What's coming up in West Hobart

Sunday's winter solstice meeting over yummy spiced tea and (too many) muffins confirmed a number of community activities in West Hobart in the coming year.  Take a look to see if there is something that takes your fancy.

1. Draught Busters in West Hobart - Take 2

Our highly successful Draught Busters project from last winter had some funds left over, so Margaret will be coordinating another (free) skills development workshop and arranging the purchase of the recommended high quality draught proofing materials (which will be available at half price) for project participants.    Contact Margaret via steadmanma@gmail.com.

2. Mary Meets Muhammed

WHEN and Sustainable Living Tasmania are hosting a free screening of this wonderful, inspiring and thought-provoking film - about the Pontville detention centre.  It will be screened on Sunday 29 June at 2.30 pm, at Sustainable Living Tasmania:  Level 1, 71 Murray St, Hobart. 
Give SLT a ring on 6234 5566 if you are planning to go - friends and family welcome.

3.  Bushfire Preparedness - revisited

WHEN coordinated several  Bushfire Preparedness tours in February this year, and residents learned important tips about preparing their homes and gardens to minimise the risk of bushfire spotting onto their own properties.  This year we will once again invite residents at the fringes of Knocklofty Reserve to discuss the risks and proven strategies.  Watch out for further information in this blog about this opportunity.

4. Fruit tree pruning

Trine suggested a pruning workshop, and offered her fruit trees as demonstration subjects.   Is there a resident who would like to show others how to do it?  And who else would like to come along?  Drop a line to whenvnet@gmail.com and we will organise a date that suits.

5. Bikelanes and traffic issues in West Hobart

Di suggested that WHEN join forces with Bicycle Tasmania to press for recognition of bikes as a healthy transport option for West Hobart residents.  We agreed there is also a need to work with Hobart City Council to find solutions to the traffic rat run through the area and the consequent safety risks for both children walking to school and older pedestrians.  The Transport Working Group will meet at 67 Newdegate Street at 3pm on Sunday 6 July.  Residents concerned about these issues are invited to come along.  RSVP via whenvnet@gmail.com so that we can plan for numbers expected.

WHEN Solstice Afternoon Tea

WHEN's Solstice Afternoon Tea: 

Let's get together for a Solstice hot spiced apple juice or cup of tea. 

Tell us what you would like to see WHEN doing or just join us for a chat. 

Sunday 22 June, 3pm, Margaret's place, 190 Goulburn St.

Mary Meets Muhammad screening

If you haven't seen this wonderful, inspiring and thought-provoking film - about the Pontville detention centre - this is your chance.   

WHEN and Sustainable Living Tasmania are hosting a free screening:
on Sunday 29 June at 2.30 pm
at Sustainable Living Tasmania:  Level 1, 71 Murray St, Hobart. 

Give SLT a ring on 6234 5566 if you are going - bring your friends and family.

Gardening notes for June

JUNE	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4
Broad Beans (2nd planting)				x
Sugar Snap peas (2nd planting) pregerminate then sow				x
Snowpea (2nd planting)				x
direct sow and protect from birds until 100mm high
Garlic bulbs (after shortest day)			x	x
English Spinach (no Punnets - direct seeding only)			x	x

Draughtbusters rises again!

Did you miss out last year on the assistance to draught proof your home (with half price quality materials and advice)?  Here's our last story from the Draught Busters project 2013.

WHEN has some funds left over from the Earn Your Stars grant so let us know if you would like to make your home warmer and save on your power bills. 

Call Margaret on 0427 355 951 or email whenvnet@gmail.com

Earth on Fire - TV special tomorrow night

A special documentary produced by Catalyst will be broadcast on ABC TV tomorrow night (Tuesday 3 June) at 8.30pm.

