Council Sustaining Our City community education program,
Autumn 2007.

COURSES/WORKSHOPS

1. SUSTAINABLE GARDENING (*)

With drought threatening our food supply and promising massive increases in
the price of fruit and vegetables in our cities, there is no better time to
turn your lawn or apartment balcony into a food producing garden.

Home and community food gardens are suddenly more important to our food
security than ever before. They are both energy efficient - because they
avoid food being transported hundreds or thousands of kilometres with the
consequent emission of greenhouse gases - and they are water efficent,
something that's very important to an Australia beset by drought.

Whether you are designing a new garden or maintaining an existing one, by
enrolling in Randwick City Council's Sustainable Gardening course you will
aquire simple, practical ideas you can put into use immediately.

Watch your Permaculture food garden, native or cottage garden thrive as you
learn to mimic nature and use natural resources efficiently. Learn how to
conserve water in the garden, eliminate toxic garden chemicals and save
money as you create an organic, edible and water efficient garden or
bushland retreat in your backyard.

The course is led by Council Sustainability Education Officer, Fiona
Campbell, assisted by professional landscape designer Steve Batley (Sydney
Organic Gardens; TAFE & Permaculture qualified), Emma Daniel
(horticulturist/landscape designer specialising in food and native plants &
coordinator of Randwick Community Organic Garden) and journalist, Russ
Grayson (ABC Organic Gardening, Australian City Farms & Community Gardens
Network).

The skills you will take away from this course are useful in both home and
community food gardens.

* Essential skill for relocalisation.

DATE: Saturday 5, 12, 19, 26 May and 2 June 2007. 9.30am - 12.30pm.

WHERE: Randwick Community Centre, 23 Munda Street
(turn off Bundock St into Hendy Ave, then right into Marida St), Randwick.

COST: Free.

BRING: Pen and note pad, sunscreen, hat, sturdy shoes (not sandals - for
your safety during outside activity) and a pair of gardening gloves.

Morning tea provided.

If this course is full, contact Eastern Suburbs Community College for the
dates of the next course.

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2. SUSTAINABILITY AT HOME (*)

Combine smart design with sustainable behaviour and change your house from
an energy and water consuming sink into a water and energy efficient home.

Five Monday evening sessions: 30 April then 7, 14, 21 and 28 May 2007.
Session runs 6.45pm - 8.45pm.

WHERE: Bowen Library, 1st floor Auditorium, 669-673 Anzac Parade MAROUBRA.

COST: Free.

DETAILS   
Learn about making your home more comfortable by clever design and using
simple energy and water saving strategies, green cleaning, green shopping,
collecting and using rainwater and greywater and building a wormfarm and
compost. 

Course led by Council Sustainability Education Officer, Fiona Campbell,
assisted by architect Terry Bail, water engineer, John Caley and journalist,
Russ Grayson.

Renovators - get some good ideas before you rebuild and gain an insight into
the state government BASIX system now requird for water and  energy
efficiency in new houses and renovations.

This course includes an introduction to using Randwick City Council's new
Energy Bucket - Council's Energy Home Auditing Kit now availble from Bowen
Library (library membership required).

BRING: Pen and note pad.

Light refreshments provided.

* Essential skill for relocalisation.

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3.COMPOST AND WORK FARMING (*)

This course shows how easy it is to reduce household waste through the art
of composting and worm farming. Learn how to fix problems, choose the best
system and use the finished product.

DATE: Wednesday 16 May 2007. 9:30am - 12:30pm.

WHERE: Randwick Council's Community Nursery, 2B Barker Street, Kingsford.

BRING: Pen and note pad.

Morning tea provided.

* Essential skill for relocalisation.

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4. CREATING YOUR NATIVE HAVEN

Turn your garden into a sanctuary for native birds and other native fauna.
Learn the basic principles of designing your native garden, choosing
suitable native plants, planting out and building a frog pond.

DATE: Wednesday 2 & 9 May 2007. 9.30am - 1.00pm

WHERE: Randwick City Council's Community Nursery, 2B Barker Street,
Kingsford.

COST: Free.

BRING: Pen and note pad, sunscreen, hat, sturdy shoes and a pair of gloves.

Morning tea provided.
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BOOKINGS
Bookings are essential for all courses and workshops. Call Randwick
Council's Community Nursery 02 9399 0933 between 9:00am & 3:00pm, Monday to
Friday.

If you book and are unable to attend please cancel your booking so other
people on the waiting list are able to attend.

More at: www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/default.php?id=740

The Sustainable Urban Living Workshops are a Randwick City Council
Sustaining our City initiative.

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NEWS...

ENERGY REBATES FOR RESIDENTS

Randwick residents can take action to reduce greenhouse gases and address
climate change, saving up to 40 per cent on the cost of installing energy
saving measures with Council's Home Energy Makeover.

The three easy steps in Randwick's Home Energy Makeover are:

- residents take the 'Energy Pledge' by agreeing to do three out of five
simple energy saving challenges over 12 months

- residents can opt for a free home energy audit where a trained auditor
will identify ways they can reduce household energy consumption and
greenhouse gas emissions

- cash rebates are available to help residents install energy saving items
such as a solar hot water system, home insulation or energy efficient white
goods.

Funding for Randwick's Home Energy Makeover Program comes from a grant under
the Demand Management and Planning Project, an initiative of the Department
of Planning, Transgrid and Energy Australia. For more details on Program,
visit www.randwick.nsw.gov.au or call 1300 769 389.

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COUNCIL GOES PV TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GASES
Randwick City Council is leading by example when it comes to reducing
greenhouse gas emissions and utilising sustainable energy solutions,
encouraging residents to switch to solar energy by recently installing a new
photovoltais (PV) system to power one of its buildings.

The Council has installed a two-kilowatt photovoltaic system on the roof of
the Randwick Council Depot in Maroubra to provide clean, renewable
electricity to the building. According to Council, the system produces
enough energy to power an average sized home all year round and will reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by 100 tonnes of CO2 over its lifetime, which is
the equivalent of taking 30 cars off the road for a year.

The system is being scaled up to a ten-kilowatt photovoltaic project due to
be completed later this year.

The projects are supported by the School of Photovoltaic Engineering though
Randwick Council¹s Sustainability Agreement with the University of New South
Wales.

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HOUSEHOLD CHEMICAL CLEANOUT DAY

Saturday 28 April 2007, 9am to 3:30pm.

INFORMATION: www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/default.php?id=80#Dates

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