Samford Green Streets
- Community Growing
- Building local networks
- Local economy or new economy projects
- Social Justice / Just Transition activities
Samford Green Streets
Samford Green Streets grew out of concerns in the community around urban development, water management, transport, environmental sustainability and questions about who decides what is best for a community.
The shift in thinking and action came from a number of sources and has found its centre in a process titled Samford Green Streets. Samford Green Streets is facilitated by the regional Climate Action Network www.pineriversCAN.org.au the Green Street Team www.greenstreet.net.au and other local citizens.and the national Green Streets Team (which resides in Samford) have been the catalyst or partner or facilitator for a number of activities, including;
· Samford Solar Neighbourhood – bulk buying solar panels by the Samford Community, with about 200 households now having renewable energy sources on their rooftops (2008-10)
· Samford Green Street Cafe – over 100 members of the community overcrowded the Java Cafe to sort out a number of priorities affecting the sustainability of Samford, including improved bikeways, better public transport and the establishment of a Local Sustainability Hub (2009)
· Samford Green Street web goup – community members and businesses sign up to Green Street to find out their level of sustainability with a Green Street Score and become part of a social network which communicates with its own group and others in similar groups, including other Transition Initiatives see www.greenstreet.net.au/samfordgreenstreets (2008-10)
· Samford Valley Green Streets Schools Challenge – four local schools are engaging a number of their families in household sustainability activity where they login to www.greenstreet.net.au to check their Green Street Score and challenge themselves to live more sustainably (2010)
· Samford Community Group Cafe – over 35 local community groups joined together cafe style to sort out better ways to become more sustainable in the broadest possible sense – increased membership, more engaged membership, improved eco efficiency and more environmentally sustainable organisations (2010)
· Film Events and Forums – peak oil, water management and food production have been the focus of film nights and forums in the community www.pineriversCAN.org.au (2006-10)
· Samford Sustainable Business Cluster – 20 businesses working on their eco-efficiency with a local consusltancy, NACC www.naccsustainability.com.au (2009-10)
· Samford Local Growers – more than 55 householders meet regularly in each other’s gardens to share ideas and fruit and vegetables. Was initiated by a local community member who runs City Food Growers on a worldwide scale www.cityfoodgrowers.org.au (2008-10)
· Samford Green Street Business Precinct – grew out of work with the Sustainable Business Cluster which has resulted in a partnership between the Samford Chamber of Commerce and the Green Street Team to establish a promotable Green Street Business Precinct in Samford. www.greenstreet.net.au
Anyone is welcome to join or start any activity likely to help the Samford community ‘have a go at being sustainable.’