In this Catalyst special, Anja Taylor and Mark Horstman travel to opposite sides of the planet to investigate mega-fires, large uncontrollable fires that are on the rise globally. #EarthOnFire

West Hobart residents who attended one of WHEN's Bushfire Preparedness tours in February will be most interested to see the latest research being conducted into the risks of major bushfires on the edges of our suburb. Dr David Bowman of the University of Tasmania expresses his concern about the impacts of climate change on the Tasmanian bush vegetation.

A new Co-housing project in West Hobart

Hobart EcoVillage Inc (HEV) will be holding a meeting, next Saturday 7 June at 2pm, to explore the possibility of establishing a co-housing community at 168 Warwick St, West Hobart. The aim of the meeting is to explain the potential of the site and to gauge the level of interest in exploring a possible development.

HEV have been looking at a number of potential sites to establish an ecovillage in Hobart. You can read more about our group and our site requirements in the Info Pack available on our public Google Drive folder.

We are particularly excited by the potential for a high density co-housing community (at least 8 - 10 dwellings & a common house) in central Hobart, as is demonstrated by the Christie Walk development in Adelaide. 168 Warwick Street is within walking distance of the city and is close to public transport. It has a gently sloping northerly aspect with good sun access and views. It is an ideal site for an inspirational, state of the art, sustainable eco-village, and we would like to invite you to be a part of it!

The meeting next Saturday is the very beginning of this process. Anyone who might be interested in participating or finding out more about the project is extremely welcome.

Following the meeting there will be a potluck shared meal at 6pm. You are welcome to join us for that if you want to find out more about Hobart EcoVillage and co-housing in general.

If you are interested in either the Warwick St meeting or the potluck dinner please contact Sarah Boyle at sarahboyle111@gmail.com or phone 0427 680 746 to RSVP and get details of the meeting location. 

For other queries about the possible development contact Jack Gilding on   jack.gilding@gilding.com or 0407 486 651. 

And please pass this message onto others that you think may be interested.

The Clean Energy Tipping Point, Tuesday 27 May

In conversation with Giles Parkinson and Paul Gilding

Little noticed outside those in the game, a sense of panic has been creeping through the global utility industry. The driver? An extraordinary and continuing price drop in solar that is causing disruption in the electricity industry and huge losses in the market value of some of its key players.

As the Economist headlined their analysis of the issue:

How to lose half a trillion Euros – Europe's electricity providers face an existential threat, it is hard to overstate the significance and interconnectedness of what is now underway – a shift from fossil fuels to renewables; a transition from centralised utilities to distributed house scale generation; a car industry that might hold the key to energy storage for renewable energy; and perhaps most startling of all the potential for global energy price deflation – a stark contrast to forecasts of peak oil and spiralling prices.

Giles Parkinson and Paul Gilding will present their report on these trends, which was produced for the Tasmanian Climate Action Council, and discuss the potential implications for Tasmania.

Date: Tuesday 27 May 2014

Time: 6.00 pm – 7.30 pm

Venue: Stanley Burbury Theatre, University of Tasmania Sandy Bay Campus

RSVP by: Friday 24 May 2014

RSVP to: Click here or call (03) 6232 7173

Cost: This is a free event but bookings are essential for seating purposes.

About the speakers

Giles Parkinson is the founder of the leading clean energy website RenewEconomy.com.au. He is a journalist of 30 years experience, a former Business Editor and Deputy Editor of the Australian Financial Review, a former columnist for The Bulletin magazine and The Australian, and the founder and former editor of Climate Spectator.

Paul Gilding is a writer, corporate advisor and advocate for a sustainable economy. He is widely recognised as a global authority on sustainability and business and is a Fellow at the University of
Cambridge (Institute for Sustainability Leadership). He authored the book The Great Disruption and is a member of the Tasmanian Climate Action Council.

This event is supported by the University of Tasmania

Launch of NEEN+

Margaret and Di attended the Tasmanian launch of a new group called NEEN+ this week.  NEEN stands for National Energy Efficiency Network, and is: "a national initiative to promote open learning and collaboration amongst faith-based and not-for-profit community organisations, with the aim of increasing energy efficiency and  establishing a positive energy future for the sector".

It is funded by the Commonwealth Government and sponsored by Catholic EarthCare Australia.  NEEN's goal is to create a learning network amongst small to medium-sized faith-based and NFP groups which are interested in reducing their energy consumption, and through the application of their learnings, achieve a reduction of 10 percent in their energy bills.

Organisations in scope for NEEN include childcare services, aged care, healthcare service providers, and more.  Organisations which join NEEN gain access to a range of information on good ways to improve the energy efficiency of their offices and buildings, and are able to share their challenges and their learnings with similar agencies.  NEEN has published some very good pamphlets, including "Energy Efficiency:  Top 10 Opportunities".  I was most interested in the excellent online "Opportunities Assessment" calculator developed for NEEN, which is based on typical energy usage across the targetted organisational sectors.  NEEN organisations can use the tool to identify areas where they could save energy, and based on a cost/benefit/payback period analysis, obtain a prioritised list of where to take action.

Faith-based and NFPs in West Hobart should take a good look at what NEEN can offer them.  NEEN has a Vic/Tas Coordinator, Michael Hwang (michael.hwang@neen.org.au) who is keen to hear from organisations.  Check out their website :  www.neen.org.au  to learn more.

The joy of working in someone else's garden

The working bee in Eve's Garden was good fun.  More than one of us commented that it is more fun working in someone else's garden than in your own!  Perhaps it is the lack of pressure - you are given one task to do, you can chat to nice people while weeding or digging, and then it is done.  No sense of the rest of the grand task and all the other jobs on the list!  A bit like looking after grandchildren perhaps.

Anyway, it was a lovely afternoon and very interesting to see how a back garden can be made into almost a market garden.  Liz has a number of long, slightly raised beds (the height of a railway sleeper), equipped with drip irrigation, and a family of chooks with personalities.  Her love of growing and her commitment to sustainable, organic gardening was a pleasure to witness.  The plants look really healthy and the soil she has built up over the seasons is gorgeous.

All too soon it was time to stop for tea and cake.

Gardening notes - early edition for May

Dear Gardening Friends Well, the broad beans are finally in - I hope not too late. The pruning has started - the easy bits, black and red currants and nectarine.  The green manure is spread on the resting beds. The tomato plants are pulled up and hanging in my sunspace to try to ripen the last fruit. Time to sit in my sunspace and have a cup of tea and watch the world go by! By the way, I've found a great source of cheap green manure seed - Roberts at the Brooker end of Collins St sell it by the kilo - $2.50 a kilo. May growers notes are below: MAY  Week 1 Week      2  Week 3  Week 4 Sugar Snap Peas  x x x (1st planting -pregerminate and then sow direct) Snowpea x x x (1st planting -pregerminate and then sow direct) Protect from birds until 100mm high. Punnets Lettuce (slow) Plant out in July x x Cabbages  (small species) Plant out in July x x x Cauliflower "Garant" - Plant out in July x x x Happy gardening. Margaret

Gardens and Food Group Working Bee at Eve's Garden

Dear Gardening Friends

Eve's Garden has been selling splendid heritage vegetable seedlings to West Hobart for years. Now she's expanding into an organic market garden that already supplies Ethos Restaurant with locally grown, organic, in-season vegetables, intrepidly delivered by wheelbarrow / shopping trolley.

Setting up such an enterprise is a huge job for one woman - Liz Lelong - and GAF would like to support and celebrate her with a working bee.

Date: Wednesday 30th April, 2.30 - 4pm.
Place: 14 Petty St, West Hobart
Sustenance: Eve's Homemade Apple Cake
RSVP: <steadmanma@gmail.com> or phone 6234 5113 by Monday 28th April so we can plan both work and Apple Cakes.

Hope to see you there.

Margaret

Gardening notes - April

Dear Gardening Friends

Lovely autumn day today - I hope you can spend some time in your garden.

The Garden Notes (below) look light on jobs for April but I'm looking at the beginning of the autumn/winter pruning. I've cut back the boysenberries, the black and redcurrants are next. The hazelnuts are due a major cut-back this year - maybe I'll wait until my son visits, for that task!

Let Ann Hughes and/or me know if you have ideas for GAF - skills you can share or would like to learn, an offer of your garden for us to sticky-beak - that is always fun.

APRIL	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4
Broad Beans (1st planting)	x

Green manures                                                      x           x        x           x

Lettuce                                                               x           x         x           x       

Garlic                                                                  x            x

Best wishes

Margaret

Meat Free Week and invitation to vegan potluck meal

24th - 30th March is Meat Free Week, raising awareness of the impact of meat production on the environment as well as health and animal welfare issues:

https://meatfreeweek.org/

Livestock production is a major cause of global warming, responsible for more global greenhouse gas emissions than all transport. Livestock production is also a major cause of land degradation, pollution, loss of biodiversity, deforestation and food and water scarcity. Over-fishing and aquaculture are also threatening marine environments.

Are you interested in thinking about food choices and connecting with other WHEN members?  If so, you are invited to bring a plate of vegan food and join us for a potluck meal on Sunday 30th March from 4.30pm.  A very short film (30 minutes) called "Making the Connection" will also be screened.  This film was made by The Vegan Society in the UK and it explores veganism.   Topics looked at in the film include food, fitness, nutrition, global food security, farming, the environment and animal welfare.

For venue details or more information, please call Trine on 6234 7376.

For anyone needing inspiration, Vegetarian Tasmania's website has a number of recipes and links to websites:
http://tasveg.org/recipes.htm

For anyone considering signing up for Meat Free Week, a list of vegetarian and vegan eateries could be useful:
http://tasveg.org/eateries.htm

http://www.vegantasmania.com/p/restaurants.html#.UxnY9z-SyyU  

Hope to see you!

Gardening notes - March

The March notes are below. Time for planting broad beans again - where did the time go?

I hope your garden is flourishing and filling your table - I'm in serious bottling and drying mode at the moment, though it is touch and go whether the birds or me get the plums! My big garden news is the addition of 3 beautiful bantam pullets to my patch. I've managed the contaminated soil by giving 'the girls' an enclosure that is lined with weed-mat. I removed soil and gave them new clean soil. They are dealing very happily with the Tuscan Kale glut. No eggs until after winter apparently.

The other news is to remind you about the Food 4 Thought conference - it is the national conference in Hobart of the Australian Community Gardens and City Farms Network, in New Town 21-23 March (http://events.communitygarden.org.au/). There is a wonderful range of speakers (including Costa from Gardening Australia) and practical workshops. Do check the website and think about registering.

We are looking for people to billet visitors - a great opportunity to meet lovely people who share your interest in urban food gardening.  Can you offer a room, a patch for a tent - or a level driveway for a family combi (and access to a bathroom!)?

Please email me on steadmanma@gmail.com if you can help.

Enjoy autumn in the garden.

Margaret

MARCH	Week 1	Week        2	Week         3	Week         4
Broad Beans (1st planting)				x
Spinach	x

Excellent open garden, with muffins

Thanks so much to Di and Rob who welcomed us to their fabulous expansive garden in Newdegate Street last Sunday afternoon.  Di had prepared an informative outline about  the establishment of the garden, with details of the 'zones' and plants - we visitors felt most inspired about both the design and the productivity!

Raised vegie beds, bird netting, with 9mm dia plumbing pipe supports

Up the steps to the lemon  and hazelnut trees

 

Our produce table included zucchini, potatoes, plums, rhubarb and sweet pea seeds.

Please let us know what gardening/food/community activities you would like to be involved in and what organising help you could offer.

 

Ann 

0439 954 818

 

PS Rob's muffins were the 'icing on the cake'

The Story of West Hobart

Just published is this new book by Donald Howatson, a local historian.  He sets out to chronicle the development of West Hobart by tracing back the origins of each of the streets and explaining how they came to be named (and renamed).

While this might sound dry, it is a good read, being peppered with interesting anecdotes about past residents and developers, and photos of some of our favourite houses.  Donald Howatson has a wry humour which catches the reader by surprise now and then!
It's available at Winnings Newsagents and good bookstores - and it's inexpensive.

How prepared are you for the bushfire season?

As previously advertised, our Bushfire Preparedness Assessment exercise took place this morning.  Perfect timing - it was a day of Total Fire Ban, and a lovely sunny day.

We had a good turnout of 14 residents at first Anne's house, then Meg's, to hear Steve Bresnehan, the Hobart City Council's Fire Control Officer describe the risks to our West Hobart houses and some of the strategies for dealing with them.  Steve was a great speaker, full of good stories from his years of experience, and unfailingly good humoured about what residents are doing (nor NOT doing) to protect themselves in fire situations. His first message was that we should all start our preparations in the months BEFORE the fire season.  The TFS' "Bushfire Survival Plan" booklet is a good place to start.

The main risk we face in our suburb is from embers being blown over from a fire on Knocklofty or from further west.  And if a fire starts up below our properties it may run up the hill.  We had some animated discussions about problems we suddenly realised we had with our own homes and gardens.

From seeing the particular fire traps around these two upper West Hobart houses, we all took different messages away for our own houses and gardens.  Here are just a few examples:

• clear flammable growth from next to the house
• get the TFS' "Fire Resisting Garden Plants" pamphlet - and be prepared to remove some of your plants and trees 
• use a "low flammability" mulch such as wood chips of a large-ish size
• keep mulched beds away from directly beside the house
• have a water supply ready, such as a filled garbage can and have a cotton house mop in it, ready to take on little spot fires
• protect the wood heap with a fine mesh screen to stop embers entering
• on fire ban days, water garden beds near the house and cover with something to stop the mulch flying around
• make a bushfire plan (which should include a range of contingencies)
• have it written down on paper in case the electricity fails or your batteries run out
• watch for nooks of the garden where leaves tend to accumulate - this is where embers may land
• monitor TFS fire level predictions
• get a windup radio
• remove flammable "matchstick blind" privacy screens e.g.:

Some of our risks come from the practices of our neighbours and from the proximity of under maintained Crown land.  There is an important opportunity available to residents in the upper areas of West Hobart:  TFS is facilitating Bushfire Readiness Neighbourhood Groups to set up and work out neighbourhood wide solutions. Perhaps some of us will get together to form one of these groups.

Thanks Anne and Meg for being our guinea pigs today!

February gardening notes

Dear Gardening Friends

February planting notes - beautiful gardening weather today. My scarlet runner beans are at last yielding beans and the pumpkins are finally setting babies. Pretty much given up on the tomatoes this year. I hope your gardens are thriving.

FEBRUARY	Week     1	Week     2	Week      3	Week       4
Turnip (last chance)	x
Cauliflower  P to G	x
Spinach			x	x

Margaret

Bushfire preparedness Assessment exercise, Saturday 1st February

Are you and your house

ready for bushfire?

It’s been a relatively mild summer so far but we know that could quickly change.

With the help of the Tasmanian Fire Service, Hobart City Council and two local households, the West Hobart Environment Network has organized a demonstration home fire assessment showing us how to prepare our homes to reduce the risk of bushfire and how to prepare ourselves and family in the event of local bushfire.

Sat. Feb. 1 Two houses will be assessed (walking distance apart), beginning at 9.30am, 51 Poets Rd, West Hobart. The session should take about an hour.

(Note that both gardens have some steps.) If you need more information, phone Margaret on 0427 355 951.

Also, check out the Tas Fire Service website, where a wealth of information is provided on steps we should all be taking to reduce the risk of fire in and around our homes.